Nunavut Legal Registries

Eligibility Criteria

Individuals interested in the

        - incorporation of a business corporation, non-profit societies, and co-operatives
        - registering land or property
        - registering items such as bills of sale, chattel mortgages, and conditional sales contracts
        - registering a public company

Summary

The Legal Registries Division consists of Corporate Registries, Document Registry, Securities Registry and the Land Titles Office.  Within these four areas, the Division is directly responsible for the administration and enforcement of 16 statutes and indirectly responsible for 14 other statutes.  The Division provides direct services to the general public and except for certain filings under the Securities Act, all documents, certificates and other records may be reviewed or copies obtained by the general public.

Land Titles

The Land Titles Office is reponsible for the registration of ownership and other interests, such as leases and mortgages, in privately owned lands.  Upon the registration of a grant of survey land, a certificate of title is issued to the new owner.  Subject to certain exceptions, the certificate is proof of the owner's title to the property to those who are subsequently dealing with the land.

Thereafter, mortgages, leases, easements, builders' liens and any other claim of an interest in the land are recorded on the certificate of title.  In the case of a transfer of ownership, a new certificate of title is issued.  An assurance fund is established to compensate those who are wrongfully deprived of any interest in land as a result of the operation of the system or errors by the Land Titles Office officials.

Corporate Registries

Corporate Registries is responsible for incorporating private businesses, non profit societies, and co-operatives as well as for the registration of companies which have been created elsewhere but which are carrying on business in Nunavut.  Once incorporated or registered, they must continue to file basic information at least once a year (eg. names and addreses of directors, changes of name, changes to the membership criteria).  This section is also responsible for the registration of limited partnerships, partnerships and business names.

Document Registry

Purchasers and lenders of money may protect their interest in personal property by filing their interest in Document Registry.  Subsequent purchasers or lenders may then determine from a search of the registry whether or not the property is subject to a prior interest.

Securities Registry

The Securities Registry is responsible for protecting investors by licensing stockbrokers and salespersons.  The public is further protected by the requirement that a company must disclose, in a prospectus or other appropriate offering memorandum, details of its activities and finances before it may sell its shares and other securities to the general public.  The adequacy of ths disclosure is monitored by staff in this section.

Nunavut Contact(s):
Samantha Van Genne
Deputy Registrar
Securities & Corporations
Legal Registries Division
Department of Justice
1st Floor Brown Building
P.O. Box 1000, Station 570
Iqaluit, Nunavut  X0A 0H0
Telephone: (867) 975-6591
Fax: (867) 975-6194
E-mail: svangenne@gov.nu.ca