July 31, 2020
The Time Limits and Other Periods Act (COVID-19) (“Time Limits Act”) came into force on July 27, 2020. It provides a blanket suspension of time limits established by federal legislation with respect to court proceedings (s.6). It also authorizes the issuance of targeted Ministerial Orders suspending various statutory time limits set out in its schedule, including Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA) and Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) time limits (s.7). At present, for the reasons below, neither of these provisions apply to the BIA and CCAA, and therefore BIA and CCAA time limits remain unaffected.
- An Order in Council was issued on July 30, 2020 providing that s.6 would not apply to the BIA and the CCAA.
- As of this date, no Ministerial Order has been issued with respect to the BIA or CCAA, and therefore time limits remain as set out in these acts.
The Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy (OSB) continues to monitor insolvency filings to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the insolvency system. If the situation changes or stakeholders consider there to be systemic challenges that could be addressed through a Ministerial Order, please communicate with the OSB via email at
ic.osbregulatoryaffairs-affairesreglementairesbsf.ic@canada.ca.