Winding-up and Restructuring Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. W-11)
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Act current to 2024-08-18 and last amended on 2023-06-22. Previous Versions
PART IIIRestructuring of Insurance Companies (continued)
Marginal note:Application of Part
159.1 (1) This Part applies only to insurance companies.
Marginal note:Transitional
(2) This Part applies only in respect of applications for winding-up orders that are made after the date of coming into force of this subsection, and applications for winding-up orders that were made on or before that date shall be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of this Part as they read immediately before that date.
- 1991, c. 47, s. 747
- 1996, c. 6, s. 161
Marginal note:Protection of asset orders
160 The court may, at any time after an application for a winding-up order is made, on the application of the applicant for the winding-up order or of the liquidator, make such order as the court considers appropriate for the protection of the assets of the estate of the company.
- R.S., 1985, c. W-11, s. 160
- 1991, c 47, s. 748
- 1996, c. 6, s. 161
Marginal note:Order of priority for payment of claims
161 (1) Subject to this Act, claims shall be paid in the following order of priority:
(a) costs of liquidation;
(b) claims of preferred creditors, specified in section 72;
(c) claims of policyholders of the company ranking as follows:
(i) in the case of policies of life insurance and policies of accident and sickness insurance,
(A) if transfer or reinsurance is not effected as provided in section 162, claims that have arisen under those policies of the company, in accordance with the terms thereof, prior to the date of the filing of the statement of the liquidator in the Office of the Superintendent as provided in subsection 168(1), less any amount previously advanced by the company on the security of those policies, and claims to the value of those policies computed as provided in section 163, or
(B) if transfer or reinsurance is effected as provided in section 162, of all or any of the policies of the company,
(I) in respect of those policies of the company for which transfer or reinsurance is effected, the consideration payable for the transfer or reinsurance of the policies of the company, and
(II) in respect of those policies of the company for which transfer or reinsurance is not effected, claims that have arisen under those policies, in accordance with the terms thereof, prior to the date of the filing of the statement of the liquidator in the Office of the Superintendent as provided in subsection 168(1), less any amount previously advanced by the company on the security of those policies and claims to the value of those policies computed as provided in section 163, and
(ii) in the case of policies of insurance other than policies of life insurance and policies of accident and sickness insurance,
(A) firstly, claims that have arisen under those policies of the company by reason of the occurrence of the event insured against, in accordance with the terms thereof, prior to the date of the filing of the statement of the liquidator in the Office of the Superintendent as provided in subsection 168(1), less any amount previously advanced by the company on the security of those policies, and
(B) secondly, the claims of such policyholders to the value of those policies computed as provided in section 163 or, where transfer or reinsurance is effected as provided in section 162 of all or any of the policies of the company, the consideration payable for the transfer or reinsurance of the policies of the company or, as the case may be, claims that have arisen under those policies of the company by reason of the cancellation of such policies, in accordance with the terms thereof, prior to the date of the filing of the statement of the liquidator in the Office of the Superintendent as provided in subsection 168(1), less any amount previously advanced by the company on the security of the policies so cancelled; and
(d) expenses described in paragraph 686(1)(a) of the Insurance Companies Act that were incurred by the Superintendent in respect of the company and assessed against and paid by other companies pursuant to that Act, and interest in respect thereof at such rate as is specified by the Superintendent.
Marginal note:Claims re life companies — policyholders
(2) No payment on a claim by a policyholder of a company insuring risks under policies referred to in subparagraph (1)(c)(i) claiming a minimum amount that the company has agreed to pay under a policy in respect of an amount for which a segregated fund is maintained under section 451, subsection 542.03(2) or section 593 of the Insurance Companies Act for a deficiency if the assets of the fund are insufficient to satisfy such a claim, shall be made unless the assets of the company are sufficient to pay the claims referred to in subsection (1) and all of the terms of the policies of policyholders referred to in that subsection have been satisfied in full including any interest component of those policies accruing to the date of payment of the claim.
Marginal note:Claims re life companies — creditors
(2.1) No payment on a claim by a creditor of a company insuring risks under policies referred to in subparagraph (1)(c)(i) shall be made unless the assets of the company are sufficient to pay the claims referred to in subsections (1) and (2) and all of the terms of the policies of the policyholders referred to in those subsections have been satisfied in full including any interest component of those policies accruing to the date of payment of the claim.
Marginal note:Interest component
(3) For the purposes of subsections (2) and (2.1), the interest component of the claims of policyholders referred to in subparagraph (1)(c)(i) shall be treated as part of the claim that has arisen under the policy in accordance with the terms of the policy.
Marginal note:Claims re other companies
(4) No payment on a claim by a creditor of a company insuring risks under policies referred to in subparagraph (1)(c)(ii) shall be made unless the assets of the company are sufficient to pay the claims referred to in subsection (1).
Marginal note:Subordinated debt holders
(5) Holders of subordinated indebtedness, within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Insurance Companies Act, of a company and other indebtedness that by their terms rank equally or are subordinate to such indebtedness are entitled to receive payment on their claims only if the assets of the company are sufficient to pay the claims referred to in subsections (2), (2.1) and (4).
Marginal note:Priority of claims of policyholders in foreign companies
(6) Despite anything in this Part but subject to subsection (8), if a company is a foreign company, no claim, after the payment of costs of liquidation, ranks against the assets other than claims described in paragraphs (a) to (c), and the balance, if any, of the assets remaining after those claims are paid shall be applied by the liquidator in satisfaction of the claims of any other creditors — but not including policyholders and creditors of the foreign company in respect of a class of insurance not specified in the order referred to in paragraph (b) — of the insurance business in Canada of the foreign company in accordance with subsections (2), (2.1) and (4):
(a) the preferred creditors referred to in paragraph (1)(b);
(b) holders of policies of a class of insurance specified in the order of the Superintendent under Part XIII of the Insurance Companies Act other than holders of a policy exempt from Part XIII by virtue of section 572.1 of that Act; and
(c) expenses described in paragraph 686(1)(a) of the Insurance Companies Act, that were incurred by the Superintendent in respect of the company and assessed against and paid by other companies pursuant to that Act, and interest in respect of those expenses at the rate that is specified by the Superintendent.
Marginal note:Definitions
(7) In subsection (8),
- assets in Canada
assets in Canada means assets in Canada, within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Insurance Companies Act, of a foreign company; (actif au Canada)
- assets under the control of the chief agent
assets under the control of the chief agent means the other assets of the foreign company that are held in Canada under the control of its chief agent, within the meaning of section 571 of the Insurance Companies Act, including all amounts received or receivable in respect of its insurance business in Canada. (actif sous le contrôle de l’agent principal)
Marginal note:Other foreign company priority provisions
(8) Where a foreign company is authorized to insure in Canada
(a) risks falling within the class of life insurance; and
(b) risks falling within some other class of insurance, other than accident and sickness insurance, credit protection insurance and other approved products insurance,
(i) in the case of the costs of liquidation and the claims of preferred creditors, the costs, portions of expenses and claims shall be paid from the assets in Canada, maintained for the policies referred to in subparagraphs (ii) and (iii), together with the assets under the control of the chief agent, in the proportion that the court considers fair and equitable,
(ii) in the case of policies falling within the classes of life insurance, accident and sickness insurance, credit protection insurance and other approved products insurance, claims shall be paid
(A) firstly, from the assets in Canada maintained for those policies,
(B) secondly, from the assets under the control of the chief agent in such proportion as the court considers fair and equitable, and
(C) thirdly, from the balance, if any, of any assets referred to in clauses (iii)(A) and (B) remaining after the claims under subparagraphs (i) and (iii) are paid,
(iii) in the case of policies falling within some other class of insurance, claims shall be paid
(A) firstly, from the assets in Canada maintained for those policies,
(B) secondly, from the assets under the control of the chief agent in such proportion as the court considers fair and equitable, and
(C) thirdly, from the balance, if any, of any assets referred to in clauses (ii)(A) and (B) remaining after the claims under subparagraphs (i) and (ii) are paid, and
(iv) in the case of expenses described in paragraph 686(1)(a) of the Insurance Companies Act that were incurred by the Superintendent in respect of the foreign company and assessed against and paid by other companies pursuant to that Act, the expenses shall be paid from the balance, if any, of the assets referred to in clauses (ii)(A) and (B) and (iii)(A) and (B) remaining after the claims under subparagraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) are paid.
Marginal note:Priority of costs, etc.
(9) For greater certainty, the costs, claims and expenses referred to in subsections (6) and (8) shall be paid in accordance with the priorities set out in subsection (1).
Marginal note:Release of balance of assets to company
(10) The liquidator may, with the approval of the court, release to the foreign company any balance of the assets remaining after payment of claims in the order of priority prescribed by subsection (9).
Marginal note:Payment of liabilities
(11) Notwithstanding anything in this section, the liquidator may, in carrying on the business of the company pursuant to paragraph 35(1)(b), with the approval of the court, pay liabilities relating to the portion of the business being carried on, where the payment is considered desirable for the retention of goodwill and enhancement of value to the estate of the company.
- R.S., 1985, c. W-11, s. 161
- R.S., 1985, c. 18 (3rd Supp.), s. 44, c. 21 (3rd Supp.), s. 55
- 1991, c. 47, s. 749
- 1996, c. 6, s. 161
- 1997, c. 15, s. 411
- 2007, c. 6, s. 445
- 2012, c. 5, s. 210
Marginal note:Transfer and reinsurance of policies by liquidator
162 (1) The liquidator may, with the approval of the court and without the consent of the policyholders, arrange for the transfer or reinsurance of
(a) all or a portion of the policies of the company, in the case of a company other than a foreign company, or
(b) all or a portion of the policies in respect of a foreign company’s insurance business in Canada
in a company, society, foreign company or provincial company within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Insurance Companies Act or an insurance company incorporated by or under an Act of a legislature of a province and authorized under the laws of the province to issue policies of the class being transferred or reinsured, if the terms of the transfer or reinsurance are, in the opinion of the court having regard to the priorities set out in this Part, fair and equitable to
(c) the policyholders whose policies are being transferred or reinsured,
(d) the estate of the company as a whole, and
(e) the remaining policyholders of the company.
Marginal note:Transfer and reinsurance of policies by liquidator
(2) The liquidator may, with the approval of the court and without the consent of the policyholders, arrange for the transfer or reinsurance of all or a portion of the policies of the company, other than policies in respect of its insurance business in Canada, in any body corporate if the terms of the transfer or reinsurance are, in the opinion of the court, having regard to the priorities set out in this Part, fair and equitable to
(a) the policyholders whose policies are being transferred or reinsured;
(b) the estate of the company as a whole; and
(c) the remaining policyholders of the company.
Marginal note:Transfer or reinsurance is in lieu of claim on policy
(3) The transfer or reinsurance of policies referred to in subsections (1) and (2) shall be in lieu of the claim for the value of those policies computed as provided in section 163.
Marginal note:Mortgage insurance policies
(4) The liquidator of a company, society or foreign company within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Insurance Companies Act may, with the approval of the court and the consent of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and without the consent of the policyholders, arrange for the transfer to that corporation of all or a portion of the company’s, society’s or foreign company’s policies of mortgage insurance, or arrange for the reinsurance of all or a portion of those policies by that corporation.
- R.S., 1985, c. W-11, s. 162
- 1991, c. 47, s. 750
- 1996, c. 6, s. 161
- 2007, c. 6, s. 446
Marginal note:Partial payment or reinsurance
162.1 Where the liquidator estimates that the assets of the company are insufficient to provide for the payment in full of the preferred claims specified in section 72, for the payment in full of claims referred to in subparagraphs 161(1)(c)(i) or (ii) and for the transfer or reinsurance in full of policies of the company, the claims referred to in subparagraphs 161(1)(c)(i) or (ii) may be paid at, and the transfer or reinsurance may be effected at, such percentage of the full amount of the policies as may be approved by the court.
- 1996, c. 6, s. 161
Marginal note:Modification of policies
162.2 The court may, on the application of the liquidator, without the consent of the policyholders concerned but on such notice to them as the court considers appropriate, modify the terms of all or any of the policies of insurance of the company held by those policyholders if the court is satisfied that the modification will have no adverse material impact on the policyholders under the terms of the policies.
- 1996, c. 6, s. 161
Marginal note:Computation of claims
163 (1) Claims of policyholders of the company to the value of their policies referred to in subparagraphs 161(1)(c)(i) or (ii) shall be computed by the liquidator in accordance with such methods of computation as the Superintendent may deem fair and reasonable, less any amount previously advanced by the company on the security of the policies.
Marginal note:Amendment thereof
(2) The methods of computation established by the Superintendent are binding on all concerned, subject only to modification by the Superintendent.
- R.S., 1985, c. W-11, s. 163
- R.S., 1985, c. 18 (3rd Supp.), s. 45
- 1996, c. 6, s. 161
- Date modified: