Bank continuance, trust amalgamation, address changes

Summary#

The Canada Gazette (Part I) published a set of miscellaneous notices on January 3, 2026. They cover: an intent by Exchange Bank of Canada to change its corporate regime, a planned amalgamation involving Fiduciary Trust Company of Canada and 17440961 Canada Inc., and address changes for enforcement-service purposes for Home Bank and Home Trust Company.

What it does#

• Exchange Bank of Canada says it will apply to the Minister of Finance on or after January 6, 2026 for permission to seek a certificate of continuance under the Canada Business Corporations Act instead of remaining under the Bank Act. The bank’s board can still withdraw the application before a decision is made. The notice warns that publication is not proof the approval will be granted.
• Fiduciary Trust Company of Canada and 17440961 Canada Inc. plan to apply for letters patent to amalgamate and continue as one company under the name Fiduciary Trust Company of Canada / La Société Fiduciary Trust du Canada. The new company’s head office would be in Mississauga, Ontario. The amalgamation is conditional on the smaller company getting regulatory approvals to acquire control of Fiduciary Trust Company of Canada; if that proposed acquisition is not completed, the amalgamation will not proceed. This is filed under the Trust and Loan Companies Act.
• Home Bank has changed the location of its designated office in Quebec for the service of enforcement notices to 630 René‑Lévesque Boulevard West, Suite 1400, Montréal, Quebec H3B 1S6. This change was made under the Support Orders and Support Provisions (Banks and Authorized Foreign Banks) Regulations (notice dated October 28, 2025).
• Home Trust Company made the same change for its designated Quebec office for enforcement notices to 630 René‑Lévesque Boulevard West, Suite 1400, Montréal, Quebec H3B 1S6, under the Support Orders and Support Provisions (Trust and Loan Companies) Regulations (notice dated October 28, 2025).

Who's affected#

• Exchange Bank of Canada shareholders and its corporate managers, and federal financial regulators, because the bank is seeking to change the legal regime that governs it. Customers may notice no immediate change, but legal or governance details could differ later.
• Fiduciary Trust Company of Canada clients and the parties to the proposed 17440961 Canada Inc. acquisition, plus regulators who must approve the control change. The amalgamation depends on that acquisition, so its effects are conditional.
• People or organizations who must deliver enforcement or support-related legal notices in Quebec to Home Bank or Home Trust Company. Those notices should now be sent to the new Montreal address.
• General public: the notices are administrative steps and do not themselves create or change rights — approvals or further filings are still required.

Why it matters#

• A bank continuing under a different federal corporate law can change corporate governance, filing rules, and how the institution is organized. That can matter to investors, some creditors, and regulators even if everyday banking services stay the same.
• An amalgamation after an acquisition can change who legally operates a trust business and who is responsible for its obligations. Clients and counterparties watch for who will hold their accounts or manage their trusts.
• The address changes matter for anyone who needs to serve legal enforcement or family-support documents. Serving to the old address could delay or invalidate legal steps if the new designated office is not used.
• These Gazette notices are routine public steps. They do not mean approvals have been given; final decisions depend on further regulatory review.