Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. (Re), 2023 CanLII 128263

December 11, 2023

(the Jurisdiction)

AND

(the Filer)

AND

IN THE MATTER OF THE FUNDS (as defined below)

Background

The principal regulator in the Jurisdiction has received an application from the Filer on behalf of NEI Long Short Equity Fund and any alternative mutual fund, including exchange traded funds, established in the future for which the Filer or an affiliate of the Filer acts as the manager, portfolio advisor and/or trustee (collectively, the Funds and individually, a Fund), for a decision under the securities legislation of the principal regulator (the Legislation) exempting the Funds from:

(i) the following restrictions of National Instrument 81-102 - Investment Funds (NI 81-102) to permit each Fund to sell securities short and/or borrow cash up to a combined aggregate total of 100% of the NAV of the Fund:

(a) subparagraph 2.6.1(1)(c)(v), which restricts a Fund from selling a security short if, at the time, the aggregate market value of all securities sold short by the Fund exceeds 50% of the Fund's NAV (together with (c) below, the Short Selling Limit);

(b) subparagraph 2.6(2)(c), which restricts a Fund from borrowing cash if the value of cash borrowed, when aggregated with the value of all outstanding borrowing by the Fund, exceeds 50% of the Fund's NAV (together with (c) below, the Cash Borrowing Limit); and

(c) section 2.6.2, which restricts a Fund from borrowing cash or selling securities short if, immediately after entering into a cash borrowing or short selling transaction, the aggregate value of cash borrowed combined with the aggregate market value of all securities sold short by the Fund (the Combined Aggregate Value) would exceed 50% of the Fund's NAV and which requires a Fund, if the Combined Aggregate Value exceeds 50% of the Fund's NAV, as quickly as commercially reasonable, to take all necessary steps to reduce the Combined Aggregate Value to 50% or less of the Fund's NAV; and

(ii) the restriction in subparagraph 2.6.1(1)(c)(iv) of NI 81-102, which restricts a Fund from selling a security of an issuer, other than a “government security” (as defined in NI 81-102) short if, at the time, the aggregate market value of the securities of that issuer sold short by the Fund exceeds 10% of the Fund’s NAV (the Single Issuer Short Restriction) in order to permit each Fund to exceed the Single Issuer Short Restriction to short sell IPUs of one or more IPU Issuers up to a maximum of 100% of a Fund’s NAV at the time of the sale

((i)(a) and (i)(c) together, the Short Selling Relief, (i)(b) and (i)(c) together, the Cash Borrowing Relief, (ii) the Single Issuer Short Relief and, collectively with the Short Selling Relief and the Cash Borrowing Relief, the Requested Relief).

Under the Process for Exemptive Relief Applications in Multiple Jurisdictions (for a passport application):

(i) the Ontario Securities Commission is the principal regulator for the Application;

(ii) the Filer has provided notice that subsection 4.7(1) of Multilateral Instrument 11-202 Passport System (MI 11-102) is intended to be relied upon in each of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Québec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut (the Other Jurisdictions and, together with the Jurisdiction, the Jurisdictions).

Interpretation

Terms defined in National Instrument 14-101 - Definitions, MI 11-102 and NI 81-102 have the same meaning if used in this decision, unless otherwise defined. In addition:

Aggregate Limit means the aggregate gross exposure restriction in subsection 2.9.1 of NI 81-102, which places an overall limit on an alternative mutual fund’s exposure to cash borrowing, short selling and specified derivatives equal to 300% of such fund’s NAV.

IPU means "index participation unit", as defined in NI 81-102.

IPU Issuer means an investment fund the securities of which are IPUs.

NAV means net asset value.

Prime Broker means any entity that acts as a lender or borrowing agent, as the case may be, to one or more investment funds.

Prospectus means a simplified prospectus of a Fund prepared in accordance with Form 81-101F1 – Contents of Simplified Prospectus or a prospectus of a Fund prepared in accordance with Form 41-101F2 -Information Required in an Investment Fund Prospectus, as the same may be amended from time to time.

Representations

This decision is based on the following facts represented by the Filer:

The Filer

1The Filer is a limited partnership formed under the laws of Ontario which acts through its general partner Northwest & Ethical Investments Inc., a corporation formed under the laws of Canada, with its head office in Ontario.

2The Filer, or an affiliate of the Filer, is, or will be, the manager, portfolio advisor and/or trustee of the Funds.

3The Filer is registered as (i) a commodity trading manager in Ontario; (ii) a portfolio manager in British Columbia and Ontario; (iii) an exempt market dealer in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Québec and Saskatchewan; and (iv) an investment fund manager in British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and Québec.

4The Filer is not in default of securities legislation in any of the Jurisdictions.

The Funds

5Each of the Funds is, or will be, an open-ended public "alternative mutual fund" as defined in and governed by NI 81-102.

6Each of the Funds is, or will be, established under the laws of Ontario or another Jurisdiction.

7None of the Funds are in default of securities legislation in any of the Jurisdictions.

8Units of the Funds are, or will be, offered by Prospectus, fund facts and, in certain instances, ETF facts filed in one or more of the Jurisdictions and, accordingly, each Fund is, or will be, a reporting issuer in the Jurisdictions were the Requested Relief is relied upon.

IPU Issuers

9The portfolio holdings of IPU Issuers are generally diversified.

10IPU Issuers seek to provide investment results that correspond generally to the performance of a specified widely quoted market index comprised of multiple issuers by holding a portfolio of securities that are included in the index or otherwise investing in a manner that causes the IPU Issuer to replicate the performance of that index.

11The portfolio holdings of IPU Issuers are generally liquid.

12The creation process for IPUs of IPU Issuers can quickly increase the available supply of IPUs of IPU Issuers in the marketplace, making the potential for a liquidity issue inherently lower.

13The weight of each underlying security held in the portfolio of an IPU Issuer substantially corresponds to the weight of such security in the underlying index.

Reasons for the Short Selling Relief and Cash Borrowing Relief

14The investment objective of each Fund will differ but, in each case, key investment strategies which may be utilized by a Fund will include (a) the use of market-neutral, offsetting, inverse or shorting strategies requiring the use of short selling in excess of the Short Selling Limit and/or (b) the use of cash borrowing to provide additional investment exposure in connection with the investment strategies of the Fund in excess of the Cash Borrowing Limit.

15Market-neutral strategies are well-recognized for limiting market risk, balancing long and short positions within an investment portfolio with the objective of providing positive returns regardless of whether the broader market rises, falls or is flat. Market-neutral strategies are designed to have less volatility than the broader market when measured over medium to long-term periods. Market-neutral strategies also provide diversification to investors as returns are intended to be uncorrelated to the performance of the broader market -- such strategies are designed to effectively remove any "beta" component from their returns and investment exposures.

16As part of an investment strategy, short positions can serve as both a hedge against exposure to a long position or a group of long positions and also as a source of returns with an offsetting long position or positions. The Funds will generally seek to generate an attractive risk/return profile independent of the direction of the broad equity markets. As such, at the portfolio level, these strategies will seek to hedge out a Fund's exposure to the direction of broad equity markets, and to generate positive performance from the difference, specifically, the spread between the performance of the portfolio's long and short positions.

17The ability to engage in additional short selling and cash borrowing in connection with the investment strategies of a Fund may provide material cost savings to the Fund compared to obtaining the same level of investment exposure through the use of specified derivatives while, at the same time, not increasing the overall level of risk to the Fund.

18The costs to the Funds of engaging in physical short sales and cash borrowing are typically less when compared to the equivalent derivative transactions due to a number of factors which may include:

(a) Prime Brokers typically have greater flexibility to offer more favourable financing terms to a Fund in relation to the aggregate amount of the Fund's assets held in the prime brokerage margin account. Derivative instruments, such as futures contracts and over the counter (OTC) derivatives, are not held in a prime brokerage account and therefore reduce the ability of a Fund to obtain the most beneficial pricing terms available.

(b) Margin requirements for derivative instruments are primarily based on the underlying investment exposure and, as a result, can be high.

(c) Certain derivative instruments (such as futures contracts) require cash or near cash securities (such as government treasuries) to be deposited with the counterparty as collateral. This would require a Fund to use these portfolio assets to satisfy collateral requirements rather than utilizing them in connection with the Fund's investment strategy.

19The Funds may use cash borrowing as a more flexible and cost-efficient means of providing additional leverage for investment strategies such as merger arbitrage strategies where the use of derivative instruments to provide the same level of exposure may not be not practical. In connection with such strategies, the Filer (or, where applicable, the portfolio advisor or portfolio sub-advisor) is typically required to respond in a timely manner to public disclosure relating to a transaction and market movements in the share price of the target and/or acquiror company. The use of cash borrowing in such circumstances provides an easily accessible tool which enables the Filer (or, where applicable, the portfolio advisor or portfolio sub-advisor) to implement the investment decision more quickly compared to the use of derivative instruments which provide the same level of exposure on a synthetic basis.

20Cash borrowing is more efficient to utilize on a day to day basis compared to derivative instruments which generally require a higher degree of negotiation and ongoing administration on the part of the Filer (or, where applicable, the portfolio advisor or portfolio sub-advisor). The Cash Borrowing Relief would provide the Filer (or, where applicable, the portfolio advisor or portfolio sub-advisor) with access to a more functional source of additional leverage to utilize on behalf of the Funds at a lower cost which, in turn, would benefit investors.

21The investment strategies of each Fund permit, or will permit, it to:

(a) sell securities short provided that, at the time the Fund sells a security short (i) the aggregate market value of securities of any one issuer (other than "government securities" as defined in NI 81-102 and IPU Issuers) sold short by the Fund does not exceed 10% of the NAV of the Fund and (ii) the aggregate market value of all securities sold short by the Fund does not exceed 100% of its NAV;

(b) borrow cash provided that, at the time, the value of cash borrowed when aggregated with the value of all outstanding borrowing by the Fund does not exceed 100% of the Fund's NAV;

(c) borrow cash or sell securities short, provided that the aggregate value of cash borrowed combined with the aggregate market value of the securities sold short by the Fund does not exceed 100% of the Fund's NAV (the Total Borrowing and Short Selling Limit). If the Total Borrowing and Short Selling Limit is exceeded, the Fund shall, as quickly as is commercially reasonable, take all necessary steps to reduce the aggregate value of cash borrowed combined with the aggregate market value of securities sold short to be within the Total Borrowing and Short Selling Limit; and

(d) borrow cash, sell securities short or enter into specified derivatives transactions, provided that immediately after entering into a cash borrowing, short selling or specified derivative transaction, the aggregate value of cash borrowed combined with the aggregate market value of securities sold short and aggregate notional amount of the Fund's specified derivatives positions (other than positions held for hedging purposes, as defined in NI 81-102) would not exceed the Aggregate Limit. If the Aggregate Limit is exceeded, the Fund shall, as quickly as is commercially reasonable, take all necessary steps to reduce the aggregate value of cash borrowed combined with the aggregate market value of securities sold short and the aggregate notional amount of the Fund's specified derivatives positions (other than positions held for hedging purposes) to be within the Aggregate Limit.

22An alternative mutual fund that is subject to NI 81-102 is permitted to take leveraged long and short positions using specified derivatives up to the Aggregate Limit. As such, the Short Selling Relief and Cash Borrowing Relief would not be required if the Funds utilized solely specified derivatives (such as over-the-counter total return swaps) to obtain short exposure to the underlying securities or to provide additional investment exposure in connection with the Fund's investment strategies. NI 81-102 contemplates that alternative mutual funds may utilize shorting strategies using a combination of short sale transactions (subject to the Short Selling Limit) and specified derivative positions and obtain additional investment exposure using a combination of cash borrowing (subject to the Cash Borrowing Limit) and specified derivative positions subject, in all cases, to the Aggregate Limit. Alternative mutual funds that were previously known as commodity pools provide 100% or 200% inverse exposure through the use of specified derivatives, which is consistent with the Aggregate Limit and does not trigger the application of the Short Selling Limit or Cash Borrowing Limit for which the Filer is requesting exemptive relief. Accordingly, the Short Selling Relief and Cash Borrowing Relief would simply allow the Funds to do directly what they could otherwise do indirectly through the use of specified derivatives.

23The Funds require the flexibility to enter into physical short positions and borrow cash when doing so is, in the opinion of the Filer (or, where applicable, the portfolio advisor or portfolio sub-advisor), in the best interests of the applicable Fund and to not be obligated to utilize an equivalent short position or amount of leverage synthetically through the use of specified derivatives as a result of regulatory restrictions in NI 81-102 that the Filer (or, where applicable, the portfolio advisor or portfolio sub-advisor) believes do not provide any material additional benefit or protection to investors.

24The Filer believes that the Short Selling Relief and the Cash Borrowing Relief would allow the Filer (or, where applicable, the portfolio advisor or portfolio sub-advisor) to more effectively manage each Fund's investment exposure by providing it with the ability to respond to market developments in a timely manner and enabling the Filer to reduce the related expenses incurred by the Funds. In addition, specified derivative options may not be readily available for certain securities, may be relatively illiquid or may require large capital commitments on the part of the Fund.

25While there may be certain situations where using a synthetic short position may be preferable, physical short positions are typically less costly, because of the ability to execute trades with a larger number of counterparties, compared to a single counterparty for synthetic shorts. This can result in lower borrowing costs for the Fund and reduce its exposure to counterparty risk (e.g. counterparty default, counterparty insolvency and premature termination of derivatives) compared to a synthetic short position.

26The Filer (or, where applicable, the portfolio advisor or portfolio sub-advisor), as a fiduciary, is in the best position to determine, depending on the surrounding circumstances, whether the Funds should enter into a physical short position and/or obtain additional investment exposure via cash borrowing versus achieving the same result through the use of specified derivatives. The Short Selling Relief and Cash Borrowing Relief would provide the Filer (or, where applicable, the portfolio advisor or portfolio sub-advisor) with the required flexibility to make timely trading decisions between physical and synthetic short sale positions and/or achieving additional investment exposure through cash borrowing or synthetic transactions. Accordingly, the Short Selling Relief and the Cash Borrowing Relief would permit the Filer to implement more effective portfolio management activities on behalf of a Fund and its investors. Investors would benefit by obtaining access to a more diversified set of investment opportunities than are currently available, while remaining within the overall investment limits set out in NI 81-102.

27Any physical short position or cash borrowing transaction entered into by a Fund will be consistent with the investment objectives and strategies of the applicable Fund.

28The Prospectus, fund facts and ETF facts, as applicable, will comply with the applicable requirements of National Instrument 81-101 - Mutual Fund Prospectus Disclosure, Form 41-101F2 -Information Required in an Investment Fund Prospectus, Form 81-101F3 - Contents of Fund Facts Document and Form 41-101F4 - Information Required in an ETF Facts Document, as applicable, for alternative mutual funds.

29The investment strategies of each Fund will clearly disclose that the short selling and cash borrowing strategies and abilities of the Fund are outside the scope of NI 81-102, including that the aggregate market value of all securities sold short by the Fund and/or the aggregate amount of cash borrowed may exceed 50% of the NAV of the Fund. The Prospectus will also contain appropriate risk disclosure, alerting investors of any material risks associated with such investment strategies.

30The Filer believes that it is in the best interests of each of the Funds to be permitted to engage in physical short selling and to obtain additional investment exposure through the use of cash borrowing in excess of the current limits set out in NI 81-102.

Reasons for the Single Issuer Short Relief

31Subsection 2.1(1.1) of NI 81-102 restricts an alternative mutual fund from purchasing a security of an issuer, entering into a specified derivatives transaction or purchasing an IPU if, immediately after the transaction, more than 20% of its NAV would be invested in securities of any one issuer (the Concentration Restriction).

32Subsection 2.1(2) of NI 81-102 provides an exception to the Concentration Restriction for an IPU that is a security of an investment fund. The Filer has submited that the rationale for this exception is in part that an IPU Issuer should be considered a look-through vehicle in that it is comprised of and represents a diversified group of issuers whose securities it holds in proportion to the underlying index, thereby mitigating the concentration risk otherwise associated with a Fund holding the securities of a single issuer. The Filer believes a similar rationale can be applied in respect to shorting IPU Issuers.

33A significant risk associated with short positions generally is the potential to be unable to obtain the securities required to cover the short position, or to be unable to obtain them without additional costs, at the required time due to a lack of liquidity in the market. The Filer has submited that the liquidity of the IPU Issuers as described above significantly reduces the risk that a Fund may not be able to cover or exit a short position in an IPU Issuer. On this basis, short sales of IPU Issuers will not have the same risk profile as a short sale of a single issuer or of a security that lacks liquidity of this magnitude.

34The Funds are, or will be, as the case may be, permitted to short sell IPUs of multiple IPU Issuers up to the limits of the Short Selling Relief. However, the Filer has submitted that shorting a single IPU Issuer is preferable in certain cases to shorting multiple IPU Issuers where the liquidity of the single IPU Issuer being sold short is higher than other IPU Issuers tracking the same index, or where the underlying index tracked by a particular IPU Issuer otherwise presents more favourable investment characteristics than other IPU Issuers.

35The Filer is of the view that, in the case of IPU Issuers, given their high diversity and liquidity, the concentration risk otherwise associated with shorting securities of a single issuer is mitigated and, as a result, the Single Issuer Short Relief would permit the Funds to benefit from efficiencies without prejudicing investors.

36The Single Issuer Short Relief is requested to permit each Fund to short sell IPUs of IPU Issuers without otherwise impacting such Fund’s ability to borrow cash or engage in short sales under NI 81-102, in circumstances where the Filer (or, where applicable, the portfolio advisor or portfolio sub-advisor) believes that it is more beneficial to gain the desired short exposure to IPU Issuers: (a) through shorting fewer IPU Issuers than would otherwise be necessary under the Single Issuer Short Restriction; and (b) by way of short sales rather than by way of specified derivative transactions.

37While a Fund could acquire exposure, including short exposure, to IPU Issuers in pursuit of its respective investment strategy through derivative transactions, the Filer believes that short sales of IPU Issuers may provide a faster, more efficient and flexible means of achieving diversification and hedging against market risk.

38As such, the Filer is of the view that it would be in each Fund’s best interest to permit the Fund to physically short sell IPUs of IPU Issuers, up to 100% of the Fund’s NAV at the time of sale, instead of being limited to achieving that degree of leverage through either specified derivatives alone, or a combination of physical short selling and specified derivatives, including for the following reasons:

(a) In some circumstances, the availability of derivatives with similar risk characteristics to corresponding indices may be limited. Alternatively, pricing of a short position at a particular point in time may be preferable to the pricing of a corresponding derivatives contract.

(b) Granting the Single Issuer Short Relief would expand the scope of available tools at the disposal of the Filer (or, where applicable, the portfolio advisor or portfolio sub-advisor) to achieve market hedging, and thereby provide the Filer (or, where applicable, the portfolio advisor or portfolio sub-advisor) with the best execution and best liquidity.

(c) The Single Issuer Short Relief is less risky than certain derivatives transactions by allowing the Fund to, in part, mitigate against settlement risk (which is the risk that one of the parties to the derivatives contract defaults under the derivatives contract). Use of derivatives may also be incrementally riskier by exposing the Fund to operational risk (such as the case of a party to a derivatives contract failing to maintain adequate internal procedures or controls including intra-day settlements or managing closing-out the transaction) and liquidity risk.

39The Single Issuer Short Relief would allow the Filer (or, where applicable, the portfolio advisor or portfolio sub-advisor) greater flexibility and liquidity in pursuing a hedging strategy that reduces potential market volatility by expanding options for hedging to include selling highly liquid IPU Issuers short.

General

40Notwithstanding the Requested Relief the Funds would otherwise still be required to comply with all of the requirements applicable to alternative mutual funds in subsections 2.6.1 and 2.6.2 of NI 81-102, subject to any relief granted therefrom by the securities regulatory authorities.

41The Requested Relief would not change a Fund’s obligation to comply with the Aggregate Limit. The Aggregate Limit would continue to apply to a Fund’s combined exposure to borrowing, short selling and derivatives. A decision to grant the Requested Relief would not permit a Fund to exceed the Aggregate Limit through a combination of investment strategies.

42If a Fund’s aggregate gross exposure were to exceed the Aggregate Limit, subsection 2.9.1(5) of NI 81-102 would require the Fund to, as quickly as commercially reasonable, take all necessary steps to reduce the aggregate gross exposure to 300% of the Fund’s NAV or less.

43The Filer (or, where applicable, the portfolio advisor or portfolio sub-advisor) has comprehensive risk management policies and/or procedures that address the risks associated with short selling and cash borrowing in connection with the implementation of the investment strategy of each Fund.

44Each Fund will implement the following controls when conducting a short sale:

(a) The Fund will assume the obligation to return to the borrowing agent the securities borrowed to effect the short sale;

(b) The Fund will receive cash for the securities sold short within normal trading settlement periods for the market in which the short sale is effected;

(c) The Filer (or, where applicable, the portfolio advisor or portfolio sub-advisor) will monitor the short positions within the constraints of the Requested Relief as least as frequently as daily;

(d) The security interest provided by the Fund over any of its assets that is required to enable the Fund to effect a short sale transaction is made in accordance with industry practice for that type of transaction and relates only to obligations arising under such short sale transactions; and

(e) The Filer (or, where applicable, the portfolio advisor or portfolio sub-advisor) will maintain appropriate internal controls regarding short sales, including written policies and procedures for the conduct of short sales, risk management controls and proper books and records.

45Each short sale by a Fund will be made consistent with the Fund’s investment objective(s), strategies and restrictions.

46Each Fund’s Prospectus will contain adequate disclosure of the Fund’s short selling activities, including the material terms of the Requested Relief.

Decision

The principal regulator is satisfied that the decision meets the test set out in the Legislation for the principal regulator to make the decision.

The decision of the principal regulator is that the Requested Relief is granted provided that:

In respect of the Short Selling and Cash Borrowing Relief:

(A) A Fund may sell a security short or borrow cash only if, immediately after the cash borrowing or short selling transaction:

(a) the aggregate market value of all securities sold short by the Fund does not exceed 100% of the Fund's NAV;

(b) the aggregate value of all cash borrowing by the Fund does not exceed 100% of the Fund's NAV;

(c) the aggregate market value of securities sold short by the Fund combined with the aggregate value of cash borrowing by the Fund does not exceed 100% of the Fund's NAV; and

(d) the Fund's aggregate exposure to short selling, cash borrowing and specified derivatives does not exceed the Aggregate Limit.

(B) In the case of a short sale, the short sale:

(a) otherwise complies with all of the short sale requirements applicable to alternative mutual funds under section 2.6.1 and 2.6.2 of NI 81-102, subject to any relief granted therefrom by the securities regulatory authorities; and

(b) is consistent with the Fund's investment objectives and strategies.

(a) otherwise complies with all of the cash borrowing requirements applicable to alternative mutual funds under section 2.6 and 2.6.2 of NI 81-102; and

(b) is consistent with the Fund's investment objectives and strategies.

(D) The Prospectus under which securities of a Fund are offered discloses, or will disclose at the time of its next renewal, as applicable:

(a) that the Fund can sell securities short or borrow cash up to, and subject to, the limits described in condition A above; and

(b) a description of the material terms of this decision.

In respect of the Single Issuer Short Relief:

(A) the only securities that a Fund will sell short in an amount that exceeds 50% of the Fund’s NAV at the time of sale will be IPUs of IPU Issuers;

(B) the only securities that a Fund will sell short (other than “government securities”, as defined in NI 81-102), resulting in the aggregate market value of the securities of that issuer sold short by the Fund exceeding 10% of the Fund’s NAV at the time of sale, will be IPUs of IPU Issuers;

(C) the relief granted by this decision only applies in respect of a Fund’s short sales of IPUs of an IPU Issuer and each Fund will comply with the Single Issuer Short Restriction in respect of its exposure to the securities held by each IPU Issuer the IPUs of which the Fund sells short. For each IPU of an IPU Issuer the Fund sells short, the Fund will be considered to be directly selling short its proportionate share of the securities held by the IPU Issuer, except that it will not be considered to be directly selling short a security or instrument that is a component of, but represents less than 10% of, the securities held by the IPU Issuer;

(D) a Fund may sell an IPU of an IPU Issuer short or borrow cash only if, immediately after the transaction: (i) the aggregate market value of all securities sold short by the Fund does not exceed 100% of the Fund’s NAV; and (ii) the aggregate market value of securities sold short by the Fund combined with the aggregate value of cash borrowing by the Fund does not exceed 100% of the Fund’s NAV;

(E) each Fund will otherwise comply with all of the requirements applicable to alternative mutual funds in subsections 2.6.1 and 2.6.2 of NI 81-102, subject to any relief granted therefrom by the securities regulatory authorities;

(F) a Fund’s aggregate exposure to short selling, cash borrowing and specified derivatives will not exceed the Aggregate Limit;

(G) each short sale will be made consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives and investment strategies; and

(H) each Fund’s Prospectus discloses, or will disclose at the time of its next renewal, as applicable, that the Fund is able to sell short IPUs of one or more IPU Issuers in an amount up to 100% of the Fund’s NAV at the time of sale, including the material terms of this decision.

“Darren McKall”

Darren McKall, Manager

Investment Funds and Structured Products Branch Ontario Securities Commission

Application No. 2023/0591

SEDAR+ No. 6055069