January 14, 2026
IN THE MATTER OF
THE SECURITIES LEGISLATION OF ONTARIO
(the Jurisdiction)
AND
IN THE MATTER OF
THE PROCESS FOR EXEMPTIVE RELIEF APPLICATIONS IN MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS
AND
IN THE MATTER OF
MANULIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED
(the Filer)
DECISION
Background
The principal regulator in the Jurisdiction has received an application from the Filer, on behalf of Manulife Conservative ETF Portfolio, Manulife Balanced ETF Portfolio and Manulife Growth ETF Portfolio (the Existing Funds), exchange traded mutual funds subject to National Instrument 81-102 Investment Funds (NI 81-102), and such other mutual funds or alternative funds that are, or will be, managed by the Filer or an affiliate or associate of the Filer (the Future Funds, and together with the Existing Funds, the Funds, and individually, a Fund), for a decision under the securities legislation of the principal regulator (the Legislation) exempting each Fund from the following provisions of NI 81-102 to permit the Funds to invest in securities of existing and future exchange-traded funds that are not index participation units (IPUs, and each, an IPU) and whose securities are, or will be, listed for trading on a stock exchange in the United States (U.S.) (the Underlying ETFs, and each, an Underlying ETF):
(a) paragraphs 2.5(2)(a) and (a.1) to permit each Fund to purchase and/or hold securities of an Underlying ETF even though the Underlying ETF is not subject to NI 81-102; and
(b) paragraph 2.5(2)(c) to permit each Fund to purchase and/or hold securities of an Underlying ETF even though the Underlying ETF is not a reporting issuer in any province of territory of Canada
(collectively, the Exemption Sought).
Under the Process for Exemptive Relief Applications in Multiple Jurisdictions (for a passport application):
(a) the Ontario Securities Commission is the principal regulator for this application, and
(b) the Filer has provided notice that subsection 4.7(1) of Multilateral Instrument 11-102 Passport System (MI 11-102) is intended to be relied upon by the Funds in each of the other provinces and territories of Canada (together with Ontario, the Jurisdictions).
Interpretation
Terms defined in MI 11-102, National Instrument 14-101 Definitions and NI 81-102 have the same meaning if used in this decision, unless otherwise defined.
Representations
This decision is based on the following facts represented by the Filer:
The Filer
The Filer is a corporation amalgamated under the laws of Canada. The Filer’s head office is located in Toronto, Ontario.
The Filer is currently registered as a portfolio manager in each province and territory of Canada, an investment fund manager in each of Ontario, Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador, a commodity trading manager in Ontario and a derivatives portfolio manager in Québec.
The Filer or an affiliate is, or will be, the investment fund manager of the Funds.
The Filer is not in default of securities legislation in any of the Jurisdictions.
The Funds
Each Fund is, or will be, an investment fund organized and governed by the laws of Canada or a Jurisdiction.
Each Fund is, or will be, governed by the applicable provisions of NI 81-102, subject to any relief therefrom that has been, or may in the future be, granted by the securities regulatory authorities.
Each Fund is, or will be, a reporting issuer in one or more of the Jurisdictions.
Each Fund is, or will be, subject to NI 81-107.
The Funds may, from time to time, wish to invest in Underlying ETFs.
The Existing Funds are not in default of applicable securities legislation in any Jurisdiction.
The Underlying ETFs
- The securities of an Underlying ETF will not meet the definition of an IPU in NI 81-102 because the purpose of such Underlying ETF will not be to:
(a) hold the securities that are included in a specified widely quoted market index in substantially the same proportion as those securities are reflected in that index; or
(b) invest in a manner that causes the Underlying ETF to replicate the performance of that index.
The securities of an Underlying ETF are, or will be, listed on a recognized exchange in the U.S. and the market for them is, or will be, liquid because it is, or will be, supported by designated brokers. As a result, the Filer expects a Fund to be able to dispose of such securities through market facilities in order to raise cash, including to fund the redemption requests of its securityholders.
An Underlying ETF may be managed by the Filer or an affiliate or associate of the Filer, or by a third-party investment fund manager.
An investment in an Underlying ETF by a Fund will otherwise comply with section 2.5 of NI 81-102, including that:
(a) no Underlying ETF will hold more than 10% of its net asset value (NAV) in securities of another investment fund unless the Underlying ETF (a) is a clone fund, as defined in NI 81-102, or (b) in accordance with NI 81-102, purchases or holds securities (i) of a money market fund, as defined in NI 81-102, or (ii) that are IPUs issued by an investment fund; and
(b) no Fund will pay management or incentive fees which to a reasonable person would duplicate a fee payable by an Underlying ETF for the same service.
Each Underlying ETF is, or will be, a publicly offered mutual fund subject to the United States Investment Company Act of 1940 (Investment Company Act).
Absent the Exemption Sought, an investment by a Fund in an Underlying ETF would:
(a) be prohibited by paragraph 2.5(2)(a) or paragraph 2.5(2)(a.1) of NI 81-102 because such Underlying ETF may not be subject to NI 81-102;
(b) be prohibited by paragraph 2.5(2)(c) of NI 81-102 because such Underlying ETF may not be a reporting issuer in any Canadian Jurisdiction; and
(c) not qualify for the exception in paragraph 2.5(3)(a) of NI 81-102 because the securities of the Underlying ETF are not IPUs.
- The key benefits of a Fund investing in the Underlying ETFs are greater choices, improved portfolio diversification and potentially enhanced returns. For example:
(a) an investment in the Underlying ETFs will provide the Funds with access to specialized knowledge, expertise and/or analytical resources of the investment advisor to the Underlying ETFs;
(b) the Underlying ETFs provide a potentially better risk profile, diversification and improved liquidity/tradability than direct holdings of asset classes to which the Underlying ETFs provide exposure; and
(c) the investment strategies of the Underlying ETFs offer significantly broader exposure to asset classes, sectors and markets than those available in the existing Canadian exchange-traded fund market.
The Filer submits that having the option to allocate a limited portion of a Fund’s assets to one or more Underlying ETFs will increase diversification opportunities and may improve the Fund’s overall risk/reward profile.
An investment in an Underlying ETF by a Fund is an efficient and cost-effective alternative to obtaining exposure to securities held by the Underlying ETF rather than purchasing those securities directly by the Fund.
An investment in an Underlying ETF by a Fund should pose limited investment risk to the Fund because each Underlying ETF will be subject to the Investment Company Act, subject to any exemption therefrom that is or may in the future be granted by the applicable securities regulatory authorities.
The requirements and industry standards relating to reporting, fund governance and investment restrictions in the U.S. applicable to the Underlying ETFs are comparable to those under applicable securities laws in the Jurisdictions.
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 under the Legislation is that the Exemption Sought is granted provided that:
(a) the investment by a Fund in securities of an Underlying ETF is in accordance with the investment objective of the Fund;
(b) a Fund does not purchase securities of an Underlying ETF if, immediately after the purchase, more than 10% of the NAV of the Fund, in aggregate, taken at market value at the time of the purchase, would consist of securities of Underlying ETFs;
(c) securities of each Underlying ETF are listed on a recognized exchange in the U.S.;
(d) each Underlying ETF is, immediately before the purchase by a Fund of securities of that Underlying ETF, an investment company subject to the Investment Company Act in good standing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission; and
(e) the prospectus of each Fund discloses or will disclose in the next renewal of its prospectus following the date of this decision, in the investment strategy section, the fact that the Fund has obtained the Exemption Sought to permit investments in Underlying ETFs on the terms described in this decision.
“Darren McKall”
____________________________________________
Darren McKall, Associate Vice President
Investment Management Division
Ontario Securities Commission
Application #2025/0749
SEDAR+ Project #6378685