Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange are introducing measures granting temporary relief from some of their requirements to assist listed issuers.

The changes, which will remain in effect until March 31, 2009, are designed to assist issuers during the current extraordinary market conditions, the exchanges said on Monday.

“We are very aware of the difficult market environment currently facing many of the companies listed on our equity exchanges,” said Kevan Cowan, TMX group head of equities, in a release. “Both exchanges are committed to assisting their issuers through this difficult economic period.”

Toronto Stock Exchange is providing the following temporary relief measures:

> permitting issuers to increase daily repurchases under their normal course issuer bids;

> extending the remedial review period for delistings from up to 120 days to up to 210 days; and

> in exercising its discretion, TSX will consider shorter or longer periods to establish a “market price” for the purposes of pricing private placements.


TSX is also reminding its issuers of the availability of the financial hardship exemption from security-holder approval requirements.

On TSX Venture Exchange, the temporary relief measures will include:

> adding flexibility in how existing continued listing requirements are applied to listed issuers;

> extending the time within which Capital Pool Companies can complete their qualifying transactions; and

> allowing the minimum issuance price per security in certain transactions to be less than 5¢ (but not less than the market price).

Additional details on these temporary relief measures for both exchanges can be found on the TSX Web site.