Franchise Laws in Canada by Province: Seven Disclosure Statutes and Quebec's Civil Code

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Franchise law in Canada is set by the provinces, and seven of them now have a franchise disclosure act: Alberta, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Manitoba, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, whose law came into force on June 30, 2026 (Government of Saskatchewan). In each of the seven, the franchisor must hand you a disclosure document at least 14 days before the earlier of signing or paying, and Quebec governs franchise contracts through its Civil Code.

The Canadian Franchise Association also describes disclosure as a provincial matter with no single national law, and its buyer guide lists the same seven provinces. If a guide lists six provinces, check its date: Saskatchewan’s Act came into force on June 30, 2026. Below: one table with every Act and its official link, what the laws share, where they differ, how Quebec works, and which province’s law applies when the franchisor sits somewhere else.

General information, current to October 26, 2026. This page summarizes public statutes for someone weighing a franchise. Before you sign or pay anything, have a franchise lawyer in your province review the disclosure document and the agreement.

Which provinces have franchise legislation: the table

Every row links to the official text. Section numbers point to the 14-day rule in each Act.

A note on Saskatchewan. The King’s Printer publishes a consolidation of The Franchise Disclosure Act, SS 2024, c 13, effective June 30, 2026, and marks it as unofficial: the statute as printed is the authoritative text. The CFA lists the regulations as SR 29/2025. Saskatchewan section numbers on this page come from that consolidation.

What the seven franchise laws share

The Acts follow one family pattern. If you read one carefully, the others will look familiar.

• Disclosure before commitment. The document has to reach you a set time before the earlier of two events: signing any agreement relating to the franchise, or paying any money relating to it. The window is 14 days in Ontario (s. 5(1)), Alberta (s. 4), British Columbia (s. 5(1)), PEI (s. 5(1)), New Brunswick (s. 5(1)), Manitoba (s. 5(2)) and Saskatchewan (s. 6(2)).
• A way out when disclosure fails. In Ontario (s. 6), British Columbia (s. 6), PEI (s. 6), New Brunswick (s. 6), Manitoba (s. 6) and Saskatchewan (s. 7), a franchisee may rescind without penalty within 60 days after receiving a late or deficient document, and within two years after entering into the agreement if no document was ever provided. Alberta uses its own cancellation wording (below).
• Fair dealing. Every franchise agreement imposes a duty of fair dealing on each party in Ontario (s. 3), Alberta (s. 7), British Columbia (s. 3), PEI (s. 3), New Brunswick (s. 3), Manitoba (s. 3) and Saskatchewan (s. 4). Every one of these Acts except Alberta’s adds that the duty includes acting in good faith and in accordance with reasonable commercial standards (s. 3(3) in Ontario, BC, PEI, New Brunswick and Manitoba; s. 4(3) in Saskatchewan).

For a parent or teacher looking at a kids franchise, the practical meaning is simple: in these provinces, you should have the full package in hand and two weeks to read it before you sign or pay. A capped, fully refundable deposit can be an exception in some provinces, such as Ontario (s. 5(1)(b)) and Alberta (s. 4(6)). What goes inside that document is the subject of our franchise disclosure document checklist.

Where the provinces differ

Alberta Franchises Act: cancellation and 30-day compensation

Alberta was first, and its Act reads differently. If the document was not given on time, the franchisee may cancel all franchise agreements within 60 days after receiving the disclosure document or within 2 years after being granted the franchise, whichever comes first (s. 13). After a cancellation, the franchisor must compensate the franchisee within 30 days for net losses in acquiring, setting up and operating the business (s. 14(2)). Alberta also adds a residence test to its scope: the business is operated partly or wholly in Alberta, and the buyer is an Alberta resident or has a permanent establishment there (s. 3(1)).

BC Franchises Act: delivery by email

British Columbia allows the disclosure document to be delivered personally or by email, as one complete document at one time (s. 5(2)-(3)). Its duty of fair dealing expressly covers the exercise of a right under the agreement (s. 3(1)), as do the New Brunswick (s. 3(3)), Manitoba (s. 3(3)) and Saskatchewan (s. 4(1)) Acts. In force since February 1, 2017, it is the youngest Act before Saskatchewan (BC Reg 238/2016).

Governing-law and forum clauses

An agreement may name the franchisor’s home province for disputes. Several Acts cancel that effect for claims under the Act: a clause that restricts the province’s law or moves the forum outside the province is void in Ontario (s. 10), British Columbia (s. 12), New Brunswick (s. 11(1)), PEI (s. 11), Manitoba (s. 10(1)) and Saskatchewan (s. 13(1)). Alberta states that its own law applies to franchise agreements and voids clauses that move the forum outside Alberta for claims under its Act (ss. 16-17). Saskatchewan adds that its rule also covers clauses sending disputes to arbitration (s. 13(2)).

Saskatchewan Franchise Disclosure Act: the newest

Saskatchewan’s Act applies where the franchised business is operated wholly or partly in the province (s. 3(1)) and came into force on June 30, 2026 (government release). It follows the same pattern as the others: disclosure received 14 days before the earlier of signing or paying (s. 6(2)), rescission within 60 days or 2 years (s. 7), a duty of fair dealing that includes good faith (s. 4) and a void forum clause (s. 13). The release also names a right of action for damages for misrepresentation in the disclosure document. For the Saskatchewan Franchise Disclosure Act, the release and the King’s Printer consolidation are the two official documents to start from.

Ontario franchise law in one paragraph

The Arthur Wishart Act (Franchise Disclosure), 2000 applies when the franchised business is operated partly or wholly in Ontario (s. 2(1)). The disclosure document must be received not less than 14 days before the earlier of signing or paying (s. 5(1)); a late or deficient document opens a 60-day rescission window, and a missing one a two-year window (s. 6). Each party owes a duty of fair dealing (s. 3), and a clause moving claims under the Act out of Ontario is void (s. 10). Exemptions, deposits and the contents set by O. Reg. 581/00 are covered in Arthur Wishart Act explained.

Quebec franchise law: the Civil Code

Quebec is absent from the Saskatchewan government’s list of the seven provinces with franchise disclosure legislation (release). Quebec has no franchise disclosure statute comparable to the seven provinces; franchise relationships there fall under the general contract rules of the Civil Code of Québec. Those rules still give a franchisee real protection.

• Good faith (art. 1375). Parties must act in good faith when an obligation arises, while it is performed and when it is extinguished (Civil Code of Québec).
• Contract of adhesion (art. 1379). A contract whose essential terms were imposed or drawn up by one party and were not negotiable is a contract of adhesion. Whether a given franchise agreement fits that definition is a question for a Quebec lawyer.
• External clauses (art. 1435). In a contract of adhesion, a clause found in another document, such as a manual the agreement refers to, is null unless it was expressly brought to the adhering party’s attention when the contract was formed, or the other party proves the adhering party knew of it.
• Illegible or incomprehensible clauses (art. 1436) are null if the adhering party suffers injury, unless an adequate explanation was given.
• Abusive clauses (art. 1437) are null, or the obligation can be reduced.

In practice, a Quebec franchisee has no statutory 14-day clock. Ask for every document the agreement mentions, read it before you sign, and keep a record of what you received and when. Cookiddoo runs its mobile parties across Ottawa and Gatineau (service area), so the Ontario–Quebec line is a practical question for any business that works on both sides of the river: a business operated partly in Ontario falls under the Ontario Act (s. 2(1)), and the Civil Code rules above can matter for the Quebec side. Ask a lawyer who practises in both provinces.

Provinces and territories without a franchise statute, and the CFA

Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are also missing from the Saskatchewan list of seven. With no franchise Act on those lists, what you receive before signing depends on the franchisor, so ask a local lawyer which rules apply. If part of the business runs in a province with an Act, that Act can still reach it through its scope rule.

The Canadian Franchise Association is a national not-for-profit association of approximately 650 corporate members. It publishes plain summaries of the provincial laws and advises buyers to do due diligence with a franchise lawyer, an accountant and a banker, and to speak with current franchisees (CFA buyer guide). Treat it as a good secondary source: the statutes in the table are the law.

Which province’s law applies when the franchisor is elsewhere

The Acts look at where the franchised business operates, and the franchisor’s head office does not change that. Ontario covers a business operated partly or wholly in Ontario (s. 2(1)), Saskatchewan covers a business operated wholly or partly in Saskatchewan (s. 3(1)), and Alberta adds the buyer’s residence or permanent establishment (s. 3(1)). A franchisor based in Quebec, Alberta or the United States that sells you a unit in Ottawa is therefore dealing under the Ontario Act, subject to its exemptions, and a clause choosing another province’s courts does not take away your claims under it (s. 10).

A business that runs in two provinces may answer to both. Ask your lawyer to name, in writing, which Acts apply to the territory you are being offered.

Before you sign: a short checklist

1. Name the province (or provinces) where the business will operate and open that Act from the table.
2. Write down the date you received the complete disclosure document, and count 14 days from it.
3. Sign nothing and pay nothing relating to the franchise before that date, unless your lawyer confirms the exception.
4. Check that the document arrived as one complete package at one time.
5. In Quebec, ask for every manual or policy the agreement refers to before you sign.
6. Have a franchise lawyer and an accountant review the package.

Where Cookiddoo fits

Cookiddoo is an Ottawa kids cooking business for ages 4 to 15. It runs mobile cooking birthday parties at home (from $385 for 8 children, plus $40 per extra child) and school and daycare programs (from $1,520 per group), in English or French. If you want a wider view of the category first, see kids cooking class franchises in Canada.

Cookiddoo accepts expressions of interest from people who want to run these programs in their city. You apply, Cookiddoo reviews whether your market and experience fit, and it sends an information package. Any disclosure document your province requires comes before any agreement or payment. To start, request the Cookiddoo franchise information package.

What Ottawa parents say

4.6★★★★★29 reviews on Google

We visited Cookidoo off-site class and my kids had the greatest time ever! They made chocolate cookies from scratch!

The cooking instructor was patient, kind and did an amazing job teaching the children (ages 4 to 8) and they enjoyed learning to make pizza as well as eating it.

The cooking class was fun, engaging, and organized for the kids. The instructors were patient, enthusiastic, and made every child feel included.

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