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Home / News / New Bylaws - Complying with the new Ontario Not For Profit Corporations Act.
Home / News / New Bylaws - Complying with the new Ontario Not For Profit Corporations Act.

New Bylaws - Complying with the new Ontario Not For Profit Corporations Act.

Published 10:25am on 7 Oct 2024

The club wants to inform the membership about important revisions to the Collingwood Yacht Club (CYC) bylaws. These changes are necessary to ensure we comply with the updated Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA) and to modernize our governance structure for the benefit of all members.


The amended bylaws will be presented to the membership for a vote at the Annual General Meeting on November 16, 2024. Until then, the amended bylaws, as adopted by the Board of Directors on September 12, 2024, are in effect and we are now in full compliance with Ontario law.

Why are we updating the bylaws?

  • ONCA Compliance:
    In 2010 The Ontario government enacted the Not-For-Profit Corporations Act. This made significant changes to the law governing not-for-profit organizations. That Act, however, did not come fully into force until October of this year. On the coming into force of the Act, Not For Profit Corporations such as CYC were required to comply with the changes, and any provisions of the by-laws or articles that were not in compliance would be replaced by those mandated by the Province.

    Our bylaws were last prepared in 2016 and were thus largely in compliance. However, to ensure complete compliance a committee was created, and counsel reattained to ensure our operations were in accord with all of the new requirements.
  • Modernization:
    Beyond compliance, this was seen as an opportunity to review and improve our bylaws. We aim to clarify language, streamline processes, and ensure they reflect the current needs and best practices for our club.
Key Changes:
Preservation of CYC Ethos:
The revisions were undertaken to maintain the foundational principles of CYC, including its status as a 'working club,' the requirement for a local membership base (no more than 35% residing over 40km from Collingwood Town Hall), the referral application process, the recognition of spouses, and the concept of 'seniority.'

Mooring Rules:
Clarification of mooring rules related to seniority to ensure better notice to members of their assignment and fairness to all.

Bylaw Change Protections:
In respect of the foundational requirements noted above, these bylaws cannot be changed except by the vote of 2/3 of those in attendance at a meeting at which 60% of voting members are present in person or otherwise. This ensures greater stability and consensus.

Proxy Voting Limitations:
Each voting member is limited to five (5) proxy votes, except for the secretary, who retains unlimited proxy votes.

Proxy Vote Types:
Proxies can be designated as "open" or "restricted." Open proxies grant discretion to the proxy holder, while restricted proxies require voting according to member instructions.

Membership Eligibility Upon Marriage Dissolution:
The breakdown of a marital relationship can be difficult for all involved and even create tensions within a club. Many clubs thus allow the non-member spouse to continue as a member. On such a breakdown, a spouse can now apply for membership upon dissolution of marriage to a current member, retaining the original seniority.


Dispute Resolution:

Clearer procedures for resolving disputes and complaints, ensuring fairness and transparency.

The amended bylaws and related Articles of Amendment will be presented to the membership for a vote at the Annual General Meeting on November 16, 2024.

Until then, the amended bylaws, as adopted by the Board of Directors on September 12, 2024, are in effect.

We encourage all members to review the changes and provide feedback ahead of the AGM before we have a final vote on the amended bylaws and Articles at the AGM.


Articles of Amendment: In addition to the bylaw revisions, the Board has also approved Articles of Amendment (attached). On approval by the members at the AGM, these will be filed with the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery. These articles, like the Bylaws formally document changes to the club's purposes and provisions, further aligning us with ONCA requirements.


We believe these bylaw revisions are essential for the continued success and good governance of the Collingwood Yacht Club. We encourage all members to familiarize themselves with the changes and review the documents. We welcome your feedback on the amended bylaws. Please submit any comments or questions to admin@collingwoodyachtclubl.com


Click Here for the new bylaws


Click here for the CYC Articles of Amendment


Last updated 11:15am on 1 January 2025

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