(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), without limiting the manner in which an exemption may be evidenced, an exemption from this Instrument as it pertains to financial statements or auditor’s reports included in a prospectus, may be evidenced by the issuance of a receipt for the prospectus or an amendment to the prospectus.
(2) A person or company must not rely on a receipt as evidence of an exemption unless the person or company
(a) sent to the regulator or securities regulatory authority, on or before the date the preliminary prospectus or the amendment to the preliminary prospectus or prospectus was filed, a letter or memorandum describing the matters relating to the exemption application, and indicating why consideration should be given to the granting of the exemption, or
(b) sent to the regulator or securities regulatory authority the letter or memorandum referred to in paragraph (a) after the date of the preliminary prospectus or the amendment to the preliminary prospectus or prospectus has been filed and receives a written acknowledgement from the securities regulatory authority or regulator that issuance of the receipt is evidence that the exemption is granted.
(3) A person or company must not rely on a receipt as evidence of an exemption if the regulator or securities regulatory authority has before, or concurrently with, the issuance of the receipt for the prospectus, sent notice to the person or company that the issuance of a receipt does not evidence the granting of the exemption.
(4) For the purpose of this section, a reference to a prospectus does not include a preliminary prospectus.