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August, 14 2008 In the Matter of the Securities Legislation of and In the Matter of the and In the Matter of the Mergers of and In the Matter of Decision Background The securities regulatory authority or regulator in each of the Jurisdictions (the "Decision Maker") has received an application from the Filers for a decision under the securities legislation of the Jurisdictions (the "Legislation") for:
(the "Requested Relief") Under the Process for Exemptive Relief Applications in Multiple Jurisdictions (for a dual application):
Interpretation Defined terms contained in National Instrument 14-101 – Definitions and MI 11-102 have the same meaning if used in this decision, unless they are otherwise defined herein below:
Representations This decision is based on the following facts represented by the Filers: 1. Investors Group is a corporation continued under the laws of Ontario. It is the trustee and manager of the Unit Trust Funds and the manager of the Corporate Class Funds (collectively, the "Funds"). I.G. Investment Management, Ltd. is registered as a Portfolio Manager in Manitoba; as an Investment Counsel and Portfolio Manager in Ontario; and as an Unrestricted Practice Advisor in Quebec. It is also registered as an Advisor under the Commodity Futures Act in Manitoba. The head office of Investors Group is in Winnipeg, Manitoba and, accordingly, Manitoba is the principal regulator. To the best of its knowledge and belief, Investors Group is not in default of securities legislation. 2. Investors Group Corporate Class Inc. (the "Corporation") is the issuer of the Corporate Class Funds. 3. All of the Funds are open-end mutual funds continued under a Master Declaration of Trust under the laws of Manitoba (in the case of the Unit Trust Funds), or governed by the Canada Business Corporations Act (in the case of the Corporate Class Funds). 4. All of the Funds are reporting issuers under the Legislation in each Jurisdiction and are not on the list of defaulting reporting issuers maintained under the Legislation in each Jurisdiction, and are not in default of any of the requirements of the securities legislation of any of the provinces and territories of Canada. The securities of each of the Funds are qualified for distribution in each of the Jurisdictions pursuant to their own simplified prospectus and AIF (referred to as the "Masterseries Prospectus" for the Unit Trust Funds) dated July 14, 2008 (and referred to as the "Corporate Class Prospectus" for the Corporate Class Funds) also dated July 14, 2008, except for Series ‘’Z" and "S" units issued by certain of the Funds which are not qualified by prospectus as indicated in paragraph number 5. 5. Each Unit Trust Fund issues 3 series of units to retail purchasers. Each Corporate Class Fund issues 2 series of shares to retail purchasers. IG FI U.S. Equity Fund and Investors Global Fund also issue Series "Z" units to certain accredited institutional investors, being fund-of-funds sponsored by Investors Group, which are not qualified by prospectus. Investors Global Fund also issues Series "S" units for purchase by an IG/GWL Segregated Fund, which is also not qualified by prospectus. 6. Investors Group proposes that each Terminating Fund be merged into an applicable Continuing Fund, as follows:
7. Meetings of the securityholders of the Terminating Funds are being convened on or about September 2, 2008, to approve the Proposed Mergers of the Terminating Funds. Meetings of the securityholders of the Continuing Corporate Class Funds are also being convened as required by the provisions of the CBCA to approve changes to their Articles of Incorporation in order to facilitate the Proposed Mergers with their respective Terminating Funds. A notice of meeting, a management information circular and a proxy in connection with the meetings of securityholders of the Terminating Funds and Continuing Corporate Class Funds (collectively, the "Meeting Materials"), were mailed to securityholders of the Terminating Funds on August 8, 2008, and were filed via SEDAR that same date. 8. Investors Group has determined that the Proposed Mergers of the Unit Trust Funds will not be a material change to the relevant Continuing Funds due to the small size of the Terminating Funds relative to the relevant Continuing Funds. The Proposed Mergers involving the Continiuing Corporate Class Funds will entail an amendment to the Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation that requires the approval of the shareholders of the Continuing Corporate Class Funds pursuant to the Canada Business Corporations Act. Investors Group confirms that these approvals in connection with the Proposed Mergers of the Corporate Class Funds will also be sought. 9. The tax implications of the Proposed Mergers, as well as the material differences between each Terminating Fund and the applicable Continuing Fund, will be described in the Meeting Materials so securityholders of the Terminating Funds will be fully informed when considering whether to approve the Proposed Merger of their Fund at the Meeting of their Fund. Accordingly, implicit in the approval by securityholders of the Proposed Mergers is the acceptance by the securityholders of the Terminating Funds of the proposed tax treatment and their adoption of the investment objective, strategy and fee structure of the applicable Continuing Fund. 10. An Amendment to the simplified prospectus and annual information form of each Terminating Fund, and a material change report, was filed on SEDAR with respect to the Mergers as required by the Legislation of the Jurisdictions on or after June 23, 2008. 11. The Terminating Funds will merge into the Continuing Funds on or about the close of business on September 5, 2008, and the Continuing Funds will continue as publicly offered open-end mutual funds. 12. The Terminating Funds will be wound up as soon as reasonably possible following the Proposed Mergers. 13. No sales charges will be payable in connection with the acquisition by the Continuing Funds of the investment portfolios of the Terminating Funds. 14. Securityholders of the Terminating Funds will continue to have the right to redeem securities of the Terminating Funds for cash at any time up to the close of business on the business day immediately before the effective date of the Proposed Mergers. 15. Other than circumstances in which the securities regulatory authority of a Jurisdiction has expressly exempted the Funds therefrom, each of the Funds follows the standard investment restrictions and practices established under the Legislation of the Jurisdictions. 16. The net asset values of each series of all the Funds are calculated on a daily basis on each day that the Manager is open for business. 17. The Continuing Funds and the Terminating Funds have substantially similar fundamental investment objectives, although in some instances their strategies may differ. 18. The portfolio securities and other assets of the Terminating Funds to be acquired by the Continuing Funds arising from the Proposed Mergers are currently (or will be) acceptable prior to the effective date of the Proposed Mergers to the Portfolio Advisor of the Continuing Fund, or will be rationalized prior to or after the Mergers. 19. Investors Group will pay for all costs associated with the Meetings, including legal, proxy solicitation, printing, and mailing expenses, as well as any brokerage transaction fees associated with any Proposed Merger related trades referred to in paragraph 18, and regulatory fees. 20. The fee structures of the Terminating Funds is generally the same as the fee structures of the Continuing Funds and, in some cases, the annual management fees and administration fees of the Continuing Funds are lower than those of the Terminating Funds. 21. Investors Group does not intend to send the most recent simplified prospectus and annual and interim financial statements of the relevant Continuing Fund to securityholders of the Terminating Funds. Instead, Investors Group will send to each securityholder of the Terminating Funds:
22. Approval of the Mergers is required because one or more of the Mergers does not satisfy all of the criteria for pre-approved reorganizations and transfers set out in section 5.6 of NI 81-102 in the following ways:
23. Except as noted above, the Proposed Mergers will otherwise comply with all of the other criteria for pre-approved reorganizations and transfers set out in section 5.6 of NI 81-102. 24. The Proposed Mergers will reduce duplication between the Funds, thereby increasing operational efficiency as trading costs and other common expenses of each Continuing Fund will be spread across a greater pool of assets, also allowing for greater diversification. The Mergers will also eliminate the duplication of time, effort and costs associated with the audit, board review and other compliance requirements arising from having multiple mandates. 25. On June 23, 2008, the Independent Review Committee of the Funds provided a positive recommendation with respect to the Proposed Mergers and has determined that they achieve a fair and reasonable result for the Funds and their securityholders, and such recommendation was included in the Management Information Circular described in paragraph number 7. Decision Each of the Decision Makers is satisfied that the decision meets the test set out in the Legislation of the Decision Maker to make the decision. The Decision of the Decision Makers under the Legislation is that the Requested Relief is granted, provided that: 1. In connection with Mergers:
2. This decision with respect to Future Mergers will terminate one year after the publication in final form of any legislation or rule dealing with matters in paragraph 5.5(1)(b) of NI 81-102. "Doug R Brown"
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