Canadian proxy contests reaching a vote hit a five-year high, campaign volume declined, but the fights that remained went further and hit harder, and boards with real shareholder relationships came out on top.
Download Kingsdale Advisors' most comprehensive look at what's reshaping Canadian and U.S. boardrooms. Covering July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, the report shows a shareholder landscape that's more fragmented and harder to predict, with more of the voting decision moving in-house with investors themselves.
The in-depth research also examines CEO succession at S&P/TSX Composite companies overthe past three years, and what the difference between planned and reactive transitions reveals about board preparedness.
- Contests reaching a vote hit a five-year high, up 39% year over year.
- Large-cap activist targets more than doubled, from 4% to 9%.
- M&A activism drove 40% of campaigns, above the five-year average.
- Say-on-Pay support reached a five-year high of 93.4%.
- Governance proposals more than doubled to 56.
Latest Insights
In The Globe and Mail: "The Compassionate Values That Make Us Canadian Must Remain Steadfast"
As it marks the 38th anniversary since he embarked on his incredible journey to Canada, our Founder and Executive Chairman, Wes Hall, shared with The Globe and Mail the compassionate values that make us Canadian.
In Diligent Market Intelligence: "Corporate Governance in Canada 2023"
Ian Robertson, CEO of Kingsdale Advisors, shared with Diligent Market Intellignece (DMI) that U.S. activists were pouring into Canada in 2023 as they looked for a cheaper, untapped market.
In Director Journal: "A New Age of Shareholder Activism"
When The Stakes Are Highest, Business Leaders Choose Kingsdale
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
* Source: Bloomberg Global Shareholder Activism League Tables FY2025 and LSEG Global Shareholder Activism Review FY2025.
#2025 and 2026 indicate proxy seasons: July 2024 to June 2026.