Explore exclusive reports, Kingsdale news, and case studies

The exclusive report offers a first look at how Canada's 2026 proxy season is unfolding through a corporate governance lens. 50 activism campaigns have already been launched increasing pressure on boards as retail influence grows.

With shareholder activism already up 28% and retail participation influence growing, Canada’s 2026 proxy season is accelerating and reshaping governance expectations. This report delivers early insights into the trends and pressure points boards need to understand now.

Gore Mutual secured two historic member votes for its merger with Beneva. Read the case study on how the 185‑year‑old member mutual worked with Kingsdale to deliver record‑breaking member turnout and approval; not once, but twice.

Kingsdale President, Aaron Boles, joined industry leaders to explore the emerging role of AI in investment stewardship. The discussion focused on where AI is creating meaningful value, where risks are developing, and what boards must consider as governance evolves.

Canada’s blue-chip boards have never looked stronger: more diverse, more credentialed, more sophisticated. On paper, this is a governance success story. In practice, governance failures continue to surface, often at companies with the strongest boards. See what separates boards that look good on paper from those that actually work under pressure.

The Ontario Securities Commission is seeking feedback on how to build a machine-readable dataset of securities rules and regulatory documents. Comments are open until June 30, 2026. If this touches your world, it's worth weighing in.

Kingsdale Advisors Founder and CEO Wes Hall is featured in the March/April 2026 edition of ICD's Director Journal, weighing in on one of the most consequential questions facing Canadian business leaders right now: what should boards be doing before the CUSMA review?

Artificial intelligence is transforming how investors evaluate companies and how activists build campaigns. As investors adopt AI‑driven analysis and move away from standardized proxy adviser models, governance expectations are shifting quickly. See how AI is reshaping the proxy landscape and what it means for Canadian boards.

LabGold faced an activist campaign seeking majority control of its board. The company's historical three-year voter turnout was below 25%, the dissident held more than 8% of common shares, and the largest shareholder abstained from the vote. Here's how they won.

National Bank’s acquisition of Canadian Western Bank required separate approvals from common shareholders, preferred shareholders, and LRCN holders, making transaction certainty a matter of precise execution.

LSEG's newly published Global Shareholder Activism Review confirms Bloomberg's findings from earlier this month. Kingsdale Advisors ranks #1 in Canada and Top 8 globally for company-side proxy solicitation in FY 2025.

Our EVP of Governance Advisory, Victor Li, joins ICD’s Rahul K. Bhardwaj on the "Be It Resolved" podcast to discuss J.P. Morgan’s shift from proxy advisors to proprietary AI. Leveraging decades of experience at Kingsdale and ISS, Victor analyzes if AI will displace industry giants and how directors must adapt their oversight.

AGMs are strategic moments that shape investor confidence and test governance credibility. Kingsdale’s 2026 AGM Readiness Checklist cuts through the noise with seven essential questions every board and management team should answer before their upcoming meeting.

Aaron Boles, our President, offers a compelling perspective on JPMorgan’s decision to replace proxy advisory firms with its own AI platform and the implications for governance strategy, proxy contests, and the role of human judgment in capital markets.

We are happy to share that Kingsdale is ranked the #1 Proxy Solicitor in Canada and #8 globally for company-side engagements in the Bloomberg Global Activism League Tables for FY 2025. This ranking is about more than just activist defence. It is built on something foundational: mastery of the routine AGM.

Glass Lewis has released its 2026 policy updates for the U.S. and Canada, marking a transition year before moving to customized voting policies in 2027. These changes emphasize transparency, accountability, and shareholder rights.

The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business has released its highly anticipated 2025 Board Games rankings, and Kingsdale is proud to celebrate the exceptional performance of our clients. For more than two decades, Board Games has set the gold standard for evaluating corporate boards on the S&P/TSX Composite Index.

Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has released proposed updates to its 2026 U.S. Benchmark Voting Policies, along with revisions to global policies that will impact Canadian issuers, particularly around director independence classifications.

Victor Li, Executive Vice President, Governance Advisory at Kingsdale Advisors, spoke with Diligent Market Intelligence about how shareholder activism in Canada is changing course. After a cautious first half of 2025 dominated by settlements, the second half saw activists return to the ballot box, securing board seats through special meeting votes as confidence rebounded.

The 2025 proxy season was anything but predictable. From the quiet rise of one-day activist campaigns to AI entering the governance conversation, boards are facing a new era of complexity. Agility, foresight, and courage will define 2026.

Wes Hall, Founder and CEO of Kingsdale Advisors, joined BNN Bloomberg to break down the surge in M&A reshaping Canada’s corporate landscape and highlighted how boards can navigate this shifting environment with confidence, preserving long-term value amid growing activist and cross-border pressures.

Aaron Boles, President of Kingsdale Advisors, appeared on the Financial Post show 'Fuelled' as an independent voice to discuss the $8.6B MEG-Cenovus deal, highlighting its implications for shareholder dynamics and regulatory scrutiny in Canada’s capital markets.

The 2025 proxy season was turbulent, with activist M&A pressure rising, DEI and climate rules rolled back, and AI governance appearing on ballots. Kingsdale's review examines how these shifts are reshaping boardrooms and driving new investor expectations.

Kingsdale hosted a record number of senior executives as part of an in-person panel discussion with Nichol Garzon-Mitchell, CLO & SVP of Glass Lewis; Jason Koskela, VP, M&A of OSC; and Catherine McCall, CEO of CCGA in Toronto.

Kingsdale achieved a perfect track record for clients navigating shareholder activism and other special situations. The firm also advised on more than C$22 billion in shareholder approved or completed M&A transactions year-to-date.