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Act within your purposes
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Manitoba stands fully covered: its own filings and guidance stand in the books beside the federal ones.
A society is formed for the purposes its constitution names, and its money is spent on those purposes.
A Manitoba corporation without share capital is incorporated for the undertakings the Act names — patriotic, religious, philanthropic, charitable, educational, sporting and the like — and is carried on without pecuniary gain to its members. What is left on dissolution goes where its articles provide, and where they do not, to an organization in Canada whose undertaking is charitable or beneficial to the community. Binds: Manitoba corporations without share capital (The Corporations Act, Part XXII).
The law’s own words
“No articles shall be accepted for filing without the prior approval of the minister, and the corporation shall restrict its undertaking to one that is only of a patriotic, religious, philanthropic, charitable, educational, agricultural, scientific, literary, historical, artistic, social, professional, fraternal, sporting or athletic nature or the like.”
The Corporations Act (Manitoba), s. 267(1) · Read it at Manitoba · Verified 2026-11-11
“that the corporation has no authorized share capital and shall be carried on without pecuniary gain to its members, and that any profits or other accretions to the corporation shall be used in furthering its undertaking”
The Corporations Act (Manitoba), s. 268(b) · Read it at Manitoba · Verified 2026-11-11
“Where the articles of incorporation do not provide for a distribution of its remaining property under subsection (1), the corporation shall, by special resolution, after payment of all debts and liabilities, distribute or dispose of the remaining property to any organization in Canada the undertaking of which is charitable or beneficial to the community.”
The Corporations Act (Manitoba), s. 277(2) · Read it at Manitoba · Verified 2026-11-11
The Corporations Act (Manitoba), sections 267 and 268
“No articles shall be accepted for filing without the prior approval of the minister, and the corporation shall restrict its undertaking to one that is only of a patriotic, religious, philanthropic, charitable, educational, agricultural, scientific, literary, historical, artistic, social, professional, fraternal, sporting or athletic nature or the like.” “that the corporation has no authorized share capital and shall be carried on without pecuniary gain to its members, and that any profits or other accretions to the corporation shall be used in furthering its undertaking”
Source: Manitoba Laws — The Corporations Act, CCSM c C225, ss. 267, 268 · Checked 2026-11-11
The Corporations Act (Manitoba), section 277
“The articles of incorporation may provide that upon dissolution, the remaining property may be distributed among all the members or among the members of a class or classes of members or to one designated organization or more, or any combination thereof.” “Where the articles of incorporation do not provide for a distribution of its remaining property under subsection (1), the corporation shall, by special resolution, after payment of all debts and liabilities, distribute or dispose of the remaining property to any organization in Canada the undertaking of which is charitable or beneficial to the community.”
Source: Manitoba Laws — The Corporations Act, CCSM c C225, s. 277 · Checked 2026-11-11