In 1916 an organization called the Investment Dealers Association of Canada (IDA) was formed when a group of Toronto bond dealers created the Bond Dealers Section of the Toronto Board of Trade. Over the years, the IDA evolved into a decentralized national self-regulatory organization with a dual regulatory and industry association mandate.

In 2006 the industry association role was eliminated and a new separate and independent industry association called the Investment Industry Association of Canada (IIAC) was created. In 2008 the Investment Dealers Association and Market Regulation Services Inc. (RS) merged to form the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), the national self-regulatory organization which oversees all investment dealers and trading activity on debt and equity marketplaces in Canada.

Importantly, while membership in IIROC is mandatory for any firm wishing to operate as a securities dealer in Canada, membership in IIAC is purely voluntary for firms. As such, IIAC has to continually reinforce its value and relevance to members in order to fulfill its mandate: to advance the growth and development of the Canadian investment industry, acting as a strong proactive voice to represent the interests of our members and the investing public.

As IIAC celebrates its fifth anniversary in 2011, its continued success in reinforcing value and relevance is reflected in the fact that today 189 member organizations representing 95% of IIROC member firms are members of IIAC. These firms range in size from small regional firms to large organizations that employ thousands of investment industry professionals across the country.

For Media Inquiries, please contact:
Ana Aujla
Manager, Public Affairs and Communications
IIAC
11 King Street West, Suite 1600
Toronto, Ontario M5H 4C7
Tel: (416) 687 5478
Fax: (416) 364-4861
aaujla@iiac.ca