CGPA Canada Responds to False and Misleading Public Notices by CPABC, CPASK, and CPAYT.

A Coordinated Attempt to Discredit CGPA Canada and Restrict Global Talent

 

The Chartered Global Practising Accountants of Canada (CGPA Canada) strongly cautions the public that on February 25–26, 2025, CPA British Columbia (CPABC), CPA Yukon (CPAYT), and CPA Saskatchewan (CPASK) jointly issued so-called “Public Notices” that were not only false and misleading, but appear to be part of a coordinated campaign of monopolistic collusion, deceptive conduct, and jurisdictional overreach.

​

These statements were not based on law, evidence, or regulatory process. They were a transparent attempt to:

• Discredit a federally chartered professional body operating lawfully under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (CNCA);

• Suppress legitimate competition under the guise of “protecting the public interest”;

• Deflect attention from internal CPA crises, including declining membership, unresolved complaints, and systemic oversight failures.

 

This is not regulation. This is retaliation.

​

CGPA Canada: The Facts Behind the Public Notices

Contrary to CPA bodies’ claims, CGPA Canada stands on federal authority, international alignment, and a record of integrity.

 

CGPA Canada has:

• ZERO regulatory breaches – no violations under Canadian or international law

• ZERO disciplinary actions – no suspensions or sanctions

• ZERO legal judgments – no adverse court or tribunal rulings

• ZERO public complaints – no regulatory or consumer complaints filed

 

No scandals. No cover-ups. Just growth, trust, and global recognition.

So, what exactly are CPA regulators “protecting” the public from?
Fair competition. Professional choice. Accountability.

​

A Campaign of Fear and Fabricated Authority

These CPA “Public Notices” are:

​

• Monopolistic by design – engineered to block competition

• Deceptive in tone – presenting turf protection as “public interest”

• Jurisdictionally flawed – issued beyond their statutory powers

• Backed by nothing – no court rulings, no regulatory process, no public hearings

​

This is not public protection. This is economic protectionism cloaked in bureaucracy.

​

CPA Bodies Under Scrutiny

While attempting to discredit CGPA Canada, CPA regulators face mounting crises of their own:

​

Audit Failures & International Sanctions

At least 10 CPA-regulated firms in BC have been fined, censured, or barred from U.S. audits by the PCAOB.

• Nine firms sanctioned – Business in Vancouver

• Tenth firm fined – Vancouver Is Awesome

• Deloitte & MNP inspection failures – Canadian Accountant

​

Disciplinary Records Hidden from the Public

CPABC has been criticized for anonymizing disciplinary records, shielding serious misconduct.

• Transparency concerns – Business in Vancouver

​

Membership Collapse & Deficits

CPA Canada membership has fallen from 210,000+ to under 100,000.
CPA Canada and affiliates are operating annual deficits, confirmed by audited statements.

• Membership crisis – Business in Vancouver

• Deficit report – CPA Canada Financial Statements, 2024

​

Institutional Breakdown

CPA leadership rifts, regulatory failures, and governance collapse have led to revoked audit rights.

• Governance failure - Business in Vancouver

​

Who We Are: CGPA Canada

The Chartered Global Practising Accountants of Canada (CGPA Canada) is a federally incorporated, globally aligned, and constitutionally protected professional accountancy body under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (CNCA).

​

We are:

• Recognized under federal law

• Independent of provincial CPA bodies

• Governed by international standards: IFAC, IES, ISA, IAS, IFRS

We offer professional education, certification, and licensing built to internationally respected standards.

​

The Law Is Clear

 * Provincial CPA bodies do not regulate federally chartered organizations.
 * They have no jurisdiction over CGPA Canada or its members.
 * Their notices lack legal authority, due process, or regulatory backing.

 * These are not warnings.
 * They are fear-driven propaganda to preserve a shrinking monopoly.

​

CGPA Canada: A Nationally Protected Institution

CGPA Canada is:

• Federally incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (CNCA)

• Certified by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

• Authorized to issue T2202 tuition receipts under the Income Tax Act

• Listed on Canada’s Certified Educational Institutions Registry

• Exempt under BC’s Private Training Act

• Fully compliant with IFAC, IAASB, IFRS, and IES 8 standards

 

With zero complaints, zero sanctions, and zero enforcement actions, CGPA Canada is a clean, competent, and constitutionally protected body.

​

A Message to Internationally Trained Accountants

If you are fully qualified through an IFAC-recognized professional body — ACCA, CIMA, ICAN, ICAP, ICMAP, ICAI, ICMAI, IPA Australia, and others – and told to restart your career from scratch in Canada:

​

You are not the problem. The system is.

​

CGPA Canada welcomes:

• Your global expertise

• Your credentials

• Your commitment to the public interest

​

What We Offer

• Strategic final assessment (no redundant exams or fees)

• Mutual recognition for IFAC members

• Public Practice Licensing (Audit, Review, Compilation, Tax)

• No interprovincial licensing fees

• Fully digital, borderless registration and mobility

​

We stand for:

• Competence over credentialism

• Merit over monopoly

• Accountability over arrogance

​

The Truth Behind CPA Claims

Between Feb 24–26, 2025, CPA bodies issued nearly identical notices with 10 key misrepresentations – each one legally false or misleading.

​

Highlights include:

• Misstating CGPA’s federal authority (CNCA s.16 gives CGPA full corporate capacity)

• Misleading on practice rights (BC CPA Act s.46 affirms non-member practice rights)

• Falsely claiming exclusivity over “professional accountant” (no statutory protection)

• Issuing anti-competitive messaging (Competition Act ss.45, 52 prohibit false representations)

 

​For a full legal analysis of all 10 claims, continue reading below or visit www.cgpaglobal.ca​

​​

Exposing CPABC/CPASK/CPAYT’s 10 False Claims: The Ruthless Power Grab to Destroy Competition

Chartered Global Practising Accountants of Canada

​

In February 2025, CPABC, CPASK, and CPAYT unleashed a public notice riddled with false and misleading claims targeting CGPA Canada – a direct attempt to suppress fair competition in the accounting profession. This power grab threatens to limit choice, stifle innovation, and block qualified professionals from practicing freely.

​

Ironically, the very CPA bodies attacking CGPA Canada’s legitimacy owe their existence to the same federal law they now seek to discredit.

​

It’s like burning the bridge you crossed – then accusing others of trespassing when they follow the same legal path.

​

Between February 24–26, 2025, the provincial CPA bodies of BC, Saskatchewan, and Yukon issued statements rife with legal inaccuracies, rhetorical sleight-of-hand, and deliberate omissions – all aimed at CGPA Canada, a federally incorporated and internationally aligned professional accountancy body.

​

These weren’t consumer warnings – they were anti-competitive smears disguised as public service announcements.

The truth? CGPA Canada is legitimate, lawful, and essential in today’s diverse, globalized economy. The CPA bodies? They’re fighting to protect exclusive provincial turf by misleading the public and blocking fair competition.

​

Below, we expose the 10 most misleading claims – each refuted by federal law, international standards, and provincial statutes. We dissect how these baseless assertions violate laws, misrepresent CGPA’s legitimate authority, and undermine the principles of open markets and professional integrity.

​

The facts are clear: this isn’t about public interest – it’s about monopoly and control. The Canadian accounting profession deserves transparency, fairness, and true competition.​

​

For clarity and ease of reference, the key false or misleading statements we identified – which we assert constitute violations of the Competition Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-34) and Canadian constitutional principles – are summarized below:

​

1. “CGPA Canada is incorporated under the CNCA.”
   Misleading: CGPA operates independently under federal law with full statutory authority to confer professional accounting qualifications. The absence of affiliation or endorsement does not diminish CGPA’s legitimacy or status in any way. CPA Canada is also CNCA-incorporated; therefore, CGPA’s status is legitimate.

2. “CGPA Canada is not affiliated with CPABC or CPA Canada.”
   Misleading: CGPA operates independently under federal law with full statutory authority to confer professional accounting qualifications. Lack of affiliation or endorsement is not required and in no way diminishes CGPA’s legitimacy or status.

3. “CGPA members cannot practise as professional accountants in BC unless they are CPABC members.”
   False: British Columbia’s CPA Act (Section 46(1)) explicitly preserves the right of non-CPABC members–including CGPA members–to practise accounting and auditing under other lawful authority.

4. “CGPA falsely claims it is a regulatory body and offers audit training.”
   False: CGPA accurately represents its regulatory scope. It provides education and standards aligned with IFAC’s International Education Standards, including audit training consistent with ISA and IFRS.

5. “CGPA is not a chartered or professional accountancy body.”
   False: CGPA is federally chartered and issues recognized designations. The term “professional accountancy body” is not exclusively reserved for provincial organizations.

6. “CGPA has no statutory authority to regulate the CPA profession in BC.”
   Misleading: CGPA regulates its own members; it does not regulate CPABC members. The BC CPA Act exempts persons authorized under other Acts (Section 47(3)(f)).

7. “CPABC has exclusive authority to regulate professional accountants in BC.”
   False: CPABC’s statutory mandate applies solely to its members and students. There is no monopoly over the generic term ‘professional accountant,’ and this claimed exclusivity is not supported by the CPA Act; in fact, Sections 3, 9 to 28, and 51(1)(4)(a)(b) explicitly contradict any such monopoly. 

8. “CGPA members cannot offer audit, assurance, or certification services unless CPAs.”
   False: Non-members authorized under other statutes, including CGPA members incorporated federally, are legally entitled to provide these services. This statement also contradicts Section 46 of the BC CPA Act. 

9. “CGPA members cannot use ‘professional accountant’ unless CPAs.”
   False: The BC CPA Act reserves protected titles such as “CPA” but does not exclusively reserve the generic term “professional accountant.” Notably, the term “professional accountant” is also used and recognized by the Society of Professional Accountants of Canada (SPAC) in Ontario. This statement contradicts both the BC CPA Act and the accepted usage of professional titles by other recognized accounting bodies nationwide. 

10. “CPABC’s February 25, 2025 notice was issued in the public interest.”
    Misleading: The notice lacks factual basis, due process, or formal complaints and appears designed to suppress competition, contrary to sections 52 and 74.01 of the Competition Act.

​​

CONCLUSION

 

Regulators or Warlords? The CPA Bodies Have Lost the Right to Regulate

​

The so-called CPA regulatory bodies–CPABC, CPASK, and CPAYT–have not merely failed in their statutory duties; they have violated the very legal and constitutional principles they are sworn to uphold. In place of regulatory oversight, they have launched a coordinated misinformation campaign against CGPA Canada, relying on misrepresentation, intimidation, and abuse of authority. Rather than acting as impartial public guardians, they have descended into cartel-style enforcement–fabricating legal distortions, misquoting statutes, and weaponizing their platforms to discredit legitimate alternatives.

​

This is not regulation. This is regulatory racketeering.

​

It is a coordinated, cross-jurisdictional effort to preserve a monopoly by targeting lawful competitors. It is a clear attempt to entrench economic gatekeeping, marginalize credentialed professionals–particularly immigrants and equity-deserving groups–and destroy any alternative path to professional recognition. Their message to competent, credentialed Canadians is unmistakable: “You are not welcome here unless you go through our gate.”

 

This is not only disgraceful. It is unlawful.

​

Violations of Law and Constitutional Principles

 

Competition Act, RSC 1985, c. C-34 Section 45(1) prohibits conspiracies or agreements that unduly restrict competition. The coordinated notices by CPABC, CPASK, and CPAYT–each issuing nearly identical misleading public statements–amount to a classic case of anti-competitive collusion.

​

British Columbia Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act (BPCPA), SBC 2004, c. 2 Section 4(3)(b) prohibits deceptive representations in a business context. The CPA bodies’ public claims–including that CGPA Canada members are "unregulated" or "unauthorized"–are demonstrably false and intended to mislead the public and employers.

​

Constitution Act, 1867, sections 91 and 92(13) Federal jurisdiction governs trade and commerce, including the incorporation and recognition of national professional bodies like CGPA Canada under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, S.C. 2009, c. 23. Provincial CPA bodies have no constitutional authority to invalidate or obstruct federally incorporated institutions that comply with national and international standards.

​

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Section 15 Guarantees equality before the law and equal protection without discrimination. When CPA bodies systematically target professionals based on the origin of their credentials, despite adherence to international standards, their actions may constitute discriminatory practices requiring constitutional review.

​

The Monopoly Is Not the Public Interest

The public interest does not belong to CPABC, CPASK, or CPAYT. It belongs to the people of Canada. And Canadians deserve a profession that is open, accountable, and globally recognized–not one controlled by a domestic oligopoly hiding behind outdated protectionism.

​

CGPA Canada complies with the very international standards the CPAs merely invoke:

 

• International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)

• International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB)

• International Education Standard 8 (IES 8)

• IFAC Code of Ethics and Global Competency Benchmarks​

​

Its recognition of experience, mobility, and public finance specialization represents the future of accounting. That is precisely why these CPA bodies are attempting to silence it.

​

This is not about protecting the public. It is about protecting turf.

​

A National Call to Action

The conduct of CPABC, CPASK, and CPAYT is a warning to all Canadians: when regulation becomes a tool of exclusion, the rule of law itself is under attack.

​

The Competition Bureau, provincial regulators, and federal authorities must not allow monopolistic actors to use misinformation to shut out legitimate competitors. If allowed to stand, these actions will embed systemic bias, suppress innovation, and permanently damage Canada’s reputation as a fair and inclusive society.

​

Thousands of competent, credentialed Canadians–especially immigrants and equity-deserving professionals—rely on the Bureau’s leadership to preserve open, fair markets. Failing to act risks embedding anti-competitive monopolies into Canada’s accounting profession, contrary to federalism, free trade, and the public interest.

​

The line has been crossed. The evidence is clear. The time for action is now.

​

Truth doesn’t need a monopoly. Lies do. CGPA Canada stands for truth. CPABC, CPAYT, and CPASK are exposed.

​

CGPA Canada is seeking talented, driven individuals ready to break barriers and lead the future of accounting. If you're ready for new challenges, meaningful opportunities, and a globally respected designation, join the CGPA Professional Accountancy Qualification Program today.

​

Follow our LinkedIn page to stay updated:

​

👉 https://www.linkedin.com/school/charteredpractisingaccountants-CGPA Canada

​

Let’s build a profession rooted in truth, not monopoly.

​

​​​

How the February 2025 CPABC Public Notice Impacts CGPA Canada and Its Members

 

In February 2025, the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC), CPA Saskatchewan (CPASK), and CPA Yukon (CPAYT) issued a joint public notice containing misleading and legally inaccurate statements about CGPA Canada–a federally incorporated national professional accounting body.

​

In response, CGPA Canada filed a Formal Competition and Fraud Complaint, citing monopolistic collusion, deceptive conduct, and jurisdictional overreach. This article outlines the facts, legal framework, and ongoing impact of that public notice on CGPA Canada and its members.

​

Who Is CGPA Canada?

 

CGPA Canada is a federally incorporated professional body under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (S.C. 2009, c. 23). It was established through the unification of:

​

• The Canadian Institute of Chartered Tax Practitioners (CTP-Canada)

• The Certified Public Finance Accountants of Canada (CPFA-Canada)

 

CGPA Canada grants the Chartered Practising Accountant (CGPA) designation and operates across all Canadian jurisdictions. It is also recognized by:

​

• Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

• The Government of Canada as a Certified Educational Institution

• International standards boards including IFAC, IAASB, and IFRS

​

What Was the February 2025 Public Notice?

In a coordinated release, CPABC, CPASK, and CPAYT issued a public warning that falsely claimed CGPA Canada was not authorized to operate or represent accountants in their jurisdictions.

​

Key issues with the notice:

• Omission of CGPA Canada’s federal legal status

• False claims regarding regulatory authority

• Potential breach of the federal Competition Act and constitutional law

 

This occurred amid growing instability within CPA Canada, including the withdrawals of CPA Ontario and CPA Quebec from the national CPA structure, citing governance concerns.

​

Legal Status of CGPA Canada Members

Under Section 46 of the CPABC Act, individuals who are not CPABC members retain the legal right to practise as accountants or auditors in British Columbia–as long as they do not use CPA titles or CPA-authorized standards (as clarified under Section 47).

​

CGPA Canada’s authority is also protected by:

​

• The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (freedom of association and trade)

• The doctrine of federal paramountcy, affirmed by the Supreme Court in
  Multiple Access Ltd. v. McCutcheon ([1982] 2 SCR 161)

​

What Happened in R. v. Lewis (1997)?

This case is directly relevant. The Canada Elections Act permitted a wide range of professionals to act as auditors for federal election candidates.

​

However, Ontario provincial legislation limited this to only Chartered Accountants (CAs)—creating a conflict.

​

The Ontario Court of Appeal held that:

​

• Provinces cannot narrow or restrict the scope of persons authorized under federal law

• The federal law prevailed, as it related to the core of federal jurisdiction

 

This precedent supports CGPA Canada's position that provincial legislation cannot override federal authority.

​

Formal Complaint Filed by CGPA Canada

In response to the February 2025 public notice, CGPA Canada filed a Formal Competition and Fraud Complaint, which included:

​

• Evidence of coordinated conduct among the CPA bodies

• Legal analyses demonstrating jurisdictional overreach

• Records of reputational harm and public confusion

• Alleged violations of the Competition Act and consumer protection laws

​

Impact on CGPA Canada Members and the Public

 

The misleading public notice caused confusion among employers, clients, and regulatory stakeholders. CGPA Canada has taken active steps to:

​

• Clarify misinformation in public and legal forums

• Affirm its members’ rights under federal and constitutional law

• Educate the public about the difference between designation and regulation

 

CGPA Canada remains committed to public interest, legal compliance, and professional excellence.

​

Final Position of CGPA Canada

CGPA Canada will continue to defend the rights of its members, uphold the rule of law, and lead with integrity.

We call on all provincial and territorial bodies to:

​

• Act within their jurisdictional limits

• Respect federal authority and competition law

• Refrain from misleading public communications

 

As Canada’s accounting profession evolves, CGPA Canada stands ready to provide transparent, ethical, and globally aligned leadership in public accounting, taxation, and finance.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​

Federally Mandated. Globally Respected. Professionally Modern.