Following the enactment of the new British Columbia Societies Act on May 14, 2015, the Lieutenant Governor in Council issued Order No. 673 on November 23, 2016, stating that a majority of the provisions in the new Act will come into force on November 28, 2016 (sections 1 to 263, 265 to 268, 270 to 274, 276, 279, 281 to 288, 291 to 295, 297 to 299, 301 to 322, 324, 325, 327 to 338, 340 to 349, 351 to 354 and 356 to 365).
The Order also introduced a new Societies Regulation, effective November 23, 2016, repealing the Society Act Regulations, B.C. Reg. 4/78. The new Regulation address various issues referred to in the new Act, including a new model by-law for societies; the maximum fees that may be charged in various scenarios; how reporting on remuneration of directors, employees and contractors in the financial statements are to be made; when a person who is 16 or 17 years old may be a director or senior manager of a society; the funding threshold for member-funded societies; and reporting society provisions.
A pre-existing society must transition under the new Act within two years of it coming into force by filing a constitution, by-laws (consolidated into a single set of bylaws) and a statement of directors and registered office of the society.