If I dissolve my federal corporation, does Ontario automatically cancel the registration?

No. Dissolving your federal corporation with Corporations Canada does not automatically cancel your Ontario extra-provincial registration. These are separate registrations with separate governments, and each must be addressed independently.

If your federal corporation is dissolved and you no longer cancel the Ontario extra-provincial registration, your Ontario registration will remain open. You will continue to receive obligations for Ontario annual returns. Missing those filings after the federal dissolution creates administrative problems and potential penalties in Ontario even though the corporation no longer legally exists federally.

The proper process when dissolving a federal corporation that operates in Ontario is to wind down in both jurisdictions: dissolve federally with Corporations Canada, and separately file a withdrawal of extra-provincial registration with the Ontario Business Registry. You should address Ontario's registration in conjunction with your federal dissolution so that both records are properly closed.

This dual-jurisdiction cleanup is one of the less intuitive aspects of operating as a federal corporation in Ontario. A business lawyer can coordinate the filings in both jurisdictions so that your records are properly closed out and you do not accumulate phantom filing obligations.