Across Sudbury's mining-services cluster, Thunder Bay's forestry and shipping trade, and the trucking, construction and hospitality businesses serving communities scattered across the north, distance itself becomes part of the deal — closings are coordinated the same way whether your business is down the street or an eight-hour drive away. We tell you which structure fits, and what it costs, before any work begins.
Every figure below traces to a named public source — no estimates, no filler.
†Typical patterns across Ontario deals — not a quote or advice; every deal is confirmed on its own facts.
The same sequence underlies almost every owner-run Northern Ontario deal — what changes from deal to deal is how long each step takes.
Reaching an agreement
Buyer and seller agree on price and key terms, usually informally, before lawyers draft anything binding. We review before you sign — even a "non-binding" LOI can lock in terms you didn't mean to fix.
usually 1–2 weeks†The APS sets out price, structure (asset or share), conditions, and closing date. We draft or review it and negotiate the protections — reps, warranties, holdbacks — that actually matter for your deal.
1–3 weeks to negotiate†Corporate, PPSA lien, litigation, and licence searches confirm what you're actually buying. We chase the seller's lawyer, the registries, and any regulator whose sign-off your deal needs.
2–4 weeks, in parallel†Getting to closing
Landlord, franchisor, lender, and licensing-body sign-offs are chased in parallel with the paperwork. Across the north's distances, this is where mailed consents, remote-registry searches and travel-dependent closings most often add a little extra time.
often the critical path†Funds, keys, and signed documents change hands. We coordinate directly with both sides' lawyers and the lender so nothing is left to a last-minute phone call.
1 day, once conditions are met†Registrations, licence transfers still in progress, and any post-closing deliverables — like a holdback release — get tracked to completion, not left for you to chase.
1–2 week tail†This is the first real decision in almost every deal — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how it's taxed.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The business's assets — equipment, inventory, lease, goodwill, name. | The shares of the company itself — everything it owns, and everything it owes. |
| Seller's liabilities | Generally stay behind with the seller's corporation. | Generally come with the company, known and unknown. |
| Tax angle — seller | Straightforward proceeds treatment in most cases. | May qualify for the lifetime capital-gains exemption on qualifying small business shares. |
| Tax angle — buyer | A stepped-up cost base on assets bought; an HST s.167 election may apply. | Cost base carries over from the seller — a different position for the buyer. |
| Licences & contracts | Must generally be re-issued or assigned into the buyer's name. | Usually stay in place, since the corporation itself doesn't change. |
| Employees | Employment Standards Act continuity rules typically apply. | Employment generally continues uninterrupted — the employer doesn't change. |
| Typical use in Northern Ontario | Most retail, auto-repair and construction deals — a buyer taking equipment, a lease and a name. | More common in trucking and mining-supply-chain deals, to preserve CVOR history and customer contracts. |
The business's assets — equipment, inventory, lease, goodwill, name.
The shares of the company itself — everything it owns, and everything it owes.
Generally stay behind with the seller's corporation.
Generally come with the company, known and unknown.
Straightforward proceeds treatment in most cases.
May qualify for the lifetime capital-gains exemption on qualifying small business shares.
A stepped-up cost base on assets bought; an HST s.167 election may apply.
Cost base carries over from the seller — a different position for the buyer.
Must generally be re-issued or assigned into the buyer's name.
Usually stay in place, since the corporation itself doesn't change.
Employment Standards Act continuity rules typically apply.
Employment generally continues uninterrupted — the employer doesn't change.
Most retail, auto-repair and construction deals — a buyer taking equipment, a lease and a name.
More common in trucking and mining-supply-chain deals, to preserve CVOR history and customer contracts.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
Different lists depending on which side of the deal you're on — both matter for how smoothly closing goes.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A café or restaurant, a salon, a franchise unit, or a trades business in Northern Ontario — usually one buyer, one seller.
Start my file →A company with several owners or employees, bank financing, real estate, or a deal that needs negotiated protections before you sign.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
Each anchor municipality has its own deal-brief page — same process, local numbers.
Greater Sudbury is Northern Ontario's mining-services and supply-chain hub, with a deep base of trades, trucking and construction businesses serving the regional mining sector alongside a steady restaurant and retail resale market.
Not usually for the legal work itself — we handle the great majority of a closing remotely, by phone, email and courier, the same way regardless of where in Ontario your business is. Distance can add a little time to in-person items, like a physical inspection or a landlord meeting, if one is needed. We plan around that from the start rather than let it surprise you.
Generally not on an asset purchase — CVOR safety history attaches to the corporation and its officers, not the trucks, so buying only the assets typically means starting a fresh safety record with the Ministry of Transportation. That's one reason buyers of an established mining-supply fleet sometimes prefer a share purchase instead. We walk through the trade-off for your specific operation.
The underlying rules are the same across Ontario — AGCO transfer for a licensed lounge, and confirming zoning and any short-term-rental bylaw standing before you close — but remote properties can take longer to get municipal responses on, simply because of distance and staffing. We build that extra lead time into your timeline rather than assume it'll move at a downtown pace.
Generally yes — selling used vehicles alongside repair work typically needs its own OMVIC dealer registration, separate from your regular municipal business licensing, and it doesn't automatically transfer to a buyer. It's worth confirming your shop's exact registration status before you list it for sale. We check this as a standard part of your due diligence checklist.
The same way most Ontario closings happen today — documents are signed electronically or by courier, funds move through the lawyers' trust accounts, and we coordinate directly with the other side's lawyer so nothing depends on everyone being in the same room. If an in-person step is genuinely needed for your deal, we tell you well in advance so it doesn't catch you off guard.
| Resource | Official link |
|---|---|
| Greater Sudbury business licensing | Visit www.greatersudbury.ca |
| Thunder Bay business licensing | Visit www.thunderbay.ca |
| Sault Ste. Marie business licensing | Visit www.saultstemarie.ca |
| OMVIC | Visit www.omvic.ca |
| Ministry of Transportation Carrier safety & CVOR | Visit www.ontario.ca |
| WSIB clearance certificates | Visit www.wsib.ca |
Industries we cover
Adjacent regions
Acting for buyers and sellers across Northern Ontario: Greater Sudbury · Thunder Bay · Sault Ste. Marie · North Bay · Timmins · Kenora · West Nipissing · Elliot Lake · Temiskaming Shores · Kapuskasing · Kirkland Lake · Fort Frances · Dryden · Parry Sound.
Tell us about your Northern Ontario deal — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.