Introduction: Why Canada’s Business Data Is So Fragmented
When it comes to understanding the corporate landscape of Canada, simplicity is not part of the equation. Unlike countries that maintain a single, unified business registry, Canada’s system is decentralized across 13 separate jurisdictions — ten provinces, three territories, and a federal registry.
Each of these jurisdictions maintains its own database of registered companies, with distinct formats, rules, and levels of transparency. Some offer partial open access; others require manual lookups, lack bulk download options, or provide no APIs at all. The result is a patchwork of disconnected systems, each revealing only a small part of the country’s broader business ecosystem.
Even Corporations Canada, the federal-level registry, covers only federally incorporated businesses. The majority of Canadian companies — especially small and medium-sized enterprises — are registered at the provincial or territorial level, meaning the federal database alone gives an incomplete view.
For anyone aiming to provide accurate business intelligence, perform due diligence, or build a comprehensive KYB (Know Your Business) dataset, this fragmentation poses a major obstacle. To see the full picture, one must go beyond the federal layer and gather data directly from every province and territory — each with its own technical challenges and data quirks.
That’s exactly what we set out to do. Our mission: to collect, clean, and unify company data from all 13 jurisdictions — creating the most complete and up-to-date view of Canada’s business landscape. Today, this work covers over 12 million registered companies, including 5.4 million active entities, all sourced directly from official government registries.
Understanding Canada’s 13 Jurisdictions
To understand why sourcing complete business data in Canada is such a challenge, it helps to start with how the country’s corporate registration system is structured.
Canada operates under a federal system, where both the national government and the individual provinces and territories have authority to incorporate companies. This means that a business can choose to register federally—allowing it to operate nationwide under a single name—or provincially/territorially, restricting its name protection and governance to that specific jurisdiction.
Each of these 13 registries functions independently, maintaining its own database, update cycle, and technical infrastructure.
Provinces
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
Territories
- Yukon
- Northwest Territories
- Nunavut
Federal Level
- Corporations Canada, managed by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)
While Corporations Canada provides a useful starting point, it only includes federally incorporated businesses—those choosing to register under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA). However, the majority of Canadian companies—particularly small and medium-sized businesses—register within their home province or territory.
The result is a fragmented ecosystem: 13 separate sources, 13 data formats, and 13 different user experiences. Some registries offer modern online search tools; others still rely on outdated systems with limited accessibility. To achieve true nationwide coverage, it was necessary to go directly into each registry—individually, methodically, and technically.
The Federal Registry: A Useful Starting Point, but Not the Full Picture
At the national level, Corporations Canada, managed by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), serves as the central registry for all federally incorporated companies. It allows businesses to operate under the same name across all provinces and territories — a valuable feature for organizations that conduct business nationwide or internationally.
For data providers and analysts, this registry offers a convenient starting point. It includes essential details such as company name, incorporation number, status (active or dissolved), registered office address, and sometimes director information. However, its coverage is limited in scope.
Corporations Canada records only those entities registered under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA). That means the database excludes the vast majority of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that incorporate provincially or territorially, often because their operations are local or regional.
In other words, the federal database represents only a fraction of Canada’s full business population. While it provides reliable data for a specific subset of companies, relying on it alone leaves enormous gaps — particularly for organizations that need a complete and accurate national view for compliance, credit assessment, or market research.
To close those gaps, it’s essential to go one level deeper — into the individual registries maintained by each province and territory. That’s where the real challenge begins.
The Real Challenge: Sourcing Data from Every Province and Territory
Collecting data from Canada’s federal registry was only the starting point. The real challenge emerged when we turned to the provincial and territorial registries, where most Canadian businesses are actually registered.
Each province and territory maintains its own corporate database — independently managed, built on different technologies, and updated at varying intervals. Some registries are relatively modern, while others are outdated, slow to load, and offer only limited search functionality. Few provide options for exporting data in bulk or connecting through an API, which makes comprehensive data collection particularly demanding.
To achieve full national coverage, we had to develop proprietary data connectors for each individual registry. Every connector was tailored to the unique structure and public interface of its source, capable of navigating inconsistent page layouts, handling incomplete fields, and standardizing diverse data formats.
Because many of these government websites are not optimized for high-volume data access, the collection process required careful timing and optimization. The process demanded patience, precision, and repeated testing to ensure data completeness and reliability without interrupting the registries’ normal operation.
After months of systematic collection and cleaning, we succeeded in compiling a unified dataset from all 13 Canadian jurisdictions — covering over 12 million registered companies, including 5.4 million active entities. This national-level coverage ensures that every legitimate business, from small provincial registrants to federally incorporated enterprises, is represented accurately and consistently.
Building Custom Connectors for Each Registry
Because no two provincial or territorial registries are alike, we had to take a highly tailored approach to data collection. Each registry has its own public portal structure, field naming conventions, and formatting standards — which meant a single universal collection tool simply wouldn’t work.
Instead, we built custom data connectors for each of Canada’s 13 registries, carefully designed to adapt to the technical nuances of each system. Some registries publish company information in structured tables, while others rely on unstructured text spread across multiple pages. Even the basic identifiers — such as registration numbers, legal names, or incorporation statuses — often appear in different formats depending on the province.
To overcome this, our engineers developed a modular architecture where each connector could be independently configured, maintained, and improved over time. This flexibility allowed us to fine-tune parameters like data access frequency, error handling, and data validation rules specific to each source.
After collection, all sourced data passed through a standardization pipeline that mapped every field into a consistent schema. This process ensured that whether a company was registered in Ontario, Quebec, or Nunavut, its core details — such as incorporation date, company type, status, and address — aligned seamlessly with records from other provinces.
This meticulous, province-by-province approach not only ensured comprehensive coverage, but also preserved data accuracy at scale — creating a single, unified view of Canadian corporate information that previously did not exist in one place.
Overcoming Technical Barriers and Standardizing the Data
Bringing together data from 13 independent registries required far more than simple collection. Each source came with its own technical barriers — from outdated website frameworks and inconsistent data formats to differences in how core company attributes were defined.
Some registries store information in structured HTML tables, while others rely on free text fields or downloadable PDFs. Company statuses can appear as “Active,” “Registered,” “Existing,” or even “In Good Standing,” depending on the jurisdiction. Addresses, incorporation dates, and business identifiers all follow different formatting standards.
To turn this fragmented information into a single coherent dataset, we built a multi-layered standardization pipeline. Every record collected was cleaned, parsed, and mapped to a unified schema — ensuring that identical data fields from different provinces aligned perfectly. This involved developing crosswalks between local field names, normalizing address structures, and converting dates and identifiers into uniform formats.
We also applied validation rules to detect duplicates and inconsistencies across registries. For example, the same company could appear in both a provincial and the federal registry, or under slightly different name variations. Automated matching and deduplication processes helped reconcile these overlaps, ensuring that each entity was represented accurately and only once.
Through this process, millions of individual records were transformed into a structured, reliable dataset that can be easily queried, enriched, and integrated into any workflow — from compliance checks to sales intelligence.
Results: 12 Million Canadian Companies, 5.4 Million Active
After months of research, engineering, and data standardization, the outcome was a comprehensive national business dataset unlike anything publicly available.
In total, we collected and unified data on over 12 million registered companies across Canada, drawn directly from every provincial, territorial, and federal registry. Among these, approximately 5.4 million companies are currently active, representing the full spectrum of Canada’s economy — from local startups and small businesses to large, federally incorporated enterprises.
This dataset includes all key firmographic details such as:
- Legal name and registration number
- Status (active, dissolved, or inactive)
- Date of incorporation
- Registered address and jurisdiction
- Company type (corporation, limited partnership, non-profit, etc.)
Where available, we also mapped additional information such as directors, business activity descriptions, and historical filings. By consolidating all these details into one standardized structure, we created the most complete and verifiable picture of Canada’s corporate landscape to date.
For organizations that rely on accurate business intelligence — from financial institutions conducting due diligence to compliance teams running KYB checks — this unified dataset eliminates the blind spots caused by Canada’s fragmented registry system.
Why Comprehensive Coverage Matters
In a country where company registration is split across 13 jurisdictions, having complete coverage is not just a technical achievement — it’s a practical necessity. Without data from every province and territory, any national business dataset is inherently incomplete.
Many organizations rely solely on federal-level data or a limited selection of provincial sources. While these datasets can provide partial insights, they often miss millions of companies — especially small and medium-sized enterprises that form the backbone of Canada’s economy. These gaps can have serious consequences for any process that depends on verified business information.
For example:
- Compliance and KYB (Know Your Business): Missing records can lead to failed verifications or incomplete risk assessments.
- Credit and Risk Analysis: Without full visibility into company lifecycles, analysts may overlook dissolved or inactive entities.
- Sales and Marketing Intelligence: Incomplete datasets limit prospecting accuracy, excluding potential customers in underrepresented regions.
By sourcing and standardizing data directly from every Canadian registry, we ensured no province or territory was left behind. Whether a company is registered in Quebec, Alberta, or Nunavut, its record is captured and aligned under the same data model.
This comprehensive approach not only strengthens accuracy — it also supports better decision-making across industries. From banks and fintechs verifying clients to B2B platforms enriching CRM data, complete registry coverage means more reliable insights and reduced operational risk.
Looking Ahead: Continuous Updates and Expansion
Building a unified dataset across Canada’s 13 jurisdictions was a major milestone — but it was only the beginning. Business registries are dynamic systems: new companies are created daily, existing ones change status, and others dissolve or merge. To keep our coverage accurate and reliable, the work of monitoring and updating never stops.
Our infrastructure now continuously checks each registry for changes, capturing new incorporations, updates to company status, and modifications to key details such as addresses or directors. This ensures that users always have access to fresh, verified data directly from official government sources.
We’re also expanding beyond core registry data. Our ongoing efforts focus on enriching the dataset with additional layers such as:
- Financial information, extracted from public filings and digitized using OCR and AI technologies
- Ownership and group structure mapping, connecting related entities across jurisdictions
- Digital and market insights, including web presence, technology usage, and company activity signals
These enhancements aim to create not just a static database, but a living ecosystem of verified business intelligence — one that reflects the true, evolving shape of Canada’s corporate environment.
By maintaining daily updates and continuously refining data quality, we’re ensuring that every company record, no matter how small or remote, remains accurate, discoverable, and trusted.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where does Global Database source Canadian company data from? We source business data directly from all 13 official Canadian registries — including ten provinces, three territories, and the federal registry (Corporations Canada). Each dataset is collected, standardized, and verified to ensure national coverage.
2. Does the federal registry include all Canadian companies? No. Corporations Canada only covers federally incorporated entities. Most Canadian companies are registered at the provincial or territorial level, so accessing every jurisdiction is essential for full market coverage.
3. Which provinces and territories are included in your coverage? Our dataset includes company records from Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, plus federal-level data.
4. How many companies are included in your Canadian database? We have compiled data on over 12 million registered Canadian companies, of which approximately 5.4 million are active. All records are sourced directly from official government registries.
5. Why can’t I find all Canadian companies in one public source? Canada’s business registration system is decentralized, meaning each province and territory manages its own registry. There is no single public source that provides full national coverage — which is why unifying the data requires collecting it directly from each registry.
6. How often is the Canadian company data updated? We continuously monitor all 13 registries for new incorporations, status changes, and updates to company details. This allows us to provide frequently refreshed and verified data that reflects the most recent business activity.
7. What kind of information is available for each company? Each record includes legal name, registration number, status, incorporation date, company type, and registered address. Where available, we also capture director details, industry classification, and historical filings.
8. Can this data be accessed via API or in bulk format? Yes. The Canadian business data can be accessed through our API for real-time verification or delivered as a bulk dataset for large-scale enrichment and analytics projects.
9. Why is registry-sourced data more reliable than third-party data? Registry-sourced data is first-party and legally verified at the point of company incorporation or change. Unlike data from unverified third-party aggregators, it comes directly from government authorities, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance.
10. How can organizations use this dataset? Our Canadian business data supports a wide range of use cases — including Know-Your-Business (KYB) checks, credit and risk analysis, CRM enrichment, and market intelligence. It helps organizations operate with confidence by relying on verified company information.
