BCE INC. | Increasing Participation of the Shareholders in Annual General Meetings (AGM) at BCE INC.

Status
Filed
AGM date
Previous AGM date
Proposal number
1
Resolution details
Company ticker
BCE
Lead filer
Mouvement d'éducation et de défense des actionnaires (MÉDAC)
Resolution ask
Adopt or amend a policy
ESG theme
  • Governance
ESG sub-theme
  • Shareholder rights
Type of vote
Shareholder proposal
Filer type
Shareholder
Company sector
Telecom
Company HQ country
Canada
Resolved clause
It is proposed that the Board of Directors take the following measures to protect the organization and prevent risks related to the disengagement of all types of investors, who are often individual retail shareholders: 1. Enhance the voting experience • Work closely with transfer agents to simplify and make the voting process more accessible, including voting at meetings (virtual or in person) and proxy voting; • Interactive guides and explanatory videos to demystify the issues on the agenda; • Personalized reminders or light incentives to encourage voting. 2. Modernize communications • Make communications clearer, more appealing, and tailored to individual retail shareholders; • Accelerate the adoption of technological solutions (simplified electronic voting); • Optimize online voting platforms to make them more user-friendly on mobile devices; • Increase shareholders’ access to information, particularly those who are less familiar with digital technologies (paper newsletters, helplines, etc.). 3. Thematic and intergenerational mobilization • Integrate strategic or societal issues likely to generate greater interest among young investors (climate, inclusion, AI, etc.); • Highlighting shareholder proposals and corporate governance issues in a simplified format. 4. Participation documentation Disclosure in a circular, in a dedicated section with a summary table, of detailed information on attendance at meetings (in person and virtual, broken down), from a historical perspective over several years (at least since before COVID), including, where possible: a) the number of votes cast in absolute terms (and not just as a percentage), b) the quorum, c) the number of voting shares outstanding (broken down by category, including multiple voting shares), d) the number of shareholders (natural persons or legal entities, beneficial owners or not [OBO/NOBO]) present, and e) the number of proxies (natural persons) representing them.
Supporting statement
Argument The gradual decline in shareholder participation, particularly among individual retail shareholders, raises several questions, particularly regarding the causes. A continuing downward trend, observed over several years, is well documented. A worrying finding: data from Broadridge Proxy Pulse Canada(1) reveals In 2025, Transat A.T. Inc. had to postpone its annual meeting due to a lack of quorum. Such incidents, which receive media coverage(2), create uncertainty in the market and cause concern among interested parties (stakeholders). Several TSX-V mining companies face similar situations. By strengthening the participation of small shareholders, the [company] will consolidate its democratic legitimacy, improve the quality of dialogue with all its security holders, and assert its leadership in modern and inclusive corporate governance

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