Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. and PI Financial Corp. are planning a merger that will create one of Canada’s largest independent wealth managers in a deal that promises a fresh start for PI after its former owner was ousted in 2020 over alleged fraud.
The companies say it will become the country’s second-largest capital markets franchise not owned by a major bank, after Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. “It’s the next stage for the firm and it’s a giant leap forward, combining these two dealers,” Mr. Bachellerie said in an interview. “Neither firm needed to do anything, but we wanted to. We have an extraordinarily complimentary set of organizations,” Mr. Cusson said in an interview.