Calgary-based Alliance Trust today announced it has received the government charter and letters patent to operate as a non-deposit-taking, specialty trust company in Alberta.

“We are excited to enter this very limited market of service providers in the field of stock transfer agency and corporate trust services,” said Zinat Damji, founder, president and CEO, in a release.

Currently, there are only a handful of trust companies in Canada that specialize in providing these services. Damji says that public companies will benefit from having a few alternatives.

Alliance Trust will operate three sub-agency offices, located in Toronto, New York and London, UK.