	merrill lynch mer in talks on canada purchases merrill lynch and co inc is holding talks on uiring canadian brokerage firms a company spokesman told reuters he said one of the firms with which merrill lynch is negotiating is burns fry corp of toronto which has already received an offer from security pacific corp s spc pct owned hoare govett ltd london based brokerage unit the hoare govett bid is valued at about mln u s dlrs the spokesman said the talks are the result of a change in ontario securities laws that takes effect june currently companies outside the canadian securities industry are prohibited from owning more than pct of a canadian broker on june foreign brokers will be allowed to own up to pct of canadian brokers and the percentage will rise to pct a year later reuter 
