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AsiaBaseMetals Inc. — Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement 2025
Jul 30, 2025
46473_rns_2025-07-30_31360ee7-b489-4e3d-ad98-45b3c56fc914.pdf
Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement
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NOTICE OF MEETING
AND
INFORMATION CIRCULAR
for the 2025 Annual General Meeting of the
Shareholders of
ASIABASEMETALS INC.
Dated as of July 22, 2025
.
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ASIABASEMETALS INC.
6153 Glendalough Place
Vancouver, British Columbia V6N 1S5
Tel: (604) 765-2030
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual general meeting (the "Meeting") of the shareholders of AsiaBaseMetals Inc. (the "Company") will be held at the offices of DuMoulin Black LLP, 15th Floor, 1111 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, on September 4, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver Time) for the following purposes:
- to receive the audited financial statements of the Company for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 together with the auditors' report thereon;
- to fix the number of directors at four (4) for the ensuing year;
- to elect directors for the ensuing year as described in the Information Circular accompanying this Notice;
- to re-appoint Manning Elliott LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as the Company's auditors for the ensuing fiscal year at a remuneration to be fixed by the directors;
- to consider and, if thought fit, to pass, with or without variation, an ordinary resolution to approve the Company's 10% rolling stock option plan; and
- to transact such further or other business as may properly come before the Meeting and any adjournment(s) thereof.
The specific details of the foregoing matters to be put before the Meeting are set forth in the information circular (the "Circular") accompanying this notice. The audited consolidated financial statements and related MD&A for the Company for the financial year ended September 30, 2024 have already been mailed to those shareholders who have previously requested to receive them. Otherwise, they are available upon request to the Company or they can be found on the Company's profile on the Canadian System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval ("SEDAR+") at www.sedarplus.ca.
The Board of Directors of the Company has by resolution fixed the close of business on July 22, 2025 as the record date, being the date for the determination of the registered holders of common shares of the Company entitled to notice of and to vote at the Meeting and any adjournment(s) thereof.
This notice is accompanied by the Circular, a form of proxy and a supplemental mailing list return card.
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Shareholders are encouraged to complete proxies where possible or appropriate before considering attending the Meeting in person. If the Company decides to make any change, such as to the date or location, or to hold the Meeting solely by remote communication, the Company will announce the change in advance and post details, including instructions on how shareholders can participate, on SEDAR+. At this time, the Company does not plan to provide a fully virtual or remote meeting due to cost, administrative and technical requirements. However, to listen to the Meeting, you can dial in by telephone conference call, although dialing in shall not constitute attendance and does not entitle you to vote. The Teams meeting information is as follows:
Teams Dial-In: +1 647-794-5625
Teams Phone conference ID: 603 881 578#
As described in the "notice and access" notification mailed to shareholders of the Company, the Company has opted to deliver its Meeting materials to shareholders by posting them on its website at https://asiabasemetals.com/agm-materials and under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The use of this alternative means of delivery is more environmentally friendly and more economical as it reduces the Company's paper and printing use and thus reduces the Company's printing and mailing costs. The Meeting materials will be available on the Company's website for one full year.
Shareholders who wish to receive paper copies of the Meeting materials prior to the meeting may request copies from the Company by calling (604) 765-2030 or by sending an email to [email protected] no later than August 28, 2025.
Proxies to be used at the Meeting must be deposited with the Company, c/o the Company's transfer agent, Computershare Investor Services Inc., Proxy Department, 100 University Avenue, 8th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2Y1 no later than 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on Monday, September 2, 2025, or no later than 48 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays) prior to the date on which the Meeting or any adjournment(s) thereof is held. See also the form of proxy for instructions as to the use of telephone and internet voting.
Non-registered shareholders who receive these materials through their broker or other intermediary are requested to follow the instructions for voting provided by their broker or intermediary, which may include the completion and delivery of a voting instruction form.
DATED at Vancouver, British Columbia, this 22nd day of July, 2025.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD
"Rajinder Chowdhry"
RAJINDER CHOWDHRY
President, Chief Executive Officer,
Chairman and a Director
ASIABASEMETALS INC.
6153 Glendalough Place
Vancouver, British Columbia V6N 1S5
Tel: (604) 765-2030
INFORMATION CIRCULAR
(As at July 22, 2025, except as otherwise indicated)
AsiaBaseMetals Inc. (the "Company") is providing this Information Circular (the "Information Circular") and a form of proxy in connection with management's solicitation of proxies for use at the annual general meeting (the "Meeting") of the shareholders of the Company (the "Shareholders") to be held at the office of DuMoulin Black LLP, 15th Floor, 1111 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, on September 4, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver Time). The Company will conduct its solicitation by mail and officers and employees of the Company may, without receiving special compensation, also telephone or make other personal contact. The Company will pay the cost of solicitation.
Shareholders are encouraged to complete proxies where possible or appropriate before considering attending the Meeting in person. If the Company decides to make any change, such as to the date or location, or to hold the Meeting solely by remote communication, the Company will announce the change in advance and post details, including instructions on how shareholders can participate, on SEDAR+. At this time, the Company does not plan to provide a fully virtual or remote meeting due to cost, administrative and technical requirements. However, to listen to the Meeting, you can dial in by telephone conference call, although dialing in shall not constitute attendance and does not entitle you to vote. The Teams meeting information is as follows:
Teams Dial-In: +1 647-794-5625
Teams Phone Conference ID: 603 881 578#
All dollar amounts referenced herein are expressed in Canadian Dollars unless otherwise stated.
APPOINTMENT OF PROXYHOLDER
The purpose of a proxy is to designate persons who will vote the proxy on a Shareholder's behalf in accordance with the instructions given by the Shareholder in the proxy. The persons whose names are printed in the enclosed form of proxy are officers or directors of the Company (the "Management Proxyholders").
A Shareholder has the right to appoint a person other than a Management Proxyholder, to represent the Shareholder at the Meeting by striking out the names of the Management Proxyholders and by inserting the desired person's name in the blank space provided or by executing a proxy in a form similar to the enclosed form. A proxyholder need not be a Shareholder.
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VOTING BY PROXY
Only registered Shareholders or duly appointed proxyholders are permitted to vote at the Meeting. Common shares of the Company ("Shares") represented by a properly executed proxy will be voted or be withheld from voting on each matter referred to in the Notice of Meeting in accordance with the instructions of the Shareholder on any ballot that may be called for and if the Shareholder specifies a choice with respect to any matter to be acted upon, the Shares will be voted accordingly.
If a Shareholder does not specify a choice and the Shareholder has appointed one of the Management Proxyholders as proxyholder, the Management Proxyholder will vote in favour of the matters specified in the Notice of Meeting and in favour of all other matters proposed by management at the Meeting.
The enclosed form of proxy also gives discretionary authority to the person named therein as proxyholder with respect to amendments or variations to matters identified in the Notice of the Meeting and with respect to other matters which may properly come before the Meeting. At the date of this Information Circular, management of the Company knows of no such amendments, variations or other matters to come before the Meeting.
COMPLETION AND RETURN OF PROXY
Completed forms of proxy must be deposited at the office of the Company's registrar and transfer agent, Computershare Investor Services Inc., Proxy Department, 100 University Avenue, 8th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2Y1, not later than forty-eight (48) hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, prior to the time of the Meeting or any adjournment(s) thereof, unless the chairman of the Meeting elects to exercise his discretion to accept proxies received subsequently.
NON-REGISTERED HOLDERS
Only registered Shareholders or persons they appoint as their proxies are permitted to vote at the Meeting. Registered Shareholders are holders of the Company whose names appear on the Share register of the Company and are not held in the name of a brokerage firm, bank or trust company through which they purchased Shares. Whether or not you are able to attend the Meeting, Shareholders are requested to vote their proxy in accordance with the instructions on the proxy. Most Shareholders are "non-registered" Shareholders ("Non-Registered Shareholders") because the Shares they own are not registered in their names but instead registered in the name of a nominee (a "Nominee") such as a brokerage firm through which they purchased the Shares. The Company's Shares beneficially owned by a Non-Registered Shareholder are registered either: (i) in the name of an intermediary (an "Intermediary") that the Non-Registered Shareholder deals with in respect of their Shares of the Company (Intermediaries include, among others, banks, trust companies, securities dealers or brokers and trustees or administrators of self-administered RRSPs, RRIFs, RESPs and similar plans); or (ii) in the name of a clearing agency (such as The Canadian Depository for Securities Limited or The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation) of which the Intermediary is a participant.
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There are two kinds of beneficial owners: those who object to their name being made known to the issuers of securities which they own (called "OBOs" for Objecting Beneficial Owners) and those who do not object (called "NOBOs" for Non-Objecting Beneficial Owners).
The Company is not sending the Meeting materials directly to NOBOs in connection with the Meeting, but rather has distributed copies of the Meeting materials to the Nominees for distribution to NOBOs. The Company does not intend to pay for Nominees to deliver the Meeting materials and Form 54-101F7 – Request for Voting Instructions Made by Intermediary to OBOs. As a result, OBOs will not receive the Meeting Materials unless their Nominee assumes the costs of delivery.
NOTICE-AND-ACCESS
The Company has elected to use the notice and access provisions ("Notice and Access Provisions") for the Meeting pursuant to National Instrument 54-101 - Communication with Beneficial Owners of Securities of a Reporting Issuer with respect to the mailing to its non-registered (beneficial) shareholders. The Notice and Access Provisions allow the Company to post proxy-related materials both on SEDAR+ and a non-SEDAR+ website, rather than delivering the materials by mail. Shareholders will receive a Notice of Meeting and a form of proxy or voting instruction form and may choose to receive a printed paper copy of the Information Circular.
The Company is not using procedures known as 'stratification' in relation to the Notice and Access Provisions. Stratification occurs when a reporting issuer using the Notice and Access Provisions provides a paper copy of the Information Circular to some, but not all, shareholders with the Notice of Meeting.
REVOCABILITY OF PROXY
In addition to revocation in any other manner permitted by law, a Shareholder, his or her attorney authorized in writing or, if the Shareholder is a corporation, a corporation under its corporate seal or by an officer or attorney thereof duly authorized, may revoke a proxy by instrument in writing, including a proxy bearing a later date. The instrument revoking the proxy must be deposited at the registered office of the Company, at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the date of the Meeting, or any adjournment thereof, or with the chairman of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting.
VOTING SECURITIES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS THEREOF
The Company is authorized to issue an unlimited number of Shares without par value, of which 49,687,871 Shares were issued and outstanding as at the record date of July 22, 2025 (the "Record Date"). Persons who are registered Shareholders at the close of business on the Record Date will be entitled to receive notice of and vote at the Meeting and will be entitled to one vote for each Share held. The Company's authorized share capital consists only of the Shares.
To the knowledge of the directors and executive officers of the Company, no person beneficially owns, controls or directs, directly or indirectly, voting securities of the Company carrying 10% or more of the voting rights attached to any class of voting securities of the Company, except the following:
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| Name | No. of Shares Beneficially Owned, Controlled or Directed, Directly or Indirectly^{(1)} | Percentage of Outstanding Shares |
|---|---|---|
| Rajinder Chowdhry | 31,363,154 | 63.12% |
(1) Shares beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, or over which control or direction is exercised, as at the Record Date. Unless otherwise stated, all Shares are held directly.
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
The directors of the Company are elected at each annual general meeting and hold office until the next annual general meeting or until their successors are appointed. Shareholder approval will be sought to fix the number of directors of the Company at four (4). In the absence of instructions to the contrary, the enclosed proxy will be voted to set the number of directors of the Company at four (4) and for the nominees herein listed.
Shareholder approval will be sought to fix the number of directors of the Company at four (4).
The Company has a Compensation Committee and an Audit Committee. Members of these committees are as set out below.
Management of the Company proposes to nominate each of the following persons for election as a director. Information concerning such persons, as furnished by the individual nominees, is as follows:
| Name, Jurisdiction of Residence and Position | Principal Occupation or employment and, if not a previously elected Director, occupation during the past 5 years | Previous Service as a Director | Number of Shares Beneficially Owned, Controlled or Directed, Directly or Indirectly^{(3)} |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rajinder Chowdhry^{(1)(2)} | |||
| Vancouver, British Columbia | |||
| Canada |
President, Chief Executive
Officer, Chairman and
Director | Independent businessman;
Chartered Accountant; director
and/or executive officer of various
public companies. | Director since
August 11, 2009 | 31,363,154 |
| Terrylene Penstock
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada
Chief Financial Officer and
Director | Business Consultant | Director from
August 11, 2009
to
May 7, 2010,
Director since
December 8,
2015 | 1,906,516 |
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| Name, Jurisdiction of Residence and Position | Principal Occupation or employment and, if not a previously elected Director, occupation during the past 5 years | Previous Service as a Director | Number of Shares Beneficially Owned, Controlled or Directed, Directly or Indirectly^{(3)} |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Park^{(1)(2)} | |||
| Stamford, Connecticut | |||
| United States | |||
| Director | Chief Investment Officer of Foundation Capital LLC | Director since January 5, 2017 | 1,554,522^{(4)} |
| Bruce Bragagnolo^{(1)} | |||
| Vancouver, British Columbia | |||
| Canada | |||
| Director | Chief Executive Officer of Regency Silver Corp. and businessman. Mr. Bragagnolo has been the Executive Chairman of Pharmex Life Sciences Inc. and the CEO of Great Southern Gold Corp., both of which are private companies. | Director since January 31, 2024 | NIL |
(1) Member of the Audit Committee.
(2) Member of the Compensation Committee.
(3) Shares beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, or over which control or direction is exercised, as at the Record Date, based upon information furnished to the Company by individual directors. Unless otherwise indicated, such Shares are held directly.
(4) All Shares are held indirectly in the name of Summit Point Capital Management, a company controlled by Mr. Park.
No proposed director is to be elected under any arrangement or understanding between the proposed director and any other person or company, except the directors and executive officers of the Company acting solely in such capacity.
CEASE TRADE ORDERS, BANKRUPTCIES, PENALTIES AND SANCTIONS
To the knowledge of the Company, except as set out below in this Information Circular, no proposed director:
(a) is, as at the date of the Information Circular, or has been, within 10 years before the date of the Information Circular, a director, chief executive officer ("CEO") or chief financial officer ("CFO") of any company (including the Company) that:
(i) was the subject, while the proposed director was acting in the capacity as director, CEO or CFO of such company, of a cease trade or similar order or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation, that was in effect for a period of more than 30 consecutive days; or
(ii) was subject to a cease trade or similar order or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation, that was in effect for a period of more than 30 consecutive days, that was issued after the proposed director ceased to be a director, CEO or CFO but which resulted from an event that occurred while the proposed director was acting in the capacity as director, CEO or CFO of such company; or
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(b) is, as at the date of this Information Circular, or has been within 10 years before the date of the Information Circular, a director or executive officer of any company (including the Company) that, while that person was acting in that capacity, or within a year of that person ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets; or
(c) has, within the 10 years before the date of this Information Circular, become bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or become subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of the proposed director; or
(d) has been subject to any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation or by a securities regulatory authority or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority; or
(e) has been subject to any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable securityholder in deciding whether to vote for a proposed director.
STATEMENT OF EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Summary Compensation Table
The following disclosure (presented in accordance with National Instrument Form 51-102F6V – Statement of Executive Compensation – Venture Issuers) sets forth the compensation paid, awarded, granted, given or otherwise provided to each named executive officer and director for the most recently completed financial year.
"Named Executive Officer" (or "NEO") means each of the following individuals:
(a) the CEO;
(b) the CFO;
(c) the most highly compensated executive officer of the Company, including any of its subsidiaries, or the most highly compensated individual acting in a similar capacity, other than the CEO and CFO, at the end of the most recently completed financial year whose total compensation was more than $150,000 for that financial year; and
(d) each individual who would be a NEO under paragraph (c) but for the fact that the individual was not an executive officer of the Company, and was not acting in a similar capacity.
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Director and NEO Compensation, Excluding Compensation Securities
The following table sets forth the compensation paid, awarded, granted, given or otherwise provided, directly or indirectly, by the Company to each NEO and director for the two most recently completed financial years:
| Table of Compensation (Excluding Compensation Securities) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and Position | Year | Salary, consulting fees retainer or commission ($) | Bonus ($) | Committee or Meeting Fees ($) | Value of Perquisites ($) | Value of All Other Compensation ($) | Total Compensation ($) |
| Rajinder Chowdhry^{(1)} | |||||||
| President, CEO | |||||||
| Chairman and a Director | 2024 | 150,000^{(1)} | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7,500^{(1)} | 157,500 |
| 2023 | 150,000^{(1)} | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7,500^{(1)} | 157,500 | |
| Terrylene Penstock^{(2)} | |||||||
| CFO, Corporate Secretary and a Director | 2024 | NIL | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | NIL |
| 2023 | NIL | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | NIL | |
| Henry Park Director | 2024 | NIL | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | NIL |
| 2023 | NIL | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | NIL | |
| Bruce Bragagnolo^{(5)} | |||||||
| Director | 2024 | NIL | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | NIL |
| 2023 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Deepak Varshney^{(3)} | |||||||
| Former Director | 2024 | NIL | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | NIL |
| 2023 | NIL | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | NIL | |
| Ioannis Tsitos^{(4)} | |||||||
| Former Director | 2024 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2023 | NIL | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | NIL |
(1) Futura Capital Ltd., a private company wholly-owned and controlled by Rajinder Chowdhry, was paid $150,000 in management fees for services provided by Mr. Chowdhry during the financial year ended September 30, 2023, $150,000 in management fees for services provided by Mr. Chowdhry during the financial year ended September 30, 2022 and $150,000 in management fees for services provided by Mr. Chowdhry during the financial year ended September 30, 2021. On June 30, 2023, the Company entered into an agreement with Futura Capital Ltd., pursuant to which Futura Capital Ltd. provided the Company with the non-exclusive right to receive and review information regarding a specific project of which, the Company incurred a property investigation cost of $7,500. All compensation paid to Futura Capital Ltd. was paid in respect of the management services performed by Mr. Chowdhry in connection with his role as the Company's Chief Executive Officer.
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(2) Terrylene Penstock was appointed CFO on January 11, 2021. Ms. Penstock also served as a director of the Company. Ms. Penstock does not receive compensation for her services as a director of the Company.
(3) Deepak Varshney resigned as director of the Company effective January 31, 2024.
(4) Ioannis Tsitos resigned as a director of the Company on April 14, 2023.
(5) Bruce Bragagnolo was appointed as director of the Company on January 31, 2024.
External Management Companies
All NEOs are employees of the Company and no external management company employs or retains individuals acting as NEOs of the Company. The Company has no understanding, arrangement or agreement with any external management company to provide executive management services to the Company.
Incentive Plan Awards
The Company does not have any incentive plans, pursuant to which compensation that depends on achieving certain performance goals or similar conditions within a specified period is awarded, earned, paid or payable to the NEO.
Stock Options and Other Compensation Securities
The following table sets forth all compensation securities granted or issued to each NEO and director by the Company or one of its subsidiaries in the most recently completed financial year for services provided or to be provided, directly or indirectly, to the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
| Compensation Securities | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and Position | Type of compensation security | Number of compensation Securities, number of underlying securities and percentage of class | Date of issue or grant | Issue, conversion or exercise price ($) | Closing price of security or underlying security on date of grant ($) | Closing price of security or underlying security at year end ($) | Expiry Date |
| Rajinder Chowdhry President, CEO Chairman and a Director | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Terrylene Penstock CFO, Corporate Secretary and a Director | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
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| Compensation Securities | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and Position | Type of compensation security | Number of compensation Securities, number of underlying securities and percentage of class | Date of issue or grant | Issue, conversion or exercise price ($) | Closing price of security or underlying security on date of grant ($) | Closing price of security or underlying security at year end ($) | Expiry Date |
| Henry Park Director | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Bruce Bragagnolo^{(2)} Director | Stock options^{(1)} | 250,000 | Jan 31, 2024 | $0.20 | $0.085 | $0.085 | Mar 30, 2028 |
(1) On January 31, 2024, the Company issued stock options exercisable at a price of $0.20. Of the total stock options granted, 50% vested on the date of grant, with 25% of the stock options vesting six months after the date of grant and the remaining 25% of the stock options vesting one year from the date of grant. The Company used the Black-Scholes-Merton model as the methodology to calculate the grant date fair value, and relied on the following key assumptions and estimates for the calculation: (i) risk free interest rate of 3.33% (ii) expected dividend yield of 0%, (iii) expected stock volatility of 107% and (iv) expected life of options of 5 years. The Company chose this methodology to record stock-based compensation at their fair value at grant date.
(2) Bruce Bragagnolo was appointed a director of the Company on January 31, 2024. 250,000 Stock Options were granted on January 31, 2024.
Stock Option Plans and Other Incentive Plans
Long term incentives are performance-based grants of stock options. The awards are intended to align executive interests with those of Shareholders by tying compensation to Share performance and to assist in retention through vesting provisions. Grants of stock options are based on:
(a) the executive officer’s performance;
(b) the executive officer’s level of responsibility within the Company;
(c) the number and exercise price of stock options previously issued to the executive officer; and
(d) the overall aggregate total compensation package provided to the executive officer.
The value of any long term stock options allocated is determined using the Black-Scholes model.
After considering input from management, the Compensation Committee makes recommendations to the Board concerning the Company’s long term incentive plan based on the above criteria. Options are granted by the Board, typically on an annual basis in connection with the review of executive officers’ compensation packages. Options may also be granted to executives upon hire or promotion and as special recognition for extraordinary performance.
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Option-Based Awards
On July 20, 2023, the Shareholders approved the Company's current form of 10% "rolling" stock option plan (the "Stock Option Plan" or the "Plan"). The Stock Option Plan incorporates certain requirements of TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV" or the "Exchange") Policy 4.4 – Security Based Compensation ("Policy 4.4"), which was amended on November 24, 2021. The Stock Option Plan is designed to advance the interests of the Company by encouraging eligible participants, being directors, senior officers, Employees, Management Company Employees and Consultants (each as defined in the Stock Option Plan), to have equity participation in the Company through acquisition of Shares.
The Company's Stock Option Plan has been, and will be used, by the Board to provide Share purchase options which are awarded based on the recommendations of the Compensation Committee, taking into account the level of responsibility of the eligible participant, as well as his or her impact on or contribution to, and/or his or her ability in the future to have an impact on or to contribute to, the longer-term operating performance of the Company. Management presents its recommendations to the Compensation Committee with respect to stock-based compensation awards. These awards are granted, at the discretion of the Board, to existing directors, officers, employees, and consultants based on award levels in the past and Company performance, in compliance with applicable securities law, stock exchange, and other regulatory requirements. Options may also be granted, at the discretion of the Board, throughout the year, to attract new directors, officers, employees or consultants. In determining the number of options to be granted to the directors, officers, employees, or consultants, the Board takes into account the number of options, if any, previously granted to each of the directors, officers, employees, or consultants, as well as the level of effort, time, responsibility, ability, experience, and level of commitment of the director, officer, employee, or consultant, in determining the level of incentive stock option compensation. The Board takes into account the exercise price of any outstanding options to ensure that such grants are in accordance with the policies of the TSXV and to closely align the interests of the executive officers with the interests of shareholders. The Board determines the vesting provisions of all stock option grants and will amend the stock-based compensation plan as recommended by management and the Compensation Committee, subject to any required approval of the Exchange or Shareholders.
For information about the material terms of the Company's Stock Option Plan, please refer to the heading "Particulars of Other Matters to be Acted Upon – Annual Approval of Stock Option Plan".
Employment, Consulting and Management Agreements
Other than as described below, the Company does not currently have a contract, agreement, plan or arrangement that provides for payments to a Named Executive Officer at, following or in connection with any termination (whether voluntary, involuntary or constructive), resignation, retirement, a change of control of the Company or its subsidiaries, or a change in responsibilities of the NEO following a change in control.
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Mr. Rajinder Chowdhry is currently President, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and a Director of the Company. The Company entered into a services agreement with Futura Capital Ltd. on April 1, 2015 (the "Futura Agreement") in relation to Mr. Chowdhry's services as Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
In consideration for these services, the Company shall pay to Mr. Chowdhry a monthly fee in the amount of $12,500 plus applicable taxes (the "CEO Fees") and Mr. Chowdhry is entitled to participate in the Board approved group benefit plan(s) the Company makes available to members of its senior executive group (subject to eligibility requirements and other conditions of such group benefit plan(s)). Mr. Chowdhry is reimbursed by the Company for all authorized travelling and other out-of-pocket expenses actually and properly incurred by Mr. Chowdhry in the course of carrying out Mr. Chowdhry's dues and responsibilities as Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
The Futura Agreement imposes payment obligations on the Company upon the occurrence of certain events. In particular, if (a) Mr. Chowdhry in his capacity as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company is terminated by the Company without cause; then Mr. Chowdhry will receive, in addition to any other payments or other compensation to which Mr. Chowdhry is entitled under the Futura Agreement, an amount in cash equal to fourteen (14) months CEO Fees; and (b) a Change of Control Event (as defined in the Futura Agreement) occurs, then Mr. Chowdhry will receive, in addition to any other payments or other compensation to which Mr. Chowdhry is entitled under the Futura Agreement, an amount in cash equal to twenty four (24) months CEO Fees.
The Futura Agreement provides that a "Change of Control Event" will occur if within 6 months following a Change of Control there is a Termination Event (as defined in the Futura Agreement). A "Change of Control" means (i) the acquisition, directly or indirectly, by any person or group of persons acting jointly or in concert, as such terms are defined in the Securities Act, British Columbia, of outstanding common shares of the Company which, when added to all other common shares of the Company at the time held directly or indirectly by such person or persons acting jointly or in concert, constitutes for the first time in the aggregate 50% or more of the outstanding common shares of the Company; (ii) the removal, by resolution of the shareholders of the Company, of more than 51% of the then incumbent Board of the Company, or the election of a majority of Board members to the Company's board who were not nominees of the Company's incumbent board at the time immediately preceding such election; (iii) consummation of a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company; or (iv) the consummation of a reorganization, plan of arrangement, merger or other transaction which has substantially the same effect as paragraph (i), (ii) or (iii) above.
Mr. Chowdhry has the option to request the Company to settle any debt under the Futura Agreement that is outstanding for more than ninety days through the issuance of common shares of the Company, subject to the approval of the TSXV and, in certain circumstances, approval from the Board.
In addition, pursuant to the Futura Agreement, Mr. Chowdhry may terminate its engagement any time upon providing the Company three month's written notice, which the Company can waive, in which case Mr. Chowdhry's engagement would be terminated on the earlier date specified by the Company. In such event, and notwithstanding such waiver by the Company, the Company would be
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obligated to continue to pay Mr. Chowdhry the CEO Fees until the expiry of the three month termination notice period. Further, upon termination of Mr. Chowdhry's engagement with the Company for any reason, (a) the Company is required to pay all fees owing up to and including the last day of engagement; and (b) maintain Mr. Chowdhry's benefits coverage for (i) 180 days from the Termination Date, if the Futura Agreement is terminated by Mr. Chowdhry or (ii) 180 days from the date at the end of the month following the Termination Date or such earlier date as the applicable benefit plan(s) may require, if Mr. Chowdhry's engagement is terminated by the Company, provided that Mr. Chowdhry will reimburse the Company for the cost of such benefit coverage, specifically outlined in (i) above, except where the Futura Agreement was terminated by the Company without cause.
Assuming the Company terminated Mr. Chowdhry without cause on September 30, 2023, the incremental payments and payables that Mr. Chowdhry would be entitled to would be $175,000 plus applicable taxes. In addition, Mr. Chowdhry will be reimbursed for benefit coverage for 180 days following the end of the month of termination or such earlier date as provided in the applicable benefit plans. Mr. Chowdhry would also be entitled to the amount of any bonus awarded but not then paid.
Assuming a Change of Control Event took place on September 30, 2022, the incremental payments, payables and benefits that Mr. Chowdhry would be entitled to would be $300,000 plus applicable taxes. Mr. Chowdhry would also be entitled to the amount of any bonus awarded but not then paid.
Oversight and Description of Director and NEO Compensation
Compensation Governance
The Company has established a Compensation Committee, which is responsible for recommending levels of executive compensation for the directors and executive officers of the Company.
The Compensation Committee has not adopted any formal policies and practices to determine director or executive compensation. The Compensation Committee undertakes the specific work required from time to time to discharge the committee's responsibilities in relation to the Company's compensation policies. The Compensation Committee does not employ any formal objectives, criteria or analysis, other than those set forth in this Compensation Discussion and Analysis. When determining compensation policies and individual compensation levels for the Company's executive officers, the Compensation Committee takes into consideration a variety of factors including the committee's understanding of the amount of compensation generally paid by similarly situated companies to their executives who have similar roles and responsibilities; each executive officer's individual performance during the fiscal year; each executive officer's experience, skills and level of responsibility; the executive's historical compensation and performance within the Company; and existing market standards within the mining industry.
The Compensation Committee annually reviews the performance of the directors and executive officers in light of the Company's objectives and considers other factors that may have impacted the success of the Company in achieving its objectives.
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During the financial year ended September 30, 2024, the Compensation Committee was composed of Henry Park and Rajinder Chowdhry, of which Henry Park was an "independent director" as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws at the relevant times. See "Corporate Governance Disclosure – Independence of Members of the Board" in this Information Circular. The skills and experience of the Compensation Committee members that are relevant to their responsibilities in executive compensation include the following:
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Henry Park – Mr. Park the Chief Investment Officer of Foundation Capital, was formerly a partner at Vulcan Mining, a mining private equity investment platform of Soros Fund Management. Prior to Vulcan Mining, Mr. Park held the position of managing director and commodity strategist at Electrum Group; after being the commodity analyst at Soros Fund Management where he focused on commodity investing in public and private equities and futures. Mr. Park started his investing career at GE Capital where he was Assistant Vice President in the distressed debt business, followed by a long/short equity analyst in basic material sector for Highlander Fund Management (part of Ospraie Fund Management's Wingspan platform). Mr. Park holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from University of Chicago and Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia University. He is familiar with the accounting principles and understands the financial matters affecting the Company.
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Rajinder Chowdhry – Mr. Chowdhry is an Independent Businessman and a Chartered Professional Accountant, CA. Mr. Chowdhry has extensive experience with executive compensation based on his director and/or executive officer positions with various public companies.
The Company did not retain professional executive compensation consultants during the financial year ended September 30, 2024.
The objective of the Company's compensation program is to compensate the directors and executive officers for their services to the Company at a level that is both in line with the Company's fiscal resources and competitive with companies at a similar stage of development. The primary goal of the Company's executive compensation program is to:
(a) attract and retain the qualified key executives necessary for the Company's long term success;
(b) motivate the short term and long term performance of those executives; and
(c) align the executives interests with the Company's Shareholders.
The Company's compensation strategy is focused on a performance based incentive reward package, using certain critical measurements that management is able to influence toward the short-term and long-term objectives of the Company.
The significant elements of compensation awarded to, earned by, paid or payable to the NEOs for the most recently completed financial year were: (i) base salary; (ii) bonus and other annual incentive awards; and (iii) other compensations, perquisites. No compensation is directly tied to a
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specific performance goal such as a milestone or the completion of a transaction. No peer group is formally used to determine compensation.
Cash bonuses are structured to reward business excellence and operation outperformance, based on objective and subjective performance assessments and performance benchmark ratings assessed and approved by the Board. The assessment is focused on the key performance indicators both for overall performance of the Company and for individual performance. The key indicators for determining the Company's performance included improvement of retailer product distribution, geographic expansion and product development, which are primary factors leading to steady growth of the Company's assets and Shareholders' value. The measurements for individuals' performance were focused on (1) leadership, including five areas: vision, initiatives, creativity, flexibility and supervision skills; and (2) deliverables, including the team, products, communication and reporting and documentation.
Pension Disclosure
The Company does not currently provide any pension plan benefits for executive officers, directors, or employees.
SECURITIES AUTHORIZED FOR ISSUANCE UNDER EQUITY COMPENSATION PLANS
The following table sets out equity compensation plan information as at the end of the financial year ended September 30, 2024.
Equity Compensation Plan Information
| Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights(1) | Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights | Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a)) (2) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan Category | (a) | (b) | (c) |
| Equity compensation plans approved by securityholders | 3,325,000 | $0.20 | 1,615,287 |
| Equity compensation plans not approved by securityholders | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Total | 3,325,000 | 1,615,287 |
(1) Represents the number of Shares available for issuance upon exercise of outstanding stock options as at September 30, 2024.
(2) Represents the number of Shares remaining available for future issuance under stock options available for grant as of September 30, 2024 under the Company's Stock Option Plan. The maximum number of Shares which may be issued pursuant to options granted under the Stock Option Plan is 10% of the issued and outstanding Shares at the time of grant. The Company had 49,402,871 Shares issued and outstanding as at September 30, 2024.
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See "Particulars of Other Matters to be Acted Upon – Annual Approval of Stock Option Plan" for further details concerning the Stock Option Plan.
INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
As at the Record Date, there was no indebtedness outstanding of any current or former director, executive officer or employee of the Company or its subsidiaries which is owing to the Company or its subsidiaries, or, which is owing to another entity which indebtedness is the subject of a guarantee, support agreement, letter of credit or other similar arrangement or understanding provided by the Company or its subsidiaries, entered into in connection with a purchase of securities or otherwise.
No individual who is, or at any time during the most recently completed financial year was, a director or executive officer of the Company, no proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company and no associate of such persons:
(i) is or at any time since the beginning of the most recently completed financial year has been, indebted to the Company or its subsidiaries; or
(ii) is indebted to another entity, which indebtedness is, or at any time since the beginning of the most recently completed financial year has been, the subject of a guarantee, support agreement, letter of credit or other similar arrangement or understanding provided by the Company or its subsidiaries,
in relation to a securities purchase program or other program.
APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS
Manning Elliott LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, of 1700-1030 W Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia are the auditors of the Company. Manning Elliott LLP were first appointed as auditors on September 1, 2020. Unless otherwise instructed, the proxies given pursuant to this solicitation will be voted for the re-appointment of Manning Elliott LLP as the auditors of the Company to hold office for the ensuing year at a remuneration to be fixed by the directors.
PARTICULARS OF OTHER MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
Annual Approval of Stock Option Plan
The Exchange requires annual approval of the Company's 10% "rolling" Stock Option Plan. The information below should be read in conjunction with the Stock Option Plan. Any definitions or capitalized terms used or referenced below have the same meaning attributed to them in the Stock Option Plan which is attached to this Information Circular as Schedule "A" and will be accessible on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.
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The purpose of the Stock Option Plan is to give to Eligible Persons (as defined herein) additional compensation, the opportunity to participate in the success of the Company by granting to such individuals Stock Options, exercisable over periods of up to ten (10) years as determined by the Board, to buy Shares at a price not less than the Market Price (as defined herein) prevailing on the date the Stock Option is granted less applicable discount, if any, permitted by the policies of the Exchange and approved by the Board. The general terms and conditions of the Stock Option Plan are reflected in the disclosure below.
| Key Terms | Summary |
|---|---|
| Administration | The Board shall, without limitation, have full and final authority in their discretion, but subject to the express provisions of the Stock Option Plan, to interpret the Stock Option Plan, to prescribe, amend and rescind rules and regulations relating to the Stock Option Plan and to make all other determinations deemed necessary or advisable in respect of the Stock Option Plan. Except as set forth in certain sections of the Stock Option Plan and subject to any required prior Exchange approval, the interpretation and construction of any provision of the Stock Option Plan by the Board shall be final and conclusive. Administration of the Stock Option Plan shall be the responsibility of the appropriate officers of the Company and all costs in respect thereof shall be paid by the Company. |
| Number of Common Shares | The maximum aggregate number of Common Shares that are issuable pursuant to security-based compensation granted or issued under the Stock Option Plan and all of the Company's other previously established or proposed security-based compensation plans (to which the following limits apply under Exchange policies): |
(a) to all Eligible Persons granted a Stock Option pursuant to the Stock Option Plan and their heirs, executors, and administrators ("Optionees") as a group (including for greater certainty Insiders (as a group) shall not exceed 10% of the total number of issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis at any point in time;
(b) to Insiders (as a group) in any 12-month period shall not exceed 10% of the total number of issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis on the date specified in an agreement whereby the Company grants an Optionee a Stock Option (an "Option Agreement") as the date on which a Stock Option is granted (the "Grant Date"), unless the Company has obtained the requisite disinterested shareholder approval pursuant to applicable Exchange policies;
(c) to any one Optionee (including, where permitted under applicable policies of the Exchanges, any companies that are wholly |
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| Key Terms | Summary |
|---|---|
| owned by such Optionee) in any 12-month period shall not exceed 5% of the total number of issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date, unless the Company has obtained the requisite disinterested shareholder approval pursuant to applicable Exchange policies. | |
| (d) to any one Consultant (as defined under the policies of the Exchange) in any 12-month period shall not exceed 2% of the total number of issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date; | |
| (e) to Investor Relations Service Providers (as defined under the policies of the Exchange) (as a group) in any 12-month period shall not exceed 2% of the total number of issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date, and Investor Relations Service Providers shall not be eligible to receive any security- based compensation other than Stock Options if the Common Shares are listed on the Exchange at the time of any issuance or grant; and | |
| (f) to Eligible Charitable Organizations (as defined under the policies of the Exchange) (as a group) shall not exceed 1% of the total number of issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date. | |
| Securities | Each Stock Option entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share (subject to adjustment in certain circumstances) at an exercise price determined by the Board. |
| Participation | Any directors, officers, Employees (as defined under the policies of the Exchange), Management Company Employees (as defined under the policies of the Exchange), Consultants and Eligible Charitable Organizations (as defined under the policies of the Exchange) of the Company and its subsidiaries (collectively "Eligible Persons"). |
| Stock Option Price | The price per Common Share specified in an Option Agreement, adjusted from time to time, (the "Option Price") under each Stock Option shall be not less than the Market Price on the Grant Date less the applicable discount permitted under the policies of the Exchanges or, if the Common Shares are not listed on any Exchange, less 25%. |
| Exercise Period | The exercise period of a Stock Option will be the period from and including the Grant Date up to 4:00 p.m. Vancouver Time on the expiry date that will be determined by the Board at the time of grant |
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| Key Terms | Summary |
|---|---|
| Ceasing to be an Eligible Person | (the “Expiry Date”), provided that the Expiry Date of a Stock Option will be no later than the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date of the Stock Option. In the event that the Expiry Date of a Stock Option falls during, or within five (5) trading days of, a trading blackout period imposed by the Company (the “Blackout Period”), the Expiry Date of such Stock Option shall automatically be extended to a date which is ten (10) trading days following the end of such Blackout Period (the “Extension Period”), subject to no cease trade order being in place under applicable securities laws; provided that if an additional Blackout Period is subsequently imposed by the Company during the Extension Period, then such Extension Period shall be deemed to commence following the end of such additional Blackout Period to enable the exercise of such Stock Option within ten (10) trading days following the end of the last imposed Blackout Period. |
If an Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person, his or her Option shall be exercisable as follows:
(a) Death or Disability
If the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person, due to his or her death or disability or, in the case of an Optionee that is a company, the death or disability of the person who provides management or consulting services to the Company or to any entity controlled by the Company, the Stock Option then held by the Optionee shall be exercisable to acquire the number of Common Shares, at a particular time, which have been reserved for issuance upon the exercise of a Stock Option but which have not been issued, as adjusted from time to time (“Unissued Option Shares”) that have become exercisable in respect of a number of Option Shares by the Optionee pursuant to the terms of the Option Agreement (“Vested”) at any time up to but not after the earlier of:
(i) 365 days after the date of death or disability; and
(ii) the Expiry Date;
(b) Termination For Cause
If the Optionee or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company (as defined under the policies of the Exchange), the Optionee’s employer, ceases to be an Eligible Person as a result of termination for cause as that term is interpreted by the courts of the jurisdiction in which the Optionee, or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company, of the |
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| Key Terms | Summary |
|---|---|
| Optionee’s employer, is employed or engaged; any outstanding Stock Option held by such Optionee on the date of such termination, whether in respect of Option Shares that are Vested or not, shall be cancelled as of that date. |
(c) Early Retirement, Voluntary Resignation or Termination Other than For Cause
If the Optionee or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company, the Optionee’s employer, ceases to be an Eligible Person due to his or her retirement at the request of his or her employer earlier than the normal retirement date under the Company’s retirement policy then in force, or due to his or her termination by the Company other than for cause, or due to his or her voluntary resignation, the Stock Option then held by the Optionee shall be exercisable to acquire Vested Unissued Option Shares at any time up to but not after the earlier of the Expiry Date and the date which is 90 days (30 days if the Optionee was engaged in Investor Relations Activities) after the Optionee or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company, the Optionee’s employer, ceases to be an Eligible Person.
(d) Spin-Out Transactions
If pursuant to the operation of section 5.3(c) of the Stock Option Plan (in connection with a corporate reorganization) an Optionee receives options (the "New Options") to purchase securities of another company (the "New Company") in respect of the Optionee’s Stock Options (the "Subject Options"), subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges, the New Options shall expire on the earlier of: (i) the Expiry Date of the Subject Options; (ii) if the Optionee does not become an Eligible Person in respect of the New Company, the date that the Subject Options expire pursuant to paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above, as applicable; (iii) if the Optionee becomes an Eligible Person in respect of the New Company, the date that the New Options expire pursuant to the terms of the New Company’s stock option plan that correspond to section (a), (b) or (c) above; and (iv) the date that is one (1) year after the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person in respect of the New Company or such shorter period as determined by the Board.
(e) Eligible Charitable Organizations
If the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person due to no longer being an Eligible Charitable Organization, the Stock Options then
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Key Terms
Summary
held by that Optionee shall be exercisable to acquire Vested Unissued Option Shares at any time up to but not after the earlier of the Expiry Date and the date which is 90 days after the date the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may, in its sole discretion if it determines such is in the best interests of the Company and subject to the policies of the Exchanges, extend the early Expiry Date (as set out above in paragraphs (a) to (e)) of any Stock Option held by an Optionee who ceases to be an Eligible Person to a later date within a reasonable period, subject to such period not exceeding 12 months from the date the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person.
Vesting
The Board shall determine the terms upon which each Stock Option shall vest at the time of grant, subject to the policies of the Exchanges. Unless otherwise specified by the Board at the time of granting an Stock Option, all Stock Options shall vest and become exercisable in full upon grant, except Stock Options granted to Investor Relations Service Providers, which Stock Options must vest in stages over twelve months with no more than one-quarter of the Stock Options vesting in any three month period.
Acceleration Events (Take-Over Bid and Change of Control)
If at any time when a Stock Option granted under the Stock Option Plan remains unexercised with respect to any Unissued Option Shares, an Offer is made by an offeror, the Board may, upon notifying each Optionee of full particulars of the Offer and subject to the approval of the Exchanges with respect to Investor Relations Service Providers, declare all Option Shares issuable upon the exercise of Stock Options granted under the Stock Option Plan, Vested, and declare that the Expiry Date for the exercise of all unexercised Stock Options granted under the Stock Option Plan is accelerated so that all Stock Options will either be exercised or will expire prior to the date upon which Common Shares must be tendered pursuant to the Offer.
If a Change of Control occurs, all Option Shares subject to each outstanding Stock Option will become Vested, whereupon such Stock Option may be exercised in whole or in part by the Optionee, subject to the approval of the Exchanges with respect to Investor Relations Service Providers or if otherwise necessary.
Amendments
The Board may from time to time, subject to applicable law and to the prior approval, if required, of the shareholders (or disinterested shareholders, if required), Exchanges or any other regulatory body having authority over the Company or the Stock Option Plan,
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| Key Terms | Summary |
|---|---|
| suspend, terminate or discontinue the Stock Option Plan at any time, or amend or revise the terms of the Stock Option Plan or of any Stock Option granted under the Stock Option Plan and the Option Agreement relating thereto, provided that no such amendment, revision, suspension, termination or discontinuance shall in any manner adversely affect any Stock Option previously granted to an Optionee under the Stock Option Plan without the consent of that Optionee. | |
| Common Shares Not Acquired | Any Unissued Option Shares not acquired by an Optionee under a Stock Option which has been settled in cash, cancelled, terminated, surrendered, forfeited or expired without being exercised may be made the subject of a further Stock Option pursuant to the provisions of the Stock Option Plan. |
| Adjustments | The Stock Option Plan provides for certain standard adjustments to the Option Price and the number of Unissued Option Shares in the event of a share reorganization, special dividend distribution or corporate reorganization. Any adjustment is subject to the prior approval of the Exchange, other than adjustments due to a share subdivision, combination or consolidation. |
| Rights of Optionees | An Optionee shall have no rights whatsoever as a shareholder of the Company in respect of any of the Unissued Option Shares (including, without limitation, voting rights or any right to receive dividends, warrants or rights under any rights offering). |
| Previously Granted Stock Options | Stock Options which are outstanding under pre-existing stock option plan(s) of the Company as of the effective date of the Stock Option Plan shall continue to be exercisable and shall be deemed to be governed by and be subject to the terms and conditions of the Stock Option Plan except to the extent that the terms of the Stock Option Plan are more restrictive than the terms of such pre-existing plan(s) under which such stock options were originally granted, in which case the applicable pre-existing plan(s) shall govern, provided that any stock options granted, issued or amended after November 23, 2021 must comply with TSXV Policy 4.4 - Incentive Stock Options (as at November 24, 2021). |
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Shareholders will be asked at the Meeting to approve, with or without variation, the following ordinary resolution (the "Stock Option Resolution"):
"BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
(a) the Company's Stock Option Plan be confirmed and approved, and that in connection therewith a maximum of 10% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company at the time of each grant be approved for granting as options; and
(b) any director or officer of the Company be authorized and directed to do all acts and things and to execute and deliver all documents required, as in the opinion of such director or officer may be necessary or appropriate in order to give effect to this resolution."
The Board unanimously recommends that each Shareholder vote FOR the Stock Option Resolution.
In the absence of instructions to the contrary, Shares represented by proxies in favour of management will be voted FOR the Stock Option Resolution. In order to be effective, the Stock Option Resolution must be passed by majority of the votes cast on the matter at the Meeting in person or by proxy.
INTEREST OF CERTAIN PERSONS IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
Except as set out herein, no person who has been a director or executive officer of the Company at any time since the beginning of the Company's last financial year, no proposed nominee of management of the Company for election as a director of the Company and no associate or affiliate of the foregoing persons, has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership or otherwise, in matters to be acted upon at the Meeting other than the election of directors or the appointment of auditors.
INTEREST OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS
No informed person (as defined in National Instrument 51-102, Continuous Disclosure Obligations) or proposed director of the Company and no associate or affiliate of the foregoing persons has or has had any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the commencement of the Company's most recently completed financial year or in any proposed transaction which in either such case has materially affected or would materially affect the Company or its subsidiaries.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS
No management functions of the Company are performed to any substantial degree by a person other than the directors or executive officers of the Company.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Audit Committee's Charter
The following is the text of the Audit Committee Charter of the Company.
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Mandate
The primary function of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board in fulfilling its financial oversight responsibilities with respect to: the financial reporting process and the quality, transparency and integrity of the financial statements and other related public disclosures; the Company's systems of internal controls regarding finance and accounting and the Company's auditing, accounting and financial reporting processes. Consistent with this function, the Audit Committee will encourage continuous improvement of, and should foster adherence to, the Company's policies, procedures and practices at all levels. The Company adopted a Charter of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee's primary duties and responsibilities are to:
- Serve as an independent and objective party to monitor the Company's financial reporting and internal control system and review the Company's financial statements;
- Review and appraise the performance of the Company's external auditors; and
- Provide an open avenue of communication among the Company's auditors, financial and senior management and the Board.
Composition
The Audit Committee shall be comprised of three directors as determined by the Board, the majority of whom shall be free from any relationship that, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of his or her independent judgment as a member of the Audit Committee.
At least one member of the Audit Committee shall have accounting or related financial management expertise. All members of the Audit Committee that are not financially literate will work towards becoming financially literate to obtain a working familiarity with basic finance and accounting practices. For the purposes of the Company's Charter, the definition of "financially literate" is the ability to read and understand a set of financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can presumably be expected to be raised by the Company's financial statements.
The members of the Audit Committee shall be elected by the Board at its first meeting following the annual Shareholders' meeting. Unless a Chair is elected by the full Board, the members of the Audit Committee may designate a Chair by a majority vote of the full Audit Committee membership.
Meetings
The Audit Committee shall meet a least twice annually, or more frequently as circumstances dictate. As part of its job to foster open communication, the Audit Committee will meet at least annually with the Chief Financial Officer and the external auditors in separate sessions.
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Responsibilities and Duties
To fulfill its responsibilities and duties, the Audit Committee shall:
Documents/Reports Review
(a) Review and update this Charter annually.
(b) Review the Company's financial statements, MD&A and any annual and interim earnings, press releases before the Company publicly discloses this information and any reports or other financial information (including quarterly financial statements), which are submitted to any governmental body, or to the public, including any certification, report, opinion, or review rendered by the external auditors.
External Auditors
(a) Review annually, the performance of the external auditors who shall be ultimately accountable to the Board and the Audit Committee as representatives of the Shareholders.
(b) Obtain annually, a formal written statement of external auditors setting forth all relationships between the external auditors and the Company, consistent with Independence Standards Board Standard 1.
(c) Review and discuss with the external auditors any disclosed relationships or services that may impact the objectivity and independence of the external auditors.
(d) Take, or recommend that the full Board take, appropriate action to oversee the independence of the external auditors.
(e) Recommend to the Board the selection and, where applicable, the replacement of the external auditors nominated annually for Shareholder approval.
(f) At each meeting, consult with the external auditors, without the presence of management, about the quality of the Company's accounting principles, internal controls and the completeness and accuracy of the Company's financial statements.
(g) Review and approve the Company's hiring policies regarding partners, employees and former partners and employees of the present and former external auditors of the Company.
(h) Review with management and the external auditors the audit plan for the year-end financial statements and intended template for such statements.
(i) Review and pre-approve all audit and audit-related services and the fees and other compensation related thereto, and any non-audit services, provided by the Company's external auditors. The pre-approval requirement is waived with respect to the provision of non-audit services if:
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i. the aggregate amount of all such non-audit services provided to the Company constitutes not more than five percent of the total amount of revenues paid by the Company to its external auditors during the fiscal year in which the non-audit services are provided;
ii. such services were not recognized by the Company at the time of the engagement to be non-audit services; and
iii. such services are promptly brought to the attention of the Audit Committee by the Company and approved prior to the completion of the audit by the Audit Committee or by one or more members of the Audit Committee who are members of the Board to whom authority to grant such approvals has been delegated by the Audit Committee.
Provided the pre-approval of the non-audit services is presented to the Audit Committee's first scheduled meeting following such approval such authority may be delegated by the Audit Committee to one or more independent members of the Audit Committee.
Financial Reporting Processes
(a) In consultation with the external auditors, review with management the integrity of the Company's financial reporting process, both internal and external.
(b) Consider the external auditors' judgments about the quality and appropriateness of the Company's accounting principles as applied in its financial reporting.
(c) Consider and approve, if appropriate, changes to the Company's auditing and accounting principles and practices as suggested by the external auditors and management.
(d) Review significant judgments made by management in the preparation of the financial statements and the view of the external auditors as to appropriateness of such judgments.
(e) Following completion of the annual audit, review separately with management and the external auditors any significant difficulties encountered during the course of the audit, including any restrictions on the scope of work or access to required information.
(f) Review any significant disagreement among management and the external auditors in connection with the preparation of the financial statements.
(g) Review with the external auditors and management the extent to which changes and improvements in financial or accounting practices have been implemented.
(h) Review any complaints or concerns about any questionable accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters.
(i) Review certification process.
(j) Establish a procedure for the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the Company of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.
Other
Review any related-party transactions.
Composition of the Audit Committee
As at the date of this Information Circular, the following are the members of the Audit Committee:
| Rajinder Chowdhry | Not independent(1) | Financially literate (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Park | Independent(1) | Financially literate (1) |
| Bruce Bragagnolo | Independent(1) | Financially literate (1) |
(1) As defined by National Instrument 52-110 ("NI 52-110"). For the purposes of NI 52-110, an individual is financially literate if they have the ability to read and understand a set of financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Company's financial statements.
Relevant Education and Experience
- Rajinder Chowdhry – Mr. Chowdhry is an Independent Businessman and a Chartered Accountant and has extensive experience with financial and accounting aspects of the industry in which the Company operates.
- Henry Park – Mr. Park the Chief Investment Officer of Foundation Capital, was formerly a partner at Vulcan Mining, a mining private equity investment platform of Soros Fund Management. Prior to Vulcan Mining, Mr. Park held the position of managing director and commodity strategist at Electrum Group; prior to joining the Electrum Group, Mr. Park was the commodity analyst at Soros Fund Management where he focused on commodity investing in public and private equities and futures for several years. Mr. Park started his investing career at GE Capital where he was Assistant Vice President in the distressed debt business, followed by a long/short equity analyst in basic material sector for Highlander Fund Management (part of Ospraie Fund Management's Wingspan platform). Mr. Park holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from University of Chicago and Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia University. He is familiar with the accounting principles and understands the financial matters affecting the Company.
- Bruce Bragagnolo – Mr. Bragagnolo is the Executive Chairman of Regency Silver Corp. He was the co-founder and past CEO of both Timmins Gold Corp., a company listed on the NYSE-MKT and TSX and Silvermex Resources Inc., a company formerly listed on the TSX. Most recently, Mr. Bragagnolo has been the Executive Chairman of Pharmex Life Sciences Inc and the CEO of Great Southern Gold Corp., both of which are private companies.
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Audit Committee Oversight
At no time since the commencement of the Company's most recently completed financial year was a recommendation of the Audit Committee to nominate or compensate an external auditor not adopted by the Board.
Reliance on Certain Exemptions
At no time since the commencement of the Company's most recently completed financial year has the Company relied on the exemption in Section 2.4 of NI 52-110 (De Minimis Non-audit Services), or an exemption from NI 52-110, in whole or in part, granted under Part 8 of NI 52-110.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Audit Committee has adopted specific policies and procedures for the engagement of non-audit services as described above under the heading "External Auditors".
External Auditors Service Fees (By Category)
The aggregate fees billed by the Company's external auditors, Manning Elliott LLP, in each of the last two fiscal years for audit fees are as follows:
| Financial Year Ending | Audit Fees^{(1)} | Audit Related Fees^{(2)} | Tax Fees^{(3)} | All Other Fees^{(4)} |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 30, 2024 | $20,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| September 30, 2023 | $26,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
(1) "Audit fees" include aggregate fees billed by the Company's external auditor in each of the last two fiscal years for audit fees.
(2) Audited Related Fees" include the aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for assurance and related services by the Company's external auditor that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Company's financial statements and are not reported under "Audit Fees" above.
(3) "Tax Fees" include the aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by the Company's external auditor for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning.
(4) "All Other Fees" include the aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for products and services provided by the Company's external auditor, other than "Audit fees", "Audit related fees" and "Tax fees" above.
Exemption in Section 6.1 of NI 52-110
The Company is relying on the exemption in Section 6.1 of NI 52-110 from the requirement of Parts 3 (Composition of the Audit Committee) and 5 (Reporting Obligations).
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DISCLOSURE
Corporate governance relates to the activities of the Board, the members of which are elected by and are accountable to the Shareholders, and takes into account the role of the individual members of management who are appointed by the Board and who are charged with the day to day management of the Company. The Board is committed to sound corporate governance practices
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which are both in the interest of its Shareholders and contribute to effective and efficient decision making. A summary of the responsibilities and activities and the membership of each of the committees is set out below.
National Policy 58-201 – Corporate Governance Guidelines establishes corporate governance guidelines which apply to all public companies. The Company has reviewed its own corporate governance practices in light of these guidelines. In certain cases, the Company's practices comply with the guidelines, however, the Board considers that some of the guidelines are not suitable for the Company at its current stage of development and therefore these guidelines have not been adopted. National Instrument 58-101 - Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices mandates disclosure of corporate governance practices which disclosure is set out below.
Independence of Members of the Board
As of the date of this Information Circular, the Company's Board consists of four (4) directors, two (2) of whom are independent based upon the tests for independence set forth in NI 52-110. Henry Park and Bruce Bragagnolo are independent. Rajinder Chowdhry is not independent as he is the President, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and a Director of the Company. Terrylene Penstock is not independent as she is the Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary of the Company.
Management Supervision by Board
The size of the Company is such that all the Company's operations are conducted by a small management team which is also represented on the Board. The Board considers that management is effectively supervised by the independent directors on an informal basis as the independent directors are actively and regularly involved in reviewing and supervising the operations of the Company and have regular and full access to management. The independent directors are, however, able to meet at any time without any members of management including the non-independent director being present. Further supervision is performed through the Audit Committee which is composed of a majority of independent directors who meet with the Company's auditors without management being in attendance. The independent directors exercise their responsibilities for independent oversight of management through their majority control of the Board.
Participation of Directors in Other Reporting Issuers
The following table sets out the directors and nominees for director of the Company that are currently directors of other reporting issuers:
| Name of Director | Name of Other Reporting Issuer | Exchange |
|---|---|---|
| Rajinder Chowdhry | SolidusGold Inc. | TSXV |
| AsiaBaseMetals Inc. | TSXV | |
| Mantra 2 Real Estate Inc. | N/A | |
| Mantra Pharma Inc. | N/A |
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| Name of Director | Name of Other Reporting Issuer | Exchange |
|---|---|---|
| Terrylene Penstock | AsiaBaseMetals Inc. | TSXV |
| Mantra 2 Real Estate Inc. | N/A | |
| Mantra Pharma Inc. | N/A | |
| Henry Park | AsiaBaseMetals Inc. | TSXV |
| Mantra 2 Real Estate Inc. | N/A | |
| Mantra Pharma Inc. | N/A | |
| Bruce Bragagnolo | Regency Silver Corp. | TSXV |
| Mantra Exploration Inc. | TSXV | |
| Inca One Gold Corp. | TSXV |
Orientation and Continuing Education
While the Company does not have formal orientation and training programs, new Board members are provided with:
- information respecting the functioning of the Board, committees and copies of the Company's corporate governance policies;
- access to recent, publicly filed documents of the Company;
- access to management and technical experts and consultants; and
- access to legal counsel in the event of any questions relating to the Company's compliance and other obligations.
Board members are encouraged to communicate with management, auditors and technical consultants; to keep themselves current with industry trends and developments and changes in legislation with management's assistance; and to attend related industry seminars and visit the Company's operations. Board members have full access to the Company's records.
Ethical Business Conduct
The Board views good corporate governance as an integral component to the success of the Company and to meet responsibilities to Shareholders. The Board has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the "Code") and has instructed its management and employees to abide by the Code. A copy of the Code is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+. The Board intends that it will review compliance with the Code on an annual basis until the Company has grown to a size which warrants more frequent monitoring.
The Board, through its meetings with management and other informal discussions with management, encourages a culture of ethical business conduct and believes the Company's high caliber management team promotes a culture of ethical business conduct throughout the
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Company's operations and is expected to monitor the activities of the Company's employees, consultants and agents in that regard.
It is a requirement of applicable corporate law that directors and senior officers who have an interest in a transaction or agreement with the Company promptly disclose that interest at any meeting of the Board at which the transaction or agreement will be discussed and, in the case of directors, abstain from discussions and voting in respect to same if the interest is material. These requirements are also contained in the Company's Articles, which are made available to directors and senior officers of the Company.
Nomination of Directors
The Board has responsibility for identifying potential Board candidates. The Board assesses potential Board candidates to fill perceived needs on the Board for required skills, expertise, independence and other factors. Members of the Board and representatives of the industry are consulted for possible candidates.
Compensation of Directors and the CEO
The Compensation Committee has responsibility for determining compensation for the directors and senior management. As of the date of this Information Circular the members of the Compensation Committee are Rajinder Chowdhry and Henry Park of whom Henry Park is independent.
To determine compensation payable, the Compensation Committee reviews compensation paid for directors and CEOs of companies of similar size and stage of development in the mining industry and determines an appropriate compensation reflecting the need to provide incentive and compensation for the time and effort expended by the directors and senior management while taking into account the financial and other resources of the Company. In setting the compensation, the Compensation Committee periodically reviews the performance of the CEO in light of the Company's objectives and considers other factors that may have impacted the success of the Company in achieving its objectives. The Compensation Committee's role in the compensation of directors and the CEO of the Company is further described under "Statement of Executive Compensation – Compensation Governance" in this Information Circular.
Board Committees
As of the date of this Information Circular, the Company has two (2) committees at present being the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee.
The Audit Committee is comprised of three (3) of the Company's four (4) directors: Henry Park, Rajinder Chowdhry and Bruce Bragagnolo.
The Compensation Committee is comprised of two (2) of the Company's four (4) directors: Rajinder Chowdhry and Henry Park.
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As the directors are actively involved in the operations of the Company and the size of the Company's operations does not warrant a larger board of directors, the Board has determined that additional standing committees are not necessary at this stage of the Company's development.
Assessments
The Board does not consider that formal assessments would be useful at this stage of the Company's development. The Board conducts informal annual assessments of the Board's effectiveness, the individual directors and each of its committees. The Board monitors the adequacy of information given to directors, communication between the Board and management and the strategic direction and processes of the Board and committees to satisfy itself that the Board, its committees and its directors are performing effectively.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information relating to the Company is on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Shareholders may contact the Company at (604) 765-2030 to request copies of the Company's financial statements and MD&A.
Financial information is provided in the Company's comparative financial statements and MD&A for its most recently completed financial year which are filed on SEDAR+.
OTHER MATTERS
Management of the Company is not aware of any other matter to come before the Meeting other than as set forth in the Notice of Meeting. If any other matter properly comes before the Meeting, it is the intention of the persons named in the enclosed form of proxy to vote the Shares represented thereby in accordance with their best judgment on such matter.
DIRECTORS' APPROVAL
DATED at Vancouver, British Columbia this 22nd day of July, 2025.
APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
"Rajinder Chowdhry"
RAJINDER CHOWDHRY
President, Chief Executive Officer,
Chairman and a Director
B-- 1 -
SCHEDULE "A"
Stock Option Plan
ASIABASEMETALS INC.
June 15, 2022
10% ROLLING STOCK OPTION PLAN
- PURPOSE OF THE PLAN
The Company hereby establishes a stock option plan for Directors, Officers, Employees, Management Company Employees, Consultants and Eligible Charitable Organizations (as such terms are defined below) of the Company and its subsidiaries (collectively "Eligible Persons"), to be known as the "AsiaBaseMetals Inc. Stock Option Plan" (the "Plan"). The purpose of the Plan is to give to Eligible Persons as additional compensation, the opportunity to participate in the success of the Company by granting to such individuals Options, exercisable over periods of up to ten (10) years as determined by the board of directors of the Company, to buy shares of the Company at a price not less than the Market Price prevailing on the date the Option is granted less applicable discount, if any, permitted by the policies of the Exchanges and approved by the Board.
- DEFINITIONS
In this Plan, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
2.1 "Board" means the Board of Directors of the Company.
2.2 "Change of Control" means the occurrence of any one or more of the following events:
(i) a consolidation, reorganization, amalgamation, merger, acquisition or other business combination (or a plan of arrangement in connection with any of the foregoing), other than solely involving the Company and any one or more of its affiliates, with respect to which all or substantially all of the persons who were the beneficial owners of the Shares and other securities of the Company immediately prior to such consolidation, reorganization, amalgamation, merger, acquisition, business combination or plan of arrangement do not, following the completion of such consolidation, reorganization, amalgamation, merger, acquisition, business combination or plan of arrangement, beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the resulting voting rights (on a fully-diluted basis) of the Company or its successor;
(ii) the sale, exchange or other disposition to a person other than an affiliate of the Company of all, or substantially all of the Company's assets;
(iii) a resolution is adopted to wind-up, dissolve or liquidate the Company;
(iv) a change in the composition of the Board, which occurs at a single meeting of the shareholders of the Company or upon the execution of a shareholders'
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resolution, such that individuals who are members of the Board immediately prior to such meeting or resolution cease to constitute a majority of the Board, without the Board, as constituted immediately prior to such meeting or resolution, having approved of such change; or
(v) any person, entity or group of persons or entities acting jointly or in concert (an “Acquiror”) acquires or acquires control (including, without limitation, the right to vote or direct the voting) of Voting Securities of the Company which, when added to the Voting Securities owned of record or beneficially by the Acquiror or which the Acquiror has the right to vote or in respect of which the Acquiror has the right to direct the voting, would entitle the Acquiror and/or associates and/or affiliates of the Acquiror to cast or to direct the casting of 20% or more of the votes attached to all of the Company's outstanding Voting Securities which may be cast to elect directors of the Company or the successor Company (regardless of whether a meeting has been called to elect directors);
For the purposes of the foregoing, “Voting Securities” means Shares and any other shares entitled to vote for the election of directors and shall include any security, whether or not issued by the Company, which are not shares entitled to vote for the election of directors but are convertible into or exchangeable for shares which are entitled to vote for the election of directors including any options or rights to purchase such shares or securities;
2.3 "Company" means AsiaBaseMetals Inc. and its successors.
2.4 "Consultant" means a "Consultant" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.5 "Consultant Company" means a "Consultant Company" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.6 "Director" means a "Director" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.7 "Disability" means any disability with respect to an Optionee which the Board, in its sole and unfettered discretion, considers likely to prevent permanently the Optionee from:
a. being employed or engaged by the Company, its subsidiaries or another employer, in a position the same as or similar to that in which he was last employed or engaged by the Company or its subsidiaries; or
b. acting as a director or officer of the Company or its subsidiaries.
2.8 "Eligible Charitable Organization" means an "Eligible Charitable Organization" as defined in TSXV Policies.
2.9 "Eligible Persons" has the meaning given to that term in section 1 hereof.
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2.10 "Employee" means an "Employee" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.11 "Exchanges" means the TSX Venture Exchange and, if applicable, any other stock exchange on which the Shares are listed.
2.12 "Exchange Hold Period" means "Exchange Hold Period" as defined in TSXV Policies.
2.13 "Expiry Date" means the date set by the Board under section 3.1 of the Plan, as the last date on which an Option may be exercised.
2.14 "Grant Date" means the date specified in an Option Agreement as the date on which an Option is granted.
2.15 "Insider" means an "Insider" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.16 "Investor Relations Activities" means "Investor Relations Activities" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.17 "Investor Relations Service Provider" means "Investor Relations Service Provider" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.18 "Joint Actor" means a person acting "jointly or in concert with" another person as that phrase is interpreted in National Instrument 62-104 – Take-Over Bids and Issuer Bids.
2.19 "Management Company Employee" means a "Management Company Employee" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.20 "Market Price" of Shares at any Grant Date means the market price per Share as determined by the Board, provided that if the Company is listed on an Exchange, such price shall not be less than the market price determined in accordance with the rules of such Exchange.
2.21 "Officer" means an "Officer" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.22 "Option" means an option to purchase Shares granted pursuant to, or governed by, this Plan and any pre-existing stock option plan of the Company.
2.23 "Option Agreement" means an agreement, in the form attached hereto as Schedule "A", whereby the Company grants to an Optionee an Option.
2.24 "Optionee" means each of the Eligible Persons granted an Option pursuant to this Plan and their heirs, executors and administrators.
2.25 "Option Price" means the price per Share specified in an Option Agreement, adjusted from time to time in accordance with the provisions of section 5.
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2.26 "Option Shares" means the aggregate number of Shares which an Optionee may purchase under an Option.
2.27 "Plan" means this AsiaBaseMetals Inc. Stock Option Plan.
2.28 "Securities Act" means the Securities Act (British Columbia), R.S.B.C. 1996, c.418, as amended, as at the date hereof.
2.29 "Security Based Compensation" means "Security Based Compensation" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.30 "Shares" means the common shares in the capital of the Company as constituted on the Grant Date provided that, in the event of any adjustment pursuant to section 5, "Shares" shall thereafter mean the shares or other property resulting from the events giving rise to the adjustment.
2.31 "TSXV Policies" means the policies included in the TSX Venture Exchange Corporate Finance Manual and "TSXV Policy" means any one of them.
2.32 "Unissued Option Shares" means the number of Shares, at a particular time, which have been reserved for issuance upon the exercise of an Option but which have not been issued, as adjusted from time to time in accordance with the provisions of section 5, such adjustments to be cumulative.
2.33 "Vested" means that an Option has become exercisable in respect of a number of Option Shares by the Optionee pursuant to the terms of the Option Agreement.
- GRANT OF OPTIONS
3.1 Option Terms
The Board may from time to time authorize the issue of Options to Eligible Persons. Where permitted under applicable policies of the Exchanges, companies that are wholly owned by Eligible Persons may also be issued Options. The Option Price under each Option shall be not less than the Market Price on the Grant Date less the applicable discount permitted under the policies of the Exchanges or, if the Shares are not listed on any Exchange, less 25%. The Expiry Date for each Option shall be set by the Board at the time of issue of the Option and shall not be more than ten years after the Grant Date, subject to the operation of section 4.1. Options shall not be assignable or transferable by the Optionee.
3.2 Limits on Shares Issuable on Exercise of Options
The maximum aggregate number of Shares that are issuable pursuant to Options granted or issued under the Plan shall be equal to 10% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis at any point in time or such additional amount as may be approved from time to time by the shareholders of the Company and the Exchanges, as applicable. For greater certainty, the exercise of any Options under the Plan will result in the number of exercised Options again becoming
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available for re-grant in the future, in addition to the events set out in section 4.10 of the Plan. The maximum aggregate number of Shares that are issuable pursuant to Security Based Compensation granted or issued under the Plan and all of the Company's other previously established or proposed Security Based Compensation plans (to which the following limits apply under Exchange policies):
(a) to Insiders (as a group) shall not exceed 10% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis at any point in time, unless the Company has obtained the requisite disinterested shareholder approval pursuant to applicable Exchange policies;
(b) to Insiders (as a group) in any 12-month period shall not exceed 10% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date, unless the Company has obtained the requisite disinterested shareholder approval pursuant to applicable Exchange policies;
(c) to any one Optionee (including, where permitted under applicable policies of the Exchanges, any companies that are wholly owned by such Optionee) in any 12-month period shall not exceed 5% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date, unless the Company has obtained the requisite disinterested shareholder approval pursuant to applicable Exchange policies.
(d) to any one Consultant in any 12-month period shall not exceed 2% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date;
(e) to Investor Relations Service Providers (as a group) in any 12-month period shall not exceed 2% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date, and Investor Relations Service Providers shall not be eligible to receive any Security Based Compensation other than Options if the Shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange at the time of any issuance or grant; and
(f) to Eligible Charitable Organizations (as a group) shall not exceed 1% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date.
3.3 Option Agreements
Each Option shall be confirmed by the execution of an Option Agreement. Each Optionee shall have the option to purchase from the Company the Option Shares at the time and in the manner set out in the Plan and in the Option Agreement applicable to that Optionee. In respect of Options granted to Employees, Consultants, Consultant Companies or Management Company Employees, the Company and the Optionee is representing herein and in the applicable Option Agreement that the Optionee is a bona fide Employee, Consultant, Consultant Company or Management Company Employee, as the case may be, of the Company or its subsidiary. The execution of an Option Agreement shall constitute conclusive evidence that it has been completed in compliance with this Plan. All Options shall be subject to any applicable resale restrictions pursuant to applicable securities laws. In addition, Options and Option Shares that are subject to the Exchange Hold Period pursuant to TSXV Policy 1.1 must be legended with the Exchange Hold Period commencing on the Grant Date, and the Option Agreement shall contain any applicable resale restriction or Exchange Hold Period.
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4. EXERCISE OF OPTION
4.1 When Options May be Exercised
Subject to the operation of this section 4 of the Plan with respect to the conditions and acceleration of the vesting of an Option and the acceleration and extension of the Expiry Date of an Option, an Option may be exercised to purchase any number of Shares up to the number of Vested Unissued Option Shares at any time after the Grant Date up to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time on the Expiry Date and shall not be exercisable thereafter. In the event that the Expiry Date of an Option falls during a trading blackout period imposed by the Company (the "Blackout Period"), the Expiry Date of such Option shall automatically be extended to a date which is ten (10) trading days following the end of such Blackout Period (the "Extension Period"), subject to no cease trade order being in place under applicable securities laws; provided that if an additional Blackout Period is subsequently imposed by the Company during the Extension Period, then such Extension Period shall be deemed to commence following the end of such additional Blackout Period to enable the exercise of such Option within ten (10) trading days following the end of the last imposed Blackout Period.
4.2 Manner of Exercise
The Option shall be exercisable by delivering to the Company a notice specifying the number of Option Shares in respect of which the Option is exercised together with payment in full of the Option Price for each such Option Share. Upon notice and payment there will be a binding contract for the issue of the Option Shares in respect of which the Option is exercised, upon and subject to the provisions of the Plan. Delivery of the Optionee's cheque payable to the Company or such other method of cash payment as is acceptable to the Company in the amount of the Option Price shall constitute payment of the Option Price unless the cheque or other method of cash payment, as the case may be, is not honoured upon presentation in which case the Option shall not have been validly exercised.
4.3 Vesting of Option Shares
The Board, subject to the policies of the Exchanges, may determine and impose terms upon which each Option shall become Vested in respect of Option Shares. Unless otherwise specified by the Board at the time of granting an Option, and subject to the other limits on Option grants set out in Section 3.2 hereof, all Options granted under the Plan shall vest and become exercisable in full upon grant, except Options granted to Investor Relations Service Providers, which Options must vest in stages over twelve months with no more than one-quarter of the Options vesting in any three month period.
4.4 Termination of Employment
If an Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person, his or her Option shall be exercisable as follows:
(a) Death or Disability
If the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person, due to his or her death or Disability or, in the case of an Optionee that is a company, the death or Disability of the person
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who provides management or consulting services to the Company or to any entity controlled by the Company, the Option then held by the Optionee shall be exercisable to acquire Vested Unissued Option Shares at any time up to but not after the earlier of:
(i) 365 days after the date of death or Disability; and
(ii) the Expiry Date;
(b) Termination For Cause
If the Optionee or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company, the Optionee's employer, ceases to be an Eligible Person as a result of termination for cause as that term is interpreted by the courts of the jurisdiction in which the Optionee, or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company, of the Optionee's employer, is employed or engaged; any outstanding Option held by such Optionee on the date of such termination, whether in respect of Option Shares that are Vested or not, shall be cancelled as of that date.
(c) Early Retirement, Voluntary Resignation or Termination Other than For Cause
If the Optionee or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company, the Optionee's employer, ceases to be an Eligible Person due to his or her retirement at the request of his or her employer earlier than the normal retirement date under the Company's retirement policy then in force, or due to his or her termination by the Company other than for cause, or due to his or her voluntary resignation, the Option then held by the Optionee shall be exercisable to acquire Vested Unissued Option Shares at any time up to but not after the earlier of the Expiry Date and the date which is 90 days (30 days if the Optionee was engaged in Investor Relations Activities) after the Optionee or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company, the Optionee's employer, ceases to be an Eligible Person.
(d) Spin-Out Transactions
If pursuant to the operation of sub-section 5.3(c) an Optionee receives options (the "New Options") to purchase securities of another company (the "New Company") in respect of the Optionee's Options (the "Subject Options"), subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges, the New Options shall expire on the earlier of: (i) the Expiry Date of the Subject Options; (ii) if the Optionee does not become an Eligible Person in respect of the New Company, the date that the Subject Options expire pursuant to sub-section 4.4(a), (b) or (c), as applicable; (iii) if the Optionee becomes an Eligible Person in respect of the New Company, the date that the New Options expire pursuant to the terms of the New Company's stock option plan that correspond to sub-section 4.4(a), (b) or (c) hereof; and (iv) the date that is one (1) year after the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person in respect of the New Company or such shorter period as determined by the Board.
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(e) Eligible Charitable Organizations
If the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person due to no longer being an Eligible Charitable Organization, the Options then held by that Optionee shall be exercisable to acquire Vested Unissued Option Shares at any time up to but not after the earlier of the Expiry Date and the date which is 90 days after the date the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may, in its sole discretion if it determines such is in the best interests of the Company and subject to the policies of the Exchanges, extend the early Expiry Date (as set out above in this section 4.4) of any Option held by an Optionee who ceases to be an Eligible Person to a later date within a reasonable period, subject to such period not exceeding 12 months from the date the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person.
For purposes of this section 4.4, the dates of death, Disability, termination, retirement, voluntary resignation, ceasing to be an Eligible Person and incapacity shall be interpreted to be without regard to any period of notice (statutory or otherwise) or whether the Optionee or his or her estate continues thereafter to receive any compensatory payments from the Company or is paid salary by the Company in lieu of notice of termination.
For greater certainty, an Option that had not become Vested in respect of certain Unissued Option Shares at the time that the relevant event referred to in this section 4.4 occurred, shall not be or become vested or exercisable in respect of such Unissued Option Shares and shall be cancelled.
4.5 Effect of a Take-Over Bid
If a bona fide offer (an "Offer") for Shares is made to the Optionee or to shareholders of the Company generally or to a class of shareholders which includes the Optionee, which Offer, if accepted in whole or in part, would result in the offeror becoming a control person of the Company, within the meaning of subsection 1(1) of the Securities Act, the Company shall, immediately upon receipt of notice of the Offer, notify each Optionee of full particulars of the Offer, whereupon (subject to the approval of the Exchanges with respect to Investor Relations Service Providers) all Option Shares subject to such Offer will become Vested and the Option may be exercised in whole or in part by the Optionee so as to permit the Optionee to tender the Option Shares received upon such exercise, pursuant to the Offer. However, if:
(a) the Offer is not completed within the time specified therein; or
(b) all of the Option Shares tendered by the Optionee pursuant to the Offer are not taken up or paid for by the offeror in respect thereof,
then the Option Shares received upon such exercise, or in the case of clause (b) above, the Option Shares that are not taken up and paid for, may be returned by the Optionee to the Company and reinstated as authorized but unissued Shares and with respect to such returned Option Shares, the Option shall be reinstated as if it had not been exercised and the terms upon which such Option Shares were to become Vested pursuant to section 4.3 shall be reinstated. If any Option Shares are
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returned to the Company under this section 4.5, the Company shall immediately refund the exercise price to the Optionee for such Option Shares.
4.6 Acceleration of Expiry Date
If at any time when an Option granted under the Plan remains unexercised with respect to any Unissued Option Shares, an Offer is made by an offeror, the Board may, upon notifying each Optionee of full particulars of the Offer and subject to the approval of the Exchanges with respect to Investor Relations Service Providers, declare all Option Shares issuable upon the exercise of Options granted under the Plan, Vested, and declare that the Expiry Date for the exercise of all unexercised Options granted under the Plan is accelerated so that all Options will either be exercised or will expire prior to the date upon which Shares must be tendered pursuant to the Offer. The Board shall give each Optionee as much notice as possible of the acceleration of the Options under this section, except that not less than 5 business days of notice is required and more than 30 days of notice is not required.
4.7 Compulsory Acquisition or Going Private Transaction
If and whenever, following a take-over bid or issuer bid, there shall be a compulsory acquisition of the Shares pursuant to Division 6 of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) or any successor or similar legislation, or any amalgamation, merger or arrangement in which securities acquired in a formal take-over bid may be voted under the conditions described in Section 8.2 of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions, then following the date upon which such compulsory acquisition, amalgamation, merger or arrangement is effective, an Optionee shall be entitled to receive, and shall accept, for the same exercise price, in lieu of the number of Option Shares to which such Optionee was theretofore entitled to purchase upon the exercise of his or her Options, the aggregate amount of cash, shares, other securities or other property which such Optionee would have been entitled to receive as a result of such bid if he or she had tendered such number of Option Shares to the take-over bid.
4.8 Effect of a Change of Control
If a Change of Control occurs, all Option Shares subject to each outstanding Option will become Vested, whereupon such Option may be exercised in whole or in part by the Optionee, subject to the approval of the Exchanges with respect to Investor Relations Service Providers or if otherwise necessary.
4.9 Exclusion from Severance Allowance, Retirement Allowance or Termination Settlement
If the Optionee, or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company, the Optionee's employer, retires, resigns or is terminated from employment or engagement with the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, the loss or limitation, if any, pursuant to the Option Agreement with respect to the right to purchase Option Shares which were not Vested at that time or which, if Vested, were cancelled, shall not give rise to any right to damages and shall not be included in the calculation of nor form any part of any severance allowance, retiring allowance or termination settlement of any kind whatsoever in respect of such Optionee.
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4.10 Shares Not Acquired
Any Unissued Option Shares not acquired by an Optionee under an Option which has been settled in cash, cancelled, terminated, surrendered, forfeited or expired without being exercised may be made the subject of a further Option pursuant to the provisions of the Plan.
5. ADJUSTMENT OF OPTION PRICE AND NUMBER OF OPTION SHARES
5.1 Share Reorganization
Subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges (other than in the case of a Share subdivision or consolidation), whenever the Company issues Shares to all or substantially all holders of Shares by way of a stock dividend or other distribution, or subdivides all outstanding Shares into a greater number of Shares, or combines or consolidates all outstanding Shares into a lesser number of Shares (each of such events being herein called a "Share Reorganization") then effective immediately after the record date for such dividend or other distribution or the effective date of such subdivision, combination or consolidation, for each Option:
(a) the Option Price will be adjusted to a price per Share which is the product of:
(i) the Option Price in effect immediately before that effective date or record date; and
(ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is the total number of Shares outstanding on that effective date or record date before giving effect to the Share Reorganization, and the denominator of which is the total number of Shares that are or would be outstanding immediately after such effective date or record date after giving effect to the Share Reorganization; and
(b) the number of Unissued Option Shares will be adjusted by multiplying (i) the number of Unissued Option Shares immediately before such effective date or record date by (ii) a fraction which is the reciprocal of the fraction described in subsection 5.1 (a)(ii).
Any increase in the number of Unissued Option Shares as a result of the adjustment provisions provided in this section 5.1 is subject to compliance with the limits set out in section 3.2 and, if any increase in the number of Unissued Option Shares as a result of the adjustment provisions provided in this section 5.1 would result in any limit set out in section 3.2 being exceeded, then the Company may, if determined by the Board in its sole and unfettered discretion (subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges), make payment in cash to the Optionee in lieu of increasing the number of Unissued Option Shares in order to properly reflect any diminution in value of the Option Shares as a result of such Share Reorganization.
5.2 Special Distribution
Unless the Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, whenever the Company issues by way of a dividend or otherwise distributes to all or substantially all holders of Shares;
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(a) shares of the Company, other than the Shares;
(b) evidences of indebtedness;
(c) any cash or other assets, excluding cash dividends (other than cash dividends which the Board has determined to be outside the normal course); or
(d) rights, options or warrants;
then to the extent that such dividend or distribution does not constitute a Share Reorganization (any of such non-excluded events being herein called a "Special Distribution"), and effective immediately after the record date at which holders of Shares are determined for purposes of the Special Distribution, for each Option the Option Price will be reduced, and the number of Unissued Option Shares will be correspondingly increased, by such amount, if any, as is determined by the Board in its sole and unfettered discretion to be appropriate in order to properly reflect any diminution in value of the Option Shares as a result of such Special Distribution.
Any increase in the number of Unissued Option Shares as a result of the adjustment provisions provided in this section 5.2 is subject to compliance with the limits set out in section 3.2 and, if any increase in the number of Unissued Option Shares as a result of the adjustment provisions provided in this section 5.2 would result in any limit set out in section 3.2 being exceeded, then the Company may, if determined by the Board in its sole and unfettered discretion (subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges, provided that no adjustment pursuant to the operation of section 5.2 may occur while the Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange), make payment in cash to the Optionee in lieu of increasing the number of Unissued Option Shares in order to properly reflect any diminution in value of the Option Shares as a result of such Special Distribution.
5.3 Corporate Organization
Subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges, whenever there is:
(a) a reclassification of outstanding Shares, a change of Shares into other shares or securities, or any other capital reorganization of the Company, other than as described in sections 5.1 or 5.2;
(b) a consolidation, merger or amalgamation of the Company with or into another corporation resulting in a reclassification of outstanding Shares into other shares or securities or a change of Shares into other shares or securities;
(c) an arrangement or other transaction under which, among other things, the business or assets of the Company become, collectively, the business and assets of two or more companies with the same shareholder group upon the distribution to the Company's
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shareholders, or the exchange with the Company's shareholders, of securities of the Company, or securities of another company, or both; or
(d) a transaction whereby all or substantially all of the Company's undertaking and assets become the property of another corporation,
(any such event being herein called a "Corporate Reorganization") the Optionee will have an option to purchase (at the times, for the consideration, and subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Plan) and will accept on the exercise of such option, in lieu of the Unissued Option Shares which he/she would otherwise have been entitled to purchase, the kind and amount of shares or other securities or property that he/she would have been entitled to receive as a result of the Corporate Reorganization if, on the effective date thereof, he/she had been the holder of all Unissued Option Shares or if appropriate, as otherwise determined by the Board.
5.4 Determination of Option Price and Number of Unissued Option Shares
If any questions arise at any time with respect to the Option Price or number of Unissued Option Shares deliverable upon exercise of an Option following a Share Reorganization, Special Distribution or Corporate Reorganization, such questions shall be conclusively determined by the Company's auditor, or, if they decline to so act, any other firm of Chartered Accountants in Vancouver, British Columbia, that the Board may designate and who will have access to all appropriate records and such determination will be binding upon the Company and all Optionees.
5.5 Regulatory Approval
Any adjustment to the Option Price or the number of Unissued Option Shares purchasable under the Plan pursuant to the operation of any one of sections 5.1, 5.2 or 5.3 is subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges and any other governmental authority having jurisdiction, provided that no adjustment pursuant to the operation of section 5.2 may occur while the Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. Notwithstanding the foregoing, adjustments pursuant to section 5.1 due to a Share subdivision or consolidation do not require prior approval of the Exchanges.
6. MISCELLANEOUS
6.1 Right to Employment
Neither this Plan nor any of the provisions hereof shall confer upon any Optionee any right with respect to employment or continued employment with the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company to terminate such employment.
6.2 Necessary Approvals
The Plan shall be effective upon the approval of the Plan by the Board and the Exchange or any regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the securities of the Company and shall be ratified thereafter by the shareholders of the Company by way of an ordinary resolution at the next duly convened meeting of the shareholders of the Company. Disinterested shareholder approval (as
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required by the Exchanges) will be obtained for any reduction in the exercise price, or any extension of the term, of any Option granted under this Plan if the Optionee is an Insider of the Company at the time of the proposed amendment. In addition, any amendment to an Option (including any cancellation of an Option and subsequent grant of a new Option to the same Person within one year) that results in a benefit to an Insider of the Company at the time of amendment will be subject to disinterested shareholder approval (as required by the Exchanges). The obligation of the Company to sell and deliver Shares in accordance with the Plan is subject to the approval of the Exchanges and any governmental authority having jurisdiction. If any Shares cannot be issued to any Optionee for any reason, including, without limitation, the failure to obtain such approval, then the obligation of the Company to issue such Shares shall terminate and any Option Price paid by an Optionee to the Company shall be immediately refunded to the Optionee by the Company.
6.3 Administration of the Plan
The Board shall, without limitation, have full and final authority in their discretion, but subject to the express provisions of the Plan, to interpret the Plan, to prescribe, amend and rescind rules and regulations relating to the Plan and to make all other determinations deemed necessary or advisable in respect of the Plan. Except as set forth in section 5.4 and subject to any required prior Exchange approval, the interpretation and construction of any provision of the Plan by the Board shall be final and conclusive. Administration of the Plan shall be the responsibility of the appropriate officers of the Company and all costs in respect thereof shall be paid by the Company.
6.4 Withholding Taxes
The exercise of each Option granted under the Plan is subject to the condition that if at any time the Company determines, in its discretion, that the satisfaction of withholding tax or other withholding liabilities is necessary or desirable in respect of such exercise, such exercise is not effective unless such withholding has been effected to the satisfaction of the Company. In such circumstances, the Company may require that the Optionee pay to the Company, in addition to and in the same manner as the exercise price for the Shares, such amount as the Company is obliged to remit to the relevant tax authority in respect of the exercise of the Option. Alternatively, the Company shall have the right in its discretion to satisfy any such liability for withholding or other required deduction amounts by retaining or acquiring any Shares acquired upon exercise of any Option, or retaining any amount payable, which would otherwise be issued or delivered, provided or paid to an Optionee by the Company, whether or not such amounts are payable under the Plan. For greater certainty, the application of this section 6.4 to any exercise of an Option shall not conflict with the policies of the Exchanges that are in effect at the relevant time and the Company will obtain prior Exchange acceptance and/or shareholder approval of any application of this section 6.4 if required pursuant to such policies.
6.5 Amendments to the Plan
The Board may from time to time, subject to applicable law and to the prior approval, if required, of the shareholders (or disinterested shareholders, if required), Exchanges or any other regulatory body having authority over the Company or the Plan, suspend, terminate or discontinue the Plan at any time, or amend or revise the terms of the Plan or of any Option granted under the Plan and the Option Agreement relating thereto, provided that no such amendment, revision, suspension, termination or
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discontinuance shall in any manner adversely affect any Option previously granted to an Optionee under the Plan without the consent of that Optionee.
6.6 Form of Notice
A notice given to the Company shall be in writing, signed by the Optionee and delivered to the head business office of the Company.
6.7 No Representation or Warranty
The Company makes no representation or warranty as to the future market value of any Shares issued in accordance with the provisions of the Plan.
6.8 Compliance with Applicable Law
If any provision of the Plan or any Option Agreement contravenes any law or any order, policy, by-law or regulation of any regulatory body or Exchange having authority over the Company or the Plan, then such provision shall be deemed to be amended to the extent required to bring such provision into compliance therewith.
6.9 No Assignment or Transfer
No Optionee may assign or transfer any of his or her rights under the Plan or any option granted thereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, where permitted under applicable policies of the Exchanges, companies that are wholly owned by Eligible Persons may be issued Options.
6.10 Rights of Optionees
An Optionee shall have no rights whatsoever as a shareholder of the Company in respect of any of the Unissued Option Shares (including, without limitation, voting rights or any right to receive dividends, warrants or rights under any rights offering).
6.11 Previously Granted Options
Stock options which are outstanding under pre-existing stock option plan(s) of the Company as of the effective date of this Plan shall continue to be exercisable and shall be deemed to be governed by and be subject to the terms and conditions of this Plan except to the extent that the terms of this Plan are more restrictive than the terms of such pre-existing plan(s) under which such stock options were originally granted, in which case the applicable pre-existing plan(s) shall govern, provided that any stock options granted, issued or amended after November 23, 2021 must comply with TSXV Policy 4.4 - Incentive Stock Options (as at November 24, 2021).
6.12 Conflict
In the event of any conflict between the provisions of this Plan and an Option Agreement, the provisions of this Plan shall govern.
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6.13 Governing Law
The Plan and each Option Agreement issued pursuant to the Plan shall be governed by the laws of the province of British Columbia.
6.14 Time of Essence
Time is of the essence of this Plan and of each Option Agreement. No extension of time will be deemed to be or to operate as a waiver of the essentiality of time.
6.15 Entire Agreement
This Plan and the Option Agreement sets out the entire agreement between the Company and the Optionees relative to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements, undertakings and understandings, whether oral or written.
Approved by the Board of Directors of the Company effective ●, 2024.
Approved by the shareholders of the Company on ●, 2024.
SCHEDULE "A"
ASIABASEMETALS INC.
STOCK OPTION PLAN - OPTION AGREEMENT
[If the Company is listed on the TSXV at the time of the option grant, the following legend is required in respect of: (i) Options with an Option Price at a discount to the Market Price; or (ii) Options granted to directors, officers, promoters or consultants of the Company or persons holding securities carrying more than 10% of the voting rights and who have elected or appointed or have the right to elect or appoint one or more directors or senior officers of the Company: Without prior written approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and compliance with all applicable securities legislation, the securities represented by this agreement and any securities issued upon exercise thereof may not be sold, transferred, hypothecated or otherwise traded on or through the facilities of the TSX Venture Exchange or otherwise in Canada or to or for the benefit of a Canadian resident until ●, 20 ● (being four months and one day after the date of grant).]
This Option Agreement is entered into between ASIABASEMETALS INC. (the "Company") and the OPTIONEE named below pursuant to the Company Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"), a copy of which is attached hereto, and confirms that:
- on ●, 20 ● (the "Grant Date");
- ● (the "Optionee");
- was granted the option (the "Option") to purchase ● common shares (the "Option Shares") of the Company;
- for the price (the "Option Price") of $● per share;
- which rights to purchase the Option Shares under the Option may be exercised and will vest on the Grant Date [OR set forth applicable vesting schedule – NOT LESS THAN QUARTERLY VESTING OVER A MINIMUM OF 1 YEAR FOR INVESTOR RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDERS]; and
- the Option will terminate on ● (the "Expiry Date");
all on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in the Plan. For greater certainty, Option Shares continue to be exercisable until the termination or cancellation thereof as provided in this Option Agreement and the Plan.
Where the Optionee is resident in or otherwise subject to the securities laws of the United States, the Optionee acknowledges that any Option Shares received by him/her upon exercise of the Option have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Blue Sky laws of any state (collectively, the "Securities Acts"). The Optionee acknowledges and understands that the Company is under no obligation to register, under the Securities Acts, the Option Shares received by him/her or to assist him/her in complying with any exemption from such registration if he/she should at a later date wish to dispose of the Option Shares. The Optionee acknowledges that the Option Shares shall bear a legend restricting the transferability thereof, such legend to be substantially in the following form:
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"The shares represented by this certificate have not been registered or qualified under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended or state securities laws. The shares may not be offered for sale, sold, pledged or otherwise disposed of unless so registered or qualified, unless an exemption exists or unless such disposition is not subject to U.S. federal or state securities laws, and the Company may require that the availability of any exemption or the inapplicability of such securities laws be established by an opinion of counsel, which opinion of counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company."
By signing this Option Agreement, the Optionee acknowledges that the Optionee has read and understands the Plan and agrees to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Option Agreement (including without limitation all representations set out therein with respect to the Optionee).
Acknowledgement – Personal Information
The undersigned hereby acknowledges and consents to:
(a) the disclosure to the TSX Venture Exchange and all other regulatory authorities of all personal information of the undersigned obtained by the Company; and
(b) the collection, use and disclosure of such personal information by the TSX Venture Exchange and all other regulatory authorities in accordance with their requirements, including the provision to third party service providers, from time to time.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereto have executed this Option Agreement as of the ● day of ●, 20●.
ASIABASEMETALS INC.
Signature
Print Name
Address
Per: _______
Authorized Signatory
ASIABASEMETALS INC.
STOCK OPTION PLAN
NOTICE OF EXERCISE OF OPTION
TO: ASIABASEMETALS INC. (the "Company")
The undersigned hereby irrevocably gives notice, pursuant to the stock option plan of the Company (the of the exercise of stock options ("Options") to acquire and hereby subscribes for (cross out inapplicable item):
(a) all of the Option Shares; or
(b) _ of the Option Shares,
which are the subject of the Option Agreement attached hereto.
The undersigned tenders herewith payment to "AsiaBaseMetals Inc.", or such other payee as directed by the Company, in an amount equal to the aggregate exercise price of the aforesaid Option Shares and directs the Company to issue the certificate evidencing said Option Shares in the name of the undersigned and mail a copy of that certificate to the undersigned at the following address:
DATED the ___ day of __, 20___.
Signature of Option Holder
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