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Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. — AGM Information 2024
Jul 6, 2024
46960_rns_2024-07-05_9c9c67ec-5975-4876-80a1-d84bd1893333.pdf
AGM Information
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BEE VECTORING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL INC.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual General and Special Meeting (the “ Meeting ”) of shareholders (the “ Shareholders ”) of Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. (the “ Company ”) will be held at Suite 1890 – 1075 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, V6E 3C9, on Tuesday, the 6[th] day of August, 2024, at the hour of 10:00 a.m. (PT) for the following purposes:
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to receive the financial statements of the Company for the years ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 and the auditors' report thereon;
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to set the numbers of directors at three (3);
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to elect three (3) directors for the ensuing year;
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to re-appoint DNTW Toronto LLP, as auditor of the Company for the ensuing year and to authorize the board of directors to fix the auditor’s remuneration;
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to consider, and if thought appropriate, to pass, with or without variation, an ordinary resolution of Shareholders to approve and ratify the Company’s 20% rolling stock option plan (the “ Option Plan ”) for the ensuing three years, as more particularly described in an accompanying information circular;
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to consider, and if thought appropriate, to pass, with or without variation, an ordinary resolution of Shareholders to approve and ratify the Company’s restricted share unit plan (the “ RSU Plan ”) for the ensuing three years, as more particularly described in an accompanying information circular;
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to consider and, if thought appropriate, to pass, with or without variation, a special resolution, substantially in the form set out in the Information Circular, authorizing and approving the proposed consolidation of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company on the basis of a consolidation ratio to be selected by the Board of Directors, within a range of between seven (7) pre-consolidation common shares for one (1) post-consolidation common share and fifty (50) pre-consolidation Common Shares for one (1) post-consolidation common share (the “Consolidation”), as more specifically set out in the accompanying information circular; and
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to transact such further or other business as may properly come before the said meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof.
The accompanying Information Circular provides additional information relating to the matters to be dealt with at the Meeting and is supplemental to, and expressly made a part of, this Notice of Meeting.
If you are a registered Shareholder of the Company and unable to attend the Meeting in person, please complete, date and sign the accompanying form of proxy and deposit it with the Company’s transfer agent, Endeavor Trust Corporation, 702 – 777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6Z 1S4, no later than 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 1, 2024 or at least 48 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays recognized in the Province of British Columbia) before the time and date of any adjournment or postponement of the Meeting.
If you are a non-registered Shareholder and received this Notice of Meeting and accompanying materials through a broker, a financial institution, a participant, a trustee or administrator of a self-administered retirement savings plan, retirement income fund, education savings plan or other similar self-administered savings or investment plan registered under the Income Tax Act (Canada), or a nominee of any of the foregoing that holds your securities on your behalf (the “ Intermediary ”), please complete and return the materials in accordance with the instructions provided to you by your Intermediary.
The Company has elected to use the notice-and-access provisions under National Instrument 54-101 and National Instrument 51102 (the “ Notice-and-Access Provisions ”) for the Meeting. The Notice-and- Access Provisions are a set of rules developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that reduce the volume of materials that must be physically mailed to Shareholders by allowing the Company to post the Information Circular, the Company’s 2023 and 2022 audited financial statements and the related management’s discussion and analysis, and any additional materials (collectively, the “ Meeting Materials ”) online. Shareholders will still receive this Notice of Meeting, a form of proxy and request for financial information form and may choose to receive a paper copy of the Meeting Materials.
The Company will not use the procedure known as ‘stratification’ in relation to the use of 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 Shareholders with this notice package. In relation to the Meeting, all Shareholders will receive the required documentation under the Notice-and- Access Provisions, which will not include a paper copy of the Meeting Materials.
PLEASE REVIEW THE INFORMATION CIRCULAR CAREFULLY IN FULL PRIOR TO VOTING IN RELATION TO THE RESOLUTIONS BEING PRESENTED, AS THE INFORMATION CIRCULAR HAS BEEN PREPARED TO HELP YOU MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ON THE MATTERS. THE INFORMATION CIRCULAR IS
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AVAILABLE AT WWW.BEEVT.COM AND UNDER THE COMPANY’S PROFILE ON SEDAR+ AT WWW.SEDARPLUS.CA. ANY SHAREHOLDER WHO WISHES TO RECEIVE A PAPER COPY ON THE MEETING MATERIALS (INCLUDING THE INFORMATION CIRCULAR) SHOULD CONTACT THE COMPANY AT 1890 - 1075 WEST GEORGIA STREET, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, V6E 3C9, BY FAX AT 604-687-3141, BY TELEPHONE TOLL FREE AT 1-888-410-0304 OR BY EMAIL AT [email protected]. SHAREHOLDERS MAY ALSO USE THE TOLL-FREE NUMBER NOTED ABOVE TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE NOTICE-AND-ACCESS PROVISIONS.
A copy of the Information Circular, a form of proxy, and a return envelope accompany this Notice of Meeting. A copy of the financial statements of the Company for the years ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 and the auditors' report thereon will be available for review at the Meeting and are available to the public on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca.
The record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Meeting is June 7, 2024 (the “ Record Date ”). Shareholders of the Company whose names have been entered on the register of shareholders at the close of business on the Record Date will be entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Meeting.
A shareholder may attend the Meeting in person or may be represented by proxy. Shareholders who are unable to attend the Meeting or any adjournment thereof in person are requested to date, sign and return the accompanying form of proxy for use at the Meeting or any adjournment thereof. To be effective, the enclosed proxy must be mailed so as to reach or be deposited with Endeavor Trust Corporation, Suite 702 – 777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1S4, facsimile: (604) 559-8908, not later than forty-eight (48) hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) prior to the time set for the Meeting or any adjournment thereof.
The instrument appointing a proxy must be in writing and must be executed by the shareholder or his or her attorney authorized in writing or, if the shareholder is a corporation, under its corporate seal by an officer or attorney thereof duly authorized.
The individuals named in the enclosed form of proxy are directors and/or officers of the Company. Each shareholder has the right to appoint a proxyholder other than such individuals, who need not be a shareholder, to attend and to act for such shareholder and on such shareholder’s behalf at the Meeting. To exercise such right, the names of the nominees of management should be crossed out and the name of the shareholder’s appointee should be legibly printed in the blank space provided.
As always, the Company encourages shareholders to vote prior to the Meeting. Shareholders are encouraged to vote on the matters before the Meeting by proxy and to join the Meeting by teleconference. To access the Meeting by teleconference, dial toll free at 1-877-407-8816, Participation Code: 77783, followed by the # sign.
DATED this 25th day of June, 2024.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD
“Ashish Malik”
Ashish Malik, Chief Executive Officer
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INFORMATION CIRCULAR
FOR THE ANNUAL GENERAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS OF BEE VECTORING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL INC.
(this information is given as of June 25, 2024 unless otherwise noted)
SOLICITATION OF PROXIES
Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. (the "Company") is providing this Information Circular and a form of proxy in connection with management's solicitation of proxies for use at the Annual General and Special Meeting of the Shareholders of the Company (the "Meeting"), to be held on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, at the place and time and for the purposes set forth in the Notice of Annual General and Special Meeting (the "Notice of Meeting") and at any adjournments thereof. This solicitation is being made primarily by mail, but proxies may also be solicited by directors, officers or employees of the Company. The cost of the solicitation of proxies will be borne by the Company.
APPOINTMENT OF PROXYHOLDERS
The persons named in the enclosed form of proxy are directors and officers of the Company. A shareholder has the right to appoint a person other than the persons named in the enclosed forms of proxy to attend and vote for him or her at the Meeting. In order to do so, the shareholder may cross out the names printed in these forms of proxy and insert such person's name in the blank space provided thereon or complete another form of proxy. In either case, the duly completed forms of proxy must be delivered to the Company, c/o Endeavor Trust Corporation, Suite 702 – 777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1S4, facsimile: (604) 559-8908, not later than 48 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays) prior to the commencement of the Meeting or any adjournment thereof or the Secretary of the Meeting, on the day of the Meeting or any adjournment thereof. It is not necessary to be a shareholder in order to act as a proxy.
REVOCATION OF PROXIES
A shareholder may revoke his proxy at any time, relating to any question for which the voting right granted by the proxy has not yet been exercised, by instrument in writing executed by the shareholder or by his attorney authorized in writing or, if the shareholder is a corporation, by an officer or attorney thereof duly authorized. Such revocation must be deposited with the Company, c/o Endeavor Trust Corporation, Suite 702 – 777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1S4, facsimile: (604) 559-8908, at any time up to an including the day preceding the day of the Meeting, or with the Chairman or Secretary of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting, or in any other manner permitted by law.
EXERCISE OF PROXY
The voting rights attached to the common shares in the capital of the Company (the " Common Shares ") represented by proxies will be voted or withheld from voting in accordance with the instructions indicated therein. If no instructions are given, the voting rights attached to said shares will be exercised by those persons designated in the form of proxy and will be voted IN FAVOUR of all the matters described therein.
The enclosed form of proxy confers discretionary voting authority upon the persons named therein with respect to amendments to matters identified in the Notice of Meeting, and with respect to such matters as may properly come before the Meeting. As of the date hereof, management of the Company knows of no such amendments or other matters to come before the Meeting.
NON-REGISTERED HOLDERS
Only registered shareholders or duly appointed proxyholders are permitted to vote at the Meeting. Shareholders who do not hold their shares in their own name (the "Non-Registered Shareholders") are advised that only proxies from shareholders of record can be recognized and voted at the Meeting.
Most shareholders are Non-Registered Shareholders because the Common Shares they own are not registered in their names but are instead registered in the name of the brokerage firm, bank or trust company through which they purchased the shares. Common 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 the shares (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 CDS Clearing and Depository Services Inc.) of which the Intermediary is a participant.
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There are two kinds of Non-Registered Shareholders - 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 to the issuers of the securities they own knowing who they are (called " NOBOs " for Non-Objecting Beneficial Owners).
The Notice of Meeting, this Information Circular and the instrument of proxy or a voting instruction form and the request form (collectively, the " Meeting Materials ") are being sent to both registered shareholders and Non-Registered Shareholders. If you are a Non-Registered Shareholder, and the Company or its agent has sent these materials directly to you, your name and address and information about your holdings of securities have been obtained in accordance with applicable securities regulatory requirements from the Intermediary holding on your behalf. By choosing to send these materials to you indirectly, the Intermediary holding securities on your behalf has assumed responsibility for (i) delivering these materials to you, and (ii) executing your proper voting instructions. Please return your voting instructions as specified in the request for voting instructions.
Non-Objecting Beneficial Owners
If you are a NOBO, the Company is sending the Meeting Materials to you indirectly. Please complete the voting instruction form and carefully follow the instructions therein for return of the executed form or other method of response. If you wish to vote in person at the Meeting (or to have another person attend and vote on your behalf), you must insert your own name (or such other person's name) in the space provided for the appointment of a proxyholder on the voting instruction form and carefully follow the instructions therein for return of the executed form or other method of response.
Objecting Beneficial Owners
In accordance with applicable securities law requirements, the Company will have distributed copies of the Meeting Materials to the clearing agencies and Intermediaries for distribution to OBOs.
Intermediaries are required to forward the Meeting Materials to OBOs unless an OBO has waived the right to receive them. Intermediaries often use service companies to forward the Meeting Materials to OBOs.
OBOs are not permitted to vote at the Meeting. Generally, OBOs who have not waived the right to receive Meeting Materials will either:
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(a) be given a voting instruction form which is not signed by the Intermediary and which, when properly completed and signed by the OBO and returned to the Intermediary or its service company , will constitute voting instructions (often called a " voting instruction form ") which the Intermediary must follow. Typically, the voting instruction form will consist of a one page pre-printed form. Sometimes, instead of a one page pre-printed form, the voting instruction form will consist of a regular printed proxy form accompanied by a page of instructions which contains a removable label with a bar-code and other information. In order for the form of proxy to validly constitute a voting instruction form, the OBO must remove the label from the instructions and affix it to the form of proxy, properly complete and sign the form of proxy and submit it to the Intermediary or its service company in accordance with the instructions of the Intermediary or its service company; or
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(b) be given a form of proxy which has already been signed by the Intermediary (typically by a facsimile, stamped signature), which is restricted as to the number of shares beneficially owned by the OBO but which is otherwise not completed by the Intermediary. Because the Intermediary has already signed the form of proxy, this form of proxy is not required to be signed by the OBO when submitting the proxy. In this case, the OBO who wishes to submit a proxy should properly complete the form of proxy and deposit it with the Company, c/o Endeavor Trust Corporation, Suite 702 – 777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1S4, facsimile: (604) 559-8908 .
In either case, the purpose of these procedures is to permit OBOs to direct the voting of the shares they beneficially own. Should an OBO who receives one of the above forms wish to vote at the Meeting in person (or have another person attend and vote on behalf of the OBO), the OBO should strike out the persons named in the instrument of proxy and insert the OBO or such other person’s name in the blank space provided. In either case, OBOs should carefully follow the instructions of their Intermediary, including those regarding when and where the Instrument of Proxy or voting instruction form is to be delivered .
An OBO may revoke a voting instruction form or a waiver of the right to receive Meeting Materials and to vote which has been given to an Intermediary at any time by written notice to the Intermediary provided that an Intermediary is not required to act on a revocation of a voting instruction form or of a waiver of the right to receive Meeting Materials and to vote which is not received by the Intermediary at least seven (7) days prior to the Meeting.
Unless otherwise indicated in this Information Circular and in the form of proxy and Notice of Meeting attached hereto, shareholders shall mean registered shareholders.
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Notice-and-Access
Notice-and-Access is a mechanism which allows reporting issuers other than investment funds to choose to deliver proxy-related materials to registered holders and beneficial owners of its securities by posting such materials on a non-SEDAR+ website (usually the reporting issuer’s website and sometimes the transfer agent’s website) rather than delivering such materials by mail. The noticeand-access provisions under National Instrument 54-101 and National Instrument 51-102 (the “ Notice-and-Access Provisions ”) can be used to deliver materials for both special and general meetings.
The use of the Notice-and-Access Provisions is intended to reduce paper waste and mailing costs to the issuer. In order for the Company to utilize the Notice-and-Access Provisions to deliver proxy-related materials, the Company must send a notice to Shareholders indicating that the proxy-related materials for the Meeting have been posted electronically on a website that is not SEDAR+ and explaining how a Shareholder can access them or obtain a paper copy of those materials. Upon request, beneficial owners are entitled to delivery of a paper copy of the information circular at the reporting issuer’s expense. This Information Circular and other materials related to the Meeting have been posted in full on the Company’s Meeting website at https://www.beetv.com and under the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.
In order to use the Notice-and-Access Provisions, a reporting issuer must set the record date for the meeting at least 40 days prior to the meeting to ensure there is sufficient time for the materials to be posted on the applicable website and the notice of meeting and form of proxy to be delivered to Shareholders. The requirements for the notice of meeting are that the Company shall provide basic information about the Meeting and the matters to be voted on, explain how a Shareholder can obtain a paper copy of this Information Circular, and explain the Notice-and-Access process. The Notice of Meeting, containing this information, has been delivered to Shareholders by the Company, along with the applicable voting document (a form of proxy in the case of registered Shareholders or a voting instruction form in the case of non-registered Shareholders).
The Company will not rely upon the use of ‘stratification’. Stratification occurs when a reporting issuer using the Notice-andAccess Provisions provides a paper copy of the information circular to some, but not all, of its shareholders, along with the notice of meeting. In relation to the Meeting, all Shareholders will receive the documentation required under the Notice-and-Access Provisions and all documents required to vote at the Meeting. No Shareholder will receive a paper copy of this Information Circular from the Company or any intermediary unless such Shareholder specifically requests same.
The Company will be delivering proxy-related materials to NOBOs and OBOs indirectly through the use of intermediaries. The management of the Company does not intend to pay for Intermediaries to OBOs, the meeting materials, and that in the case of an OBO, the OBO will not receive the meeting materials unless the OBO’s Intermediary assumes the cost of delivery.
Any Shareholder who wishes to receive a paper copy of this Information Circular may contact the Company in writing by mail at: Suite 1890, 1075 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, V6E 3C9; or by fax at 604-687-3141.
In order to ensure that a paper copy of this Information Circular can be delivered to a requesting Shareholder in time for such Shareholder to review this Information Circular and return a proxy or voting instruction form so that it is received not later than forty-eight (48) hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays) prior to the time set for the Meeting or any adjournment of the Meeting, it is strongly suggested that a Shareholder ensure their request is received no later than July 25, 2024. All Shareholders may call toll free at 1-888-787-0888 in order to obtain additional information about the Notice-and-Access Provisions or to obtain a paper copy of this Information Circular, up to and including the date of the Meeting, including any adjournment of the Meeting.
Advice to Beneficial Holders of Common Shares
The information set forth in this section is of significant importance to many Shareholders, as a substantial number of Shareholders do not hold Common Shares in their own name. Beneficial Shareholders should note that only Proxies deposited by Shareholders whose names appear on the records of the Company as the registered holders of Common Shares can be recognized and acted upon at the Meeting.
If Common Shares are listed in an account statement provided to a shareholder by a broker, then in almost all cases those Common Shares will not be registered in the shareholder’s name on the records of the Company. Such Common Shares will more likely be registered under the names of the shareholder’s broker or an agent of that broker. In the United States, the vast majority of such shares are registered under the name of Cede & Co. as nominee for The Depositary Trust Company (which acts as depositary for many U.S. brokerage firms and custodian banks), and in Canada under the name of CDS & Co. (the registration name for The Canadian Depository for Securities Limited, which acts as nominee for many Canadian brokerage firms).
Intermediaries are required to seek voting instructions from Beneficial Shareholders in advance of Shareholders’ meetings unless the Beneficial Shareholders have waived the right to receive meeting material. Every intermediary has its own mailing procedures and
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provides its own return instructions to clients, which should be carefully followed by Beneficial Shareholders in order to ensure that their Common Shares are voted at the Meeting.
If you are a Beneficial Shareholder, the form of proxy supplied to you by your broker (or its agent) is similar to the form of Proxy provided to registered Shareholders by the Company. However, its purpose is limited to instructing the intermediary how to vote on your behalf. The majority of brokers now delegate responsibility for obtaining instructions from clients to Broadridge Communications Solutions Canada ( “ Broadridge ” ) in the United States and in Canada. Broadridge mails a voting instruction form in lieu of a proxy provided by the Company. The voting instruction form will name the Management Designees to represent you at the Meeting. You have the right to appoint a person (who need not be a shareholder of the Company), other than the persons designated in the voting instruction form, to represent you at the Meeting. To exercise this right, you should insert the name of the desired representative in the blank space provided in the voting instruction form. The completed voting instruction form must then be returned to Broadridge by mail or facsimile or given to Broadridge by phone or over the internet, in accordance with Broadridge’s instructions. Broadridge then tabulates the results of all instructions received and provides appropriate instructions respecting the voting of Common Shares to be represented at the Meeting. If you receive a voting instruction form from Broadridge, you cannot use it to vote Common Shares directly at the Meeting. It must be returned to Broadridge well in advance of the Meeting in order to have the Common Shares voted.
Although, as a Beneficial Shareholder, you may not be recognized directly at the Meeting for the purposes of voting Common Shares registered in the name of your broker (or agent of your broker), you may attend at the Meeting as proxyholder for your broker and vote the Common Shares in that capacity. If you wish to attend at the Meeting and indirectly vote your Common Shares as proxyholder for your broker or have a person designated by you to do so, you should enter our own name, or the name of the person you wish to designate, in the blank space on the voting instruction form provided to you and return the same to your broker (or your broker’s agent) in accordance with the instructions provided by your broker (or agent), well in advance of the Meeting.
Alternatively, you may request in writing that your broker send you a legal Proxy which would enable you, or a person designed by you, to attend at the Meeting and vote your Common Shares.
Management of the Company does not intend to pay for intermediaries to forward to objecting beneficial owners (“OBOs”) under NI 54-101 the proxy-related materials and Form 54-101F7 – Request for Voting Instructions Made by Intermediary, and, in the case of an OBO, the OBO will not receive the materials unless the OBO’s intermediary assumes the cost of delivery.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Pursuant to the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (the " OBCA "), the directors of the Company will place before the shareholders at the Meeting the audited financial statements of the Company for the years ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 and the auditors' report thereon, and the financial statements of the Company for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022. Shareholder approval is not required in relation to the financial statements.
VOTING SHARES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS THEREOF
The record date to determine a shareholder’s eligibility to receive the Notice of Meeting and vote at the Meeting was fixed at June 7, 2024 (the " Record Date ").
As at the date hereof, the Company had 191,436,373 Common Shares outstanding, representing the Company's only securities with respect to which a voting right may be exercised at the Meeting. Each Common Share carries the right to one vote at the Meeting. Two persons present in person or by proxy and each entitled to vote thereat shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Meeting.
To the knowledge of the directors and senior officers of the Company as at the date hereof, based on information provided on the System for Disclosure by Insiders (SEDI) and on information filed by third parties on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR+), no person beneficially owns, as of the date hereof, directly or indirectly, or exercises control or direction over, more than 10% of the Company's Common Shares.
NUMBER OF DIRECTORS
At the Meeting, Shareholders will be asked to pass on ordinary resolution to set the number of directors of the Company at three (3). An ordinary resolution needs to be passed by a simple majority of the votes cast by the Shareholders present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting.
Management recommends the approval of setting the number of directors of the Company at three (3).
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ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
The board of directors of the Company (the “ Board ”) presently consists of three (3) directors. All of the current directors have been directors since the dates indicated below and all will be standing for election. The Board recommends that shareholders vote FOR the election of the three nominees of management listed in the following table.
Each director will hold office until his re-election or replacement at the next annual meeting of the shareholders unless he resigns his duties or his office becomes vacant following his death, dismissal or any other cause prior to such meeting.
The Board has an Audit Committee and a Compensation Committee, the members of each of which are set out below.
Unless otherwise instructed, proxies and voting instructions given pursuant to this solicitation by the management of the Company will be voted for the election of the proposed nominees. If any proposed nominee is unable to serve as a director, the individuals named in the enclosed form of proxy reserve the right to nominate and vote for another nominee in their discretion.
Advance Notice Provisions
The Company’s By-Law No. 1 provides for advance notice of nominations of directors of the Company which require that advance notice be provided to the Company in circumstances where nominations of persons for election to the Board are made by shareholders of the Company other than pursuant to: (i) a requisition of a meeting of shareholders made pursuant to the provisions of the OBCA; or (ii) a shareholder proposal made pursuant to the provisions of the OBCA. A copy of By-Law No. 1 is available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
Nominees to the Board of Directors
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, Province and Country of Residence, and Position with the Company |
Principal Occupation or Employment |
Served as Director Since |
Number of Common Shares Beneficially Owned, Controlled or Directed, Directly or Indirectly(1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Collinson(2)(3)(4) Ontario, Canada Chairman and Director |
Chairman and Director of the Company. Director of Chelsian Sales & Marketing Inc. |
June 30, 2015 | 4,160,923(5) |
| Ashish Malik(2)(3) California, United States Director, CEO and President |
CEO and President of the Company. A member of the Board of the Biological Products Industry Alliance. |
December 23, 2022 | 2,162,403 |
| Gustavo C. Gonzalez(2)(3) North Carolina, United States Director |
See “Details of Directors Not Previously Elected by a Shareholder Vote”below. |
May 1, 2024 | Nil |
Notes:
(1) Shares beneficially, directly or indirectly owned or over which control or direction is exercised, at the date of this Circular, based upon information furnished to the Company by the individual directors. These numbers do not include outstanding stock options or warrants available for exercise.
(2) Member of the Audit Committee.
(3) Member of the Compensation Committee.
(4) Of these shares, 2,084,441 are held through Chelsian Sales & Marketing Inc., a company controlled by Mr. Collinson and 140,000 are held in Mr. Collinson’s RRSP account.
DETAILS OF DIRECTORS NOT PREVIOUSLY ELECTED BY A SHAREHOLDER VOTE
Mr. Gustavo C. Gonzalez
Mr. Gonzalez is the owner and manager of GCG Consulting, LLC. With a robust background rooted in international agribusiness, Mr. Gonzalez brings to BVT an extensive network of industry connections cultivated over years of service in notable global regions, including Argentina, Brazil, the USA, and Switzerland. He holds a Bachelor of International Business Administration from Boise State University, along with executive program credentials from globally recognized institutions such as INSEAD, Northwestern, Purdue and ESADE universities.
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Mr. Gonzalez’s professional journey is marked by his tenure in critical roles within the seed and crop protection sectors, most recently serving as Vice President of Commercial Business Development at AgBiome. His prior experiences at BASF, Bayer Crop Science, and Syngenta have endowed him with valuable insights and a proven track record in new business development, commercial strategy, and market expansion for the agricultural supply chain.
Management recommends the approval of the nominee listed above for election as a director of the Company for the ensuing year.
Management of the Company recommends that shareholders vote in favour of the recommended directors. You can vote for all of these directors, vote for some of them and withhold for others, or withhold for all of them. Unless you give other instructions, the persons named in the enclosed form of proxy intend to vote FOR the election of each of the proposed nominees set forth above as directors of the Company.
Management does not contemplate that any of its nominees will be unable to serve as directors. If any vacancies occur in the slate of nominees listed above before the Meeting, then the Designated Persons intend to exercise discretionary authority to vote the Shares represented by proxy for the election of any other persons as directors.
Corporate Cease Trade Orders or Bankruptcies
None of the proposed directors of the Company is, as at the date hereof, or has been, within the previous 10 years, a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any company (including the Company) that, (i) was subject to an order that was issued while the proposed director was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer, or (ii) was subject to an order that was issued after the proposed director ceased to be a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer.
None of the proposed directors of the Company is, as at the date hereof, or has been, within the previous 10 years, 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.
Penalties or Sanctions
None of the proposed directors of the Company has been subject to (a) 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 (b) any other 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.
Personal Bankruptcies
None of the proposed directors of the Company has, within the 10 years before the date hereof, 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.
STATEMENT OF EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Named Executive Officers
Securities legislation requires the disclosure of the compensation received by each "Named Executive Officer" (" Named Executive Officer " or " NEO ") of the Company for the most recently completed financial year. "Named Executive Officer" is defined by the legislation to mean: (i) the Chief Executive Officer of the Company; (ii) the Chief Financial Officer of the Company; (iii) each of the Company’s three most highly compensated executive officers or the three most highly compensated individuals acting in a similar capacity, other than the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, at the end of the most recently completed financial year and whose total compensation was, individually, more than $150,000 for that financial year; and (iv) each individual who would be a "Named Executive Officer" under paragraph (iii) but for the fact that the individual was neither an executive officer of the Company, nor acting in a similar capacity, at the end of the most recently completed financial year.
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Summary Compensation Table for Named Executive Officers
Set out below is a summary of compensation paid or accrued during the Company’s two most recently completed financial years to the Company’s NEOs and directors for services provided and for services to be provided, directly or indirectly, to the Company or any subsidiary thereof.
| Table of compensation excluding compensation securities | Table of compensation excluding compensation securities | Table of compensation excluding compensation securities | Table of compensation excluding compensation securities | Table of compensation excluding compensation securities | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and | Year | Salary, | Bonus | Committe | Value of | Value of all | Total |
| position | consulting |
($) | e or | perquisites | other | compensatio | |
| fee, retainer | meeting | ($) | compensation | n | |||
| or | fees |
($) |
($) | ||||
| Ashish Malik(1) California, USA CEO & President |
2023 2022 |
150,339 313,180 |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
388,641 60,500 |
538,980 373,680 |
| Kyle Appleby(2) Ontario, Canada CFO & Corporate Secretary |
2023 2022 |
Nil 30,000 |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
67,500 Nil |
67,500 30,000 |
| Michael Collinson(3) Ontario, Canada Chairman & Director |
2023 2022 |
30,000 56,000 |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
49,438 233,750 |
79,438 289,750 |
| James Molyneux(4) Ontario, Canada Director |
2023 2022 |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
146,391 260,400 |
146,391 260,400 |
Notes:
(1) Mr. Malik was elected as a Director of the Company on December 23, 2022. As a U.S. employee Mr. Malik receives his salary in United Stares dollars (USD $111,477 in 2023 compared to USD $245,208 in 2022).
(2) Fees for Mr. Appleby's services as CFO and Corporate Secretary are paid to him through CFO Advantage Inc., a private company he controls.
(3) Mr. Collinson receives consulting fees through Chelsian Sales & Service, a private company he controls.
(4) Other compensation represents value of stock options granted and restricted share units.
Stock Options and Other Compensation Securities
The following table sets forth information concerning all compensation securities of the Company granted or issued during the financial year ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, to each of the NEOs and directors of the Company.
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| Compensation Securities | Compensation Securities | Compensation Securities | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Type of | Number of | Date of | Issue, | Closing | Closing | Expiry |
| and | compensation | compensation | issue or | conversion | price of | price of | date |
| position | security | securities, | grant | or exercise | security or | security or | |
| number of | price | underlying |
underlying |
||||
| underlying | ($) | security | security at | ||||
| securities, | on | year end | |||||
| and | date of | ($) | |||||
| percentage of | grant | ||||||
| class(1) | ($) | ||||||
| Ashish Malik(2) CEO & President & Director |
RSU | 2,422,500 29% |
May 1, 2023 | N/A | $0.065 | $0.075 | May 1, 2028 |
| Stock Options | 1,500,000 9.5% |
December 23, 2022 |
$0.12 | $0.115 | $0.075 | December 23, 2032 |
|
| Kyle Appleby(3) CFO & Corporate Secretary |
RSU | 750,000 9.0% |
May 1, 2023 | N/A | $0.065 | $0.075 | May 1, 2028 |
| Michael Collinson(4) Chairman & Director |
RSU | 494,375 5.9% |
May 1, 2023 | N/A | $0.065 | $0.075 | May 1, 2028 |
| Stock Options | 1,000,000 6.3% |
December 23, 2022 |
$0.12 | $0.115 | $0.075 | December 23, 2032 |
|
| James Molyneux(5) Director |
Stock Options | 1,500,000 9.4% |
December 23, 2022 |
$0.12 | $0.115 | $0.075 | December 23, 2032 |
Notes:
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(1) Percentage is based on 15,858,300 issued and outstanding Common Shares outstanding as of September 30, 2023.
-
(2) As at September 30, 2023, Mr. Malik held a total of 3,922,500 compensation securities that were exercisable into 3,922,500 Common Shares.
-
(3) As at September 30, 2023, Mr. Appleby held a total of 750,000 compensation securities that were exercisable into 750,000 Common Shares.
-
(4) As at September 30, 2023, Mr. Collinson held a total of 1,494,375 compensation securities that were exercisable into 1,494,375 Common Shares.
-
(5) As at September 30, 2023, Mr. Molyneux held a total of 1,500,000 compensation securities that were exercisable into 1,500,000 Common Shares.
Exercise of Compensation Securities by Directors and NEO’s
| Exercise of Compensation Securities by Directors and NEOs | Exercise of Compensation Securities by Directors and NEOs | Exercise of Compensation Securities by Directors and NEOs | Exercise of Compensation Securities by Directors and NEOs | Exercise of Compensation Securities by Directors and NEOs | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and position |
Type of compensation security |
Number of underlying securities exercised |
Exercise price per security ($) |
Date of exercise |
Closing price per security on date of exercise ($) |
Difference between exercise price and closing price on date of exercise ($) |
Total value on exercise date ($) |
| Michael Collinson Director & Chairman |
RSU | 425,000 | - | April 13, 2023 |
$0.10 | - | - |
External Management Companies
None of the NEOs or directors of the Company have been retained or employed by an external management company which has
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entered into an understanding, arrangement or agreement with the Company to provide executive management services to the Company, directly or indirectly.
The Company entered into a corporate management agreement dated October 1, 2019 (the “ Service Agreement ”) with Partum Advisory Services Corp., as assigned to De Novo Accounting Corp. d/b/a De Novo Group (“ De Novo ”) of Suite 1890, 1075 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, V6E 3C9, on March 1, 2023, to provide management and administrative services to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Service Agreement for a monthly fee of $3,500 plus applicable taxes and reimbursement of all out-of-pocket expenses incurred on behalf of the Company. The Service Agreement is for an initial term of 12 months, to be automatically renewed for further 12-month periods, unless either party gives 90 days’ notice of non-renewal, in which case the Service Agreement will terminate. The Service Agreement can be terminated by either party on 90 days’ written notice. It can also be terminated by the Company for cause without prior notice or upon the mutual consent in writing of both parties. If there is a take-over or change of control of the Company resulting in the termination of the Service Agreement, De Novo is entitled to receive an amount equal to six (6) months of fees payable as a lump sum payment due on the day after the termination date.
Stock option plans and other incentive plans
The Board approved the RSU Plan and Option Plan (and together with the RSU Plan, the “ Plans ”) to grant restricted share units (“ RSU’s ”) and incentive stock options (“ Options ”) to directors, officers, key employees and consultants of the Company. Pursuant to the RSU Plan and the Option Plan, the Company may reserve up to a maximum of 20% of the issued and outstanding Shares at the time of grant pursuant to awards granted under the Plans. The Plans were approved by the shareholders on October 23, 2020.
The shareholders will be asked at the Meeting to consider and, if thought fit, approve an ordinary resolution re-approving the existing Plans.
The Compensation Committee with consultation of the Board has the responsibility to administer the compensation policies related to the executive management of the Company, including option-based and share-based awards.
The Company’s directors, officers, employees and certain consultants are entitled to participate in the Plans. The Option Plan and RSU plan is designed to encourage share ownership and entrepreneurship on the part of the senior management and other employees. The Board believes that the Plans align the interests of the NEO and the Board with shareholders by linking a component of executive compensation to the longer term performance of the common shares.
Options and RSUs are granted by the Board. In monitoring or adjusting the option allotments, the Board takes into account its own observations on individual performance (where possible) and its assessment of individual contribution to shareholder value, previous option grants and the objectives set for the NEOs and the Board. The scale of options is generally commensurate to the appropriate level of base compensation for each level of responsibility.
In addition to determining the number of options to be granted pursuant to the methodology outlined above, the Board also makes the following determinations:
(a) parties who are entitled to participate in the Plans
(b) the exercise price for each Option or RSU granted, subject to the provision that the exercise price cannot be lower than the prescribed discount permitted by the CSE from the market price on the date of grant;
(c) the date on which each Option or RSU is granted;
- (d) the vesting period, if any, for each option or RSU;
(e) the other material terms and conditions of each Option or RSU grant; and
- (f) any re-pricing or amendment to an option grant
The Board reviews and approves grants of Options and RSUs on an annual basis and periodically during a financial year. The following is a summary of the material terms of the Plans.
The following is a summary of the material terms of the Plans.
• the total number of common shares (either issued directly or issuable on exercise of Options or RSUs of the Company) provided as compensation to Investor Relations Persons (as such term is defined in the Plans) may not exceed in aggregate 2% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company in any 12-month period; and
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• approval by shareholders other than directors and senior officers of the Company and shareholders who beneficially own or control, directly or indirectly, common shares carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to all common shares of the Company, must all be obtained for any grants of options to a director or executive officer of, or of a related entity to, the Company (each a “Related Person”) if, after the grant:
the total number of common shares (either issued directly or issuable on exercise of options or the number of securities, calculated on a fully diluted basis, reserves for issuance under options granted to:
-
i. Related Persons, exceeds 10% of the outstanding securities of the Company; or
-
ii. a Related Person and the associates of the Related Person, exceeds 5% of the outstanding securities of the Company; or
the number of securities, calculated on a fully diluted basis, issued within 12 months to:
-
iii. Related Persons, exceeds 10% of the outstanding securities of the Company; or
-
iv. iv. a Related Person and the associates of the Related Person, exceeds 5% of the outstanding securities of the Company.
Subject to any required approvals of the CSE or any other applicable stock exchange, the Board may amend, suspend or terminate the Plans or any portion thereof at any time, but an amendment may not be made without shareholder approval if such approval is necessary to comply with any applicable regulatory requirement. Further, subject to any required approvals of the CSE or any other applicable stock exchange, the Board may not do any of the following without obtaining, within 12 months either before or after the Board’s adoption of a resolution authorizing such action, shareholder approval, and, where required, approval by Disinterested Shareholders, or by the written consent of the holders of a majority of the securities of the Company entitled to vote:
-
increase the aggregate number of common shares which may be issued under the Plans;
-
materially modify the requirements as to the eligibility for participation in the Plans that would have the potential of broadening or increasing insider participation;
-
add any form of financial assistance or any amendment to a financial assistance provision which is more favourable to participants under the Plans;
-
add a cashless exercise feature, payable in cash or securities, which does not provide for a full deduction of the number of underlying securities from the Plans reserve; and
-
materially increase the benefits accruing to participants under the Plans.
However, the Board may amend the terms of the Plan to comply with the requirements of any applicable regulatory authority without obtaining shareholder approval, including:
-
amendments to the Plans of a housekeeping nature;
-
change the vesting provisions of an option granted under the Option Plan, if applicable;
-
change to the vesting provisions of a security or the Plans;
-
change to the termination provisions of a security or the Plans that does not entail an extension beyond the original expiry date;
-
make such amendments to the Option Plan as are necessary or desirable to reflect changes to securities laws applicable to the Company;
-
make such amendments as may otherwise be permitted by regulatory authorities;
-
if the Company becomes listed or quoted on a stock exchange or stock market senior to the CSE, make such amendments as may be required by the policies of such senior stock exchange or stock market; and
-
amend the Option Plan to reduce the benefits that may be granted to Employees, Management Company Employees or Consultants.
-
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Option Plan
The Option Plan of the Company is designed to give each Option holder an interest in preserving and maximizing shareholder value in the longer term, to enable the Company to attract and retain individuals with experience and ability and to reward individuals for current performance and expected future performance. The Board considers Option grants when reviewing executive officer compensation packages as a whole.
The Board has sole discretion to determine the key employees to whom it recommends that grants be made and to determine the terms and conditions of the Options forming part of such grants. The Board approves ranges of Option grants for each level of executive officer. Individual grants are determined by an assessment of an individual’s current and expected future performance, level of responsibilities and the importance of the position to the Company.
The number of Options which may be issued under the Option Plan in the aggregate and in respect of any fiscal year is limited under the terms of the Option Plan and cannot be increased without shareholder approval.
RSU Plan
The RSU Plan provides for granting of RSU’s for the purposes of advancing the interests of the Company through motivation, attraction and retention of employees, officers, consultants and directors by granting equity-based compensation incentives, in addition to the Company’s Option Plan.
RSUs granted pursuant to the RSU Plan will be used to compensate participants for their individual performance-based achievements and are intended to supplement stock option awards in this respect, the goal of such grants is to more closely tie awards to individual performance based on established performance criteria.
The Plans has been used to provide stock options and RSU’s which are granted in consideration of the level of responsibility of the executive as well as his or her impact or contribution to the longer-term operating performance of the Company. In determining the number of Options or RSU’s to be granted to the executive officers, the Compensation Committee with consultation of the Board takes into account the number of Options or RSU’s, if any, previously granted to each executive officer, and the exercise price of any outstanding Options to ensure that such grants are in accordance with the policies of the CSE and closely align the interests of the executive officers with the interests of shareholders.
The Board makes these determinations subject to and in accordance with the provisions of the Option Plan and RSU Plan.
The Board recommends that shareholders vote in favour of re-approving the Option Plan and RSU Plan. It is intention of the persons named in the enclosed instrument of Proxy, if not expressly directed otherwise in such instrument of proxy, to vote such proxies FOR the ordinary resolution to re-approve the Option Plan and RSU Plan.
Employment, Consulting and Management Agreements
Except as disclosed herein, as at the end of the Company's most recently completed financial year, the Company had not entered into any contract, agreement, plan or arrangement that provides for payments to an NEO or director at, following, or in connection with, any termination (whether voluntary, involuntary or constructive), resignation, retirement, a change in control of the Company or a change in an NEO's or director’s responsibilities.
The Company entered into a corporate management agreement dated October 1, 2019 (the “ Service Agreement ”) with Partum Advisory Services Corp., as assigned to De Novo Accounting Corp. d/b/a De Novo Group (“ De Novo ”) of Suite 1890, 1075 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, V6E 3C9, on March 1, 2023 (see “ External Management Companies ”).
Effective September 1, 2016, the Company entered into an executive employment agreement with Ashish Malik for his services as President and CEO of the Company (the " Executive Agreement "). Pursuant to the Executive Agreement, Mr. Malik is entitled to a base salary of US$250,000 per year which shall increase to US$275,000 on the first anniversary of the Executive Agreement (the " Base Salary "). For each complete fiscal year of employment, Mr. Malik shall be eligible to receive an annual bonus (the " Annual Bonus "). As of the date of the Executive Agreement, Mr. Malik's annual target bonus opportunity shall be equal to 40% of his Base Salary (the " Target Bonus "), which shall be payable in Common Shares issued at the market price (based on the volume weighted average price of the Common Shares on the applicable stock exchange for the 20 days immediately prior to the grant). The Target Bonus shall be based on the achievement of both Mr. Malik and the Company with the actual amount of the Annual Bonus paid to Mr. Malik to be based on the percentage of the performance goals met for the year as determined by the Board of Directors. Mr. Malik is also entitled to receive one-time bonuses based on net revenues of the Company. Mr. Malik shall receive a bonus equal to $100,000 paid through the issuance of Common Shares at market price should the Company obtain net revenues of $1,000,000 within a 6-month period from the date of the Executive Agreement. Mr. Malik shall receive a bonus equal to $600,000 paid through the issuance of Common Shares at market price should the Company obtain net revenues equal to or greater than $8,000,000 in a
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full year from the date of the Executive Agreement. Mr. Malik shall receive a bonus equal to $1,500,000 paid through the issuance of Common Shares at market price should the Company receive a formal valuation from a recognized merchant bank or valuator at or above $250 million and for each business variation with an incremental increase of $50 million or more an additional bonus of $500,000 shall be paid through the issuance of Common Shares at the market price up to a maximum valuation of $400 million. The Executive Agreement also entitles Mr. Malik to receive a payment equal to 18 months of his Base Salary upon termination of his position due to a change of control of the Company and all accrued but unpaid Annual Bonuses or milestone bonuses.
Effective June 30, 2015, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with CFO Advantage Inc., a private company controlled by Kyle Appleby (the “ CFO Agreement ”) to provide the services of a Chief Financial Officer to the Company in accordance with terms of the CFO Agreement for a monthly fee of $2,500 plus applicable taxes and reimbursement of all out-of-pocket expenses incurred on behalf of the Company. The Company shall give three months’ notice of termination of the CFO Agreement, if notice is not given, the Company shall pay the equivalent amount based on the monthly fee due under the CFO Agreement.
Effective September 1, 2016, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with Chelsian Sales and Marketing Inc. a private company controlled by Michael Collinson (the “ Management Agreement ”) to provide business and strategic corporate advisory to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Management Agreement for a monthly fee of $5,000 plus applicable taxes and reimbursement of all out-of-pocket expenses incurred on behalf of the Company. The term of the Management Agreement expired on August 31, 2021 and is currently in place on a month-to-month basis pending renegotiation and renewal (the “ Renewed Agreement ”). It is expected that the Renewed Agreement will have the same terms as the Management Agreement and may be terminated at any time, for any reason, without cause or entitlement to any further compensation, upon 90 days written notice to the Company, by either party for cause, at any time without entitlement to any further compensation, in the event of a failure by the other party to comply with any of the provisions hereunder, by the Company, at any time, without cause or reason, by written notice. If the Renewed Agreement is terminated without cause, the Company will pay to the consultant for fees due to the consultant for the six months following the termination of the Renewed Agreement, or the remainder of the term of the Renewed Agreement, whichever is less.
Effective June 18, 2021, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with Exelerate, Inc. a private company controlled by Mr. Mark Kohler (the “ Exelerate Agreement ”) to provide corporate finance, governance and strategy advice in his capacity as a director of the Company and in accordance with the Exelerate Agreement for a monthly fee of $5,000 plus applicable taxes, billable for a minimum six month period and reimbursement of all out-of-pocket expenses incurred on behalf of the Company. The Exelerate Agreement may be terminated at anytime by providing three months written note to the Company or anytime within twelve months of a change of control. The Company may terminate the Exelerate Agreement for Just Cause (as defined in the Exelerate Agreement) by providing written notice of the termination with only the amount due and owing up to the termination date. The Company may terminate the Exelerate Agreement at any time for reasons other then Just Cause by providing three months written notice. As consideration for the right to terminate the agreement, the Company shall, upon providing notice of termination, pay a termination fee equal (3) month’s salary to the aggregate amount of fees that would have been payable by the Company had it not terminated the agreement early. The Exelerate Agreement was terminated on October 7, 2022 following Mr.Kohler’s resignation from the board of directors.
Effective July 24, 2021, each of Jim Molyneaux, Michael Collinson and Mark Kohler entered into agreements (the “ Amending Agreements ”) to amend all Options or RSUs granted, but not vested in conjunction with work done or to be completed, to vest immediately should there be a Change of Control (as defined in the Amending Agreements). Any other normal and negotiated compensation that is owed will continue to be paid by the Company as each party’s consulting agreements remain in place and for so long as each party continues to provide consulting services to the Company. Any future employment, consulting services or directors work will be negotiated separately and in good faith with the entity or entities that will control the Company, within 45 days after the Change of Control has been established.
Oversight and Description of Director and NEO Compensation
The objective of the Company's compensation program is to compensate the directors and NEOs 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, although no formal benchmark group of companies or peer group has been established.
Pursuant to the Company's Compensation Committee Charter, the Compensation Committee determines the director and NEO compensation and reviews such compensation annually. The primary objectives of the Company's executive compensation program are to attract, motivate and retain highly qualified management and employees and align the compensation of executive office and other employees with the interests of the Company's shareholders.
When determining executive compensation, the Compensation Committee will review the compensation policies of companies engaged in the industry and of a similar size and development stage. Although the Company has not obtained any industry reports regarding compensation, at the appropriate time the Board of Directors will review publicly available information with respect to compensation paid to the executives of similar size and stage companies.
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Compensation for the NEOs is comprised of three components: base salary, long-term incentives in the form of option based awards and cash bonuses. In setting the base compensation levels for NEOs, consideration is given to objective factors such as the level of responsibility, experience and expertise, as well as subjective factors such as leadership and contribution to corporate performance. Compensation is reviewed annually and adjustments may be made based upon corporate and personal performance, market conditions and the level of responsibility attributed to specific executives.
Base Salary
Salaries provide a fixed level of regularly paid cash compensation for performing day-to-day responsibilities. Base salaries are reviewed annually and take into account the market value of the role and the NEOs demonstration of capability. In reviewing base salaries factors such as the individual's experience and contribution, general market conditions and competition for qualified personnel are taken into account.
Bonuses
From time to time the Company may award cash bonuses to reward exceptional service. Except for bonuses payable under the Executive Agreement, bonuses are paid at the discretion of the Compensation Committee based upon the achievement of individual and corporate performance, with those two criteria being weighted equally for the purpose of the assessment.
Perquisites and Personal Benefits
While the Company reimburses its NEOs for expenses incurred in the course of performing their duties as executive officers of the Company, the Company did not provide any compensation that would be considered a perquisite or personal benefit to its NEOs.
Group Benefits
The Company does not offer a group benefits plan of any kind.
Director and Officer Insurance
The Company maintains an executive and organization liability insurance policy that covers directors and officers for costs incurred to defend and settle claims against directors and officers of the Company to an annual limit of $2,000,000 with retention of $50,000 on securities and oppressive conduct claims and $50,000 on all other claims. The cost of coverage for 2023 was approximately $17,250 (2022 - $15,700). Directors and officers do not pay any portion of the premiums and no indemnity claims were made or became payable during 2020.
Pension Disclosure
The Company does not have a pension plan that provides for payments or benefits to the NEOs or directors at, following, or in connection with retirement.
INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
As at the date hereof, 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 and is the subject of a guarantee, support agreement, letter of credit or other similar arrangement or understanding provided by the Company or its subsidiaries, whether 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 any of its subsidiaries, or (ii) is indebted to another entity, whose 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.
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.
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INTEREST OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS
None of the informed persons (as such term is defined in NI 51-102) of the Company, any proposed director of the Company, or any associate or affiliate of any informed person or proposed director, has had any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction of the Company since the commencement of the Company's most recently completed financial year or in any proposed transaction which has materially affected or would materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS
There are no management functions of the Company which are to any substantial degree performed by a person or a company other than the directors or executive officers of the Company.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Audit Committee's Charter
The Company’s Audit Committee is governed by an audit committee charter, a copy of which is attached hereto as Schedule “B”.
Composition of the Audit Committee
| Michael Collinson | Not Independent(1)(2) | Financially literate(1) |
|---|---|---|
| Gustavo C. Gonzalez | Independent(1) | Financially literate(1) |
| Ashish Malik | Not Independent(1)(2) | Financially literate(1) |
Notes:
(1) As defined by National Instrument 52-110 (“ NI 52-110 ”).
(2) Mr. Collinson and Mr. Malik are not independent because they have been, within the last three years, an executive officer (as such term is defined in NI 52-110) of the Company.
Relevant Education and Experience of Audit Committee
Michael Collinson
Mr. Collinson has over 35 years of experience managing companies in Canada, USA, and Europe and has extensive experience in manufacturing processes, marketing, design, engineering and development. As an experienced business person Mr. Collinson has the ability to read and understand financial statements and provide guidance on same.
Gustavo C. Gonzalez
Mr. Gonzalez’s professional journey is marked by his tenure in critical roles within the seed and crop protection sectors, most recently serving as Vice President of Commercial Business Development at AgBiome. His prior experiences at BASF, Bayer Crop Science, and Syngenta have endowed him with valuable insights and a proven track record in new business development, commercial strategy, and market expansion for the agricultural supply chain.
Ashish Malik
Mr. Malik holds an MBA with concentrations in Finance and Marketing from Carnegie Mellon University. He was previously the VP of Global Marketing for Biologics at Bayer CropScience and was responsible for managing the portfolio of biological assets for the company and advancing the strategy to develop integrated crop solutions. As an experienced business person Mr. Collinson has the ability to read and understand financial statements and provide guidance on same.
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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
The Company is a "venture issuer" as defined in NI 52-110 and is relying on the exemption contained in Section 6.1 of NI 52-110, which exempts the Company from the requirements of Part 3 (Composition of the Audit Committee) and Part 5 (Reporting Obligations) of NI 52-110.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Audit Committee has not adopted any specific policies and procedures for the engagement of non-audit services.
External Auditors Service Fees (By Category)
The aggregate fees billed by the Company's external auditors in each of the last two fiscal years for audit fees are as follows:
| Financial Year Ending | Audit Fees | Audit Related Fees | Tax Fees | All Other Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 30, 2023 | $40,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| September 30, 2022 | $65,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
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
A summary of the responsibilities and activities and the membership of each of the Committees is set out below.
National Policy 58-201 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 mandates disclosure of corporate governance practices which disclosure is set out below.
Independence of Members of Board
The Board consists of three directors, one of whom are independent based upon the tests for independence set forth in NI 52-110. Gustavo C. Gonzalez is independent. Michael Collinson and Ashish Malik are not independent as they have been, within the last three years, executive officers (as such term is defined in NI 52-110) 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 directors 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
No directors, and/or prospective directors, of the Company are presently directors of other issuers that are reporting issuers (or the equivalent).
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Orientation and Continuing Education
While the Company does not have formal orientation and training programs, new members of the Board are provided with (i): information respecting the functioning of the Board, committees and copies of the Company's corporate governance policies, (ii) access to recent, publicly filed documents of the Company, technical reports and the Company's internal financial information, (iii) access to management and technical experts and consultants, and (iv) a summary of significant corporate and securities responsibilities.
Members of the Board 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. Members of the board 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 Conduct that is provided to all directors and officers and the Board has instructed its management and employees to abide by the Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct is available on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.
Nomination of Directors
The Board has responsibility for identifying potential board candidates. The Board assesses potential candidates to fill perceived needs on the Board for required skills, expertise, independence and other factors.
Compensation
The Company has created the Compensation Committee and they are responsible for determining compensation including for the individual directors and officers of the Company, including the Chief Executive Officer. Given the stage of development of the Company, it does not currently pay director's fees. Directors have been granted options to help ensure their continued interest in the ongoing business and affairs of the Company. The Compensation Committee determines compensation for the officers of the Company, and any consulting or other agreements, to which the Company is a party, will be reviewed by the Compensation Committee on an annual basis.
Board Committees
At this time, the Board does not have any standing committees other than the Audit Committee, described above, and the Compensation Committee.
Compensation Committee Composition and Relevant Experience
The Company's Compensation Committee is comprised of two (2) directors, Gustavo C. Gonzalez and Michael Collinson. Mr. Gonzalez is independent and Mr. Collinson is not independent, as such term is defined in NI 52-110 and in the OBCA. Both members of the Compensation Committee have direct experience that is relevant to their responsibilities as Compensation Committee members. All members are or hold senior executive roles within companies, and therefore have a good understanding of compensation programmes. They also have good financial understanding that allows them to assess the costs versus benefits of compensation plans. The member combined experience provides them with the understanding of the Company's success factors and risks, which is very important when determining metrics for measuring success.
Assessments
The Board, annually, and at such other times as it deems appropriate, reviews the performance and effectiveness of the Board, the directors and its committees to determine whether changes in size, personnel or responsibilities are warranted. To assist in its review, the Board conducts informal surveys of its directors, and reports from the audit committee respecting its own effectiveness. As part of the assessments, the Board or the individual committee may review their respective mandate or charter and conduct reviews of applicable corporate policies.
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. As part of
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the assessments, the Board or the individual committee may review their respective mandate or charter and conduct reviews of applicable corporate policies.
Nomination and Assessment
The Board determines new nominees to the Board, although a formal process has not been adopted. The nominees are generally the result of recruitment efforts by the Board members, including both formal and informal discussions among Board members and the President and Chief Executive Officer. The Board monitors but does not formally assess the performance of individual Board members or committee members or their contributions.
Expectations of Management
The Board expects management to operate the business of the Company in a manner that enhances shareholder value and is consistent with the highest level of integrity. Management is expected to execute the Company's business plan and to meet performance goals and objectives.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information relating to the Company is on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Financial information is provided in the Company's comparative financial statements and MD&A for its most recently completed financial year, which have been provided to shareholders and are available on SEDAR+.
PARTICULARS OF OTHER MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
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.
APPOINTMENT OF AUDITOR
On December 8, 2023, Davidson & Company LLP, Chartered Accountants, the former auditors of the Company, resigned as the auditors of the Company effective December 8, 2023. The Board appointed DNTW Toronto LLP, as auditors of the Company effective December 8, 2023 to fill the vacancy created thereby. In accordance with the provisions of National Instrument 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations, attached as Schedule “A” is the requisite reporting package, including the notice of the Company to Davidson & Company LLP and DNTW Toronto LLP stating that there were no reportable events and the letters of each of Davidson & Company LLP and DNTW Toronto LLP, to all applicable securities commissions in which the Company is reporting.
Shareholders are being asked to approve an ordinary resolution re-appointing DNTW Toronto LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as auditor of the Company to hold office until the close of the next annual general meeting of the shareholders, at a remuneration to be fixed by the board of directors. In order to be effective, the ordinary resolution requires the approval of the majority of the votes cast at the Meeting in respect of the resolution. In the absence of instructions to the contrary, the enclosed proxy will be voted FOR the appointment of DNTW Toronto LLP as auditors of the Company and to authorize the board of directors to fix their remuneration.
APPROVAL AND RATIFICATION OF ROLLING STOCK OPTION INCENTIVE PLAN
On April 3, 2023, the Canadian Securities Exchange updated certain policies that pertain to security-based compensation arrangements, whereby within three years after institution and within every three years thereafter, a listed issuer much obtain security holder approval for rolling plans, in order to continue granting awards under the plan. The Board adopted and approved the Option Plan on September 18, 2020 and the Shareholders approved the Option Plan on October 23, 2020. The number of Shares proposed to be granted under the Option Plan and RSU Plan (defined below) is a maximum of 20% of the issued and outstanding Shares at the time of grant.
At the Meeting, Shareholders will be asked to consider, and if thought advisable, to pass, by way of an ordinary resolution, approval of Company’s 20% rolling Option Plan, for directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company, for a period of three years, a copy of which is attached as Schedule “E” to this Circular. A summary of the material provisions of the Option Plan can be found under the heading “ Stock Option Plans and Other Incentive Plans ”.
Management believes the Option Plan will provide the Company with a sufficient number of Shares issuable under the Option Plan to fulfill the purpose of the Option Plan, namely, to secure for the Company and its Shareholders the benefits of incentive inherent in share ownership by the directors, officers, key employees and consultants of the Company who, in the judgment of the Board, will be largely responsible for its future growth and success.
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Accordingly, at the Meeting, Shareholders are being asked to consider and, if thought advisable, approve an ordinary resolution in the following form:
“BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
-
the Option Plan of the Company, substantially in the form attached at Schedule “C” to the management information circular of the Company dated June 25, 2024, be and the same is hereby ratified, confirmed and approved;
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the maximum number of common shares of the Company which may be issued under the Option Plan and the RSU plan taken together shall equal to twenty (20) percent of the then issued and outstanding common shares of the Company from time to time;
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any director or officer be and is hereby authorized to amend the Option Plan should such amendments be required by applicable regulatory authorities; and
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any director or officer of the Company be and is hereby authorized and directed to do and perform all such acts and things and to execute and deliver or cause to be delivered, for, in the name of and on behalf of the Company (whether under the seal of the Company or otherwise) all such agreements, instruments and other documents as in such individual's opinion may be necessary or desirable to perform the terms of this resolution.”
Unless otherwise instructed, the persons named in the enclosed proxy or voting instruction form intend to vote such proxy or voting instruction form in favour of the approval of the Option Plan. The directors of the Company recommend that Shareholders vote in favour of the approval of the Option Plan. To be adopted, this resolution is required to be passed by the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the Meeting.
The resolution must be approved by a simple majority approval of the votes cast at the Meeting by the holders of Shares. If the Option Plan is not approved by the Shareholders, the Company will have to consider other methods of compensating and providing incentives to directors, officers, employees and consultants.
Following approval of the Option Plan by the Company’s Shareholders, further shareholder approval will not be required for Option grants made under the Option Plan until October 23, 2027.
APPROVAL AND RATIFICATION OF RESTRICTED SHARE UNIT
On September 18, 2020, the Board adopted and approved the RSU Plan and the Shareholder approved the RSU Plan on October 23, 2020, reserving for issuance, combined with any equity securities granted under all other compensation arrangements adopted by the Company, including the Option Plan, a maximum of 20% of the issued and outstanding Shares at the time of grant.
At the Meeting, Shareholders will be asked to consider, and if thought advisable, to pass, by way of an ordinary resolution, approval of the Company’s RSU Plan, for directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company, for a period of three years, a copy of which is attached as Schedule “D” to this Circular. A summary of the material provisions of the RSU Plan can be found under the heading “ Stock Option Plans and Other Incentive Plans ”.
Accordingly, at the Meeting, Shareholders are being asked to consider and, if thought advisable, approve an ordinary resolution in the following form:
“BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
-
the RSU Plan, substantially in the form attached at Schedule “D” to the management information circular of the Company dated June 25, 2024, be and the same is hereby ratified, confirmed and approved;
-
the maximum number of restricted share units of the Company which may be issued under the RSU Plan and the Option plan taken together shall equal to twenty (20) percent of the then issued and outstanding common shares of the Company from time to time;
-
any director or officer be and is hereby authorized to amend the RSU Plan of the Company should such amendments be required by applicable regulatory authorities; and
-
any director or officer of the Company be and is hereby authorized and directed to do and perform all such acts and things and to execute and deliver or cause to be delivered, for, in the name of and on behalf of the Company (whether under the seal of the Company or otherwise) all such agreements, instruments and other documents as in such individual's opinion may be necessary or desirable to perform the terms of this resolution.”
Unless otherwise instructed, the persons named in the enclosed proxy or voting instruction form intend to vote such proxy or voting instruction form in favour of the approval of the RSU Plan. The directors of the Company recommend that Shareholders vote in favour of the approval of the RSU Plan. To be adopted, this resolution is required to be passed by the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by Shareholders at the Meeting.
Following approval of the RSU Plan by the Company’s Shareholders, further shareholder approval will not be required for RSU grants made under the RSU Plan until October 23, 2027.
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APPROVAL OF SHARE CONSOLIDATION
Shareholders are being asked to consider and, if thought advisable, to approve the special resolution set out herein (the “ Consolidation Resolution ”) authorizing an amendment to the Company’s articles to consolidate its issued and outstanding common shares (the “ Consolidation ”). The board of directors (the “ Board ”) believes Shareholder approval of a range of consolidation ratios (rather than a single consolidation ratio) up to one post-consolidation common share for up to seven (7) preconsolidation common shares and up to one post-consolidation common share for up to (50) pre-consolidation common shares provides the Board with flexibility to achieve the desired aims of the Consolidation, as set out below. If the Consolidation resolution is approved, the Consolidation will be implemented, if at all, only upon a determination by the Board that the Consolidation is in the best interests of the Company and its Shareholders at that time. In connection with any determination to implement a Consolidation, the Board will set the timing for such a consolidation and select the specific ratio from within the range set forth in the Consolidation Resolution.
Approval of the Consolidation Resolution by Shareholders would give the Board the authority to implement the Consolidation, in its sole discretion, at any time within one year of the date of Shareholder approval of the Consolidation Resolution. The full text of the Consolidation Resolution approving the proposed Consolidation is set out below.
Although Shareholder approval for the Consolidation is being sought at the Meeting, the Consolidation would become effective at a date in the future, if and when the Board considers it to be in the best interest of the Company to implement the Consolidation. Notwithstanding the approval of the proposed Consolidation by Shareholders, the Board, in its sole discretion, may revoke the Consolidation Resolution and abandon the Consolidation without further approval by or prior notice to Shareholders.
Background and reasons for the Share Consolidation
In the opinion of management of the Company, the current share structure of the Company will make it more difficult or impossible for the Company to attract business opportunities or any additional equity financing that may be required by the Company or to allow for the funding of its ongoing operations and business. Management is of the opinion that a consolidation of the common shares may increase its flexibility and present additional opportunities with respect to potential business transactions, including equity financings, if determined by the Company to be necessary. Increased interest from institutional investors, investment funds and others could also ultimately improve the trading liquidity of the common shares.
Effect of Consolidation
If approved and implemented, the Consolidation will occur simultaneously for all of the Company’s issued and outstanding common shares. The common shares will be consolidated at a ratio to be determined by the Board in its sole discretion within the applicable range and as such following the completion of the proposed Consolidation, the number of common shares issued and outstanding will depend on the ratio selected by the Board.
The implementation of the Consolidation would not affect the total Shareholders’ equity of the Company or any components of Shareholders’ equity as reflected on the Company’s financial statements except to change the number of issued and outstanding common shares to reflect the Consolidation.
No Fractional Shares to be Issued
No fractional Shares will be issued in connection with the Share Consolidation and, in the event that a Shareholder would otherwise be entitled to receive a fractional Share upon the Share Consolidation, such fraction will be rounded down to the nearest whole number with no additional consideration.
Effect on Convertible Securities
The exercise or conversion price and/or the number of common shares issuable under any outstanding convertible securities, including under outstanding options, warrants, rights, and any other similar securities of the Company will be proportionately adjusted upon the implementation of the Consolidation, in accordance with the terms of such securities, on the same basis as the Consolidation.
Certain Risks Associated with the Consolidation
No Guarantee of an Increased Share Price - Reducing the number of common shares through the Consolidation is intended, absent other factors, to increase the per share market price of the common shares; however, the market price of the common shares will also be based on the Company’s financial and operational results, its available capital and liquidity resources, the state of the market for the Common Shares at the time, general economic, geopolitical, market and industry conditions, the market perception of the Company’s business and other factors and contingencies, which are unrelated to the number of shares outstanding. As a result, there can be no assurance that the market price of the common shares will in fact increase following the Consolidation or will not decrease in the future.
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No Guarantee of Improved Trading Liquidity - While the Board believes that a higher share price could help to attract institutional investors, investments funds and others who have internal policies that prohibit them from purchasing stocks below a certain minimum price and, in respect of institutional investors, tend to discourage individual brokers from recommending such stocks to their customers, the Consolidation may not result in a per share market price that will attract institutional investors, investment funds or others and such share price may not satisfy the investing guidelines of institutional investors, investment funds or others. As a result, the trading liquidity of the shares may not improve.
The Consolidation will not materially affect any of the Company’s Shareholder’s percentage ownership in the Company, even though such ownership will be represented by a smaller number of shares. No fractional Post-Consolidation Shares will be issued as a result of the Consolidation. No fractional post-consolidation common shares will be issued and no cash paid in lieu of fractional post-consolidation common shares, such that any fractional interest in common shares resulting from the Share Consolidation will be rounded down to the nearest whole common share.
Procedure for Registered Shareholders
If the Consolidation Resolution is approved by Shareholders at the Meeting and implemented by the Board, and it is determined that new share certificates or DRS advice representing the post-consolidation common shares are to be issued, a letter of transmittal will be mailed to Registered Shareholders (the “ Letter of Transmittal ”) providing instructions with respect to exchanging their certificates representing pre-consolidation common shares for post-consolidation common shares. In order to obtain a certificate(s) or DRS advice representing the post-consolidation common shares if and after giving effect to the Consolidation, each Shareholder will be requested to complete and execute the Letter of Transmittal and deliver the same to Endeavor Trust Company, who act as the Company’s depositary, together with their common share certificate(s), if applicable, in accordance with the instructions set out in the Letter of Transmittal. Certificates or DRS advice that are surrendered shall be exchanged for new certificates or DRS advice representing the number of post-consolidation common shares to which such Shareholder is entitled as a result of the Consolidation. No delivery of a new certificate to a Shareholder will be made until the Shareholder has surrendered its existing certificates. Upon the Consolidation taking effect each share certificate representing pre-consolidation common shares shall be deemed for all purposes to represent the number of post consolidation common shares to which the holder is entitled as a result of the Consolidation.
Shareholders are advised NOT to mail in the certificates representing their common shares until they receive a Letter of Transmittal and confirmation from the Company by way of news release that the Board has decided to implement the Consolidation.
Non-Registered Shareholders
Non-registered Shareholders holding the common shares through a bank, broker or other nominee should note that such banks, brokers or other nominees may have different procedures for processing the Consolidation than those put in place by the Company for registered Shareholders. If you hold common shares with such bank, broker or other nominee and if you have questions in this regard, you are encouraged to contact your nominee to obtain instructions for processing the Consolidation.
No Dissent Rights
Under the OBCA, Shareholders do not have dissent and appraisal rights with respect to the proposed Share Consolidation.
Resolution
The text of the special resolution approving the Consolidation is as follows:
“ BE IT RESOLVED as a special resolution that:
-
the board of directors of the Company (the “ Board ”) is authorized to take such actions as are necessary to consolidate (the “ Consolidation ”) all of the issued and outstanding common shares at such a consolidation ratio to be determined by the Board in its sole discretion;
-
the Board be and is hereby authorized in its sole direction to fix the ratio to be used in the Consolidation, provided that such ratio shall not exceed one (1) post-consolidation common share for every fifty (50) pre-consolidation common shares outstanding;
-
in the event that the consolidation ratio would otherwise result in the issuance to any shareholder of a fractional post-consolidation common share, no fractional post-consolidation common shares shall be issued and such fraction will be rounded down to the nearest whole number with no additional consideration;
-
the Board, in its sole discretion, may act upon this resolution to effect the Consolidation, or, if deemed appropriate and without any further approval from the shareholders of the Company, may choose not to act upon this ordinary
-
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resolution notwithstanding shareholder approval of the Consolidation, and it is authorized to revoke this special resolution in its sole discretion at any time prior to effecting the Consolidation;
-
the effective date of such consolidation shall be the date shown in the certificate of amendment issued by the Director appointed under the OBCA or such other date indicated in the articles of amendment provided that, in any event, such date shall be on any date prior to the date that is one year from the date of approval of this special resolution by shareholders;
-
any officer or director of the Company is authorized to cancel (or cause to be cancelled) any certificates evidencing the existing common shares and to issue (or cause to be issued) certificates representing the new common shares to the holders thereof; and
-
any officer or director of the Company is hereby authorized for and on behalf of the Company to execute, deliver and file all such documents, whether under the corporate seal of the Company or otherwise, and to do and perform all such acts or things as may be necessary or desirable in order to give effect to the foregoing special resolution, including, without limitation, the determination of the effective date of the consolidation and the delivery of articles of amendment in the prescribed form to the Director appointed under the OBCA, the execution, delivery or filing of any such document or the doing of any such act or thing being conclusive evidence of such determination.”
Recommendation of the Board
The Company’s management believes that the approval of the Share Consolidation is in the best interest of the Company and recommends that Shareholders of the Company vote in favour of approving the Share Consolidation.
In order to be effective, the OBCA requires that the Consolidation Resolution be approved by a special resolution of Shareholders, being a majority of not less than two-thirds of the votes cast by Shareholders present or by proxy at the Meeting.
Unless you give instructions otherwise, the Management Proxyholders intend to vote FOR the Share Consolidation.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS
There are no management functions of the Company which are to any substantial degree performed by a person or company other than the directors or executive officers of the Company.
Other Matters
As of the date of this Information Circular, management knows of no other matters to be acted upon at the Meeting. However, should any other matters properly come before the Meeting, the Common Shares represented by the Proxy solicited hereby will be voted on such matters in accordance with the best judgment of the persons voting the Common Shares represented by the Proxy.
Additional Information
Additional information relating to the Company is available through the Company's profile on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca. Shareholders may contact the Company at (604) 687-2038 to request copies of the Company’s financial statements and/or MD&A.
Financial information on the Company is provided in the Company’s audited and comparative financial statements and management discussion and analysis for the most recently completed financial year ended September 30, 2023, which are filed on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca.
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BOARD APPROVAL
The contents of this Circular have been approved and its mailing authorized by the directors of the Company.
DATED at Vancouver, British Columbia, the 25th day of June, 2024.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Signed: “Ashish Malik”
Ashish Malik Chief Executive Officer
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SCHEDULE "A" Change of Auditor Package
BEE VECTORING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL INC. NOTICE OF CHANGE OF AUDITOR
TO: DNTW Toronto LLP
AND TO: DAVISON & COMPANY LLP
TAKE NOTICE THAT:
-
(a) DAVISON & COMPANY LLP, the former auditors (the “ Former Auditors ”) of Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. (the " Company ") have been requested to tender their resignation as the auditors of the Company effective December 8, 2023 and the directors of the Company on December 8, 2023 appointed DNTW Toronto LLP (the “ Successor ”), as the Company’s successor auditors;
-
(b) the Former Auditors were requested to resign by the Company;
-
(c) the resignation of the Former Auditors and the appointment of the Successor has been approved by the audit committee and confirmed by the board of directors of the Company;
-
(d) there have been no reservations contained in the Former Auditor's reports on any of the previous financial statements of the Company; and
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(e) there are no reportable events (as defined in National Instrument 51-102).
DATED at Toronto, Ontario, Canada this 8th day of December 2023.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD
“Michael Collinson”
Michael Collinson, Director
December 11, 2023
British Columbia Securities Commission
PO Box 10142, Pacific Centre 701 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC V7Y 1L2
Ontario Securities Commission
20 Queen Street West, 19[th] Floor, Box 55 Toronto, ON M5H 3S8
Alberta Securities Commission 600, 250 – 5[th] Street S.W. Calgary, AB T2P 0R4
Dear Sirs / Mesdames
Re: Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. (the "Company") Notice Pursuant to NI 51 – 102 of Change of Auditor
In accordance with National Instrument 51-102, we have read the Company’s Change of Auditor Notice dated December 8, 2023 and agree with the information contained therein, based upon our knowledge of the information at this date.
Should you require clarification or further information, please do not hesitate to contact the writer.
Yours very truly,
==> picture [237 x 51] intentionally omitted <==
DAVIDSON & COMPANY LLP Chartered Professional Accountants
cc: Canadian Securities Commission
==> picture [468 x 54] intentionally omitted <==
December 8, 2023
Ontario Securities Commission Alberta Securities Commission British Columbia Securities Commission
Dear Sirs/Mesdames:
– Re: Notice of Change of Auditor Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. (the
“Corporation”)
We acknowledge receipt of a Notice of Change of Auditor (the “Notice”) dated December 8, 2023 delivered to us by the Corporation.
As required by National Instrument 51-102 (Part 4.11), we have reviewed the Notice and confirm our agreement with the statements contained in the Notice as it pertains to our firm.
Yours truly,
DNTW Toronto LLP
Chartered Professional Accountants Licensed Public Accountants
SCHEDULE “B”
AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARTER
General
The Audit Committee is a committee of the Board. Its primary function is to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities by reviewing the financial information to be provided to the shareholders and others, the systems of internal controls and management information systems that management has established under supervision of the Audit Committee, the Company’s internal and external audit process and monitoring compliance with the Company's legal and regulatory requirements with respect to its financial statements.
The Audit Committee is accountable to the Board. In the course of fulfilling its specific responsibilities hereunder, the Audit Committee is expected to attempt to maintain an open communication between the Company’s external auditors and the Board.
The responsibilities of a member of the Audit Committee are in addition to such member's duties as a member of the Board.
The Audit Committee does not plan or perform audits or warrant the accuracy or completeness of the Company's financial statements or financial disclosure or compliance with generally accepted accounting procedures as these are the responsibility of management and the external auditors.
Membership
The Audit Committee consists of at least three directors who shall serve on behalf of the Board. The members are appointed annually by the Board and shall meet the independence, financial literacy and experience requirements of the CSE and other regulatory agencies as required.
Procedural Matters
The Audit Committee shall be governed by the Committee Terms of Reference adopted by the Board, save as modified by the following procedural requirements and powers. The Audit Committee:
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(a) Shall meet at least four times per year, either by telephone conference or in person.
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(b) May invite the Company’s external auditors, the Chief Financial Officer, and such other persons are deemed appropriate by the Audit Committee to attend meetings of the Audit Committee.
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(c) Shall report material decisions and actions of the Audit Committee to the Board, together with such recommendations as the Committee may deem appropriate, at the next Board meeting.
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(d) Shall review the performance of the Audit Committee on an annual basis and report to the Board.
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(e) Shall review and assess the Mandate for the Audit Committee at least annually and submit any proposed revisions to the Board for approval.
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(f) Has the power to conduct or authorize investigations into any matter within the scope of its responsibilities. It has the right to engage independent counsel and other advisors as it determines necessary to carry out its duties and the right to set the compensation for any advisors employed by the Audit Committee.
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(g) Has the right to communicate directly with the CFO and other members of management who have responsibility for the audit process (“internal audit management”), if applicable, and external auditors.
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(h) Has the right to pre-approve non-audit services (subject to ratification by the Board at its next meeting) to be performed by the external auditors. The Audit Committee may delegate certain pre-approval functions for non-audit services to one or more independent members of its Committee if it first adopts specific policies and procedures respecting same and provided such decisions are presented to the full Audit Committee for approval at its next meeting.
No business may be transacted by the Audit Committee except at a meeting of its members at which a quorum of the Committee is present or by resolution in writing signed by all the members of the Committee. A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum, provided that if the number of members of the Committee is an even number, one-half of the number of members plus one shall constitute a quorum.
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The Audit Committee shall have the authority to engage independent counsel and other advisors as the Audit Committee may deem appropriate in its sole discretion and to set and pay the compensation for any advisors employed by the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee shall not be required to obtain the approval of the Board in order to retain or compensate such consultants or advisors.
The Audit Committee shall have access to any and all books and records of the Company necessary for the execution of the Committee’s obligations and shall discuss with the CEO or CFO such records and other matters considered appropriate.
Responsibilities
The Audit Committee has primary responsibility for the selection, appointment, dismissal, compensation and oversight of the external auditors, subject to the overall approval of the Board. For this purpose, the Audit Committee may consult with management.
External Auditors
The responsibilities of the Audit Committee are to:
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(a) Recommend to the Board:
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(i) whether the current external auditor should be reappointed for the ensuing year and the amount of compensation payable; and
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(ii) if the current external auditor is not to be reappointed, select and recommend a suitable alternative.
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(b) Oversee the work of the external auditors engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an auditors’ report or performing other audit, review or attest services for the Company.
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(c) Resolve disagreements, if any, between management and the external auditors regarding financial reporting. It accomplishes this by querying management and the external auditors. The Audit Committee provides the Board with such recommendations and reports with respect to the financial statements of the Company as it deems advisable.
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(d) Take reasonable steps to confirm the independence of the external auditors, including but not limited to pre-approving any non-audit related services provided by the external auditors to the Company or the Company’s subsidiaries, if any, with a view to ensuring independence of the auditors, and in accordance with any applicable regulatory requirements, including the requirements of the CSE with respect to approval of non-audit related services performed by the external auditors.
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(e) Obtain from the external auditors confirmation that the external auditors are a ‘participating audit’ firm for the purpose of National Instrument 52-108 (Auditor Oversight) and are in compliance with governing regulations.
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(f) Review and evaluate the performance of the external auditors including the external auditors’ internal quality-control procedures.
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(g) Review and approve the Company’s hiring policies regarding partners, employees and former partners and employees of the Company's external auditors.
Internal Auditors
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(h) The Audit Committee is to assist Board oversight of the performance of the Company’s internal audit function, if any. In connection with the Company’s internal audit function, if any, the Audit Committee shall:
-
(i) review the terms of reference of the internal auditor, if any, and meet with the internal auditor as the Audit Committee may consider appropriate to discuss any concerns or issues;
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(j) in consultation with the external auditor and the internal audit group, review the adequacy of the Company’s internal control structure and procedures designed to ensure compliance with laws and regulations and any special audit steps adopted in light of material deficiencies and controls;
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(k) review the internal control report prepared by management, including management’s assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control structure and procedures for financial reporting; and
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(l) periodically review with the internal auditor, if any, any significant difficulties, disagreements with management or scope restrictions encountered in the course of the work of the internal auditor.
Audit and Review Process and Results
The Audit Committee has a duty to receive, review and make any inquiry regarding the completeness, accuracy and presentation of the Company’s financial statements to ensure that the financial statements fairly present the financial position and risks of the organization and that they are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. To accomplish this, the Audit Committee is required to:
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(a) Review annually the Company’s internal system of audit and financial controls, internal audit procedures and results of such audits.
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(b) Prior to the annual audit by external auditors, consider the scope and general extent of the external auditors’ review, including their engagement letter.
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(c) Ensure the external auditors have full, unrestricted access to required information and have the cooperation of management.
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(d) Review with the external auditors, in advance of the audit, the audit process and standards, as well as regulatory or Company-initiated changes in accounting practices and policies and the financial impact thereof, and selection or application of appropriate accounting principles.
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(e) Review with the external auditors and, if necessary, legal counsel, any litigation, claim or contingency, including tax assessments, that could have a material effect upon the financial position of the Company and the manner in which these matters are being disclosed in the financial statements. Review the appropriateness and disclosure of any off-balance sheet matters. Review disclosure of related-party transactions.
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(f) Receive and review with the external auditors, the external auditors' audit report and the audited financial statements. Make recommendations to the Board respecting approval of the audited financial statements.
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(g) Meet with the external auditors separately from management to review the integrity of the Company’s financial reporting, including the clarity of financial disclosure and the degree of conservatism or aggressiveness of the accounting policies and estimates, performance of internal audit management, any significant disagreements or difficulties in obtaining information, adequacy of internal controls over financial reporting and the degree of compliance of the Company with prior recommendations of the external auditors. The Audit Committee shall direct management to implement such changes as the Audit Committee considers appropriate, subject to any required approvals of the Board arising out of the review.
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(h) Meet at least annually with the external auditors, independent of management, and report to the Board on such meetings.
Interim Financial Statements and MD&A
The Board has delegated to the Audit Committee the power to approve the Company’s interim financial statements and management's discussion and analysis. The Audit Committee shall:
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(a) Review on an annual basis the Company’s practice with respect to review of interim financial statements by the external auditors.
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(b) Conduct all such reviews and discussions with the external auditors and management as it deems appropriate.
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(c) Review and, if appropriate approve the interim financial statements and management's discussion and analysis.
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(d) Review the interim financial statements with the external auditors if the external auditors conduct a review of the interim financial statements.
Involvement with Management
The Audit Committee has primary responsibility for overseeing the actions of management in all aspects of financial management and reporting. The Audit Committee:
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(a) Shall review all public disclosure of financial information extracted from the Company’s financial statements prior to such information being made public by the Company and for such purpose, the CEO assumes responsibility for providing the information to the Audit Committee for their review.
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(b) Review material financial risks with management, the plan that management has implemented to monitor and deal with such risks and the success of management in following the plan.
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(c) Consult annually and otherwise as required with the Company’s CEO and CFO respecting the adequacy of the internal controls and review any breaches or deficiencies.
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(d) Obtain such certifications by the CEO and CFO attesting to internal controls, disclosure and procedures as deemed advisable.
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(e) Review management’s response to significant written reports and recommendations issued by the external auditors and the extent to which such recommendations have been implemented by management.
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(f) Review as required with management annual financial statements, quarterly financial statements, management’s discussion & analysis, Annual Information Forms, future-oriented financial information or pro-forma information and other financial disclosure in continuous disclosure documents.
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(g) Review with management the Company’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations respecting financial matters.
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(h) Review with management proposed regulatory changes and their impact on the Company.
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(i) Review with management and approve public disclosure of the Audit Committee Mandate in the Company’s Annual Information Form, Information Circular and on the Company’s website.
Complaints
Complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters may be submitted to the Audit Committee, attention: The Chair. Complaints may be made anonymously and, if not made anonymously, the identity of the person submitting the complaint will be kept confidential. Upon receipt of a complaint, the Chair will conduct or designate a member of the Audit Committee to conduct an initial investigation. If the results of that initial investigation indicate there may be any merit to the complaint, the matter will be brought before the Audit Committee for a determination of further investigation and action. Records of complaints made and the resulting action or determination with respect to the complaint shall be documented and kept in the records of the Audit Committee for a period of three years.
Reporting
The Audit Committee shall report to the Board of Directors at its regularly scheduled meetings.
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SCHEDULE "C"
STOCK OPTION PLAN OF BEE VECTORING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL INC. (effective as of September 18, 2020)
PART 1 - INTRODUCTION
1.01 Purpose
The purpose of the Plan is to secure for the Corporation and its shareholders the benefits of incentive inherent in share ownership by the directors, officers, key employees and, subject to the terms and conditions herein, consultants of the Corporation and its Affiliates who, in the judgment of the Board, will be largely responsible for its future growth and success.
1.02 Definitions
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(a) "Affiliate" has the meaning ascribed thereto in the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) as amended from time to time.
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(b) "Associate" has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Securities Act (Ontario).
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(c) "Blackout Period" means a period during which the Corporation prohibits Optionees from exercising their Options.
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(d) "Board" means the board of directors of the Corporation.
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(e) "Code" means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
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(f) "Consultant" has the meaning ascribed to such term in Policy 4.4.
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(g) "Corporation" means BEE Vectoring Technologies International Inc., a corporation duly continued under the laws of the Province of Ontario, and its Affiliates, if any, and includes any successor or assignee entity or entities into which the Corporation may be merged, changed, or consolidated; any entity for whose securities the securities of the Corporation shall be exchanged; and any assignee of or successor to substantially all of the assets of the Corporation.
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(h) "Market Price" has the meaning ascribed to such term in Policy 1.1.
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(i) "Disability" or "Disabled" means permanent and total disability as defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code.
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(j) "Eligible Person" shall mean an officer or director of the Corporation (" Executive ") or an employee of the Corporation (" Employee ") or a Management Company Employee or a Consultant.
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(k) "Exchange" means the Canadian Venture Exchange.
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(l) "Exercise Notice" means the U.S. Optionee Exercise Notice or the Non-U.S. Optionee Exercise Notice, as applicable.
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(m) "Exercise Price" means the price at which an Option may be exercised as determined in accordance with section 2.03.
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(n) "Fair Market Value" means, if the Shares are listed on any national securities exchange within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, the closing sales price, if any, on the largest such exchange on the valuation date, or, if none, on the most recent trade date immediately prior to the valuation date provided such trade date is no more than thirty (30) days prior to the valuation date. If the
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Shares are not then listed on any such exchange, or there has been no trade date within such thirty (30) day period, the fair market value shall be determined in good faith by the Board.
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(o) "Section 422 Stock Option" means an Option which is intended to qualify as an incentive stock option under Section 422 of the Code.
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(p) "Insider" has the meaning ascribed to that term in Policy 1.1.
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(q) "Investor Relations Activities" has the meaning ascribed to such term in Policy 1.1.
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(r) "Management Company Employee" has the meaning ascribed to such term in Policy 4.4.
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(s) "Material Information" has the meaning ascribed to such term in Policy 1.1.
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(t) "Non-U.S. Optionee Exercise Notice" means the notice respecting the exercise of an Option, substantially in the form attached to the Option Certificate as Appendix I, duly executed by the Optionee.
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(u) "Option" shall mean an option granted under the terms of the Plan.
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(v) "Option Certificate" means the certificate, substantially in the form set out as Schedule “A” hereto, evidencing an Option.
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(w) "Option Period" shall mean the period during which an option may be exercised.
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(x) "Optionee" shall mean an Eligible Person to whom an Option has been granted under the terms of the Plan.
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(y) "Outstanding Issue" means the number of Shares outstanding on a non-diluted basis.
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(z) "Plan" means the stock option plan established and operated pursuant to Part 2 hereof.
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(aa) "Policy 1.1" means the Exchange’s Policy 1.1 entitled "Interpretation" as amended from time to time.
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(bb) "Policy 4.4" means the Exchange’s Policy 4.4 entitled "Incentive Stock Options" as amended from time to time.
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(cc) "Shares" shall mean the common shares of the Corporation.
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(dd) "U.S. Optionee Exercise Notice" means the notice respecting the exercise of an Option, substantially in the form attached to the Option Certificate as Appendix II, duly executed by the Optionee.
PART 2 - SHARE OPTION PLAN
2.01 Participation
Options shall be granted only to Eligible Persons.
2.02 Determination of Option Recipients
The Board shall make all necessary or desirable determinations regarding the granting of Options to Eligible Persons and may take into consideration the present and potential contributions of a particular Eligible Person to the success of the Corporation and any other factors which it may deem proper and relevant.
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2.03 Price
The price at which an Optionee may purchase a Share upon the exercise of an Option shall be determined from time to time by the Board and shall be as set forth in the Option Certificate issued in respect of such Option but, in any event, shall not be less than the Market Price, and in the case of an Eligible Person employed or performing services in the United States or otherwise subject to Section 409A of the Code, shall not be less than Fair Market Value on the date of grant. If the Optionee owns directly or by reason of the applicable attribution rules more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Corporation, the Option price per share of the Shares covered by each Option which is intended to be a Section 422 Stock Option shall be not less than one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value on the date of the grant.
2.04 Grant of Options
The Board may at any time authorize the granting of Options to such Eligible Persons as it may select for the number of Shares that it shall designate, subject to the provisions of the Plan. The date of each grant of Options shall be determined by the Board when the grant is authorized. Except for the setting of the Option price hereunder, no Option shall be granted and no purported grant of any Option shall be effective until such Option Certificate shall have been duly executed on behalf of the Corporation.
In the event that Options are granted to Employees, Management Company Employees or Consultants, the Corporation represents that such Optionees shall be bona fide Employees, Management Company Employees or Consultants, as the case may be.
The Corporation may at the time of granting options hereunder provide for additional terms and conditions which are not inconsistent with Part 2 hereof including, without limitation, terms and conditions deferring or delaying the date at which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part. Such additional terms and conditions shall be as set forth in the Option Certificate issued in respect of such Option.
The Option Certificate of any Option which is intended to qualify as an Section 422 Stock Option shall contain such limitations and restrictions upon the exercise of the Option as shall be necessary in order that such Option qualifies as an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code. Further, the Option Certificate authorized under the Plan shall be subject to such other terms and conditions including, without limitation, restrictions upon the exercise of the Option, as the Board shall deem advisable and which are not inconsistent with the requirements of Section 422 of the Code.
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing provisions, the Board may authorize the grant of an Option to a person not then in the employ of the Corporation or of an Affiliate, conditioned upon such person becoming eligible to become an Eligible Person at or prior to the execution of the Option Certificate evidencing the actual grant of such Option.
2.05 Term of Options
Unless otherwise expired pursuant to the terms of the Plan, all Options granted to an Optionee pursuant to this Plan shall expire at the close of business ten (10) years from the date of grant or such earlier date as the Board shall decide when the Option is granted, subject to earlier termination as herein provided; provided, however, that if the Option price is required under section 2.03 to be at least 110% of Fair Market Value, each such Option shall terminate not more than five (5) years from the date of the grant thereof, and shall be subject to earlier termination as herein provided.
Upon the expiration of the Option Period, the Options granted shall forthwith expire and terminate and be of no further force or effect whatsoever as to such of the Shares in respect of which the Option hereby granted has not then been exercised.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the expiration of the Option Period falls within a Blackout Period the expiration of the Option Period shall be automatically extended for ten (10) business days after the expiry of the Blackout Period on the condition that (i) the Blackout Period was formally imposed by the Corporation pursuant to its
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internal trading policies as a result of the bona fide existence of undisclosed Material Information, (ii) the Blackout Period must be deemed to have expired upon the general disclosure of the undisclosed Material Information, and (iii) the automatic extension of an Optionee’s options will not be permitted where the Optionee or the Corporation is subject to a cease trade order (or similar order under applicable securities laws) in respect of the Corporation’s securities.
No Optionee or his or her legal representative, legatees or distributees will be, or will be deemed to be, a holder of any Shares subject to an Option, unless and until certificates for such Shares are issued to him, her or them or a securities intermediary with whom the Optionee (or his or her legal representative, legatees or distributees) has an account, is recorded as the owner of such Shares in a book-entry system under the terms of the Plan.
2.06 Exercise of Options
Except as set forth in section 2.10, no Option may be exercised unless the Optionee is at the time of such exercise;
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(a) in the case of an Employee, in the employ of the Corporation or any Affiliate and shall have been continuously so employed since the grant of his or her Option, or have been a Consultant of the Corporation during such time thereafter, but absence on leave, having the approval of the Corporation or such Affiliate, shall not be considered an interruption of employment for any purpose of the Plan;
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(b) in the case of a Consultant, under contract with the Corporation or any Affiliate and shall have been continuously so contracted since the grant of the Option; or
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(c) in the case of an Executive, a director or officer of the Corporation or any Affiliate and shall have been such a director or officer continuously since the grant of his or her Option.
No Option may be exercised by an Optionee until the Plan has been approved by the shareholders of the Corporation.
The exercise of any Option will be contingent upon receipt by the Corporation of cash payment of the full Exercise Price of the Shares being purchased by 5:00 p.m. (EST) on the last day of the Option Period by delivering to the Corporation the applicable form of Exercise Notice, the applicable Option Certificate and a certified cheque or bank draft payable to the Corporation in an amount equal to the aggregate Exercise Price of the Shares to be purchased pursuant to the exercise of the Option.
2.07 Vesting of Options
Executives, Employees, Management Company Employees and Consultants
All Options granted to an Eligible Person, other than Optionees performing Investor Relations Activities, pursuant to this Plan shall vest and become fully exercisable as determined by the Board when the Option is granted.
Optionees performing Investor Relations Activities
All Options granted to Optionees performing Investor Relations Activities, pursuant to this Plan shall vest and become full exercisable as follows or as determined by the Board when the Option is granted, but in any event such Options shall not vest any sooner:
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(a) one quarter (1/4) of the Options on the date which is three (3) months from the date said Options are granted;
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(b) one quarter (1/4) of the Options on the date which is six (6) months from the date said Options are granted;
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(c) one quarter (1/4) of the Options on the date which is nine (9) months from the date said Options are
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granted; and
- (d) the final one quarter (1/4) of the Options on the date which is twelve (12) months from the date said Options are granted.
2.08 Restrictions on Grant of Options
The granting of Options shall be subject to the following conditions:
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(a) not more than two (2%) percent of the Outstanding Issue may be granted to any one Consultant in any 12 month period, calculated at the date an Option is granted;
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(b) not more than an aggregate of two (2%) percent of the Outstanding Issue may be granted in aggregate to Eligible Persons conducting Investor Relations Activities in any 12 month period, calculated at the date an Option is granted;
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(c) unless the Corporation has obtained disinterested shareholder approval, not more than five (5%) percent of the Outstanding Issue may be issued to any one individual in any 12 month period, calculated at the date an Option is granted;
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(d) unless the Corporation has obtained disinterested shareholder approval, not more than an aggregate of ten (10%) percent of the Outstanding Issue may be issued to Insiders in any 12 month period, calculated at the date an Option is granted;
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(e) unless the Corporation has obtained disinterested shareholder approval, not more than an aggregate of ten (10%) percent of the Outstanding Issue may be issuable to Insiders at any time; and
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(f) unless the Corporation has obtained disinterested shareholder approval, the Corporation shall not decrease the Exercise Price of Options previously granted to Insiders.
No Options shall be granted after the expiration of ten (10) years from the earlier of the date of the adoption of the Plan by the Corporation or the approval of the Plan by the stockholders of the Corporation, and provided further, that the fair market value of the Shares (determined at the time the Option is granted) as to which Options designated as Section 422 Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by any Eligible Person during any single calendar year (under the Plan and under any other incentive stock option plan of the Corporation or an Affiliate) shall not exceed US$100,000.
If disinterested shareholder approval is required, the proposed grant(s) or plan must be approved by a majority of the votes cast by all shareholders at the shareholders’ meeting excluding votes attaching to shares beneficially owned by (i) Insiders to whom options may be granted under the stock option plan; and (ii) Associates of such Insiders. Holders of non-voting and subordinate voting shares must be given full voting rights on a resolution that requires disinterested shareholder approval.
2.09 Lapsed Options
If Options are surrendered, terminated or expire without being exercised in whole or in part, new Options may be granted covering the Shares not purchased under such lapsed Options.
2.10 Effect of Termination of Employment, Death or Disability
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(a) If an Optionee shall die while employed or retained by the Corporation, or while an Executive, any Options held by the Optionee at the date of death, which have vested pursuant to section 2.07, shall become exercisable, in whole or in part, but only by the persons or persons to whom the Optionee's rights under the Option shall pass by the Optionee's will or the laws of descent and distribution (the " Successor Optionee "). All such Options shall be exercisable only to the extent
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that the Optionee was entitled to exercise the Option at the date of his or her death and only for one (1) year after the date of death or prior to the expiration of the Option Period in respect thereof, whichever is sooner, except that in the event the expiration of the Option Period is earlier than one (1) year after the date of death, with the consent of the Exchange, the Options shall be exercisable for up to one (1) year after the date of death of the Optionee as determined by the Board. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board, in its discretion, may resolve that up to all of the Options held by an Optionee at the date of death which have not yet vested shall vest immediately upon death.
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(b) If the employment or engagement of an Optionee shall terminate with the Corporation due to Disability while the Optionee is employed or retained by the Corporation, any Option held by the Optionee on the date the employment or engagement of the Optionee is terminated due to Disability, which have vested pursuant to section 2.07, shall become exercisable, in whole or in part. All such Options shall be exercisable only to the extent that the Optionee was entitled to exercise the Option at the date of his or her termination due to Disability and only for one (1) year after the date of termination or prior to the expiration of the Option Period in respect thereof, whichever is sooner, provided that Options that become exercisable due to Disability shall only be exercisable by the person or persons who have the legal authority to act on behalf of the Optionee in connection with the rights of the Optionee to the Options. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board, in its discretion, may resolve that up to all of the Options held by an Optionee on the date the employment or engagement of the Optionee is terminated due to Disability which have not yet vested shall vest immediately upon such date.
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(c) Subject to section 2.10 (d), if an Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person (other than as provided in section 2.10 (a) or (b)), any Options held by the Optionee on the date such Optionee ceased to be an Eligible Person, which have vested pursuant to section 2.07, shall be exercisable only to the extent that the Optionee was entitled to exercise the Option at the date such Optionee ceased to be an Eligible Person and only for [ninety (90)] days after the date such Optionee ceased to be an Eligible Person, subject to the Board’s discretion to extend such period for up to one (1) year, or prior to the expiration of the Option Period in respect thereof, whichever is sooner. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board, in its discretion, may resolve that up to all of the Options held by an Optionee on the date the Optionee ceased to be an Eligible Person which have not yet vested shall vest immediately upon such date.
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(d) If the employment of an Employee or Consultant is terminated for cause (as determined by the Board) no Option held by such Optionee may be exercised following the date upon which Termination occurred.
To the extent required by law, the Company shall make adjustments to, and interpret, the Options as required by the U.S. Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.
2.11 Effect of Offer or Sale
If at any time when the Option hereby granted remains unexercised with respect to any Shares, (a) a general offer to purchase all of the issued shares of the Corporation is made by a third party or (b) the Corporation proposes to sell all or substantially all of its assets and undertaking or to merge, amalgamate or be absorbed by or into any other company (save and except for a subsidiary or subsidiaries of the Corporation) under any circumstances which involve or may involve or require the liquidation of the Corporation, a distribution of its assets among its shareholders, or the termination of its corporate existence, the Corporation shall use its reasonable best efforts to provide notice of such offer or proposal to the Optionee as soon as practicable and (i) the Corporation may, at its option, permit the Option hereby granted to be exercised, as to all or any of the Optioned Shares in respect of which such Option has not previously been exercised by the Optionee at any time up to and including (but not after) a date twenty (20) days following the date of notice of such offer, sale or other similar transaction or prior to the close of business on the expiration date of the Option Period, whichever is the later; and (ii) the Corporation may, at its option, determine that upon the expiration of such twenty (20) day period, all rights to exercise the Option shall terminate and cease to have any further force or effect.
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The Corporation may, in its sole discretion and without the consent of Optionees, provide for one or more of the following: (i) the assumption of the Plan and outstanding Options by the surviving entity or its parent; (ii) the substitution by the surviving entity or its parent of Options with substantially the same terms for such outstanding Options; (iii) immediate exercisability of such outstanding Options followed by cancellation of such Options; and (iv) settlement of the intrinsic value of the outstanding vested Options in cash or cash equivalents or equity followed by the cancellation of all Options (whether or not then vested or exercisable).
2.12 Effect of Amalgamation, Consolidation or Merger
If the Corporation amalgamates, consolidates with or merges with or into another corporation, upon the exercise of an Option following such amalgamation, consolidation or merger, the Optionee shall be entitled to receive, and shall accept, in lieu of Shares, the securities, property or cash which the Optionee would have received upon such amalgamation, consolidation or merger if the Optionee had exercised his Option and held Shares immediately prior to the effective date of such amalgamation, consolidation or merger, and the number of Shares and the option price shall be adjusted appropriately by the directors of the Corporation and such adjustment shall be binding for all purposes herein.
2.13 Adjustment in Shares Subject to the Plan
If there is any change in the Shares through or by means of a declaration of stock dividends of Shares or consolidations, subdivisions or reclassification of Shares, or otherwise, the number of Shares available under the Plan, the Shares subject to any Option, and the Exercise Price thereof shall be adjusted appropriately by the Board and such adjustment shall be effective and binding for all purposes of the Plan. No such adjustment shall be made under the Plan which shall, within the meaning of Sections 424 and 409A of the Code, constitute such a modification, extension, or renewal of an Option as to cause the adjustment to be considered as the grant of a new Option.
2.14 Hold Period
All Options and any Shares issued on the exercise of Options may be subject to and legended with a four month hold period commencing on the date the Options were granted pursuant to the rules of the Exchange and applicable securities laws. Any Shares issued on the exercise of Options may be subject resale restrictions contained in National Instrument 45-102 – Resale of Securities which would apply to the first trade of the Shares.
2.15 Notification of Grant of Option
Following the granting of an Option by the Board, the Corporation shall notify the Optionee in writing of the Option and shall enclose with such notice the Option Certificate representing the Option so granted. Each Optionee, concurrently with the notice of the grant of an Option, shall be provided with a copy of the Plan.
2.16 Options Granted To Corporations
Except in relation to a Consultant that is a corporation, Options may only be granted to an individual or a corporation that is wholly-owned by an Eligible Person. If a corporation is an Optionee, it must provide the Exchange with a completed Form 4F – Certification and Undertaking Required from a Corporation Granted an Incentive Stock Option . The corporation must agree not to effect or permit any transfer of ownership or option of shares of the corporation nor to issue further shares of any class in the corporation to any other individual or entity as long as the Option remains outstanding, except with the written consent of the Exchange.
PART 3 - GENERAL
3.01 Number of Shares
The aggregate number of Shares that may be reserved for issuance, at any time, under the Plan and under any other share compensation arrangement adopted by the Corporation, including the Corporation’s Restricted Share Unit Plan, shall not exceed 20% of the total Outstanding Issue as at the date hereof.
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3.02 Transferability
All benefits, rights and options accruing to any Optionee in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Plan shall not be transferable or assignable unless specifically provided herein. During the lifetime of an Optionee, all benefits, rights and options may only be exercised by the Optionee.
3.03 Employment
Nothing contained in any Plan shall confer upon any Optionee any right with respect to employment or continuance of employment with the Corporation or any Affiliate, or interfere in any way with the right of the Corporation or any Affiliate to terminate the Optionee's employment at any time. Participation in any Plan by an Optionee is voluntary.
3.04 Approval of Plan
Options issued under the Plan shall only become exercisable after the Plan has been approved by the shareholders of the Corporation; provided, however:
-
(a) unless consistent with the terms contained herein and approved by the Board, nothing contained herein shall in any way affect Options previously granted by the Corporation and currently outstanding;
-
(b) the Plan must receive shareholder approval yearly, at the Corporation's annual general meeting.
The obligation of the Corporation to sell and deliver Shares in accordance with the Plan is subject to the approval of any governmental authority having jurisdiction or any stock exchanges on which the Shares are listed for trading which may be required in connection with the authorization, issuance or sale of such Shares by the Corporation. 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 Corporation to issue such Shares shall terminate and any Optionee's option price paid to the Corporation shall be returned to the Optionee.
3.05 Administration of the Plan
The Board is authorized to interpret the Plan from time to time and to adopt, amend and rescind rules and regulations for carrying out the Plan. 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 Corporation and all costs in respect thereof shall be paid by the Corporation.
3.06 Income Taxes
As a condition of and prior to participation in the Plan, if requested by the Board, a Optionee shall authorize the Corporation in written form to withhold from any remuneration otherwise payable to such Optionee any amounts required by any taxing authority to be withheld for taxes of any kind as a consequence of such participation in the Plan.
In addition, if the Corporation is required under the Income Tax Act (Canada) or any other applicable law to make source deductions in respect of employee stock option benefits to the Optionee and to remit to the applicable governmental authority an amount on account of tax on the value of the taxable benefit associated with the issuance of Shares on exercise of Options, then the Optionee shall (i) pay to the Corporation, in addition to the Exercise Price for the Options, sufficient cash as is reasonably determined by the Corporation to be the amount necessary to permit the required tax remittance, (ii) authorize the Corporation, on behalf of the Optionee, to sell in the market on such terms and at such time or times as the Corporation determines a portion of the Shares being issued upon exercise of the Options to realize cash proceeds to be used to satisfy the required tax remittance, or (iii) make other arrangements acceptable to the Corporation to fund the required tax remittance.
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3.07 Amendments to the Plan
The Board reserves the right to amend, modify or terminate the Plan at any time if and when it is advisable in the absolute discretion of the Board. However, any amendments of the Plan which could result, at any time, in:
-
(a) a material increase in the benefits under the Plan; or
-
(b) an increase in the number of Shares which would be issued under the Plan (except any increase resulting automatically from an increase in the total Outstanding Issue); or
-
(c) a material modification in the requirement as to eligibility for participation in the Plan;
shall be effective only upon the approval of the shareholders of the Corporation. Any amendment to any provision of the Plan shall be subject to approval, if required, by any regulatory body having jurisdiction over the securities of the Corporation.
3.08 No Representation or Warranty
The Corporation makes no representation or warranty as the future market value of any Shares issued in accordance with the provisions of the Plan.
3.09 Interpretation
The Plan will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the laws of Canada applicable therein.
3.10 Savings Clause
This Plan is intended to comply in all respects with applicable law and regulations, including Section 409A of the Code. In case any one or more provisions of this Plan shall be held invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any respect under applicable law and regulation (including Section 409A of the Code), the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and the invalid, illegal, or unenforceable provision shall be deemed null and void; however, to the extent permitted by law, any provision that could be deemed null and void shall first be construed, interpreted, or revised retroactively to permit this Plan to be construed in compliance with all applicable law (including Section 409A of the Code) so as to foster the intent of this Plan.
3.11 Compliance with Applicable Law, etc.
If any provision of the Plan or of any Option Certificate delivered pursuant to the Plan contravenes any law or any order, policy, by-law or regulation of any regulatory body or stock exchange having authority over the Corporation or the Plan then such provision shall be deemed to be amended to the extent required to bring such provision into compliance therewith.
SCHEDULE “A”
INSERT DATE THAT IS FOUR MONTHS AND A DAY FROM THE GRANT DATE.
Insert the following U.S. legend if the Option is being issued to an Optionee who is in the United States or who is a U.S. person:
[THE OPTION REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE AND THE COMMON SHARES ISSUABLE UPON EXERCISE THEREOF HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE "U.S. SECURITIES ACT"), OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE HOLDER HEREOF, BY ACQUIRING SUCH SECURITIES, AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CORPORATION THAT SUCH SECURITIES MAY BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED ONLY (A) TO THE CORPORATION, (B) OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 904 OF REGULATION S UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LOCAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS, (C) PURSUANT TO THE EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT PROVIDED BY RULE 144 THEREUNDER, IF AVAILABLE, AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, OR (D) IN A TRANSACTION THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE REGISTRATION UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OR ANY APPLICABLE STATE LAWS AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE OFFER AND SALE OF SECURITIES, AND IT HAS, IN THE CASE OF EACH OF (C) AND (D), PRIOR TO SUCH TRANSFER FURNISHED TO THE CORPORATION AN OPINION OF COUNSEL OF RECOGNIZED STANDING IN FORM AND SUBSTANCE SATISFACTORY TO THE CORPORATION TO SUCH EFFECT.]
BEE VECTORING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL INC.
STOCK OPTION PLAN OPTION CERTIFICATE
This Certificate is issued pursuant to the provisions of the BEE Vectoring Technologies International Inc. (the “ Corporation ”) stock option plan (the “ Plan ”) and evidences that ______ is the holder (the “ Optionee ”) of an option (the “ Option ”) to purchase up to ____ common shares (the “ Shares ”) in the capital stock of the Corporation at a purchase price of CAD$______ per Share (the “ Exercise Price ”).
The Plan provides for the granting of stock options that either (i) are intended to qualify as “Incentive Stock Options” within the meaning of Section 422 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (“ Section 422 Stock Options ”), as amended (the “ Code ”), or (ii) do not qualify as Section 422 Stock Options (“ Non-Qualified Stock Options ”). This Option is intended to be (select one):
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Subject to the provisions of the Plan:
(a) the effective date of the grant of the Option is _, 20_; (b) the Option expires at 5:00 p.m. (EST) on __, 20; and (c) the Options shall vest as follows:
| Date | Percent of Stock Options Vested |
Number of Stock Options Vested |
Aggregate Number of Stock Options Vested |
|---|---|---|---|
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The vested portion or portions of the Option may be exercised at any time and from time to time from and including the date of the grant of the Option through to 5:00 p.m. (EST) on the expiration date of the Option Period by delivering to the Corporation, in the case of a person other than a U.S. Person, the form of Exercise Notice attached as Appendix “I” hereto, and in the case of a U.S. Person, the form of Exercise Notice attached as Appendix “II” hereto, together with this Certificate and a certified cheque or bank draft payable to the Corporation in an amount equal to the aggregate of the Exercise Price of the Shares in respect of which the Option is being exercised.
All Options and any Shares issued on the exercise of Options may be subject to resale restrictions and may be subject to and legended with a four month hold period commencing on the date the Options were granted pursuant to the rules of the Exchange and applicable securities laws. The Options hereby granted are subject to the approval of the Exchange.
This Certificate and the Option evidenced hereby is not assignable, transferable or negotiable and is subject to the detailed terms and conditions contained in the Plan, the terms and conditions of which the Optionee hereby expressly agrees with the Corporation to be bound by. This Certificate is issued for convenience only and in the case of any dispute with regard to any matter in respect hereof, the provisions of the Plan and the records of the Corporation shall prevail.
If the Optionee is a U.S. person or is located in the United States, the Optionee acknowledges and agrees as follows:
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(a) The Option and the Shares (collectively, the “ Securities ”) have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ U.S. Securities Act ”), or the securities laws of any state of the United States, and the Option is being granted to the Optionee in reliance on an exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws.
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(b) The Securities will be “restricted securities”, as defined in Rule 144 under the U.S. Securities Act, and the rules of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission provide in substance that the Optionee may dispose of the Securities only pursuant to an effective registration statement under the U.S. Securities Act or an exemption therefrom, and the Corporation has no obligation to register any of the Securities or to take action so as to permit sales pursuant to the U.S. Securities Act (including Rule 144 thereunder, if available).
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(c) If the Optionee decides to offer, sell or otherwise transfer any of the Shares, the Optionee will not offer, sell or otherwise transfer the Option directly or indirectly, unless:
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(i) the sale is to the Corporation;
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(ii) the sale is made outside the United States in a transaction meeting the requirements of Rule 904 of Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act (“ Regulation S ”) and in compliance with applicable local laws and regulations;
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(iii) the sale is made pursuant to the exemption from the registration requirements under the U.S. Securities Act provided by Rule 144 thereunder, if available, and in accordance with any applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws; or
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(iv) the Shares are sold in a transaction that does not require registration under the U.S. Securities Act or any applicable state laws and regulations governing the offer and sale of securities;
and, in the case of each of (iii) and (iv) it has prior to such sale furnished to the Corporation an opinion of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation stating that such transaction is exempt from registration under applicable securities laws.
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(d) The Option may not be exercised by or for the account or benefit of a person in the United States or a U.S. person unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws, unless an exemption from such registration requirements is available.
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(e) The certificate(s) representing the Shares will be endorsed with the following or a similar legend until such time as it is no longer required under the applicable requirements of the U.S. Securities Act or applicable state securities laws:
“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, (THE “U.S. SECURITIES ACT”), OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE HOLDER HEREOF, BY PURCHASING SUCH SECURITIES, AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CORPORATION, THAT SUCH SECURITIES MAY BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED ONLY (A) TO THE CORPORATION; (B) OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 904 OF REGULATION S UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT; (C) IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT PROVIDED BY RULE 144 THEREUNDER, IF AVAILABLE, AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS; OR (D) IN A TRANSACTION THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE REGISTRATION UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND, IN THE CASE OF CLAUSE (C) OR (D), THE SELLER FURNISHES TO THE CORPORATION AN OPINION OF COUNSEL OF RECOGNIZED STANDING IN FORM AND SUBSTANCE SATISFACTORY TO THE CORPORATION TO SUCH EFFECT. THE PRESENCE OF THIS LEGEND MAY IMPAIR THE ABILITY OF THE HOLDER HEREOF TO EFFECT “GOOD DELIVERY” OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY ON A CANADIAN STOCK EXCHANGE.”
provided, that if the Shares are being sold outside the United States in compliance with the requirements of Rule 904 of Regulation S and such Shares were issued at a time when the Corporation is a “foreign issuer” as defined in Regulation S, the legend set forth above may be removed by providing an executed declaration to the registrar and transfer agent of the Corporation, in substantially the form set forth in Appendix “III” hereto (or in such other form as the Corporation may prescribe from time to time) and, if requested by the Corporation or the transfer agent, an opinion of counsel of recognized standing in form and substance satisfactory to the Corporation and the transfer agent to the effect that such sale is being made in compliance with Rule 904 of Regulation S; and provided, further, that, if any Shares are being sold otherwise than in accordance with Regulation S and other than to the Corporation, the legend may be removed by delivery to the registrar and transfer agent and the Corporation of an opinion of counsel, of recognized standing reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation, that such legend is no longer required under applicable requirements of the U.S. Securities Act or state securities laws.
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(f) Rule 905 of Regulation S provides in substance that any “restricted securities” that are equity securities of a “domestic issuer” (including an issuer that no longer qualifies as a “foreign issuer”) will continue to be deemed to be restricted securities notwithstanding that they were acquired in a resale transaction pursuant to Rule 901 or 904 of Regulation S; that Rule 905 of Regulation S will apply in respect of Shares if the Corporation is not a “foreign issuer” at the time of exercise of the related Options; and that the Corporation is not obligated to remain a “foreign issuer”.
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(g) “ Domestic issuer ”, “ foreign issuer ”, “ United States ” and “ U.S. person ” are as defined in Regulation S.
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(h) If the Optionee is resident in the State of California on the effective date of the grant of the Option, then, in addition to the terms and conditions contained in the Plan and in this Certificate, the Optionee acknowledges that the Corporation, as a reporting issuer under the securities legislation in certain Provinces of Canada, is required to publicly file with the securities regulators in those jurisdictions continuous disclosure documents, including audited annual financial statements and unaudited quarterly financial statements (collectively, the “ Financial Statements ”). Such filings
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are available on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR), and documents filed on SEDAR may be viewed under the Corporation’s profile at the following website address: www.sedar.com. Copies of Financial Statements will be made available to the undersigned by the Corporation upon the undersigned’s request. Copies of Financial Statements will be made available to the Optionee by the Corporation upon the Optionee’s request.
All terms not otherwise defined in this Certificate shall have the meanings given to them under the Plan.
Dated this _ day of _, 20.
BEE VECTORING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL INC.
Per:
Authorized Signatory
APPENDIX “I”
STOCK OPTION PLAN EXERCISE NOTICE FOR NON-U.S. OPTIONEES
TO: BEE VECTORING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL INC. (the “Corporation”)
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The undersigned (the “ Optionee ”), being the holder of options to purchase ____ common shares of the Corporation at the exercise price of __ per share, hereby irrevocably gives notice, pursuant to the stock option plan of the Corporation (the “ Plan ”), of the exercise of the Option to acquire and hereby subscribes for ____ of such common shares of the Corporation.
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The Optionee tenders herewith a certified cheque or bank draft payable to the Corporation in an amount equal to the aggregate Exercise Price of the aforesaid common shares exercised and directs the Corporation to issue a share certificate evidencing said common shares in the name of the Optionee to be mailed to the Optionee at the following address:
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By executing this Exercise Notice, the Optionee hereby confirms that the undersigned has read the Plan and agrees to be bound by the provisions of the Plan. All terms not otherwise defined in this Exercise Notice shall have the meanings given to them under the Plan or the attached Option Certificate.
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The Optionee is resident in ________ [name of country/province].
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The Optionee represents, warrants and certifies that the Optionee at the time of exercise of the Option is not in the United States, is not a “U.S. person” as defined in Regulation S under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”) and is not exercising the Option on behalf of, or for the account or benefit of a U.S. person or a person in the United States and did not execute or deliver this exercise form in the United States.
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The undersigned Optionee hereby represents, warrants, acknowledges and agrees that there may be material tax consequences to the Optionee of an acquisition or disposition of any of the Shares. The Corporation gives no opinion and makes no representation with respect to the tax consequences to the Optionee under Canadian, Provincial, local or foreign tax law of the undersigned’s acquisition or disposition of such securities.
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The undersigned Optionee hereby represents, warrants, acknowledges and agrees that the certificate(s) representing the Shares may be subject to and legended with a four month hold period commencing on the date the Options were granted pursuant to the rules of the Exchange and applicable securities laws.
DATED the _ day of ____, _.
Signature of Optionee
APPENDIX “II”
STOCK OPTION PLAN EXERCISE NOTICE FOR U.S. OPTIONEES
TO: BEE VECTORING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL INC. (the “Corporation”)
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The undersigned (the “ Optionee ”), being the holder of options to purchase ____ common shares of the Corporation at the exercise price of __ per share, hereby irrevocably gives notice, pursuant to the stock option plan of the Corporation (the “ Plan ”), of the exercise of the Option to acquire and hereby subscribes for ____ of such common shares of the Corporation.
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The Optionee tenders herewith a certified cheque or bank draft payable to the Corporation in an amount equal to the aggregate Exercise Price of the aforesaid common shares exercised and directs the Corporation to issue a share certificate evidencing said common shares in the name of the Optionee to be mailed to the Optionee at the following address:
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By executing this Exercise Notice, the Optionee hereby confirms that the undersigned has read the Plan and agrees to be bound by the provisions of the Plan. All terms not otherwise defined in this Exercise Notice shall have the meanings given to them under the Plan or the attached Option Certificate.
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The Optionee is resident in
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the State of ___________, or
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the District of Columbia, or
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______, a Territory of the United States of America.
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The Optionee represents, warrants and certifies as follows (please check the category that applies):
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(a) the Optionee is a natural person who is either: (i) a director, officer or employee of the Corporation or of a majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation (each, an “ Eligible Company Optionee ”), (ii) a consultant who is providing bona fide services to the Corporation or a majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation that are not in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction, and do not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the Corporation's securities (an “ Eligible Consultant ”), or (iii) a former Eligible Company Optionee or Eligible Consultant; OR
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(b) the Optionee has delivered to the Corporation and the Corporation’s transfer agent an opinion of counsel (which will not be sufficient unless it is in form and substance satisfactory to the Corporation) or such other evidence satisfactory to the Corporation to the effect that with respect to the securities to be delivered upon exercise of the Option, the issuance of such securities has been registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws is available;
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The undersigned Optionee further represents, warrants, acknowledges and agrees that:
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(a) funds representing the subscription price for the Shares which will be advanced by the undersigned to the Corporation upon exercise of the Options will not represent proceeds of crime for the purposes of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and
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Obstruct Terrorism Act (the “ PATRIOT Act ”), and the undersigned acknowledges that the Corporation may in the future be required by law to disclose the undersigned's name and other information relating to this exercise form and the undersigned's subscription hereunder, on a confidential basis, pursuant to the PATRIOT Act. No portion of the subscription price to be provided by the undersigned (i) has been or will be derived from or related to any activity that is deemed criminal under the laws of the United States of America, or any other jurisdiction, or (ii) is being tendered on behalf of a person or entity who has not been identified to or by the undersigned, and it shall promptly notify the Corporation if the undersigned discovers that any of such representations ceases to be true and provide the Corporation with appropriate information in connection therewith;
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(b) the financial statements of the Corporation have been prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles or International Financial Reporting Standards, which differ in some respects from United States generally accepted accounting principles, and thus may not be comparable to financial statements of United States companies;
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(c) there may be material tax consequences to the Optionee of an acquisition or disposition of any of the Shares. The Corporation gives no opinion and makes no representation with respect to the tax consequences to the Optionee under United States, state, local or foreign tax law of the undersigned’s acquisition or disposition of such securities. In particular, no determination has been made whether the Corporation will be a “passive foreign investment company” within the meaning of Section 1297 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; and
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(d) if the undersigned has marked Box 5(a) above, the Corporation may rely on the registration exemption in Rule 701 under the U.S. Securities Act and a state registration exemption, but only if such exemptions are available; in the event such exemptions are determined by the Corporation to be unavailable, the undersigned may be required to provide additional evidence of an available exemption, including, without limitation, the legal opinion contemplated by Box 5(b).
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If the undersigned has marked Box 5(a) above on the basis that the exercise of the Option is subject to the registration exemption in Rule 701 under the U.S. Securities Act and an available state registration exemption, the undersigned also acknowledges and agrees that:
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(a) the Shares have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or the securities laws of any state of the United States, and the Shares will be issued as “restricted securities” (as such term is defined in Rule 144(a)(3) under the U.S. Securities Act) and may not be offered, sold, pledged, or otherwise transferred, directly or indirectly, without prior registration under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws absent an exemption from such registration requirements; and
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(b) the certificate(s) representing the Shares will be endorsed with a U.S. restrictive legend substantially in the form set forth in the Option Certificate until such time as it is no longer required under the applicable requirements of the U.S. Securities Act or applicable state securities laws.
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The undersigned Optionee hereby represents, warrants, acknowledges and agrees that the certificate(s) representing the Shares may be subject to and legended with a four month hold period commencing on the date the Options were granted pursuant to the rules of the Exchange and applicable securities laws.
DATED the _ day of ____, _.
Signature of Optionee
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APPENDIX “III”
STOCK OPTION PLAN FORM OF DECLARATION FOR REMOVAL OF LEGEND
TO: BEE Vectoring Technologies International Inc. (the “ Company ”)
AND TO: Registrar and transfer agent for the common shares of the Company
The undersigned (a) acknowledges that the sale of ______ (the " Securities ") of the Company, represented by certificate number _________, to which this declaration relates is being made in reliance on Rule 904 of Regulation S (“ Regulation S ”) under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), and (b) certifies that (1) the undersigned is not (A) an "affiliate" of the Company (as that term is defined in Rule 405 under the U.S. Securities Act), (B) a "distributor" as defined in Regulation S or (C) an affiliate of a distributor; (2) the offer of such securities was not made to a person in the United States and either (A) at the time the buy order was originated, the buyer was outside the United States, or the seller and any person acting on its behalf reasonably believed that the buyer was outside the United States, or (B) the transaction was executed on or through the facilities of the Toronto Stock Exchange, the TSX Venture Exchange, the Canadian Securities Exchange or another "designated offshore securities market", and neither the seller nor any person acting on its behalf knows that the transaction has been prearranged with a buyer in the United States; (3) neither the seller nor any affiliate of the seller nor any person acting on any of their behalf has engaged or will engage in any "directed selling efforts" in the United States in connection with the offer and sale of such securities; (4) the sale is bona fide and not for the purpose of "washing off" the resale restrictions imposed because the securities are "restricted securities" (as such term is defined in Rule 144(a)(3) under the U. S. Securities Act); (5) the seller does not intend to replace the securities sold in reliance on Rule 904 of Regulation S with fungible unrestricted securities; and (6) the contemplated sale is not a transaction, or part of a series of transactions, which, although in technical compliance with Regulation S, is part of a plan or scheme to evade the registration provisions of the U. S. Securities Act. Terms used herein have the meanings given to them by Regulation S.
Dated ___.
X Signature of individual (if Seller is an individual)
X
Authorized signatory (if Seller is not an individual)
Name of Seller ( please print )
Name of authorized signatory ( please print )
Official capacity of authorized signatory ( please print )
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Affirmation by Seller's Broker-Dealer (Required for sales pursuant to Section (b)(2)(B) above)
We have read the foregoing representations of our customer, ____ (the " Seller ") dated ____, with regard to the sale, for such Seller's account, of ___ common shares (the " Securities ") of the Company represented by certificate number __. We have executed sales of the Securities pursuant to Rule 904 of Regulation S under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ U.S. Securities Act ”), on behalf of the Seller. In that connection, we hereby represent to you as follows:
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(1) no offer to sell Securities was made to a person in the United States;
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(2) the sale of the Securities was executed in, on or through the facilities of the Toronto Stock Exchange, the TSX Venture Exchange, the Canadian Securities Exchange or another designated offshore securities market (as defined in Rule 902(b) of Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act), and, to the best of our knowledge, the sale was not pre-arranged with a buyer in the United States;
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(3) no “directed selling efforts” were made in the United States by the undersigned, any affiliate of the undersigned, or any person acting on behalf of the undersigned; and
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(4) we have done no more than execute the order or orders to sell the Securities as agent for the Seller and will receive no more than the usual and customary broker’s commission that would be received by a person executing such transaction as agent.
For purposes of these representations: “ affiliate ” means a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the undersigned; “ directed selling efforts ” means any activity undertaken for the purpose of, or that could reasonably be expected to have the effect of, conditioning the market in the United States for the Securities (including, but not be limited to, the solicitation of offers to purchase the Securities from persons in the United States); and “ United States ” means the United States of America, its territories or possessions, any State of the United States, and the District of Columbia.
Legal counsel to the Company shall be entitled to rely upon the representations, warranties and covenants contained herein to the same extent as if this affirmation had been addressed to them.
Dated: 20___.
Name of Firm
By:
Authorized Officer
SCHEDULE "D"
RESTRICTED SHARE UNIT PLAN OF BEE VECTORING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL INC.
(effective as of September 18, 2020)
PART 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
Establishment and Purpose
1.1 The Company hereby establishes a Restricted Share Unit plan, in this document referred to as the “Plan”.
1.2 The purpose of the Plan is to secure for the Company and its shareholders the benefits of incentive inherent in share ownership by Eligible Persons who, in the judgment of the Board, will be responsible for its future growth and success. The Board also contemplates that through the Plan, the Company will be better able to compete for and retain the services of the individuals needed for the continued growth and success of the Company.
1.3 Restricted Share Units granted pursuant to this Plan will be used to compensate Eligible Persons who have forgone salary to assist the Company in cash management in exchange for the grant of Restricted Share Units and incentive stock options under the Company’s stock option plan.
Definitions
1.4 In this Plan:
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(a) “Applicable Withholding Tax” means any and all taxes and other source deductions or other amounts which the Company is required by Applicable Law to withhold from any amounts paid or credited to a Participant under the Plan, which the Company determines to withhold in order to fund remittance obligations;
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(b) “Award” means an award of Restricted Share Units under this Plan represented by a Restricted Share Unit Notice;
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(c) “Award Payout” means the applicable Share issuance in respect of a vested Restricted Share Unit pursuant and subject to the terms and conditions of this Plan and the applicable Award;
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(d) “Board” means the board of directors of the Company;
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(e) “Business Day” means means a day upon which the Canadian Securities Exchange is open for trading;;
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(f) “Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;
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(g) “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board or other committee of the Board, consisting of not less than three directors, to whom the authority of the Board is delegated in accordance with Section 1.8 hereof;
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(h) “Consultant” means an individual or Consultant Company other than an Employee or a Director of the Company, that (i) provides ongoing consulting, technical, management or other services to the Company or to an Affiliate of the Company; (ii) provides the services under a written contract between the Company or the Affiliate and the individual or the Consultant Company; (iii) spends or will spend a significant amount of time and attention on the affairs and business of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company; and (iv) has a relationship with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company that enables the individual to be knowledgeable about the business and affairs of the Company;
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(i) “Company” means Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc., and includes any successor Company thereto;
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(j) “Director” means a member of the Board;
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(k) “Eligible Person” means any person who is an Employee, Officer, Director or a Management Company Employee or a Consultant;
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(l) “Employee” means an employee of the Company or of a Related Entity;
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(m) “Expiry Date” means the earlier of (i) five (5) years from the date of vesting of a Restricted Share Unit, and (ii) ten (10) years from the Grant Date;
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(n) “Grant Date” means the date of grant of any Restricted Share Unit;
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(o) “Insider” means has the meaning ascribed to that term pursuant to the British Columbia Securities Act;
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(p) “Management Company Employee” means an individual employed by a corporation providing management services to the Company which are required for the ongoing successful operation of the business enterprise of the Company, but excluding a person engaged in Investor Relations Activities;
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(q) “Officer” means an individual who is an officer of the Company or of a Related Entity as an appointee of the Board or the board of directors of the Related Entity, as the case may be;
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(r) “Outstanding Issue” means the number of Shares outstanding on a non-diluted basis;
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(s) “Participant” means an Eligible Person who may be granted Restricted Share Units from time to time under this Plan;
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(t) “Plan” means this Restricted Share Unit Plan, as amended from time to time;
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(u) “Restricted Share Unit” means a right granted under this Plan to receive the Award Payout on the terms contained in this Plan as more particularly described in Section 4.1 hereof;
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(v) “Related Entity” means a person that is controlled by the Company. For the purposes of this Plan, a person (first person) is considered to control another person (second person) if the first person, directly or indirectly, has the power to direct the management and policies of the second person by virtue of
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(i) ownership of or direction over voting securities in the second person,
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(ii) a written agreement or indenture,
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(iii) being the general partner or controlling the general partner of the second person, or
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(iv) being a trustee of the second person;
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(w) “Required Approvals” has the meaning contained in Section 64.1 hereof;
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(x) “Securities Act” means the Securities Act (Ontario), as amended from time to time;
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(y) “Share” means a common share in the capital of the Company as from time to time constituted;
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(z) “Total Disability” means, with respect to a Participant, that, solely because of disease or injury, within the meaning of the long-term disability plan of the Company, the Participant, is deemed by a qualified physician selected by the Company to be unable to work at any occupation which the Participant, is reasonably qualified to perform;
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(aa) “Trigger Date” means the date a Participant requests the issuance of Shares, pursuant to a Trigger Notice, issuable upon vesting of an Award and prior to the Expiry Date;
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(bb) “Trigger Notice” means the notice respecting the issuance of Shares pursuant to vested Restricted Share Unit(s), substantially in the form attached to Restricted Share Unit Notice, duly executed by the Participant; and
Interpretation
1.5 For all purposes of this Plan, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
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(a) any reference to a statute shall include and shall, unless otherwise set out herein, be deemed to be a reference to such statute and to the regulations made pursuant thereto, with all amendments made thereto and in force from time to time, and to any statute or regulations that may be passed which has the effect of supplementing or superseding such statute or such regulations;
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(b) the singular includes the plural and vice-versa, and a reference to any of the feminine, masculine or neuter includes the other two;
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(c) any reference to “consent” or “discretion” of any person shall be construed as meaning that such person may withhold such consent arbitrarily or grant it, if at all, on such terms as the person sees fit, and may exercise all discretion fully and in unfettered manner; and
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(d) any reference to “including” or “inclusive” shall be construed as not restricting the generality of any foregoing or other provision.
Effective Date
1.6 This Plan will be effective on September 18, 2020. The Board may, in its discretion, at any time, and from time to time, issue Restricted Share Units to Eligible Persons as it determines appropriate under this Plan. However, any such issued Restricted Share Units may not be paid out until receipt of the necessary approvals from shareholders of the Company and any applicable regulatory bodies (the “ Required Approvals ”).
Administration
1.7 The Board is authorized to interpret this Plan from time to time and to adopt, amend and rescind rules and regulations for carrying out the Plan. The interpretation and construction of any provision of this Plan by the Board shall be final and conclusive. Administration of this Plan shall be the responsibility of the appropriate officers of the Company and all costs in respect thereof shall be paid by the Company.
Delegation to Committee
1.8 All of the powers exercisable hereunder by the Board may, to the extent permitted by law and as determined by a resolution of the Board, be delegated to a Committee including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, those referred to under §1.7 and all actions taken and decisions made by the Committee or by such officers in this regard will be final, conclusive and binding on all parties concerned, including, but not limited to, the Company, the Eligible Person, and their legal representatives.
Incorporation of Terms of Plan
1.9 Subject to specific variations approved by the Board all terms and conditions set out herein will be incorporated into and form part of each Restricted Share Unit granted under this Plan.
Maximum Number of Shares
1.10 The aggregate number of Shares that may be reserved for issuance, at any time, under this Plan and under any other share compensation arrangement adopted by the Company, including the Company’s incentive stock option plan(s), shall not exceed up to a maximum of 20% of the issued and outstanding Shares at the time of grant pursuant to awards granted under the 2020 Plans;
1.11 Any Shares subject to a Restricted Share Unit which has been granted under the Plan and which is cancelled or terminated in accordance with the terms of the Plan without being paid out in Shares as provided for in this Plan shall again be available under the Plan.
PART 2
AWARDS UNDER THIS PLAN
Eligibility
2.1 Awards will be granted only to Eligible Persons. If any Eligible Person is (pursuant to the terms of his or her employment, engagement or otherwise) subject to a requirement that he or she not benefit personally from an Award, the Committee may (in its discretion, taking into account relevant corporate, securities and tax laws) grant any Award to which such Person would otherwise be entitled to the Person’s employer or to any other entity designated by them that directly or indirectly imposes such requirement on the Person. The Committee shall have the power to determine other eligibility requirements with respect to Awards or types of Awards.
Limitation on Issuance of Shares to Insiders
2.2 Notwithstanding anything in this Plan, the Company shall not issue Shares under this Plan to any Eligible Person who is an Insider of the Company where such issuance would result in:
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(a) the total number of Shares issuable at any time under this Plan to Insiders, or when combined with all other Shares issuable to Insiders under any other equity compensation arrangements then in
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place, exceeding 10% of the total number of issued and outstanding equity securities of the Company on a non-diluted basis; and
- (b) the total number of Shares that may be issued to Insiders during any one year period under this Plan, or when combined with all other Shares issued to Insiders under any other equity compensation arrangements then in place, exceeding 10% of the total number of issued and outstanding equity securities of the Company on a non diluted basis.
PART 3 RESTRICTED SHARE UNITS
Participants
3.1 Restricted Share Units that may be granted hereunder to a particular Eligible Person in a calendar year will (subject to any applicable terms and conditions and the Board’s discretion) represent a right to a bonus or similar payment to be received for services rendered by such Eligible Person to the Company or a Related Entity, as the case may be, in the Company’s or the Related Entity’s fiscal year ending in, or coincident with, such calendar year.
Grant
3.2 The Board may, in its discretion, at any time, and from time to time, grant Restricted Share Units to Eligible Persons as it determines is appropriate, subject to the limitations set out in this Plan, and shall be as set forth in a Restricted Share Unit Notice delivered to such Participant. In making such grants the Board may, in its sole discretion but subject to Section 3.3 hereof, in addition to Performance Conditions set out below, impose such conditions on the vesting of the Awards as it sees fit, including imposing a vesting period on grants of Restricted Share Units.
Vesting
3.3 Except as provided in this Plan, Restricted Share Units issued under this Plan will vest and become subject to a Trigger Notice, only upon the date determined by the Board, or if applicable the Committee, which shall be as set forth in a Restricted Share Unit Notice delivered to such Participant.
Forfeiture and Cancellation Upon Expiry Date
3.4 Restricted Share Units which do not vest and have not been issued on or before the Expiry Date of such Restricted Share Unit will be automatically deemed cancelled, without further act or formality and without compensation.
Account
3.5 Restricted Share Units issued pursuant to this Plan (including fractional Restricted Share Units, computed to three digits) will be credited to a notional account maintained for each Participant by the Company for the purposes of facilitating the determination of amounts that may become payable hereunder. A written confirmation of the balance in each Participant’s account will be sent by the Company to the Participant upon request of the Participant.
Adjustments and Reorganizations
3.6 In the event of any dividend paid in shares, share subdivision, combination or exchange of shares, merger, consolidation, spin-off or other distribution of Company assets to shareholders, or any other change in the capital of the Company affecting Shares, the Board, in its sole and absolute discretion, will make, with respect to the number of Restricted Share Units outstanding under this Plan, any proportionate adjustments as it considers appropriate to reflect that change.
Notice and Acknowledgement
3.7 No certificates will be issued with respect to the Restricted Share Units issued under this Plan. Each Participant will, prior to being granted any Restricted Share Units, deliver to the Company a signed acknowledgement substantially in the form of Schedule “A” to this Plan.
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PART 4 PAYMENTS UNDER THE RESTRICTED SHARE UNITS
Payment of Restricted Share Units
4.1 Subject to the terms of this Plan and, without limitation, Section 3.3 hereof, the Company will pay out vested Restricted Share Units issued under this Plan and credited to the account of a Participant by issuing (net of any Applicable Withholding Tax) to such Participant, on or before the 10[th] Business Day following the Trigger Date but no later than the Expiry Date of such vested Restricted Share Unit, an Award Payout of, subject to receipt of the Required Approvals, one Share for such whole vested Restricted Share Unit. Fractional Shares shall not be issued and where a Participant would be entitled to receive a fractional Share in respect of any fractional vested Restricted Share Unit, the Company shall pay to such Participant, in lieu of such fractional Share, cash equal to the Vesting Date Value as at the Trigger Date of such fractional Share. Each Share issued by the Company pursuant to this Plan shall be issued as fully paid and non-assessable.
Award Payout
4.2 Upon the vesting of Restricted Share Units, no Shares will be issued by the Company to the Participant, until the receipt by the Company, on or before 5:00 p.m. (PT) on the Expiry Date of a Trigger Notice.
Effect of Termination of Employment or Engagement, Death or Disability
4.3 If a Participant shall die while employed or retained by the Company, or while an Officer or Director, the Expiry Date of any vested or unvested Restricted Share Units held by the Participant at the date of death, which have not yet been subject to a Trigger Notice and subsequent Award Payout, shall be amended to the earlier of (i) one (1) year after the date of death, and (ii) the Expiry Date of such Award, except that in the event the expiration of the Award is earlier than one (1) year after the date of death, with Required Approvals, the Expiry Date shall be up to one (1) year after the date of death as determined by the Board. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board, in its discretion, may resolve that up to all of the Restricted Share Units held by a Participant at the date of death which have not yet vested shall vest immediately upon death.
4.4 If the employment or engagement of a Participant shall terminate with the Company due to Total Disability while the Participant is employed or retained by the Company, the Expiry Date of any vested or unvested Restricted Share Units held by the Participant at the date of his or her termination due to Total Disability, which have not yet been subject to a Trigger Notice and subsequent Award Payout, shall be amended to the earlier of (i) one (1) year after the date of his or her termination due to Total Disability, and (ii) the Expiry Date of such Award, except that in the event the expiration of the Award is earlier than one (1) year after the date of his or her termination due to Total Disability, with Required Approvals, the Expiry Date shall be up to one (1) year after the date of his or her termination due to Total Disability as determined by the Board. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board, in its discretion, may resolve that up to all of the Restricted Share Units held by a Participant at the date of his or her termination due to Total Disability which have not yet vested shall vest immediately upon death.
4.5 Subject to Section 4.16 hereof, if a Participant ceases to be an Eligible Person (other than as provided in Section 4.3 or 4.4), the Expiry Date of any vested or unvested Restricted Share Units held by the Participant at the date such Participant ceased to be an Eligible Person, which have not yet been subject to a Trigger Notice and subsequent Award Payout, shall be amended to the earlier of (i) one (1) year after the date such Participant ceased to be an Eligible Person, and (ii) the Expiry Date of such Award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board, in its discretion, may resolve that up to all of the Restricted Share Units held by a Participant on the date the Participant ceased to be an Eligible Person which have not yet vested shall vest immediately upon such date.
4.6 If the employment of an Employee or Consultant is terminated for cause (as determined by the Board) no Restricted Share Units held by such Participant may be subject to a Trigger Notice following the date upon which termination occurred.
Tax Matters and Applicable Withholding Tax
4.7 The Company does not assume any responsibility for or in respect of the tax consequences of the grant to Participants of Restricted Share Units, or payments received by Participants pursuant to this Plan. The Company or relevant Related Entity, as applicable, is authorized to deduct any Applicable Withholding Tax, in such manner (including, without limitation, by selling Shares otherwise issuable to Participants, on such terms as the Company determines) as it determines so as to ensure that it will be able to comply with the applicable provisions of any
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federal, provincial, state or local law relating to the withholding of tax or other required deductions, or the remittance of tax or other obligations. The Company or relevant Related Entity, as applicable, may require Participants, as a condition of receiving amounts to be paid to them under this Plan, to deliver undertakings to, or indemnities in favour of, the Company or Related Entity, as applicable, respecting the payment by such Participant’s applicable income or other taxes.
4.8 To the extent required by law, the Company shall make adjustments to, and interpret, the Restricted Share Units as required by the U.S. Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.
PART 5 MISCELLANEOUS
Compliance with Applicable Laws
5.1 The issuance by the Company of any Restricted Share Units and its obligation to make any payments hereunder is subject to compliance with all applicable laws. As a condition of participating in this Plan, each Participant agrees to comply with all such applicable laws and agrees to furnish to the Company all information and undertakings as may be required to permit compliance with such applicable laws. The Company will have no obligation under this Plan, or otherwise, to grant any Restricted Share Unit or make any payment under this Plan in violation of any applicable laws.
The Company intends that the Awards and payments provided for in this Plan either be exempt from Section 409A of the Code, or be provided in a manner that complies with Section 409A of the Code, and any ambiguity herein shall be interpreted so as to be consistent with the intent of this Section 5.1. In no event whatsoever shall the Company be liable for any additional tax, interest or penalty that may be imposed on the any person by Section 409A of the Code or damages for failing to comply with Section 409A. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, all payments under this Plan to paid or provided at the time of a termination of employment or service will be paid at a termination of employment or service that constitutes a “separation from service” from the Company within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder (determined after applying the presumptions set forth in Treas. Reg. Section 1.409A-1(h)(1)). Further, if at the time of a Participant’s termination of employment with the Company, the Participant is a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A of the Code as determined by the Company in accordance with Section 409A of the Code, and the deferral of the commencement of any payments or benefits otherwise payable hereunder as a result of such termination of employment is necessary in order to prevent any accelerated or additional tax under Section 409A of the Code, then the Company will defer the payment hereunder until the date that is at least six (6) months following the Participant’s termination of employment with the Company (or the earliest date permitted under Section 409A of the Code).
Non-Transferability
5.2 Restricted Share Units and all other rights, benefits or interests in this Plan are non-transferable and may not be pledged or assigned or encumbered in any way and are not subject to attachment or garnishment, except that if a Participant dies the legal representatives of the Participant will be entitled to receive the amount of any payment otherwise payable to the Participant hereunder in accordance with the provisions hereof.
No Right to Service
5.3 Neither participation in this Plan nor any action under this Plan will be construed to give any Eligible Person or Participant a right to be retained in the service or to continue in the employment of the Company or any Related Entity, or affect in any way the right of the Company or any Related Entity to terminate his or her employment at any time.
Applicable Trading Policies
5.4 The Board and each Participant will ensure that all actions taken and decisions made by the Board or the Participant, as the case may be, pursuant to this Plan comply with any applicable securities laws and policies of the Company relating to insider trading or “blackout” periods.
Successors and Assigns
5.5 This Plan will enure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective legal representatives of the Eligible Person or Participants.
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Plan Amendment
5.6 The Board may amend this Plan as it deems necessary or appropriate, subject to the requirements of applicable laws, but no amendment will, without the consent of any Eligible Person or unless required by law (or for compliance with applicable corporate, securities or tax law requirements or related industry practice), adversely affect the rights of an Eligible Person or Participant with respect to Restricted Share Units to which the Eligible Person or Participant is then entitled under this Plan.
Plan Termination
5.7 The Board may terminate this Plan at any time, but no termination will, without the consent of the Participant or unless required by law, adversely affect the rights of a Participant respect to Restricted Share Units to which the Participant is then entitled under this Plan. In no event will a termination of this Plan accelerate the vesting of Restricted Share Units or the time at which a Participant would otherwise be entitled to receive any payment in respect of Restricted Share Units hereunder.
Governing Law
5.8 This Plan and all matters to which reference is made in this Plan will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein.
Reorganization of the Company
5.9 The existence of this Plan or Restricted Share Units will not affect in any way the right or power of the Company or its shareholders to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in the Company’s capital structure or its business, or to create or issue any bonds, debentures, Shares or other securities of the Company or to amend or modify the rights and conditions attaching thereto or to effect the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, or any amalgamation, combination, merger or consolidation involving the Company or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its assets or business, or any other corporate act or proceeding, whether of a similar nature or otherwise.
No Shareholder Rights
5.10 Restricted Share Units are not considered to be Shares or securities of the Company, and a Participant who is granted Restricted Share Units will not, as such, be entitled to receive notice of or to attend any shareholders’ meeting of the Company, nor entitled to exercise voting rights or any other rights attaching to the ownership of Shares or other securities of the Company, and will not be considered the owner of Shares by virtue of such issuance of Restricted Share Units.
No Other Benefit
5.11 No amount will be paid to, or in respect of, an Eligible Person under this Plan to compensate for a downward fluctuation in the fair market value or price of a Share, nor will any other form of benefit be conferred upon, or in respect of, an Eligible Person for such purpose.
Unfunded Plan
5.12 For greater certainty, the crediting of any Award to the notional accounts set out in this Plan for any Participant does not confer any entitlement, benefits, or any rights of a similar nature or otherwise, aside from the rights expressly set out in this Plan, and this Plan will be an unfunded plan, including for tax purposes and for purposes of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (United States). Any Participant to which Restricted Share Units are credited to his or her account or holding Restricted Share Units or related accruals under this Plan will have the status of a general unsecured creditor of the Company with respect to any relevant rights that may arise thereunder.
SCHEDULE “A”
BEE VECTORING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL INC.
RESTRICTED SHARE UNIT PLAN
RESTRICTED SHARE UNIT NOTICE
Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. (the “ Company ”) hereby confirms the grant to the undersigned (the “ Participant ”) of Restricted Share Units (“ Units ”) described in the table below pursuant to the Company’s Restricted Share Unit Plan (the “ Plan ”), a copy of which Plan has been provided to the undersigned Participant.
Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Notice have the respective meanings ascribed to them in the Plan.
Grant Date No. of Units Vesting Expiry Date
The Participant may elect to have Shares issued pursuant to the foregoing Units at any time and from time to time from and including the date Units vest through to 5:00 p.m. (PT) on the date that is the earlier of (i) five (5) years from the date of vesting, and (ii) ten (10) years from the Grant Date, by delivering to the Company the form of Trigger Notice attached as Appendix “I” hereto.
No Shares shall be issuable by the Company to the Participant in the event vesting does not occur prior to ten (10) years from the Grant Date.
DATED ____, 20__.
BEE VECTORING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL INC.
Per:
Authorized Signatory
The undersigned hereby accepts such grant, acknowledges being a Participant under the Plan, agrees to be bound by the provisions thereof and agrees that the Plan will be effective as an agreement between the Company and the undersigned with respect to the Units granted or otherwise issued to it.
[If the Units are being issued to a U.S. Participant, include the following additional provisions:]
The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that:
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The Units and any Shares that may be issued in respect of vested Units pursuant to the Plan have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ U.S. Securities Act ”), and will constitute “restricted securities” as such term is defined in Rule 144 under the U.S. Securities Act;
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The certificate(s) representing the Shares will be endorsed with the following or a similar legend until such time as it is no longer required under the applicable requirements of the U.S. Securities Act or applicable state securities laws:
“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, (THE “U.S. SECURITIES ACT”), OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE HOLDER HEREOF, BY PURCHASING SUCH SECURITIES, AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMPANY, THAT SUCH SECURITIES MAY BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED ONLY (A) TO THE COMPANY; (B) OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 904 OF REGULATION S UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT; (C) IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
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EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT PROVIDED BY RULE 144 THEREUNDER, IF AVAILABLE, AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS; OR (D) IN A TRANSACTION THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE REGISTRATION UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND, IN THE CASE OF CLAUSE (C) OR (D), THE SELLER FURNISHES TO THE COMPANY AN OPINION OF COUNSEL OF RECOGNIZED STANDING IN FORM AND SUBSTANCE SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY TO SUCH EFFECT. THE PRESENCE OF THIS LEGEND MAY IMPAIR THE ABILITY OF THE HOLDER HEREOF TO EFFECT “GOOD DELIVERY” OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY ON A CANADIAN STOCK EXCHANGE.”
provided, that if the Shares are being sold outside the United States in compliance with the requirements of Rule 904 of Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act (“ Regulation S ”) and the Shares were issued at a time when the Company is a “foreign issuer” as defined in Regulation S, the legend set forth above may be removed by providing an executed declaration to the registrar and transfer agent of the Company, in such form as the Company may prescribe from time to time and, if requested by the Company or the transfer agent, an opinion of counsel of recognized standing in form and substance satisfactory to the Company and the transfer agent to the effect that such sale is being made in compliance with Rule 904 of Regulation S; and provided, further, that, if any Shares are being sold otherwise than in accordance with Regulation S and other than to the Company, the legend may be removed by delivery to the registrar and transfer agent and the Company of an opinion of counsel, of recognized standing reasonably satisfactory to the Company, that such legend is no longer required under applicable requirements of the U.S. Securities Act or state securities laws; and
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The Company may be deemed to be an issuer that at a previous time has been an issuer with no or nominal operations and no or nominal assets other than cash and cash equivalents (a “ Shell Company ”), and if the Company is deemed to have been a Shell Company at any time previously, Rule 144 under the U.S. Securities Act may not be available for resales of the Shares except in very limited circumstances, and the Company is not obligated to make Rule 144 under the U.S. Securities Act available for resales of the Shares.
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If the undersigned is resident in the State of California on the effective date of the grant of the Units, then, in addition to the terms and conditions contained in the Plan and in this Notice, the undersigned acknowledges that the Company, as a reporting issuer under the securities legislation in certain Provinces of Canada, is required to publicly file with the securities regulators in those jurisdictions continuous disclosure documents, including audited annual financial statements and unaudited quarterly financial statements (collectively, the “ Financial Statements ”). Such filings are available on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR), and documents filed on SEDAR may be viewed under the Company’s profile at the following website address: www.sedar.com. Copies of Financial Statements will be made available to the undersigned by the Company upon the undersigned’s request.
DATED ____, 20__.
Witness (Signature) Name (please print) Participant’s Signature Address City, Province/State Name of Participant (print) Occupation
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APPENDIX “I”
BEE VECTORING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL INC.
RESTRICTED SHARE UNIT PLAN
TRIGGER NOTICE
TO: BEE VECTORING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL INC. (the “Company”)
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The undersigned (the “ Participant ”), being the holder of vested Restricted Share Units to purchase ____ Shares, hereby irrevocably gives notice, pursuant to the Plan, of the request to issue to the Participant ______ Shares.
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By executing this Trigger Notice, the Participant hereby confirms that the undersigned has read the Plan and agrees to be bound by the provisions of the Plan. All terms not otherwise defined in this Trigger Notice shall have the meanings given to them under the Plan or the attached Restricted Share Unit Notice.
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The Participant is resident in ________ [name of country/province/state].
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The Participant hereby represents, warrants, acknowledges and agrees that there may be material tax consequences to the Participant of a request for Shares pursuant to vested Restricted Share Units. The Company gives no opinion and makes no representation with respect to the tax consequences to the Participant under applicable, federal, local or foreign tax law of the Participant’s acquisition or disposition of such securities.
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The Participant hereby represents, warrants, acknowledges and agrees that the certificate(s) representing the Shares may be subject to applicable hold periods and legending pursuant to applicable securities laws.
DATED ____, 20__.
Witness (Signature)
Name (please print)
Participant’s Signature
Address City, Province Occupation
Name of Participant (print)