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Blender Bites Limited — AGM Information 2020
Oct 9, 2020
45010_rns_2020-10-08_4bdaa0ca-6777-43c5-87e6-43944d87a91b.pdf
AGM Information
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REWARDSTREAM SOLUTIONS INC.
NOTICE OF MEETING AND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CIRCULAR
for the
ANNUAL GENERAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
to be held on
November 5, 2020
REWARDSTREAM SOLUTIONS INC.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 5, 2020
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual general and special meeting (the “ Meeting ”) of shareholders of RewardStream Solutions Inc. (the “ Company ”) will be held at Suite #3123-595 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, on Thursday, November 5, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. (Pacific time) for the following purposes:
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to receive and consider the audited financial statements of the Company for the financial years ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018 and the reports of the auditors thereon;
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to fix the number of directors at four (4);
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to elect directors of the Company for the ensuing year;
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to appoint the auditors for the ensuing year and to authorize the directors to fix their remuneration;
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to consider, and if thought fit, to pass, with or without variation, an ordinary resolution to approve a new stock option plan for the Company, as more particularly described in the accompanying management information circular;
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to transact such further business as may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.
DATED this 1[st] day of October, 2020.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
(signed) “Joel Shacker”
Joel Shacker Chief Executive Officer
This notice is accompanied by the management information circular, the form of proxy, the supplemental mailing card, and in the case of those shareholders who have so requested through the completion and return of the supplemental mailing card provided by the Company in its last annual mailing, a copy of the Company’s audited financial statements, including the report of the auditors thereon, and management’s discussion and analysis for the financial year ended September 30, 2019. For those shareholders who did not request to receive a copy of the audited financial statements, a copy is available upon request to the Company and can also be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
The Company intends to hold the Meeting in person. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to mitigate risk to the health and safety of our communities, shareholders and employees, the Company requests that shareholders not attend the Meeting in person. The Company encourages shareholders to instead vote their shares in advance of the Meeting via mail, facsimile or online. No management presentation will be made at the Meeting.
If any shareholder does wish to attend the Meeting in person, please contact Joel Shacker at (604) 558-3013 or email [email protected] in order for arrangements to be made that comply with all recommendations, regulations and orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Meeting can accommodate no more than six (6) shareholders in person. Attendance will be on a first come, first served basis. No shareholder who is experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, including fever, cough or difficulty breathing will be permitted to attend the Meeting in person. The Company may take additional precautionary measures in relation to the Meeting as necessary in response to further developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic and shall comply with all applicable recommendations, regulations and orders related thereto. In the event it is not possible or advisable to hold the Meeting in person, the Company will announce alternative arrangements for the Meeting as promptly as practicable, which may include holding the Meeting entirely by electronic means.
If you are a registered shareholder, instead of attending the Meeting in person, we encourage you to instead complete, sign, date and return the enclosed form of proxy to the Company’s Registrar and Transfer Agent, Computershare Trust Company of Canada, Attention: Proxy Department, by mail at: 100 University Ave., 8th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2Y1, or by fax at: 1 (866) 249-7775 within North America, and outside North America at: (416) 263-9524. Proxies must be received no later than 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver (PDT) time) on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, or if the Meeting is adjourned or postponed, no later than 48 hours preceding the time of such adjourned or postponed meeting (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and statutory or civic holidays in the City of Vancouver, British Columbia). Late proxies may be accepted or rejected by the Chairman of the Meeting at his discretion, and the Chairman is under no obligation to accept or reject any particular late proxy.
If you are a non-registered shareholder of the Company and receive these materials through your broker or through another intermediary, please complete and return the materials in accordance with the instructions provided to you by your broker or such other intermediary. If you are a non-registered shareholder and do not complete and return the materials in accordance with such instructions, you may lose the right to vote.
If you have any questions about the procedures required to qualify to vote at the Meeting or about obtaining, completing and depositing the required form of proxy, you should contact Computershare Trust Company of Canada by telephone at: 1 (800) 564-6253.
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REWARDSTREAM SOLUTIONS INC.
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CIRCULAR
ANNUAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 5, 2020
This management information circular and accompanying form of proxy are furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by management of RewardStream Solutions Inc . (the “ Company ”) for use at the annual general and special meeting of shareholders of the Company (the “ Meeting ”) to be held at Suite #3123-595 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, November 5, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. (Pacific time) and any adjournment or postponement thereof, for the purposes set forth in the accompanying notice of meeting (the “ Notice of Meeting ”).
This management information circular and the enclosed form of proxy will be mailed on October 8, 2020 to the registered holders of common shares of the Company (the “ Common Shares ”) of record at the close of business on October 1, 2020 (the “ Record Date ”).
The Company intends to hold the Meeting in person. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to mitigate risk to the health and safety of our communities, shareholders and employees, the Company requests that shareholders not attend the Meeting in person. The Company encourages shareholders to instead vote their shares in advance of the Meeting via mail, facsimile or online. No management presentation will be made at the Meeting.
If any shareholder does wish to attend the Meeting in person, please contact Joel Shacker at (604) 5583013 or email [email protected] in order for arrangements to be made that comply with all recommendations, regulations and orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Meeting can accommodate no more than six (6) shareholders in person. Attendance will be on a first come, first served basis. No shareholder who is experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, including fever, cough or difficulty breathing will be permitted to attend the Meeting in person. The Company may take additional precautionary measures in relation to the Meeting as necessary in response to further developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic and shall comply with all applicable recommendations, regulations and orders related thereto. In the event it is not possible or advisable to hold the Meeting in person, the Company will announce alternative arrangements for the Meeting as promptly as practicable, which may include holding the Meeting entirely by electronic means.
Except to the extent otherwise stated herein, all information set forth herein is given as of the Record Date, and all dollar amounts set forth herein unless specifically noted otherwise are stated in Canadian dollars. Information set forth herein as to shareholdings is based upon information supplied by the respective persons holding such Common Shares.
GENERAL PROXY INFORMATION
Solicitation of Proxies
The Company will bear the cost of soliciting proxies on behalf of management. The Company will reimburse brokers, custodians, nominees and other fiduciaries for their reasonable charges and expenses incurred in forwarding this proxy material to beneficial owners of Common Shares. In addition to solicitation by mail, certain officers, directors and employees of the Company may solicit proxies by telephone or personally but will receive no compensation for so doing.
These materials are being sent to both registered and non-registered owners of Common Shares. If you are a Non-Registered Shareholder (as defined below), and the Company or its agent has sent these materials directly to you, your name and address and information about your holdings of Common Shares 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 directly, the Company, (and not the
intermediary holding 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.
Voting by Non-Registered Shareholders
The information set forth in this section is of significant importance to many shareholders as a substantial number of shareholders do not hold shares in their own name.
Only registered shareholders of the Company or the persons they appoint as their proxies are permitted to vote at the Meeting. Most shareholders of the Company are “non-registered” shareholders (“ NonRegistered 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 Common 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 Common 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 CDS & Co.) of which the Intermediary is a participant. In accordance with applicable securities law requirements, the Company will have distributed copies of the Notice of Meeting, this management information circular, the form of proxy, the supplemental mailing card, and in the case of those shareholders who have so requested through the completion and return of the supplemental mailing card provided by the Company in its last annual mailing, a copy of the Company’s audited financial statements, including the report of the auditors thereon, and management’s discussion and analysis for the financial year ended September 30, 2019 (the “ Meeting Materials ”) to the clearing agencies and Intermediaries for distribution to Non-Registered Shareholders.
Intermediaries are required to forward the Meeting Materials to Non-Registered Shareholders unless a NonRegistered Shareholder has waived the right to receive them. Intermediaries often use service companies to forward the Meeting Materials to Non-Registered Shareholders. Generally, Non-Registered Shareholders who have not waived the right to receive Meeting Materials will either:
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(i) be given a voting instruction form which is not signed by the Intermediary and which, when properly completed and signed by the Non-Registered Shareholder and returned to the Intermediary or its service company , will constitute voting instructions which the Intermediary must follow. Typically, the voting instruction form will consist of a one-page pre-printed form. Sometimes, instead of the 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 Non-Registered Shareholder 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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(ii) 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 Common Shares beneficially owned by the Non-Registered Shareholder 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 Non-Registered Shareholder when submitting the proxy. In this case, the Non-Registered Shareholder who wishes to submit a proxy should properly complete, sign, date and return the enclosed form of proxy to the Company’s Registrar and Transfer Agent, Computershare Trust Company of Canada, Attention: Proxy Department, by mail at: 100 University Ave., 8th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2Y1, or by fax at: 1 (866) 2497775 within North America, and outside North America at: (416) 263-9524, no later than 10:00 a.m. (Pacific time) on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, or, if the Meeting is adjourned or postponed, no later than 48 hours preceding the time of such adjourned or postponed
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meeting (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and statutory or civic holidays in the City of Vancouver, British Columbia).
In either case, the purpose of these procedures is to permit Non-Registered Shareholders to direct the voting of the Common Shares that they beneficially own. Should a Non-Registered Shareholder 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 Non-Registered Shareholder), the Non-Registered Shareholder should strike out the person(s) named in the form of proxy and insert the Non-Registered Shareholder’s or such other person’s name in the blank space provided. In either case, Non-Registered Shareholders should carefully follow the instructions of their Intermediary, including those regarding when and where the proxy or voting instruction form is to be delivered.
A Non-Registered Shareholder may revoke a voting instruction form, proxy or waiver of the right to receive Meeting Materials and to vote 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, proxy or of a waiver of the right to receive Meeting Materials and to vote that is not received by the Intermediary at least seven days prior to the Meeting.
Manner Proxies will be Voted
To be voted, the accompanying form of proxy must be properly completed, signed, dated and returned to the offices of the Company’s Registrar and Transfer Agent, Computershare Trust Company of Canada, Attention: Proxy Department, by mail at: 100 University Ave., 8th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2Y1, or (i) by fax at: 1 (866) 249-7775 within North America, and outside North America at: (416) 263-9524; (ii) online at www.investorvote.com and follow the instructions; or (iii) by phone at 1 (866) 732-8683, toll free within North America, no later than 10:00 a.m. (Pacific time) on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 , or, if the Meeting is adjourned or postponed, no later than 48 hours preceding the time of such adjourned or postponed meeting (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and statutory or civic holidays in the City of Vancouver, British Columbia). Late proxies may be accepted or rejected by the Chairman of the Meeting at his discretion, and the Chairman is under no obligation to accept or reject any particular late proxy. On any ballot that may be called for at the Meeting, the Common Shares represented by such form of proxy will be voted or withheld from voting in accordance with the instructions of the shareholder appearing on such form of proxy, and, if a choice is specified therein in respect of any matter to be acted upon, will be voted in accordance with the specification made. In the absence of such specification, such Common Shares will be voted for such matter.
The accompanying form of proxy confers discretionary authority upon the person acting as proxy thereunder with respect to amendments or variations to matters identified in the accompanying Notice of Meeting and with respect to other matters which may properly come before the Meeting. As at the date hereof, management knows of no such amendments, variations or any other matters, which may properly come before the Meeting.
Appointment of Proxies
Each shareholder has the right to appoint a person other than the persons named in the accompanying form of proxy, who need not be a shareholder, to attend and act on his, her or its behalf at the Meeting. Any shareholder wishing to exercise such right may do so by striking out the names of the management nominees and inserting in the blank space provided in the accompanying form of proxy the name of the person whom such shareholder wishes to appoint as proxy. A shareholder wishing to be represented by proxy at the Meeting, or any adjournment or postponement thereof, must in all cases deposit the properly completed, signed and dated proxy with the Company’s registrar and transfer agent at the address or facsimile number and by the time specified under the heading “Manner Proxies Will be Voted”, above.
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Revocability of Proxy
A shareholder giving a proxy has the power to revoke it. Such revocation may be effected by written instrument revoking such proxy executed by the shareholder or by his, her or its attorney authorized in writing or where the shareholder is a corporation, by a duly authorized officer or attorney of the corporation, and deposited at the office of the Company’s Registrar and Transfer Agent, Computershare Trust Company of Canada, at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the date of the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, or with the Chairman of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. If such written instrument is deposited with the Chairman of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting, or any adjournment or postponement thereof, such instrument will not be effective with respect to any matter on which a vote has already been cast pursuant to such proxy.
Voting Securities and Principal Holders of Voting Securities
The authorized capital of the Company consists of an unlimited number of Common Shares and preferred shares (the “ Preferred Shares ”), of which 5,319,739 Common Shares and no Preferred Shares are issued and outstanding as at the Record Date. Each Common Share carries the right to one vote per Common Share. The quorum required for the Meeting is two persons holding or representing by proxy not less than 5% of the outstanding Common Shares of the Company entitled to vote at the Meeting.
To the best of the directors’ and officers’ knowledge, no person beneficially owns or exercises control or direction, directly or indirectly, over voting securities carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to the voting securities of the Company.
Only shareholders of record at the close of business on the Record Date will be entitled to vote in person or by proxy at the Meeting or at any adjournment or postponement thereof (subject in the case of voting by proxy to the timely deposit of a properly completed, signed and dated proxy with Computershare Trust Company of Canada as specified herein and in the Notice of Meeting). In the absence of instructions to the contrary, the proxyholders intend to vote the Common Shares represented by each proxy, properly executed, in favour of the motions proposed to be made at the Meeting as stated under the headings in this information circular.
INTEREST OF CERTAIN PERSONS IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
Except as otherwise set out herein, to the best of management’s knowledge, no director or executive officer of the Company, or any person who has held such a position since October 1, 2018, nor any proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company, nor any associate or affiliate of the foregoing persons, has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon at the Meeting.
Notice and Access
The Company is not relying on the notice-and-access delivery procedures outlined in National Instrument 54-101 – Communication with Beneficial Owners of Securities of a Reporting Issuer to distribute copies of this information circular, proxy or voter information form.
PARTICULARS OF MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
Audited Financial Statements
The audited financial statements of the Company for the financial years ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018, and the reports of the auditors thereon (collectively, the “ Financial Statements” ) will be presented before the Meeting, but no vote thereon is required. The Financial Statements and related
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management’s discussion and analysis are available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
Fixing the Number of Directors
The Board of Directors presently consists of four (4) directors and management proposes, and the persons named in the accompanying form of proxy intend to vote in favour of fixing the number of directors for the ensuing year at four (4).
Unless the shareholder has specified in the proxy that his, her or its Common Shares are to be withheld from voting in the appointment of the auditor, the persons named in the accompanying form of proxy will vote the Common Shares represented thereby in favour of fixing the number of Directors at four (4) for the ensuing year.
Election of Directors
Four (4) directors are to be elected at the Meeting to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders or until their respective successors are duly appointed. All of the following persons whose names are set out below have been nominated by the board of directors of the Company (the “ Board ”) for election as directors at the Meeting. The term of office of all present directors of the Company expires when the new directors have been elected at the Meeting.
Unless the shareholder has specified in the proxy that his, her or its Common Shares are to be withheld from voting in the election of directors, the persons named in the accompanying form of proxy will vote the Common Shares represented thereby in favour of electing as directors the nominees named below, provided that if any one or more of such nominees should become unavailable for election for any reason, the persons named in the accompanying form of proxy, unless instructed to withhold from voting, will vote the Common Shares represented thereby in favour of the election of the remaining nominees as directors and such other substitute nominee(s) as the acting Chairman of the Board, may designate. The Company has been informed by each nominee that he is willing to stand for election and to serve as a director. The following information is submitted with respect to the nominees for election as directors:
| Common Shares of the | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Company Beneficially | |||
| Principal Occupation | Owned, Controlled or | ||
| Name & Municipality of | Position with the | Currently and During Past | Directed, Directly or |
| Residence (1)(2) | Company | Five Years | Indirectly (3) |
| Joel Shacker(4) | Director and Chief | Mr. Shacker is Chief Executive | Nil |
| Vancouver, BC, Canada | Executive Officer | Officer and a director of the | |
| since March 11, 2020 | Company. He is also Chief | ||
| Executive Officer and a Director | |||
| of Core One Labs Inc. and | |||
| President of Thoughtful Brands | |||
| Inc. Mr. Shacker previously | |||
| served as a consultant and | |||
| director of Weekend Unlimited | |||
| Inc., as a director of Grenbriar | |||
| Technologies Inc. and as |
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| President of Ananda |
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| Technologies Inc. |
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| Common Shares of the | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Company Beneficially | |||
| Principal Occupation | Owned, Controlled or | ||
| Name & Municipality of | Position with the | Currently and During Past | Directed, Directly or |
| Residence (1)(2) | Company | Five Years | Indirectly (3) |
| Geoff Balderson | Chief Financial | Mr. Balderson is currently and | Nil |
| Vancouver, BC, Canada | Officer and Director | was previously the President of | |
| since January 24, | Harmony Corporate Services | ||
| 2019 | Ltd. He serves as an officer | ||
| and/or director for several |
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| publicly listed companies. | |||
| Patrick Morris(4) | Director since August | Mr. Morris is currently and was | Nil |
| Vancouver, BC, Canada | 17, 2018 | previously an entrepreneur and | |
| capital market executive with | |||
| over 15 years of experience, | |||
| raising funds for microcap |
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| companies in a number of | |||
| industries, including |
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| pharmaceutical cannabis, |
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| resource exploration, |
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| blockchain technologies and | |||
| finance. | |||
| Adam Cegielski(4) | Director since March | Mr. Cegielski is currently |
Nil |
| Vancouver, BC, Canada | 11, 2020 | President & CEO of Binovi | |
| Technologies Corp. and CEO | |||
| and a Director of Tilting Capital | |||
| Corp. Prior to that, he was a | |||
| founder and director of Cayden | |||
| Resources Inc., which was | |||
| acquired by Agnico Eagle |
|||
| Mines Ltd. |
Notes:
(1) To the best of management’s knowledge, no proposed director is, as at the date hereof, or has been, within 10 years before the date hereof, a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any company (including the Company), that:
(a) while the proposed director was acting in that capacity, was the subject of a cease trade or similar order or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation, for a period of more than 30 consecutive days (collectively, an “ Order ”), except the following individuals:
Joel Shacker was (and remains) a director and Chief Executive Officer of Core One Labs Inc. (“ Core One ”) and Mr. Patrick Morris was (and remains) a director of Core One on July 14, 2020 when the British Columbia Securities Commission (“ BCSC ”) issued a cease trade order against Core One for failure to file its audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019 and related MD&A. Core One was unable to file its December 31, 2019 financial statements and MD&A by the required filing deadline because it experienced significant delays in preparing them due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which prevented travel to its operations in Aldento, California, USA from Vancouver, BC, Canada. The cease trade order was lifted on August 26, 2020.
or
(b) 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.
- (2) To the best of management’s knowledge, no proposed director:
(a) is, as at the date hereof, or has been within the 10 years before the date hereof, a director or executive officer of any company (including the Company) that, while that person was acting in that capacity, or within a year of that person ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets; or
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(b) 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.
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(3) The proposed directors have provided the information regarding the number of Common Shares or any common shares of the Company’s subsidiaries that they beneficially own, control or direct, directly or indirectly.
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(4) Member of the Audit Committee.
Appointment of Auditor
The Board proposes to nominate DMCL LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, for re-appointment as the auditor of the Company to hold such position until the next annual meeting of shareholders.
Unless the shareholder has specified in the proxy that his, her or its Common Shares are to be withheld from voting in the appointment of the auditor, the persons named in the accompanying form of proxy will vote the Common Shares represented thereby in favour of appointing DMCL LLP as auditor of the Company and authorizing the directors to fix their remuneration.
Approval of New Rolling Stock Option Plan
At the annual and special meeting of shareholders of the Company held on June 6, 2018, the shareholders of the Company approved the Company’s former stock option plan. On October 1, 2020, the board of directors of the Company passed a resolution adopting a new stock option plan (the “ Stock Option Plan ”), which replaces the old stock option plan and entitles the Company to grant stock options to purchase up to a maximum of 10% of the Common Shares issued and outstanding as at the time of grant.
Pursuant to Policy 4.4 of the TSX Venture Exchange (“ TSXV ”) Corporate Finance Manual, the Stock Option Plan is considered a rolling plan, which reserves for issuance a rolling maximum of 10% of the number of Common Shares issued and outstanding on the date of grant, and therefore must receive approval yearly at the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders. In addition, the Stock Option Plan must be submitted for TSXV review and acceptance each year.
A summary of the Stock Option Plan is set forth below:
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(a) the Stock Option Plan reserves, for issuance pursuant to the exercise of stock options, a maximum number of common shares of the Corporation equal to up to a maximum of 10% of the issued common shares of the Corporation at the time of any stock option grant;
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(b) an optionee must either be an Eligible Charitable Organization or a Director, Employee or Consultant of the Corporation (as defined in the Stock Option Plan) at the time the option is granted in order to be eligible for the grant of a stock option to the optionee;
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(c) the aggregate number of options granted to any one Person (and companies wholly owned by that Person) in a 12 month period must not exceed 5% of the issued common shares of the Corporation calculated on the date an option is granted to the Person (unless the Corporation has obtained the requisite Disinterested Shareholder Approval;
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(d) the aggregate number of options granted to any one Consultant in a 12 month period must not exceed 2% of the issued common shares of the Corporation, calculated at the date an option is granted to the Consultant;
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(e) the aggregate number of options granted to all Persons retained to provide Investor Relations Activities must not exceed 2% of the issued shares of the Corporation in any 12 month period, calculated at the date an option is granted to any such Person;
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(f) options issued to Persons retained to provide Investor Relations Activities must vest in stages over a period of not less than 12 months with no more than 1/4 of the options vesting in any 3 month period;
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(g) the minimum exercise price per common share of a stock option must not be less than the Market Price of the common shares of the Corporation, subject to a minimum exercise price of $0.05;
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(h) options can be exercisable for a maximum of 10 years from the date of grant (subject to extension where the expiry date falls within a “blackout period” (see (o) below);
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(i) stock options (other than options held by a person involved in investor relations activities) will cease to be exercisable 90 days after the optionee ceases to be a Director (which term includes a senior officer), Employee, Consultant, Eligible Charitable Organization or Management Company Employee otherwise than by death, or for a “reasonable period” after the optionee ceases to serve in such capacity, as determined by the Board of Directors. Stock options granted to persons involved in Investor Relations Activities will cease to be exercisable 30 days after the optionee ceases to serve in such capacity otherwise than by death, or for a “reasonable period” after the optionee ceases to serve in such capacity, as determined by the Board of Directors;
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(j) all options are non-assignable and non-transferable;
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(k) Disinterested Shareholder Approval will be obtained for any reduction in the exercise price of a stock option if the optionee is an Insider of the Corporation at the time of the proposed amendment;
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(l) the Stock Option Plan contains provisions for adjustment in the number of common shares or other property issuable on exercise of a stock option in the event of a share consolidation, split, reclassification or other capital reorganization, or a stock dividend, amalgamation, merger or other relevant corporate transaction, or any other relevant change in or event affecting the common shares;
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(m) upon the occurrence of an Accelerated Vesting Event (as defined in the Stock Option Plan), the Board of Directors will have the power, at its sole discretion and without being required to obtain the approval of Shareholders or the holder of any stock option, to make such changes to the terms of stock options as it considers fair and appropriate in the circumstances, including but not limited to: (a) accelerating the vesting of stock options, conditionally or unconditionally; (b) terminating every stock option if under the transaction giving rise to the Accelerated Vesting Event, options in replacement of the stock options are proposed to be granted to or exchanged with the holders of stock options, which replacement options treat the holders of stock options in a manner which the Board of Directors considers fair and appropriate in the circumstances having regard to the treatment of holders of common shares under such transaction; (c) otherwise modifying the terms of any stock option to assist the holder to tender into any take-over bid or other transaction constituting an Accelerated Vesting Event; or (d) following the successful completion of such Accelerated Vesting Event, terminating any stock option to the extent it has not been exercised prior to successful completion of the Accelerated Vesting Event. The determination of the Board of Directors in respect of any such Accelerated Vesting Event shall for the purposes of the New Option Plan be final, conclusive and binding;
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(n) in connection with the exercise of an option, as a condition to such exercise the Corporation shall require the optionee to pay to the Corporation an amount as necessary so as to ensure that the Corporation is in compliance with the applicable provisions of any federal, provincial or local laws relating to the withholding of tax or other required deductions relating to the exercise of such option; and
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(o) a stock option will be automatically extended past its expiry date if such expiry date falls within a blackout period during which the Corporation prohibits optionees from exercising their options, subject to the following requirements: (a) the blackout period must (i) be formally imposed by the Corporation pursuant to its internal trading policies; and (ii) must expire upon the general disclosure of undisclosed Material Information; and (b) the automatic extension of an optionee's stock option will not be permitted where the optionee or the Corporation is subject to a cease trade order (or similar order under Securities Laws) in respect of the Corporation's securities.
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“ Consultant ”, “ Director ”, “ Disinterested Shareholder Approval ”, “ Eligible Charitable Organization ”, “ Employee ”, “ Investor Relations Activities ”, “ Management Company Employee ”, “ Material Information ” and “ Person ” all have the same definition as set out in the Stock Option Plan.
As of October 1, 2020, the Company had 5,319,739 Common Shares issued and outstanding. Accordingly, as of October 1, 2020, a maximum of 531,974 Common Shares are permitted to be issued pursuant to stock options granted under the Stock Option Plan. As at October 1, 2020, there are no stock options issued, leaving 531,974 stock options available to be issued.
The Company requests that the shareholders approve the Stock Option Plan, substantially in the form attached as Appendix “A” to this management information circular. The rules of the TSXV require that the Stock Option Plan be approved by the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes cast in person or by proxy at the Meeting. Accordingly, the shareholders will be asked at the Meeting to consider, and if thought fit, to pass, with or without variation, an ordinary resolution to ratify, confirm and approve the Stock Option Plan, substantially in the form below:
“BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
-
(a) the Stock Option Plan, substantially in the form attached hereto as Appendix “A”, is hereby approved as the stock option plan of the Company;
-
(b) the Company is authorized to grant stock options pursuant to, and subject to the terms and conditions of, the Stock Option Plan entitling all of the optionholders in the aggregate to purchase up to such number of Common Shares as is equal to 10% of the number of Common Shares issued and outstanding on the applicable grant date;
-
(c) the Board or any committee created pursuant to the Stock Option Plan is authorized to make such amendments to the Stock Option Plan from time to time as the Board may, in its discretion, consider to be appropriate, provided that such amendments will be subject to the approval of all applicable regulatory authorities and in certain cases, in accordance with the terms of the Stock Option Plan, the shareholders; and
-
(d) any director or officer of the Company is hereby authorized and directed, acting for, in the name of and on behalf of the Company, to execute or cause to be executed, under the seal of the Company or otherwise, and to deliver or to cause to be delivered, all such other deeds, documents, instruments and assurances and to do or cause to be done all such other acts as in the opinion of such director or officer of the Company may be necessary or desirable to carry out the terms of the foregoing resolutions.”
Management believes that the Stock Option Plan is important to the Company with respect to attracting and retaining new and existing key individuals, and recommends that shareholders vote in favour of the foregoing resolutions.
Unless the shareholder has specified in the proxy that his, her or its Common Shares are to be voted against the ratification, confirmation and approval of the Stock Option Plan, the persons named in the accompanying form of proxy will vote the Common Shares represented thereby in favour of the foregoing resolutions.
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DIRECTOR AND EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION
Set out below are particulars of compensation paid to the following persons (the “ Named Executive Officers ” or “ NEOs ”):
-
(a) the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (“ CEO ”);
-
(b) the Company’s Chief Financial Officer (“ CFO ”);
-
(c) each of the three most highly compensated executive officers, or the three most highly compensated individuals acting in a similar capacity, other than the CEO and CFO, at the end of the most recently completed financial year whose total compensation was, individually, more than $150,000, as determined in accordance with subsection 1.3(6) of National Instrument 51-102, for that financial year; and
-
(d) each individual who would be an NEO under paragraph (c) 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 that financial year.
During the financial year ended September 30, 2019, the Company had three (3) NEOs: Patrick Morris, CEO, Corporate Secretary and director; Usama Chaudhry, former CFO; and Geoff Balderson, current CFO. On April 25, 2019, Mr. Chaudhry resigned as CFO and Mr. Balderson was appointed in his place. There were no other executive officers of the Company who individually earned more than $150,000 in total compensation.
Director and Named Executive Officer Compensation (excluding Compensation Securities)
The following table sets out all compensation paid, payable, awarded, granted, given, or otherwise provided, directly or indirectly, by the Company to each current and former director and NEO, in any capacity, for the year ended September 30, 2019. Excluding compensation securities, no compensation was paid, payable, awarded, granted, given or otherwise provided to any current or former director of the Company in the year ended September 30, 2019.
| Salary, Consulting |
Committee |
Value of all other |
Total |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Name and Position ** | Year(1) | Fee, Retainer or Commission ($) |
Bonus ($) |
or Meeting Fees (2) ($) |
Value of Perquisites ($) |
Compen- sation ($) |
Compen- sation ($) |
| Patrick Morris, CEO, Corporate Secretary and Director |
2019 | 75,000 | Nil | N/A | N/A | Nil | 75,000 |
| 2018 | 25,600 | Nil | N/A | N/A | Nil | 25,600 | |
| Geoff Balderson CFO and Director(3)(4) |
2019 | Nil | Nil | N/A | N/A | Nil | Nil |
| 2018 | Nil | Nil | N/A | N/A | Nil | Nil | |
| Usama Chaudhry Former CFO(4) |
2019 | Nil | Nil | N/A | N/A | Nil | Nil |
| 2018 | 2,000 | Nil | N/A | N/A | Nil | 2,000 | |
| Danilen Villanueva Former Director(5) |
2019 | Nil | Nil | N/A | N/A | Nil | Nil |
| 2018 | Nil | Nil | N/A | N/A | Nil | Nil | |
| David Dalton Former Director(6) |
2019 | Nil | Nil | N/A | N/A | Nil | Nil |
| 2018 | Nil | Nil | N/A | N/A | Nil | Nil | |
| Cam Paddock Former Director(7) |
2019 | Nil | Nil | N/A | N/A | Nil | Nil |
| 2018 | Nil | Nil | N/A | N/A | Nil | Nil |
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Notes:
-
(1) Fiscal year ended September 30[th] .
-
(2) The Company did not pay any Committee or Meeting fees to its directors for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018.
-
(3) Mr. Chaudhry was appointed as CFO on December 13, 2017 and resigned on March 19, 2019 and Mr. Balderson was appointed CFO in his place.
-
(4) Mr. Balderson was appointed a director of the Company on January 24, 2019.
-
(5) Mr. Villanueva was appointed a director of the Company on November 17, 2017 and resigned on April 24, 2019.
-
(6) Mr. Dalton was appointed a director of the Company on March 21, 2019 and resigned on December 4, 2019.
-
(7) Mr. Paddock was appointed a director of the Company on November 17, 2017 and resigned on January 24, 2019.
Compensation Securities
No compensation securities were granted to directors of the Company and Named Executive Officers during the financial year ended September 30, 2019.
Exercise of Compensation Securities
No compensation securities were granted to directors of the Company and Named Executive Officers during the financial year ended September 30, 2019, and therefore none were exercised.
Stock Option Plans and Other Incentive Plans
The board of directors of the Company adopted the Stock Option Plan on October 1, 2020. The Stock Option Plan is a a “rolling” stock option plan which sets the number of options available for grant by the Company at an amount equal to up to a maximum of 10% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Shares from time to time, less any Common Shares reserved for issuance under other share compensation arrangements.
The purpose of the Stock Option Plan is to promote the profitability and growth of the Company by facilitating the efforts of Renaissance to attract and retain key individuals. The Stock Option Plan provides an incentive for and encourages ownership of Common Shares by its key individuals so that they may increase their stake in the Company and benefit from increases in the value of the Common Shares. Directors, officers, employees, consultants and eligible charitable organizations (as such terms are defined in the Option Plan) are eligible to be granted stock options under the Stock Option Plan.
A summary of the Stock Option Plan is set forth below:
-
(a) the Stock Option Plan reserves, for issuance pursuant to the exercise of stock options, a maximum number of common shares of the Corporation equal to up to a maximum of 10% of the issued common shares of the Corporation at the time of any stock option grant;
-
(b) an optionee must either be an Eligible Charitable Organization or a Director, Employee or Consultant of the Corporation (as defined in the Stock Option Plan) at the time the option is granted in order to be eligible for the grant of a stock option to the optionee;
-
(c) the aggregate number of options granted to any one Person (and companies wholly owned by that Person) in a 12 month period must not exceed 5% of the issued common shares of the Corporation calculated on the date an option is granted to the Person (unless the Corporation has obtained the requisite Disinterested Shareholder Approval;
-
(d) the aggregate number of options granted to any one Consultant in a 12 month period must not exceed 2% of the issued common shares of the Corporation, calculated at the date an option is granted to the Consultant;
-
(e) the aggregate number of options granted to all Persons retained to provide Investor Relations Activities must not exceed 2% of the issued shares of the Corporation in any 12 month period, calculated at the date an option is granted to any such Person;
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-
(f) options issued to Persons retained to provide Investor Relations Activities must vest in stages over a period of not less than 12 months with no more than 1/4 of the options vesting in any 3 month period;
-
(g) the minimum exercise price per common share of a stock option must not be less than the Market Price of the common shares of the Corporation, subject to a minimum exercise price of $0.05;
-
(h) options can be exercisable for a maximum of 10 years from the date of grant (subject to extension where the expiry date falls within a “blackout period” (see (o) below);
-
(i) stock options (other than options held by a person involved in investor relations activities) will cease to be exercisable 90 days after the optionee ceases to be a Director (which term includes a senior officer), Employee, Consultant, Eligible Charitable Organization or Management Company Employee otherwise than by death, or for a “reasonable period” after the optionee ceases to serve in such capacity, as determined by the Board of Directors. Stock options granted to persons involved in Investor Relations Activities will cease to be exercisable 30 days after the optionee ceases to serve in such capacity otherwise than by death, or for a “reasonable period” after the optionee ceases to serve in such capacity, as determined by the Board of Directors;
-
(j) all options are non-assignable and non-transferable;
-
(k) Disinterested Shareholder Approval will be obtained for any reduction in the exercise price of a stock option if the optionee is an Insider of the Corporation at the time of the proposed amendment;
-
(l) the Stock Option Plan contains provisions for adjustment in the number of common shares or other property issuable on exercise of a stock option in the event of a share consolidation, split, reclassification or other capital reorganization, or a stock dividend, amalgamation, merger or other relevant corporate transaction, or any other relevant change in or event affecting the common shares;
-
(m) upon the occurrence of an Accelerated Vesting Event (as defined in the Stock Option Plan), the Board of Directors will have the power, at its sole discretion and without being required to obtain the approval of Shareholders or the holder of any stock option, to make such changes to the terms of stock options as it considers fair and appropriate in the circumstances, including but not limited to: (a) accelerating the vesting of stock options, conditionally or unconditionally; (b) terminating every stock option if under the transaction giving rise to the Accelerated Vesting Event, options in replacement of the stock options are proposed to be granted to or exchanged with the holders of stock options, which replacement options treat the holders of stock options in a manner which the Board of Directors considers fair and appropriate in the circumstances having regard to the treatment of holders of common shares under such transaction; (c) otherwise modifying the terms of any stock option to assist the holder to tender into any take-over bid or other transaction constituting an Accelerated Vesting Event; or (d) following the successful completion of such Accelerated Vesting Event, terminating any stock option to the extent it has not been exercised prior to successful completion of the Accelerated Vesting Event. The determination of the Board of Directors in respect of any such Accelerated Vesting Event shall for the purposes of the New Option Plan be final, conclusive and binding;
-
(n) in connection with the exercise of an option, as a condition to such exercise the Corporation shall require the optionee to pay to the Corporation an amount as necessary so as to ensure that the Corporation is in compliance with the applicable provisions of any federal, provincial or local laws relating to the withholding of tax or other required deductions relating to the exercise of such option; and
-
(o) a stock option will be automatically extended past its expiry date if such expiry date falls within a blackout period during which the Corporation prohibits optionees from exercising their options, subject to the following requirements: (a) the blackout period must (i) be formally imposed by the Corporation pursuant to its internal trading policies; and (ii) must expire upon the general disclosure of undisclosed Material Information; and (b) the automatic extension of an optionee's stock option
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will not be permitted where the optionee or the Corporation is subject to a cease trade order (or similar order under Securities Laws) in respect of the Corporation's securities.
“ Consultant ”, “ Director ”, “ Disinterested Shareholder Approval ”, “ Eligible Charitable Organization ”, “ Employee ”, “ Investor Relations Activities ”, “ Management Company Employee ”, “ Material Information ” and “ Person ” all have the same definition as set out in the Stock Option Plan.
As of the date hereof, the Company does not have any incentive plans other than the Stock Option Plan.
Employment, Consulting and Management Agreements and Arrangements
The Board recognizes the value of the Named Executive Officers and the importance of their consistent focus in the event of a possible change of control. It was determined by the Board that it is in the best interests of the Company to ensure that the consistency and stability of the Named Executive Officers is maintained during any change of control. As of the date hereof, the Company does not have any employment, consulting and/or management agreements or arrangements with any Named Executive Officers of the Company, nor any arrangements with respect to termination or a change of control of the Company.
Oversight and Description of Director and Executive Officer Compensation
Compensation of Directors
The Board recommends the amount of cash compensation that will be paid to the directors of the Company for their services as directors. Directors who are also members of management do not receive cash compensation for their role as directors of the Company. Both non-management directors and management directors do, however, receive stock options for their role as directors and/or executive officers with the Company, in such amounts and upon such terms as may be approved by the Board from time to time. The process for determining stock option awards for directors of the Company is based on discussions by the members of the Board and the executive team. Stock option grants are typically made at the beginning of each fiscal year. The number of stock options granted will depend on the performance of each director. Previous grants of stock options also provide a basic guideline for the Board in determining new stock option grants.
Additionally, non-executive directors are entitled to be reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in their capacity as directors.
During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, the directors and Named Officers were not granted any stock options, and none of the directors of the Company were compensated for services during the financial year ended September 30, 2019, pursuant to any other arrangement.
Compensation of Executive Officers
The Board formulates, and the Compensation Committee administers, the Company’s executive compensation program. The executive compensation program comprises two principal elements: base salaries and stock options, which are designed to provide a combination of cash and equity-based compensation to effectively compensate, attract, retain and motivate the executive officers of the Company and to closely align the personal interests of such persons to those of the shareholders of the Company.
Base Salaries
Base salaries for executive officers of the Company are reviewed annually by the Board, considering both corporate and individual performance objectives based on individual levels of responsibility. Rather than strictly applying formulas and weightings to forward-looking objectives, which may lead to unintended consequences for compensation purposes, the Board exercises its discretion and uses sound judgment in
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making compensation determinations. For this reason, the salaries of the executive officers of the Company are not determined based on specific benchmarks or a specific formula. Instead, the Board’s assessment is based on a number of qualitative and quantitative factors, including execution of on-going projects and transactions, operational performance and progress on key growth initiatives. Additionally, in establishing the levels of base salary and the award of stock options, the Board takes into consideration an executive’s responsibilities, length of service and levels of compensation provided by industry competitors.
Stock Option Awards
The Company has adopted the Stock Option Plan that provides for the Board to grant, from time to time, to its directors, officers, employees and consultants, non-transferable stock options to purchase Common Shares, provided that the number of Common Shares reserved for issuance under the Stock Option Plan does not exceed 10% of the Common Shares issued and outstanding at any given time. The process for determining stock option awards for executive officers of the Company is based on discussions by the members of the Board and the executive team and determined and recommended for approval by the Compensation Committee pursuant to the charter of the Compensation Committee. Stock option grants are typically made at the beginning of each fiscal year. The number of stock options granted will depend on the performance of each executive officer, which is reviewed by the Compensation Committee on an annual basis. Previous grants of stock options also provide a basic guideline for the Compensation Committee in determining new stock option grants.
Compensation Committee
As the Company is an early-stage technology company without recurring revenues, it has historically placed less compensation at risk than companies with recurring revenues. The Board has therefore not established a Compensation Committee and as such duties normally carried out by a Compensation Committee are carried out by the Board.
The Board is responsible for developing the compensation strategy of the Company and evaluating executive compensation levels on an annual basis to ensure that the Company’s executive compensation levels are within the range of comparables. Among the guiding principles in setting executive compensation is to attract, retain, and motivate high-performing executives through competitive compensation practices.
Base salaries are determined and allocated based on both corporate and individual executive performance, and stock option awards are intended to align the interests of the executives with the interests of the shareholders through holding long-term equity investments in the Company.
Pension Plan Benefits
The Company does not have a pension, retirement, deferred compensation or similar plan.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRACTICES
National Policy 58-201, Corporate Governance Guidelines (the “ Guidelines ”) and National Instrument 58101, Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices (the “ Disclosure Rule ”) are in place in order to provide greater transparency for the marketplace regarding an issuer’s corporate governance practices. Set out below is a description of the Company’s approach to corporate governance, based on the Guidelines and the requirements prescribed by the Disclosure Rule.
Board of Directors
As of the Record Date, the independent members of the Board are Patrick Morris and Adam Cegielski. Joel Shacker and Geoff Balderson are not considered to be independent within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, by virtue of their positions as “executive officers” of the Company.
The Board maintains the exercise of independent supervision over management by encouraging open and candid discussion from its independent directors.
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Other Public Company Directorships
Directors of the Company who are directors of other reporting issuers are: Mr. Shacker, who is also a director of Core One Labs Inc., Thoughtful Brands Inc. and Tilting Capital Corp.; Mr. Balderson, who is also a director of Argentum Silver Corp., Dynamo Capital Corp., Four Nines Gold Inc., Gambier Gold Corp., Goldeneye Resources Corp., Lidia Resources Inc., Nexco Resources Inc., Shooting Star Acquisition Corp., Thoughtful Brands Inc. and Tracker Ventures Corp.; Mr. Morris, who serves on the board Binovi Technologies Corp. and Core One Labs Inc.; and Mr. Cegielski who serves on the board of Binovi Technologies Corp. and Tilting Capital Corp.
Orientation and Continuing Education of Board Members
New members of the Board receive an orientation package which includes reports on operations and results, a policy manual, and public disclosure filings by the Company. Meetings of the Board are sometimes held at the Company’s facilities or by conference call, and are combined with presentations by the Company’s management to give the directors additional insight into the Company’s business. In addition, the CEO sends reports to the Board relating to corporate activities, and management of the Company makes itself available throughout the year for discussion with all members of the Board.
Ethical Business Conduct
The Board has found that the fiduciary duties placed on individual directors pursuant to corporate legislation and the common law, and the conflict of interest provisions under corporate legislation which restrict an individual director’s participation in decisions of the Board in which the director has an interest, have been sufficient, at the current stage of the Company, to ensure that the Board operates independently of management and in the best interests of the Company.
Nomination of Directors
The size of the Board is reviewed annually when the Board considers the number of directors to recommend for election at the annual meeting of shareholders. The Board takes into account the number of directors required to effectively carry out the duties of the Board, and to maintain a diversity of views and experience.
In the event it is determined a new Board member would add to the composition of the existing Board, or if a current Board member has offered his resignation, the Board will then designate a nominating committee (the “ Nominating Committee ”) from among its remaining Board members to identify the mix of qualifications, appropriate skills, characteristics and experiences that should be represented by any new Board member(s). The Nominating Committee will be delegated by the Board with the authority to search for qualified candidates with input from management and other Board members; engage a search firm to assist in identifying potential candidates; and recommend a nominee for full Board endorsement of the selected candidate based on the Nominating Committee’s judgement as to which candidate will best serve the interests of the Company’s shareholders.
Compensation of Directors and Executive Officers
The Board administers the Company’s compensation program for directors and executive officers, which includes base salaries and stock option awards. In assisting to attract, retain, and motivate high-performing executives through competitive compensation practices, the Board strives to contribute to an increase in shareholder value for the Company’s shareholders. See “Director and Executive Officer Compensation – Oversight and Description of Director and Executive Officer Compensation”, above, for additional details.
Assessment of Directors, the Board and Board Committees
The Board monitors the adequacy of information given to directors, the communications between the Board and management and the strategic direction and processes of the Board and its audit committee (“ Audit Committee ”) in order to satisfy itself that the Board, its Audit Committee, and its individual directors are performing effectively.
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AUDIT COMMITTEE
Audit Committee Mandate
The Audit Committee is a committee of the Board established for the purpose of overseeing the accounting and financial reporting process of the Company and annual external audits of the financial statements. The Audit Committee has set out its responsibilities and composition requirements in fulfilling its oversight in relation to the Company’s internal accounting standards and practices, financial information, accounting systems and procedures.
A copy of the Audit Committee’s Charter is set out in Appendix “B” hereto.
Composition of the Audit Committee
The Audit Committee consists of Joel Shacker, Patrick Morris and Adam Cegielski. Mr. Morris and Mr. Cegielski are considered independent within the meaning of National Instrument 52-110 – Audit Committees . All members are considered to be financially literate.
Relevant Education and Experience of Audit Committee Members
Patrick Morris – Chair of the Audit Committee - Mr. Morris is an entrepreneur and capital market executive with over 15 years of experience, raising funds for microcap companies in a number of industries, including pharmaceutical cannabis, resource exploration, blockchain technologies and finance. In addition, Mr. Morris co-created and co-produced Canada's first nationally syndicated radio show about growth stock opportunities, which was broadcast on 14 of the top-rated news talk stations across Canada. Prior to entering the capital markets, Mr. Morris had five years of experience in wine and spirits importing, sales and portfolio management.
Joel Shacker – Director - Mr. Shacker has worked extensively in the cannabis and finance space over the past six years. Mr. Shacker is the President of Thoughtful Brands Inc. (previously Mota Ventures Corp.) where, under his guidance, the company transitioned from a mining and asset acquisition to a vertically integrated fully licensed non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD) business based out of Vancouver, B.C., Mr. Shacker is also a director of Core One Labs Inc. and Tilting Capital Corp. and previously sat on the board of directors for publicly trading cannabis lifestyle company Weekend Unlimited Inc. Mr. Shacker holds a business administration degree (honours) from Ivey Business School, specializing in finance.
Adam Cegielski – Director - Mr. Cegielsk was a founder and director of Cayden Resources Corp which was acquired by Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. for $205 million.
External Auditor Service Fees
The following table discloses the fees billed to the Company by its external auditor during the last two financial years:
| nancial years: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Year Ended | Audit Fees | Audit-Related Fees(1) | Tax Fees(2) | All Other Fees(3) |
| 2019 | $15,183 | Nil | $1,400 | Nil |
| 2018 | $33,403 | Nil | $1,400 | Nil |
Notes:
(1) The aggregate fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Company’s financial statements and are not disclosed in the “Audit Fees” column.
(2) The aggregate fees billed for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning services. (3) The aggregate fees billed for professional services other than those listed in the other three columns.
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SECURITIES AUTHORIZED FOR ISSUANCE UNDER EQUITY COMPENSATION PLANS
The following table is a summary of compensation plans under which equity securities of the Company are authorized for issuance as at September 30, 2019.
| Plan Category | Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding stock options, warrants and rights(1) Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding stock options, warrants and rights Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a))(2) (a) (b) (c) |
|---|---|
| Equity compensation plans approved by securityholders Equity compensation plans not approved by securityholders Total |
Nil N/A N/A Nil N/A 531,974 |
| Nil 531,974 |
Notes:
(1) Represents the total number of Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options under the Stock Option Plan. (2) Based on the maximum number of Common Shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of stock options under the Stock Option Plan as of September 30, 2019 after deducting all stock options that have been exercised under the Stock Option Plan and adding back all unexercised, expired stock options since the adoption of the Stock Option Plan.
For a discussion of the Stock Option Plan, see “Director and Executive Officer Compensation – Oversight and Description of Director and Executive Officer Compensation – Compensation of Executive Officers – Stock Option Awards” and “Particulars of Matters to be Acted Upon – Ratification of Stock Option Plan”.
INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE COMPANY
As at the date hereof, no executive officer, director or employee, or former executive officer, director or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is indebted to: (a) the Company or any of its subsidiaries; or (b) another entity where the indebtedness is the subject of a guarantee, support agreement, letter of credit or other similar arrangement or understanding provided by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
INTEREST OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS
Other than as disclosed herein, no informed person of the Company, proposed director of the Company, nor any associate or affiliate of any informed person or proposed director has any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction of the Company since October 1, 2018 or in any proposed transaction which has materially affected or is reasonably expected to materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information relating to the Company is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Financial information is provided in the Company’s audited financial statements and the Company’s management’s discussion and analysis for the financial years ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018. A copy of the Company’s audited financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis can be obtained, upon request, from the Company at Suite #1000 – 409 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V7X 1J1.
APPROVAL
The contents and sending of this management information circular have been approved by the directors of the Company.
DATED this 1[st] day of October, 2020.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
(signed) “Joel Shacker”
Joel Shacker Chief Executive Officer
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APPENDIX “A”
REWARDSTREAM SOLUTIONS INC.
STOCK OPTION PLAN
ARTICLE 1 DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
1.1 Defined Terms
For the purposes of this Plan, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
-
(a) "Accelerated Vesting Event" means the occurrence of any one of the following events:
-
(i) a take-over bid (as defined under applicable securities Laws) is made for Common Shares or Convertible Securities which, if successful would result (assuming the conversion, exchange or exercise of the Convertible Securities, if any, that are the subject of the take-over bid) in any Person or Persons acting jointly or in concert (as determined under applicable securities Laws) or Persons associated or affiliated with such Person or Persons (as determined under applicable securities Laws) beneficially, directly or indirectly, owning shares that would, notwithstanding any agreement to the contrary, entitle the holders thereof for the first time to cast at least 50% of the votes attaching to all shares in the capital of the Corporation that may be cast to elect Directors;
-
(ii) the acquisition or continuing ownership by any Person or Persons acting jointly or in concert (as determined under applicable securities Laws), directly or indirectly, of Common Shares or of Convertible Securities, which, when added to all other securities of the Corporation at the time held by such Person or Persons, Persons associated with such person or persons, or persons affiliated with such Person or Persons (as determined under applicable securities Laws) (collectively, the "Acquirors"), and assuming the conversion, exchange or exercise of Convertible Securities beneficially owned by the Acquirors, results in the Acquirors beneficially owning shares that would, notwithstanding any agreement to the contrary, entitle the holders thereof for the first time to cast at least 50% of the votes attaching to all shares in the capital of the Corporation that may be cast to elect Directors;
-
(iii) an amalgamation, merger, arrangement or other business combination (a "Business Combination") involving the Corporation receives the approval of, or is accepted by, the securityholders of the Corporation (or all classes of securityholders whose approval or acceptance is required) or, if their approval or acceptance is not required in the circumstances, is approved or accepted by the Corporation and as a result of that Business Combination, parties to the Business Combination or securityholders of the parties to the Business Combination, other than the securityholders of the Corporation, own, directly or indirectly, shares of the continuing entity that entitle the holders thereof to cast at least 50% of the votes attaching to all shares in the capital of the continuing entity that may be cast to elect Directors;
-
(b) "Affiliate" shall have the meaning ascribed thereto by the TSX Venture Exchange in Policy 1.1 – Interpretation;
-
(c) "Associate" shall have the meaning ascribed thereto by the TSX Venture Exchange in Policy 1.1 – Interpretation;
A - 1
-
(d) "Board" means the board of directors of the Corporation or, as applicable, a committee consisting of not less than 3 directors of the Corporation duly appointed to administer this Plan;
-
(e) "Charitable Option" means a stock option or equivalent security granted by the Corporation to an Eligible Charitable Organization;
-
(f) "Charitable Organization" means "charitable organization" as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada) from time to time;
-
(g) "Common Shares" means the common shares in the capital of the Corporation;
-
(h) "Consultant" means, in relation to the Corporation, an individual (other than an Employee or a Director of the Corporation) or company that:
-
(i) is engaged to provide on an ongoing bona fide basis, consulting, technical, management or other services to the Corporation or to an Affiliate of the Corporation, other than services provided in relation to a Distribution;
-
(ii) provides the services under a written contract between the Corporation or the Affiliate and the individual or the company, as the case may be;
-
(iii) in the reasonable opinion of the Corporation, spends or will spend a significant amount of time and attention on the affairs and business of the Corporation or an Affiliate of the Corporation; and
-
(iv) has a relationship with the Corporation or an Affiliate of the Corporation that enables the individual to be knowledgeable about the business and affairs of the Corporation;
-
(i) "Consultant Company" means a Consultant that is a company;
-
(j) "Convertible Securities" means any security of the Corporation which is convertible into Common Shares;
-
(k) "Corporation" means RewardStream Solutions Inc. and its successor entities;
-
(l) "Director" means a director, senior officer or Management Company Employee of the Corporation, or a director, senior officer or Management Company Employee of the Corporation’s subsidiaries;
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(m) "Disinterested Shareholder Approval" means approval by a majority of the votes cast by all shareholders entitled to vote at a meeting of shareholders of the Corporation excluding votes attached to shares beneficially owned by insiders to whom options may be granted under this Plan and their Associates;
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(n) "Distribution" has the meaning ascribed thereto by the Exchange;
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(o) "Eligible Charitable Organization" means:
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(i) any Charitable Organization or Public Foundation which is a Registered Charity, but is not a Private Foundation; or
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(ii) a Registered National Arts Service Organization;
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(p) "Eligible Person" means
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(i) a Director, Officer, Employee or Consultant of the Corporation or its subsidiaries, if any, at the time the option is granted, and includes companies that are wholly owned by Eligible Persons; or
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(ii) an Eligible Charitable Organization at the time the Option is granted;
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(q) "Employee" means:
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(i) an individual who is considered an employee of the Corporation or its subsidiary under the Income Tax Act (Canada) (and for whom income tax, employment insurance and Canada Pension Plan deductions must be made at source);
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(ii) an individual who works full-time for the Corporation or its subsidiary providing services normally provided by an employee and who is subject to the same control and direction by the Corporation over the details and methods of work as an employee of the Corporation, but for whom income tax deductions are not made at source; or
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(iii) an individual who works for the Corporation or its subsidiary on a continuing and regular basis for a minimum amount of time per week providing services normally provided by an employee and who is subject to the same control and direction by the Corporation over the details and methods of work as an employee of the Corporation, but for whom income tax deductions are not made at source.
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(r) "Exchange" means the TSX Venture Exchange or the NEX board of the TSX Venture Exchange, as the context requires, and any successor entity or the Toronto Stock Exchange if the Corporation is listed thereon;
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(s) "Expiry Date" means the last day of the term for an Option, as set by the Board at the time of grant in accordance with Section 5.2 and, if applicable, as amended from time to time;
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(t) "Governmental Authorities" means governments, regulatory authorities, governmental departments, agencies, commissions, bureaus, officials, ministers, Crown corporations, courts, bodies, boards, tribunals or dispute settlement panels or other law, rule or regulation-making organizations or entities:
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(i) having or purporting to have jurisdiction on behalf of any nation, province, territory or state or any other geographic or political subdivision of any of them; or
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(ii) exercising, or entitled or purporting to exercise any administrative, executive, judicial, legislative, policy, regulatory or taxing authority or power;
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(u) "Insider" means a director or senior officer of the Corporation, a Person that beneficially owns or controls directly or indirectly, voting shares carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to all outstanding voting shares of the Corporation, a director or senior officer of a company that is an insider or a subsidiary of the Corporation, and the Corporation itself if it holds any of its own securities;
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(v) "Investor Relations Activities" has the meaning ascribed thereto in the TSX Venture Exchange’s Corporate Finance Manual;
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(w) "Laws" means currently existing applicable statutes, by-laws, rules, regulations, orders, ordinances or judgments, in each case of any Governmental Authority having the force of the law;
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(x) "Management Company Employee" means an individual who is employed by a Person providing management services to the Corporation which are required for the ongoing successful operation of the business enterprise of the Corporation, but excluding a Person engaged in Investor Relations Activities;
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(y) "Material Information" has the meaning ascribed thereto in the TSX Venture Exchange’s Corporate Finance Manual;
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(z) "Officer" means an officer of the Corporation or its subsidiaries, if any;
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(aa) "Option" means a non-transferable and non-assignable option to purchase Common Shares granted to an Eligible Person pursuant to the terms of this Plan;
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(bb) "Optionee" means an Eligible Person of an Option granted by the Corporation;
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(cc) "Other Share Compensation Arrangement" means, other than this Plan and any Options, any stock option plan, stock options, employee stock purchase plan or other compensation or incentive mechanism involving the issuance or potential issuance of Common Shares, including but not limited to a purchase of Common Shares from treasury which is financially assisted by the Corporation by way of loan, guarantee or otherwise;
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(dd) "Person " means any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, firm, entity, unincorporated association, unincorporated syndicate, unincorporated organization, trust, body corporate, Governmental Authority, and where the context requires any of the foregoing when they are acting as trustee, executor, administrator or other legal representative;
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(ee) "Plan" means this incentive stock option plan;
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(ff) "Private Foundation" means "private foundation" as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada) as amended from time to time;
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(gg) "Public Foundation" means "public foundation" as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada) as amended from time to time;
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(hh) "Registered Charity" means "registered charity" as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada) as amended from time to time;
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(ii) "Registered National Arts Service Organization" means “registered national arts service organization" as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada) as amended from time to time; and
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(jj) "Termination Date" means the date on which an Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person.
1.2 Interpretation
- (a) References to the outstanding Common Shares at any point in time shall be computed on a non-diluted basis.
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- (b) If the Corporation is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, the provisions of this Plan as they relate to companies listed on Tier 1 of the TSX Venture Exchange shall apply.
ARTICLE 2 ESTABLISHMENT OF PLAN
2.1 Purpose
The purpose of this Plan is to advance the interests of the Corporation, through the grant of Options, by:
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(a) providing an incentive mechanism to foster the interest of Eligible Persons in the success of the Corporation, its Affiliates and its subsidiaries, if any;
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(b) encouraging Eligible Persons to remain with the Corporation, its Affiliates or its subsidiaries, if any; and
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(c) attracting new Directors, Officers, Employees and Consultants.
2.2 Shares Reserved
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(a) The aggregate number of Common Shares that may be reserved for issuance pursuant to Options shall not exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares at the time of the granting of an Option, LESS the aggregate number of Common Shares then reserved for issuance pursuant to any Other Share Compensation Arrangement. For greater certainty, if an Option is surrendered, terminated or expires without being exercised, the Common Shares reserved for issuance pursuant to such Option shall be available for new Options granted under this Plan. If the Corporation is listed on the NEX board of the TSX Venture Exchange, the maximum number of Options that may be reserved for issuance or issued in any 12 month period shall not exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares of the Corporation.
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(b) If there is a change in the issued and outstanding Common Shares by reason of any share consolidation or split, reclassification or other capital reorganization, or a stock dividend, arrangement, amalgamation, merger or combination, or any other change to, event affecting, exchange of or corporate change or transaction affecting the Common Shares, the Board shall make, as it shall deem advisable and subject to the requisite approval of the relevant regulatory authorities, appropriate substitution and/or adjustment in:
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(i) the number and kind of shares or other securities or property reserved or to be allotted for issuance pursuant to this Plan;
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(ii) the number and kind of shares or other securities or property reserved or to be allotted for issuance pursuant to any outstanding unexercised Options, and in the exercise price for such shares or other securities or property; and
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(iii) the vesting of any Options, including the accelerated vesting thereof on conditions the Board deems advisable and, if it relates to Investor Relations vesting provisions, then subject to the approval of the Exchange,
and if the Corporation undertakes an arrangement or is amalgamated, merged or combined with another corporation, the Board shall make such provision for the protection of the rights of Optionees as it shall deem advisable.
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(c) No fractional Common Shares shall be reserved for issuance under this Plan and the Board may determine the manner in which an Option, insofar as it relates to the acquisition of a fractional Common Share, shall be treated.
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(d) The Corporation shall, at all times while this Plan is in effect, reserve and keep available such number of Common Shares as will be sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this Plan.
2.3 Non-Exclusivity
Nothing contained herein shall prevent the Board from adopting such other incentive or compensation arrangements as it shall deem advisable.
2.4 Effective Date
This Plan shall be subject to the approval of any regulatory authority whose approval is required. Any Options granted under this Plan prior to such approvals being given shall be conditional upon such approvals being given, and no such Options may be exercised unless and until such approvals are given.
ARTICLE 3 Administration of plan
3.1 Administration
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(a) This Plan shall be administered by the Board or any committee established by the Board for the purpose of administering this Plan. Subject to the provisions of this Plan, the Board shall have the authority:
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(i) to determine the Eligible Persons to whom Options are granted, to grant such Options, and to determine any terms and conditions, limitations and restrictions in respect of any particular Option grant, including but not limited to the nature and duration of the restrictions, if any, to be imposed upon the acquisition, sale or other disposition of Common Shares acquired upon exercise of the Option, and the nature of the events and the duration of the period, if any, in which any Optionee's rights in respect of an Option or Common Shares acquired upon exercise of an Option may be forfeited; and
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(ii) to interpret the terms of this Plan, to make all such determinations and take all such other actions in connection with the implementation, operation and administration of this Plan, and to adopt, amend and rescind such administrative guidelines and other rules and regulations relating to this Plan, as it shall from time to time deem advisable, including without limitation for the purpose of ensuring compliance with Section 3.3 and 3.4 hereof.
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(b) The Board's interpretations, determinations, guidelines, rules and regulations shall be conclusive and binding upon the Corporation, Eligible Persons, Optionees and all other Persons.
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(c) For stock options granted to Employees, Consultants or Management Company Employees, the Corporation and the Optionee are responsible for ensuring and confirming that the Optionee is a bona fide Employee, Consultant or Management Company Employee, as the case may be.
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3.2 Amendment, Suspension and Termination
The Board may amend, subject to the approval of any regulatory authority whose approval is required, suspend or terminate this Plan or any provision herein. No such amendment, suspension or termination shall alter or impair any outstanding unexercised Options or any rights without the consent of such Optionee. If this Plan is suspended or terminated, the provisions of this Plan and any administrative guidelines, rules and regulations relating to this Plan shall continue in effect for the duration of such time as any Option remains outstanding.
3.3 Compliance with Laws
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(a) This Plan, the grant and exercise of Options hereunder and the Corporation's obligation to sell, issue and deliver any Common Shares upon exercise of Options shall be subject to all applicable federal, provincial and foreign Laws, policies, rules and regulations, to the policies, rules and regulations of any stock exchanges or other markets on which the Common Shares are listed or quoted for trading and to such approvals by any Governmental Authority as may, in the opinion of counsel to the Corporation, be required. The Corporation shall not be obligated by the existence of this Plan or any provision of this Plan or the grant or exercise of Options hereunder to sell, issue or deliver Common Shares upon exercise of Options in violation of such Laws, policies, rules and regulations or any condition or requirement of such approvals.
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(b) No Option shall be granted and no Common Shares sold, issued or delivered hereunder where such grant, sale, issue or delivery would require registration or other qualification of this Plan or of the Common Shares under the applicable securities Laws of any foreign jurisdiction, and any purported grant of any Option or any sale, issue and delivery of Common Shares hereunder in violation of this provision shall be void. In addition, the Corporation shall have no obligation to sell, issue or deliver any Common Shares hereunder unless such Common Shares shall have been duly listed, upon official notice of issuance, with all stock exchanges on which the Common Shares are listed for trading.
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(c) Common Shares sold, issued and delivered to Optionees pursuant to the exercise of Options shall be subject to restrictions on resale and transfer under applicable securities Laws and the requirements of any stock exchanges or other markets on which the Common Shares are listed or quoted for trading, and any certificates representing such Common Shares shall bear, as required, a restrictive legend in respect thereof.
3.4 Tax Withholdings
- (a) Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein, in connection with the exercise of an Option by an Optionee from time to time, as a condition to such exercise the Corporation shall require such Optionee to pay to the Corporation or the relevant Affiliate an amount as necessary so as to ensure that the Corporation or such Affiliate, as applicable, is in compliance with the applicable provisions of any federal, provincial or local Laws relating to the withholding of tax or other required deductions relating to the exercise of such Options. In addition, the Corporation or the relevant Affiliate, as applicable shall be entitled to withhold from any amount payable to an Optionee, either under this Plan or otherwise, such amount as may be necessary so as to ensure that the Corporation or the relevant Affiliate is in compliance with the applicable provisions of any federal, provincial, local or foreign Laws relating to the withholding of tax or other required deductions relating to the exercise of such Options. The Corporation may also satisfy any liability for any such withholding obligations, on such terms and conditions as the Corporation may determine in its discretion, by (a) requiring an Optionee, as a condition to the exercise of any Options, to make such arrangements as the Corporation may require so that the Corporation can satisfy such withholding obligations including, without limitation, requiring the Optionee to remit to the Corporation in advance, or reimburse the Corporation for, any such withholding
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obligations or (b) selling on the Optionee's behalf, or requiring the Optionee to sell, any Shares acquired by the Optionee under the Plan, or retaining any amount which would otherwise be payable to the Optionee in connection with any such sale.
ARTICLE 4 OPTION GRANTS
4.1 Eligibility and Multiple Grants
Options shall only be granted to Eligible Persons. An Eligible Person may receive Options on more than one occasion and may receive separate Options, with differing terms, on any one or more occasions.
4.2 Option Agreement
Every Option shall be evidenced by an option agreement executed by the Corporation and the Optionee In the event of any discrepancy between this Plan and an option agreement, the provisions of this Plan shall govern.
4.3 Limitation on Grants and Exercises
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(a) To any one Person. The aggregate number of Options granted to any one Person (and companies wholly owned by that Person) pursuant to this Plan and any other Share Compensation Arrangement in a 12 month period must not exceed 5% of the issued shares of the Corporation, calculated on the date an Option is granted to the Person (unless the Corporation has obtained the requisite Disinterested Shareholder Approval).
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(b) To Consultants. The aggregate number of Options granted to any one Consultant in a 12 month period pursuant to this Plan and any other Share Compensation Arrangement must not exceed 2% of the issued shares of the Corporation, calculated at the date an Option is granted to the Consultant.
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(c) To Persons conducting Investor Relations Activities. The aggregate number of Options granted to all Persons retained to provide Investor Relations Activities pursuant to this Plan and any other Share Compensation Arrangement must not exceed 2% of the issued shares of the Corporation in any 12 month period, calculated at the date an Option is granted to any such Person. If the Corporation is listed on the NEX board of the TSX Venture Exchange, no Options are permitted to be granted to Persons who provide Investor Relations Activities.
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(d) To Eligible Charitable Organizations. The aggregate number of Options granted and outstanding to Eligible Charitable Organizations pursuant to this Plan and any other Share Compensation Arrangement must not at any time exceed 1% of the issued shares of the Corporation, as calculated immediately subsequent to the grant of any Options to Eligible Charitable Organizations.
ARTICLE 5 Option terms
5.1 Exercise Price
- (a) Subject to a minimum exercise price of $0.05 per Common Share, the exercise price per Common Share for an Option shall be determined by the Directors or their delegates if any, but will in no event be less than the Market Price for the Common Shares (as defined by the policies of the Exchange) at the date of grant.
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(b) If Options are granted within ninety days of a Distribution by the Corporation by prospectus, then the exercise price per Common Share for such Option shall not be less than the greater of the minimum exercise price calculated pursuant to subsection 5.1(a) herein and the price per Common Share paid by the public investors for Common Shares acquired pursuant to such Distribution. Such ninety day period shall begin:
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(i) on the date the final receipt is issued for the final prospectus in respect of such Distribution; or
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(ii) in the case of an initial public offering, on the date of listing.
5.2 Expiry Date
Every Option granted shall, unless sooner terminated, have a term not exceeding and shall therefore expire no later than 10 years after the date of grant (subject to extension where the expiry date falls within a “blackout period”, as discussed in subsection 5.7) hereof.
5.3 Vesting
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(a) Subject to subsection 5.3(b) herein and otherwise in compliance with the policies of the Exchange, the Board shall determine the manner in which an Option shall vest and become exercisable.
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(b) Options granted to Consultants performing Investor Relations Activities shall vest over a minimum of 12 months with no more than 1/4 of such Options vesting in any 3 month period.
5.4 Accelerated Vesting Event
Subject to subsection 5.3(b) and in compliance with the policies of the Exchange, upon the occurrence of an Accelerated Vesting Event, the Board will have the power, at its sole discretion and without being required to obtain the approval of shareholders or the holder of any Option, except pertaining to options granted to Consultants performing Investor Relations activities which will be subject to prior written Exchange approval, to make such changes to the terms of Options as it considers fair and appropriate in the circumstances, including but not limited to: (a) accelerating the vesting of Options, conditionally or unconditionally; (b) terminating every Option if under the transaction giving rise to the Accelerated Vesting Event, options in replacement of the Options are proposed to be granted to or exchanged with the holders of Options, which replacement options treat the holders of Options in a manner which the Board considers fair and appropriate in the circumstances having regard to the treatment of holders of Shares under such transaction; (c) otherwise modifying the terms of any Option to assist the holder to tender into any takeover bid or other transaction constituting an Accelerated Vesting Event; or (d) following the successful completion of such Accelerated Vesting Event, terminating any Option to the extent it has not been exercised prior to successful completion of the Accelerated Vesting Event. The determination of the Board in respect of any such Accelerated Vesting Event shall for the purposes of this Plan be final, conclusive and binding.
5.5 Non-Assignability
Options may not be assigned or transferred.
5.6 Ceasing to be Eligible Person
- (a) If an Optionee who is a Director, Officer, Employee or Consultant is terminated for cause, each Option held by such Optionee shall terminate and therefore cease to be exercisable upon such termination for cause.
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(b) If an Optionee dies prior to otherwise ceasing to be an Eligible Person, each Option held by such Optionee shall be exercisable by the heirs or administrators of such Optionee and shall terminate and therefore cease to be exercisable no later than the earlier of the Expiry Date and the date which is twelve months from the date of the Optionee's death.
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(c) Unless an option agreement specifies otherwise, if an Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person for any reason other than death or termination for cause, each Option held by the Optionee other than an Optionee who is involved in investor relations activities will cease to be exercisable 90 days after the Termination Date or for a "reasonable period" after the Optionee ceases to serve in such capacity, as determined by the Board. For Optionees involved in investor relations activities, Options shall cease to be exercisable 30 days after the Termination Date or for a "reasonable period" after the Optionee ceases to serve in such capacity, as determined by the Board.
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(d) If any portion of an Option is not vested at the time an Optionee ceases, for any reason whatsoever, to be an Eligible Person, such unvested portion of the Option may not be thereafter exercised by the Optionee or its legal representative, as the case may be, provided that the Board may, in its discretion, thereafter permit the Optionee or its legal representative, as the case may be, to exercise all or any part of such unvested portion of the Option that would have vested prior to the time such Option otherwise terminates.
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(e) A Charitable Option must expire after the earlier of a date that is not more than 10 years from the grant date of the Charitable Option and the 90[th] day following the date that the holder of the Charitable Option ceases to be an Eligible Charitable Organization.
5.7 Blackout Periods
An Option will be automatically extended past the expiry date of an Option governed by the Plan if such expiry date falls within a period (a “ blackout period ”) during which the Corporation prohibits Optionees from exercising their Options provided that the following requirements are satisfied:
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(a) The blackout period must be formally imposed by the Corporation pursuant to its internal trading policies. For greater certainty, in the absence of the Corporation formally imposing a blackout period, the expiry date of any Options will not be automatically extended in any circumstances.
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(b) The blackout period must expire upon the general disclosure of the undisclosed Material Information. The expiry date of the affected Options can be extended to no later than ten (10) business days after the expiry of the blackout period.
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(c) 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 securities Laws) in respect of the Corporation’s securities.
ARTICLE 6 EXERCISE procedure
6.1 Exercise Procedure
An Option may be exercised from time to time, and shall be deemed to be validly exercised by the Optionee only upon the Optionee's delivery to the Corporation at its head office of:
- (a) a written notice of exercise addressed to the Corporate Secretary of the Corporation, specifying the number of Common Shares with respect to which the Option is being exercised;
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(b) a signed option agreement with respect to the Option being exercised;
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(c) a certified cheque or bank draft made payable to the Corporation for the aggregate exercise price for the number of Common Shares with respect to which the Option is being exercised, together with the amount necessary to satisfy any applicable tax withholding or remittance obligations under applicable Laws; and
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(d) documents containing such representations, warranties, agreements and undertakings, including such as to the Optionee's future dealings in such Common Shares, as counsel to the Corporation reasonably determines to be necessary or advisable in order to comply with or safeguard against the violation of the Laws of any jurisdiction;
and on the business day following, the Optionee shall be deemed to be a holder of record of the Common Shares with respect to which the Option is being exercised, and thereafter the Corporation shall, within a reasonable amount of time, cause certificates for such Common Shares to be issued and delivered to the Optionee.
ARTICLE 7 AMENDMENT Of OPTIONS
7.1 Consent to Amend
The Board may amend any Option with the consent of the affected Optionee and the Exchange, including any shareholder approval required by the Exchange. For greater certainty, Disinterested Shareholder Approval is required for any reduction in the exercise price of an Option if the Optionee is an Insider at the time of the proposed amendment.
7.2 Amendment Subject to Approval
If the amendment of an Option requires regulatory or shareholder approval, such amendment may be made prior to such approvals being given, but no such amended Options may be exercised unless and until such approvals are given.
ARTICLE 8 miscellaneous
8.1 No Rights as Shareholder
Nothing in this Plan or any Option shall confer upon an Optionee any rights as a shareholder of the Corporation with respect to any of the Common Shares underlying an Option unless and until such Optionee shall have become the holder of such Common Shares upon exercise of such Option in accordance with the terms of the Plan.
8.2 No Right to Employment
Nothing in this Plan or any Option shall confer upon an Optionee any right to continue in the employ of the Corporation or any Affiliate or affect in any way the right of the Corporation or any Affiliate to terminate the Optionee's employment, with or without cause, at any time; nor shall anything in the Plan or any Option be deemed or construed to constitute an agreement, or an expression of intent, on the part of the Corporation or any Affiliate to extend the employment of any Optionee beyond the time which the Optionee would normally be retired pursuant to the provisions of any present or future retirement plan of the Corporation or any Affiliate, or beyond the time at which he would otherwise be retired pursuant to the provisions of any contract of employment with the Corporation or any Affiliate.
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8.3 Governing Law
This Plan, all option agreements, the grant and exercise of Options hereunder, and the sale, issue and delivery of Common Shares hereunder upon exercise of Options shall be, as applicable, governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of the Province of British Columbia and the federal Laws of Canada applicable therein. The Courts of the Province of British Columbia shall have the exclusive jurisdiction to hear and decide any disputes or other matters arising herefrom.
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APPENDIX “B”
CHARTER OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
I PURPOSE
The Audit Committee (the “ Committee ”) will consist of independent directors and is appointed by the Board of Directors (the “ Board ”) of RewardStream Solutions Inc. (the “ Corporation ”) to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities relating to financial accounting and reporting process and internal controls for the Corporation. The Committee’s primary duties and responsibilities are to:
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conduct such reviews and discussions with management and the independent auditors relating to the audit and financial reporting as are deemed appropriate by the Committee;
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assess the integrity of internal controls and financial reporting procedures of the Corporation and ensure implementation of such controls and procedures;
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ensure that there is an appropriate standard of corporate conduct including, if necessary, adopting a corporate code of ethics for senior financial personnel;
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review the quarterly and annual financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis of the Corporation’s financial position and operating results and report thereon to the Board for approval of same;
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select and monitor the independence and performance of the Corporation’s outside auditors (the “ Independent Auditors ”), including attending at private meetings with the Independent Auditors and reviewing and approving all renewals or dismissals of the Independent Auditors and their remuneration; and
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provide oversight to related party transactions entered into by the Corporation.
The Committee has the authority to conduct any investigation appropriate to its responsibilities, and it may request the Independent Auditors as well as any officer of the Corporation, or outside counsel for the Corporation, to attend a meeting of the Committee or to meet with any members of, or advisors to, the Committee. The Committee shall have unrestricted access to the books and records of the Corporation and has the authority to retain, at the expense of the Corporation, special legal, accounting, or other consultants or experts to assist in the performance of the Committee’s duties.
The Committee shall review and assess the adequacy of this Charter annually and submit any proposed revisions to the Board for approval.
In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Committee will carry out the specific duties set out in Part III of this Charter.
II AUTHORITY OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Committee shall have the authority to:
- (a) engage independent counsel and other advisors as it determines necessary to carry out its duties;
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(b) set and pay the compensation for advisors employed by the Committee; and
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(c) communicate directly with the internal and external auditors.
III
COMPOSITION AND MEETINGS
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The Committee and its membership shall meet all applicable legal and listing requirements, including, without limitation, those of the TSX Venture Exchange (“ TSXV ”), its incorporating statute and all applicable securities regulatory authorities.
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The Committee shall be composed of three or more directors as shall be designated by the Board from time to time. The members of the Committee shall appoint from among themselves a member who shall serve as Chair.
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Each member of the Committee shall be “financially literate” (as defined by applicable securities laws and regulations).
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The Committee shall meet at least quarterly, at the discretion of the Chair or a majority of its members, as circumstances dictate or as may be required by applicable legal or listing requirements. A minimum of two of the members of the Committee present either in person or by telephone shall constitute a quorum.
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If within one hour of the time appointed for a meeting of the Committee, a quorum is not present, the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same hour on the second business day following the date of such meeting at the same place. If at the adjourned meeting a quorum as hereinbefore specified is not present within one hour of the time appointed for such adjourned meeting, such meeting shall stand adjourned to the same hour on the second business day following the date of such meeting at the same place. If at the second adjourned meeting a quorum as hereinbefore specified is not present, the quorum for the adjourned meeting shall consist of the members then present.
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If and whenever a vacancy shall exist, the remaining members of the Committee may exercise all of its powers and responsibilities so long as a quorum remains in office.
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The time and place at which meetings of the Committee shall be held, and procedures at such meetings, shall be determined from time to time by, the Committee. A meeting of the Committee may be called by letter, telephone, facsimile, email or other communication equipment, by giving at least 48 hours notice, provided that no notice of a meeting shall be necessary if all of the members are present either in person or by means of conference telephone or if those absent have waived notice or otherwise signified their consent to the holding of such meeting.
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Any member of the Committee may participate in the meeting of the Committee by means of conference telephone or other communication equipment, and the member participating in a meeting pursuant to this paragraph shall be deemed, for purposes hereof, to be present in person at the meeting.
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The Committee shall keep minutes of its meetings which shall be submitted to the Board. The Committee may, from time to time, appoint any person who need not be a member, to act as a secretary at any meeting.
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The Committee may invite such officers, directors and employees of the Corporation and its subsidiaries as it may see fit, from time to time, to attend at meetings of the Committee.
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The Board may at any time amend or rescind any of the provisions hereof, or cancel them entirely, with or without substitution.
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Any matters to be determined by the Committee shall be decided by a majority of votes cast at a meeting of the Committee called for such purpose. Actions of the Committee may be taken by an instrument or instruments in writing signed by all of the members of the Committee, and such actions shall be effective as though they had been decided by a majority of votes cast at a meeting of the Committee called for such purpose. All decisions or recommendations of the Audit Committee shall require the approval of the Board prior to implementation.
IV RESPONSIBILITIES
A Financial Accounting and Reporting Process and Internal Controls
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The Committee shall review the annual audited financial statements and interim financial statements to satisfy itself that they are presented in accordance with applicable Canadian and international accounting standards (including the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted by applicable regulatory agencies), and report thereon to the Board and recommend to the Board whether or not same should be approved prior to their being filed with the appropriate regulatory authorities. With respect to the annual and interim financial statements, the Committee shall discuss significant issues regarding accounting principles, practices, and judgments of management with management and the Independent Auditors as and when the Committee deems it appropriate to do so. The Committee shall satisfy itself that the information contained in the annual audited financial statements is not significantly erroneous, misleading or incomplete and that the audit function has been effectively carried out.
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The Committee shall review management’s internal control report and the evaluation of such report by the Independent Auditors, together with management’s response.
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The Committee shall review the financial statements, management’s discussion and analysis relating to annual and interim financial statements, annual and interim earnings press releases and any other public disclosure documents that are required to be reviewed by the Committee under any applicable laws before the Corporation publicly discloses this information.
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The Committee shall be satisfied that adequate procedures are in place for the review of the Corporation’s public disclosure of financial information extracted or derived from the Corporation’s financial statements, other than the public disclosure referred to in subsection (3), and periodically assess the adequacy of these procedures.
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The Committee shall meet no less frequently than annually with the Independent Auditors and the Chief Financial Officer or, in the absence of a Chief Financial Officer, with the officer of the Corporation in charge of financial matters, to review accounting practices, internal controls and such other matters as the Committee, Chief Financial Officer or, in the absence of a Chief Financial Officer, with the officer of the Corporation in charge of financial matters, deems appropriate.
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The Committee shall inquire of management and the Independent Auditors about significant risks or exposures, both internal and external, to which the Corporation may be subject, and assess the steps management has taken to minimize such risks.
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The Committee shall review the post-audit or management letter containing the recommendations of the Independent Auditors and management’s response and subsequent follow-up to any identified weaknesses.
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The Committee shall ensure that there is an appropriate standard of corporate conduct including, if necessary, adopting a corporate code of ethics for senior financial personnel.
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The Committee shall establish procedures for:
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(a) the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Corporation regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters; and
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(b) the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the Corporation of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.
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The Committee shall provide oversight to related party transactions entered into by the Corporation.
B Independent Auditors
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The Committee shall be directly responsible for the selection, appointment, compensation and oversight of the Independent Auditors and the Independent Auditors shall report directly to the Committee.
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The Committee shall be directly responsible for overseeing the work of the external auditors, including the resolution of disagreements between management and the external auditors regarding financial reporting.
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The Committee shall pre-approve all audit and non-audit services (including, without limitation, the review of any interim financial statements of the Corporation by the Independent Auditors at the discretion of the Committee) not prohibited by law to be provided by the Independent Auditors.
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The Committee shall monitor and assess the relationship between management and the Independent Auditors and monitor, confirm, support and assure the independence and objectivity of the Independent Auditors. The Committee shall establish procedures to receive and respond to complaints with respect to accounting, internal accounting controls and auditing matters.
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The Committee shall review the Independent Auditor’s audit plan, including scope, procedures and timing of the audit.
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The Committee shall review the results of the annual audit with the Independent Auditors, including matters related to the conduct of the audit, and receive and review the auditor’s interim review reports.
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The Committee shall obtain timely reports from the Independent Auditors describing critical accounting policies and practices, alternative treatments of information within applicable Canadian and international accounting principles (including the IFRS as adopted by applicable regulatory agencies), that were discussed with management, their ramifications, and the Independent Auditors’ preferred treatment and material written communications between the Corporation and the Independent Auditors.
B - 4
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The Committee shall review fees paid by the Corporation to the Independent Auditors and other professionals in respect of audit and non-audit services on an annual basis.
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The Committee shall review and approve the Corporation’s hiring policies regarding partners, employees and former partners and employees of the present and former auditors of the Corporation.
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The Committee shall monitor and assess the relationship between management and the external auditors, and monitor and support the independence and objectivity of the external auditors.
C Other Responsibilities
The Committee shall perform any other activities consistent with this Charter and governing law, as the Committee or the Board deems necessary or appropriate.
B - 5