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Goliath Resources Limited — Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement 2025
Feb 11, 2025
45945_rns_2025-02-11_3210e9c2-3da6-4fe8-9ed7-81f745b67426.pdf
Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement
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GOLIATH RESOURCES LIMITED
AMENDED NOTICE OF ANNUAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON MARCH 17, 2025
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the annual and special meeting (the "Meeting") of the shareholders ("Shareholders") of Goliath Resources Limited (the "Company") will be held at 82 Richmond Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 1P1 on Monday, March 17, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. (Toronto time) for the following purposes:
- to present the annual audited financial statements of the Company for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, together with the report of the auditor thereon;
- to elect the board of directors of the Company for the ensuing year;
- to re-appoint McGovern Hurley LLP, Chartered Accountants as the auditor of the Company for the ensuing year and to authorize the board of directors to fix the auditor's remuneration;
- to consider, and if thought advisable, to pass, with or without variation, an ordinary resolution, the full text of which is set forth in the accompanying management information circular dated February 7, 2025 (the "Information Circular"), to approve the omnibus equity incentive plan of the Company;
- to consider, and if thought advisable, to pass an ordinary resolution, the full text of which is set forth in the accompanying Information Circular, to ratify and approve the adoption of a shareholder rights plan agreement dated February 7, 2025 between the Company and Computershare Investor Services Inc. as rights agent; and
- to transact such other business as may properly be brought before the Meeting and at any adjournment thereof.
The specific details of the matters proposed to be put before the Meeting are set forth in the Information Circular, which accompanies this Notice of Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders (the "Notice") and forms part thereof.
A Shareholder wishing to be represented by proxy at the Meeting or any adjournment thereof must have deposited his, her or its duly executed form of proxy not later than 1:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on Thursday, March 13, 2025 or, if the Meeting is adjourned, not later than 48 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, preceding the time of such adjourned Meeting, at the offices of Computershare Trust Company of Canada, 650 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, 7th Floor, Montreal, QC, H3A 3T2; or by facsimile at (514) 982-7635.
The Meeting will be held in person and by audio-cast and can be accessed by conference call at 1-800-747-5150 (passcode 5311060#). This call will be listen-only and Shareholders will not be able to vote or speak at, or otherwise participate in the Meeting via the conference call.
The record date for the determination of those Shareholders entitled to receive the Notice and to vote at the Meeting was the close of business on Thursday, January 16, 2025 (the "Record Date"). The Shareholders of record as of the close of business on the Record Date will be entitled to receive this Notice and the accompanying Information Circular and to (virtually) attend and vote at the Meeting and any adjournment(s) or postponement(s) thereof.
Participation of its Shareholders is very important to the Company. Please ensure that the votes attached to the common shares of the Company you hold will be exercised at the Meeting.
DATED at Toronto, Ontario as of the 7th day of February, 2025.
(Signed) "Roger Rosmus"
Roger Rosmus
President and Chief Executive Officer
GOLIATH RESOURCES LIMITED
AMENDED MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CIRCULAR
as at February 7, 2025, except as otherwise indicated
This management information circular (the "Information Circular") is furnished in connection with the solicitation by management of Goliath Resources Limited (the "Company") of proxies for use at the annual and special meeting (the "Meeting") of holders ("Shareholders") of common shares ("Common Shares") of the Company referred to in the accompanying Notice of Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders (the "Notice") to be held on Monday, March 17, 2025, at the time and place and for the purposes set forth in the Notice.
SOLICITATION OF PROXIES
The solicitation of proxies is made by the management of the Company and will be primarily by mail, but proxies may also be solicited personally or by telephone by regular employees of the Company at nominal cost. All costs of solicitation by management will be borne by the Company.
The Company is utilizing the notice-and-access mechanism (the "Notice-and-Access Provisions") under National Instrument 54-101 – Communication with Beneficial Owners of Securities of a Reporting Issuer ("NI 54-101") and National Instrument 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations ("NI 51-102") for the distribution of this Information Circular to non-registered shareholders. Further information on the Notice-and-Access Provisions is contained below under the heading "Notice-and-Access" and Shareholders are encouraged to read this information for an explanation of their rights.
SHAREHOLDERS ENTITLED TO VOTE AND QUORUM
Registered shareholders ("Registered Shareholders") as of the close of business on Thursday, January 16, 2025 (the "Record Date"), or the person or persons they appoint as their proxies, are entitled to attend and vote on all matters that may properly come before the Meeting in respect of which their vote is required. Each Shareholder of record at the close of business on the Record Date will be entitled to one vote for each Common Share held with respect to all matters proposed to come before the Meeting, or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and requiring a vote by Shareholders.
Registered Shareholders are entitled to vote at the Meeting, or any adjournment or postponement thereof, either in person or by proxy. Voting by proxy means that you are giving the person or persons named on your proxy form (your proxyholder) the authority to vote your Common Shares for you at the Meeting or any adjournment(s) or postponement(s) thereof.
The presence of two or more persons holding at least 5% of the outstanding Common Shares of the Company present in person or represented by proxy, will constitute a quorum. The Company's list of Registered Shareholders as at the close of business on the Record Date has been used to deliver to Shareholders the Notice and this Information Circular as well as to determine who is eligible to vote.
APPOINTMENT AND REVOCATION OF PROXIES
The individuals named in the enclosed form of proxy will represent management of the Company at the Meeting. Each Shareholder has the right to appoint a person or company (who need not be a Shareholder), other than the persons designated in the accompanying form of proxy, to represent the Shareholder at the Meeting. Such right may be exercised by inserting the name of such person or company in the blank space provided in the proxy or by completing another proper form of proxy.
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A Shareholder wishing to be represented by proxy at the Meeting or any adjournment thereof must, in all cases, deposit the completed proxy with Computershare Trust Company of Canada, 650 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, 7th Floor, Montreal, QC, H3A 3T2 (“Computershare”) by 1:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on Thursday, March 13, 2025, or, if the Meeting is adjourned or postponed, at least 48 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, prior to any adjournment or postponement of the Meeting at which the proxy is to be used, or deliver it to the Chairman of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting or any adjournment thereof prior to the commencement of the Meeting. A proxy should be executed by the Registered Shareholder or its attorney duly authorized in writing or, if the Registered Shareholder is a corporation, by an officer or attorney thereof duly authorized. Failure to properly complete or deposit a proxy may result in its invalidation.
A Registered Shareholder who has submitted a proxy may revoke it at any time prior to the exercise thereof. If a Registered Shareholder who has given a proxy attends the Meeting in person at which such proxy is to be voted, such person may revoke the proxy and vote in person. In addition to any other manner permitted by law, a proxy may be revoked before it is exercised by an instrument in writing executed in the same manner as a proxy and deposited to the attention of the Chief Financial Officer of the Company at the registered office of the Company at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the day of the Meeting, or any adjournment thereof, at which the proxy is to be used or with the Chairman of the Meeting on the day of such Meeting or any adjournment thereof and thereupon the proxy is revoked.
A Registered Shareholder attending the Meeting has the right to vote in person and, if he or she does so, his or her proxy is nullified with respect to the matters such person votes upon and any subsequent matters thereafter to be voted upon at the Meeting or any adjournment thereof.
If you are not a Registered Shareholder, please refer to the section below entitled “Beneficial Holders of Common Shares”.
BENEFICIAL SHAREHOLDERS OF COMMON SHARES
The information set forth in this section is of significant importance to many Shareholders as a substantial number of Shareholders do not hold their Common Shares in their own name and thus are considered non-registered Shareholders (referred to as “Beneficial Shareholders”). Beneficial Shareholders should note that only proxies deposited by Shareholders whose names appear on the records of the Company as the registered holders of Common Shares can be recognized and acted upon at the Meeting. If Common Shares are listed in an account statement provided to Shareholders by a broker then, in almost all cases, those Common Shares will not be registered in the Shareholder’s name on the records of the Company. Such Common Shares will more likely be registered under the name of the Shareholder’s broker or an agent of that broker or another similar entity (an “Intermediary”). Common Shares held in the name of an Intermediary can only be voted by the Intermediary (for or against resolutions or withheld) upon the instructions of the Beneficial Shareholder. Without specific instructions, Intermediaries are prohibited from voting shares.
Beneficial Shareholders should ensure that instructions respecting the voting of their Common Shares are communicated in a timely manner and in accordance with the instructions provided by their Intermediary. Applicable regulatory rules require Intermediaries to seek voting instructions from Beneficial Shareholders in advance of the Meeting. Every Intermediary has its own mailing procedures and provides its own return instructions to clients, which instructions should be carefully followed by Beneficial Shareholders in order to ensure that their Common Shares are voted at the Meeting.
Most brokers now delegate responsibility for obtaining instructions from clients to Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”) in the United States and in Canada. Broadridge mails a voting instruction form in lieu of a form of proxy provided by the Company. The voting instruction form will name the same persons as the Company’s form of proxy to represent you at the Meeting. You have the right to appoint a person (who need not be a Shareholder), other than the persons designated in the voting instruction form, to represent you at the Meeting. To exercise this right, you should insert the name of the desired representative in the blank space provided in the voting instruction form. The completed voting instruction form must then be returned to Broadridge by mail or facsimile or given to Broadridge by phone or over the internet, in accordance with Broadridge’s instructions. Broadridge then tabulates the results of all instructions received and provides appropriate instructions respecting the voting of Common Shares to be
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represented at the Meeting. If you receive a voting instruction form from Broadridge, you cannot use it to vote Common Shares directly at the Meeting - the voting instruction form must be completed and returned to Broadridge, in accordance with its instructions, well in advance of the Meeting in order to have the Common Shares voted.
Although a Beneficial Shareholder may not be recognized directly at the Meeting for the purpose of voting Common Shares registered in the name of their Intermediary, a Beneficial Shareholder may attend at the Meeting as proxyholder for the Intermediary and vote the Common Shares in that capacity. Beneficial Shareholders who wish to attend the Meeting and indirectly vote their Common Shares as a proxyholder should enter their own names in the blank space on the form of proxy provided to them by their Intermediary and return the same to their Intermediary in accordance with the instructions provided by their Intermediary well in advance of the Meeting.
Beneficial Shareholders who have not objected to their Intermediary disclosing certain ownership information about themselves to the Company are referred to as "non-objecting beneficial owners". Those Beneficial Shareholders who have objected to their Intermediary disclosing ownership information about themselves to the Company are referred to as "objecting beneficial owners" ("OBOs").
The Company is paying Broadridge to deliver, on behalf of the Intermediaries, a copy of a voting instruction form in lieu of a proxy provided by the Company, to each OBO.
NOTICE-AND-ACCESS
As noted above, the Company is utilizing the Notice-and-Access Provisions under NI 54-101 and NI 51-102 for distribution of this Information Circular to Beneficial Shareholders.
The Notice-and-Access Provisions allow reporting issuers to post electronic versions of proxy-related materials, such as proxy, information circulars, and annual financial statements (the "Proxy-Related Materials"), online, through the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval+ ("SEDAR+") and one other website, rather than mailing paper copies of such materials to shareholders. Electronic copies of the Information Circular, the audited annual financial statements of the Company for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 (the "Financial Statements") and management's discussion and analysis of the Company's results of operations and financial condition for the year ended June 30, 2024 may be found on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website www.goliathresourcesltd.com.
The Company will not use procedures known as "stratification" in relation to the use of Notice-and-Access Provisions. Stratification occurs when a reporting issuer using the Notice-and-Access Provisions provides a paper copy of this Information Circular to some shareholders with the notice package. In relation to the Meeting, Shareholders will receive the required documentation under the Notice-and-Access Provisions, which will not include a paper copy of this Information Circular. Shareholders are reminded to review this Information Circular before voting.
The Company anticipates that relying on the Notice-and-Access Provisions will directly benefit the Company through a substantial reduction in both postage and material costs, and also promote environmental responsibility by decreasing the large volume of paper documents generated by printing proxy-related materials.
Shareholders with questions about the Notice-and-Access can call Broadridge toll free at 1-877-907-7643. The Company will mail paper copies of the Proxy-Related Materials to Shareholders who have previously elected to receive paper copies. Shareholders may also obtain paper copies of Proxy-Related Material free of charge by contacting Broadridge toll free from North America at 1-877-907-7643, or outside of North America at 905-507-5450 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Shareholders who do not have their 16 digit control number can contact Broadridge toll free from North America at 1-877-907-7643.
A request for paper copies which are required in advance of the Meeting should be sent so that they are received by the Company or Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc., as applicable, no later than Tuesday, February 11, 2025 in order to allow sufficient time for shareholders to receive their paper copies and to return (a) their form of proxy to the Company or Computershare, or (b) their voting instruction form ("VIF") to their Intermediaries by the deadline for
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submitting their proxy or VIF, as applicable.
INTEREST OF CERTAIN PERSONS OR COMPANIES IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
No person or company who has been a director or executive officer of the Company at any time since the beginning of the Company’s last completed financial year, no proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company and no associate or affiliate of any 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 other than the election of directors.
EXERCISE OF DISCRETION
The nominees named in the accompanying form of proxy will vote or withhold from voting the shares represented thereby in accordance with the instructions of the shareholder on any ballot that may be called for. The proxy will confer discretionary authority on the nominees named therein with respect to each matter or group of matters identified therein for which a choice is not specified, any amendment to or variation of any matter identified therein, and any other matter that properly comes before the Meeting.
In respect of a matter for which a choice is not specified in the proxy, the nominees named in the accompanying form will vote shares represented by the proxy for the approval of such matter.
As of the date of this Information Circular, management of the Company knows of no amendment, variation or other matter that may come before the Meeting, but if any amendment, variation or other matter properly comes before the Meeting each nominee intends to vote thereon in accordance with the nominee’s best judgement.
VOTING SECURITIES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF VOTING SECURITIES
The voting securities of the Company consist of Common Shares. As of the Record Date, the Company had outstanding 137,341,219 fully paid and non-assessable Common Shares without par value, each carrying the right to one vote.
To the knowledge of the directors and senior officers of the Company, except as noted below, there are no other persons who, as at the Record Date, beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, or exercised control or direction over, shares carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to all outstanding Common Shares.
| Shareholder | Number of Common Shares Owned | Percentage of Common Shares |
|---|---|---|
| Crescat Capital LLC | 18,879,265 | 13.7% |
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The annual audited financial statements of the Company for the financial years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, together with the auditor’s report thereon and the related management’s discussion and analysis, all of which may be obtained from SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, will be presented to Shareholders at the Meeting.
PARTICULARS OF MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
Election of Directors
Four directors are nominated for election at the Meeting. Management proposes that each individual named below be nominated at the Meeting for re-election as a director of the Company to serve, until the next annual meeting of Shareholders, or until his successor is elected or appointed. Management does not contemplate that any of the nominees will be unable to serve as a director. However, if a nominee should be unable to so serve for any reason prior to the Meeting, the persons named in the enclosed form of proxy reserve the right to vote for another
nominee in their discretion. Common Shares represented by proxies in favour of management nominees will be voted FOR the election of all of the nominees whose names are set forth below, unless a Shareholder has specified in his or her proxy that his or her Common Shares are to be withheld from voting for any or all of the nominees.
The following table and the notes thereto state the names of all individuals to be nominated for election as directors, all other positions or offices with the Company now held by them, their principal occupations of employment, the year in which they became directors for the Company, and the approximate number of Common Shares beneficially owned, or controlled, directly or indirectly, by each of them, as of the date thereof.
| Name, Municipality of Residence and Position | Director Since | Principal Occupation for Past Five Years(1) | Number of Common Shares Beneficially Owned, or Controlled, Directly or Indirectly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Rosmus(2)Nassau, BahamasDirector, Chief Executive Officer and President | October 11, 2017 | Chief Executive Officer and President of the CompanyCEO and President of Aberdeen Gould Capital Markets Ltd. from 2007 to present | 2,893,684(3) |
| Graham C. Warren Toronto, OntarioDirector, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary | October 11, 2017 | Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Director of the Company; Chartered Professional AccountantChief Financial Officer of Pangolin Diamonds Corp. from March 2011 to October 2024Chief Financial Officer of PTX Metals Inc. (formerly, Platinex Inc.) from April 24, 2019 to present | 2,037,000 |
| Wayne Isaacs (2)(4)Oakville, OntarioDirector | February 13, 2020 | Consultant and Director of AM Resources Corp. from May 2018 to present and ThreeD Capital from April 7, 2020 to present. | 50,000 |
| Rein Turna(2)West Vancouver, B.CDirector | October 16, 2023 | Professional Geologist, Mineral Exploration Consultant and Contractor | Nil |
Notes:
(1) For further information about the proposed directors of the Company, see "Biographies" below.
(2) Member of the Audit Committee.
(3) 269,232 Common Shares are held by Lengau Holdings Ltd. and 119 Common Shares are held by Aberdeen Gould Capital Markets Ltd., corporations beneficially owned or controlled by Roger Rosmus.
(4) Chair of the Audit Committee.
(5) The information as to the principal occupation and Common Shares beneficially owned or over which control or discretion is exercised is not within the knowledge of the Company, and therefore has been sourced from SEDI filings and information provided by the respective director.
Biographies
Roger Rosmus - Chief Executive Officer, President & Director
Mr. Rosmus is President of Aberdeen Gould Capital Markets Ltd., that provides corporate advisory services to private and public companies. Mr. Rosmus has over 25 years of investment banking experience in the public and private sectors, having led many mergers, acquisitions and corporate financings. Previously, he was the founder of Aberdeen Gould Inc., where he successfully completed over 30 mergers and acquisitions transactions, and he owned and
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operated several businesses in a wide variety of industries. Mr. Rosmus holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario - Richard Ivey School of Business.
Graham C. Warren – Chief Financial Officer, Secretary & Director
Mr. Warren is a senior financial executive with over 30 years of experience in the mining, oil and gas, environmental, biotech, service and tech sectors. He has been involved in numerous financings and merger and acquisition transactions for both private and public companies and has guided several companies through the going public process. Mr. Warren has served as the CFO and/or as a director of numerous public companies and is currently the CFO of PTX Metals Inc. (formerly, Platinex Inc.) (CSE:PTX). He is a past director of Changfeng Energy Inc., Cordoba Minerals Corp, Exile Resources Inc., Active Control Technology and Hanfeng Evergreen Inc. Mr. Warren has had extensive involvement in all facets of organizations including finance, human resources, sales, marketing and operations and has guided various boards of directors in their corporate governance obligations. Mr. Warren is a Chartered Professional Accountant.
Wayne Isaacs – Director
Mr. Isaacs has enjoyed a 30 year career on Bay Street specializing in the resource sector both as a corporate executive of resource companies and as an investment banker. This extensive experience has allowed him to successfully seek out and engage and acquire significant resource assets and financing to support exploration, development and mining activities for his operating and investee companies. Mr. Isaacs has been involved as a principal and served as a director and/or senior officer of over 35 public companies. He served as President and Director of Forsys Metals Corp., a TSX-listed company with uranium assets in Namibia, Africa, from 2003 to 2007. During his tenure, he led the company from its inception to achieving a market capitalization exceeding $750 million. He successfully raised over $70 million to advance its uranium project from exploration to the production decision stage. Mr. Isaacs is currently a director of AM Resources Corp. (TSXV: AMR), ThreeD Capital Inc. (CSE: IDK), and Delta Uranium Inc. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and has held numerous securities certifications and licenses.
Rein Turna – Director
Mr. Rein Turna, P.Geo. is a consulting geologist with over 40 years experience in mineral exploration in British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Yukon and Northwest Territories. He is a registered professional geologist with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia since 1993. Mr. Turna has held staff and consulting positions with mining companies, including Placer Dome Inc., Falconbridge Ltd., UMEX Inc., Lac Minerals Ltd. and Osisko Hammond Reef Gold Ltd. He has managed exploration programs for porphyry, volcanogenic massive sulphide, epithermal and other deposit types. Mr. Turna has also researched and worked on Archean orogenic gold as well as sedex prospects.
Corporate Cease Trade Orders and Bankruptcy
To the knowledge of the Company, none of the proposed directors:
(a) is, as at the date of this Information Circular, or has been, within the 10 years before the date of this Information Circular, a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any company (including the Company) that:
(i) was subject to a cease trade order, an order similar to a cease trade order, or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under applicable securities legislation, and which in all cases was in effect for a period of more than 30 consecutive days (an “Order”), which Order was issued while the proposed director was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of such company; or
(ii) was subject to an Order that was issued after the proposed director ceased to be a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in the capacity as a director, chief executive officer
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or chief financial officer of the company;
(b) is, as at the date of this Information Circular, or has been, within the 10 years before the date of this Information Circular, a director or executive officer of any company (including the Company) that, while that person was acting in that capacity, or within a year of that person ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets;
(c) has, within the 10 years before the date of this Information Circular, become bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or become subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of the proposed director;
(d) has been subject to any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation or by a securities regulatory authority or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority; or
(e) has been subject to any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable securityholder in deciding whether to vote for a proposed director.
Other Reporting Issuer Experience
The following table sets out the proposed directors, officers and promoter of the Company that are, or have been within the last five years, directors, officers or promoters of other reporting issuers:
The following table sets out the proposed directors, officers and promoter of the Company that are, or have been within the last five years, directors, officers or promoters of other reporting issuers:
| Name | Name Of Reporting Issuer | Name of Exchange or Market | Position | From | To | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MM | YY | MM | YY | ||||
| Graham C. Warren | PTX Metals Inc. | CSE | CFO | 05 | 19 | Present | |
| Pangolin Diamonds Corp. | TSXV | CFO | 03 | 11 | 10 | 24 | |
| Zodiac Gold Inc. | TSXV | Director | 05 | 22 | Present | ||
| Wayne Isaacs | AM Resources Corp. | TSXV | Director | 05 | 18 | Present | |
| ThreeD Capital Inc. | CSE | Director | 04 | 20 | Present | ||
| Silo Wellness Inc. | CSE | Director | 04 | 21 | 05 | 22 | |
| Delta Uranium Inc. | N/A | Officer | 06 | 06 | Present | ||
| ZEB Nickel Corp. | TSXV | Director | 07 | 21 | 02 | 23 |
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| Pangolin Diamonds Corp. | TSXV | Director | 11 | 22 | 10 | 24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Appointment of Auditor and Fixing the Remuneration
Management proposes to nominate McGovern Hurley LLP, Chartered Accountants as auditor of the Company to hold office until the next annual meeting of Shareholders. McGovern Hurley LLP, Chartered Accountants was appointed as auditor of the Company effective April 24, 2018.
COMMON SHARES REPRESENTED BY PROXIES IN FAVOUR OF MANAGEMENT NOMINEES WILL BE VOTED IN FAVOUR OF THE APPOINTMENT OF MCGOVERN HURLEY LLP, CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS, AS AUDITOR OF THE COMPANY AND THE AUTHORIZING OF THE DIRECTORS TO FIX ITS REMUNERATION, UNLESS THE SHAREHOLDER HAS SPECIFIED IN THE PROXY THAT HIS, HER OR ITS COMMON SHARES ARE TO BE WITHHELD FROM VOTING IN RESPECT THEREOF.
Approval of the Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan
Under TSXV policies, the Corporation is required to obtain shareholder approval of the omnibus equity incentive plan (the “Omnibus Plan”) on an annual basis. The Omnibus Plan was first adopted by shareholders on February 15, 2024. The Board determined that it is desirable to have a wide range of incentive Awards to attract, retain and motivate Employees, Directors, Officers and Consultants of the Corporation (as such terms are defined in the Omnibus Plan). The Omnibus Plan permits the grant of Options, DSUs, RSUs, PSUs, and Other Share-Based Awards to eligible Participants (as defined in the Omnibus Plan).
The following summary of the Omnibus Plan is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Omnibus Plan, attached as Schedule “A” to this Information Circular.
Purpose
The purpose of the Omnibus Plan is to provide the Company with a share-related mechanism to attract, retain and motivate qualified Directors, Officers, Employees and Consultants to reward such of those Directors, Officers, Employees and Consultants as may be granted Awards under the Omnibus Plan by the Board from time to time for their contributions toward the long term goals and success of the Company and to enable and encourage such Directors, Officers, Employees and Consultants to acquire Common Shares as long term investments and proprietary interests in the Company.
Types of Awards
The Omnibus Plan provides for the grant of Awards which may be denominated or settled in Common Shares, cash or in such other forms as provided for in the Omnibus Plan. All Awards will be evidenced by an agreement or other instrument or document (an “Award Agreement”).
Plan Administration
The Omnibus Plan will be administered by the Board, which may delegate its authority to any duly authorized committee of the Board (the “Plan Administrator”). The Plan Administrator has sole and complete authority, in its discretion, to:
(a) determine the Participants to whom grants of Awards under the Omnibus Plan may be made;
(b) make grants of Awards under the Omnibus Plan, whether relating to the issuance of Common Shares or otherwise (including any combination of Options, RSUs, PSUs, DSUs or Other Share-Based Awards), in such amounts, to such Participants and, subject to the provisions of the Omnibus Plan, on such terms and
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conditions as it determines, including, without limitation:
(i) the time or times at which Awards may be granted;
(ii) the conditions under which: (A) Awards may be granted to Participants; or (B) Awards may be forfeited to the Company, including any conditions relating to the attainment of specified performance goals;
(iii) the number of Common Shares to be covered by any Award;
(iv) the price, if any, to be paid by a Participant in connection with the purchase of Common Shares covered by any Awards;
(v) whether restrictions or limitations are to be imposed on the Common Shares issuable pursuant to grants of any Award, and the nature of such restrictions or limitations, if any; and
(vi) any acceleration of exercisability or vesting, or waiver of termination regarding any Award, based on such factors as the Plan Administrator may determine;
(c) establish the form or forms of Award Agreements;
(d) cancel, amend, adjust or otherwise change any Award under such circumstances as the Plan Administrator may consider appropriate in accordance with the provisions of the Omnibus Plan;
(e) construe and interpret the Omnibus Plan and all Award Agreements;
(f) adopt, amend, prescribe and rescind administrative guidelines and other rules and regulations relating to the Omnibus Plan, including rules and regulations relating to sub-plans established for the purpose of satisfying applicable foreign laws or for qualifying for favorable tax treatment under applicable foreign laws; and
(g) make all other determinations and take all other actions necessary or advisable for the implementation and administration of the Omnibus Plan.
Common Shares Available for Awards
The Omnibus Plan is a "rolling up to 10% and fixed up to 10%" Security Based Compensation Plan, as defined in Policy 4.4 - Security Based Compensation of the Exchange. The Omnibus Plan is a: (a) "rolling" plan pursuant to which the number of Common Shares that are issuable pursuant to the exercise of Options (including the existing Options) granted under the Omnibus Plan shall not exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares as at the date of any Option grant; and (b) "fixed" plan under which the number of Common Shares that are issuable pursuant to all Awards other than Options granted under the Omnibus Plan and under any other security based compensation arrangement, in aggregate is a maximum of 10,399,096 Common Shares, in each case, subject to adjustment as provided in the Omnibus Plan and any subsequent amendment to the Omnibus Plan.
The aggregate number of Common Shares: (a) issued to any one Consultant within any one-year period, under all of the Company's security based compensation arrangements, may not exceed 2% of the Company's total issued and outstanding Common Shares; (b) issued to any one individual within any one-year period, under all of the Company's security based compensation arrangements may not exceed 5% of the Company's total issued and outstanding Common Shares, unless disinterested shareholder approval has been obtained; (c) issued to Persons employed to provide investor relations services within any one-year period, under all of the Company's security based compensation arrangements, may not exceed 2% of the Company's total issued and outstanding Common Shares; (d) issuable to Insiders (as defined in the Omnibus Plan) at any time under all of the Company's security based compensation arrangements may not exceed 10% of the Company's total issued and outstanding Common Shares, unless disinterested shareholder approval has been obtained; and (e) issued to Insiders within any one-year period, under all of the Company's security based compensation arrangements may not exceed 10% of the Company's total
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issued and outstanding Common Shares, unless disinterested shareholder approval has been obtained.
Blackout Period
In the event that the Award Date (as defined in the Omnibus Plan) occurs, or an Award expires, during a Black-Out Period (as defined herein), the effective Award Date for such Award, or expiry of such Award, as the case may be, will be no later than 10 business days after the last day of the Black-Out Period, and the Market Price (as defined in the Omnibus Plan) with respect to the grant of such Award shall be calculated based on the VWAP of the five business days after the last day of the Black-Out Period. For the purposes thereof, a “Black-Out Period” means that period during which a trading black-out period is imposed by the Company to restrict trades in the Company’s securities by a Participant.
Description of Awards
Subject to the provisions of the Omnibus Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Plan Administrator may prescribe, including with respect to performance and vesting conditions, the Plan Administrator may, from time to time, grant the following types of Awards to any Participant.
(a) Options
An Option entitles a holder thereof to purchase a Common Share at an exercise price set at the time of the grant, such price must in all cases be not less than the Market Price on the relevant date. Each Option will expire on the expiry date specified in the Award Agreement (which shall not be later than the 10th anniversary of the date of grant) or, if not so specified, means the 10th anniversary of the date of grant.
A Participant or the Personal Representative of the Participant (as defined in the Omnibus Plan) may elect to exercise such Options on a cashless basis, which means the exercise of an Option where the Company has an arrangement with a brokerage firm pursuant to which the brokerage firm will loan money to the Participant to purchase the Common Shares underlying the Option and then the brokerage firm sells a sufficient number of Common Shares to cover the exercise price of the Option in order to repay the loan made to the Participant and receives an equivalent number of Common Shares from the exercise of the Options as were sold to cover the loan and the Participant then receives the balance of the Common Shares or the cash proceeds from the balance of the Common Shares.
Other than a person conducting investor relations activities, a Participant or the Personal Representative of the Participant may elect to exercise an Option without payment of the aggregate exercise price of the Common Shares to be purchased pursuant to the exercise of the Option (a “Net Exercise”) by delivering a net exercise notice to the Plan Administrator. Upon receipt by the Plan Administrator of a net exercise notice from a Participant or Personal Representative of a Participant, the Company shall calculate and issue to such Participant or Personal Representative of such Participant that number of Common Shares as is determined by application of the following formula:
$$
\mathrm {X} = [ \mathrm {Y} (\mathrm {A} - \mathrm {B}) ] / \mathrm {A}
$$
Where:
X = the number of Common Shares to be issued to the Participant upon the Net Exercise
Y = the number of Common Shares underlying the Options being exercised
A = the VWAP as at the date of the net exercise notice, if such VWAP is greater than the exercise price
B = the exercise price of the Options being exercised
(b) Deferred Share Units
A DSU is a unit that vests one year or more following a grant but does not settle until a future date after the vesting,
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generally as established in the Award Agreement, or if not so established, then upon termination of service with the Company. The number of DSUs (including fractional DSUs) granted at any particular time will be calculated by dividing (a) the amount of any compensation that is to be paid in DSUs, as determined by the Plan Administrator by (b) the Market Price on the relevant date.
DSUs shall be settled on the date established in the Award Agreement; provided, however that in no event shall a DSU be settled prior to, or later than one year following, the date of the applicable Participant’s separation from service. Subject to the terms of the Omnibus Plan, and except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, on the settlement date for any DSU, the Participant will redeem each vested DSU for a Common Share, a cash payment, or a combination thereof.
Unless otherwise determined by the Plan Administrator and set forth in the particular Award Agreement, DSUs will be credited with dividend equivalents in the form of additional DSUs as of each dividend payment date in respect of which normal cash dividends are paid on Common Shares. Dividend equivalents will vest in proportion to the DSUs to which they relate and will be settled in the same manner as the DSUs.
(c) Restricted Share Units
An RSU is a unit equivalent in value to a Common Share that does not vest until after a specified period, or satisfaction of other vesting conditions as determined by the Plan Administrator. The number of RSUs (including fractional RSUs) granted at any particular time will be calculated by dividing (a) the amount of any compensation that is to be paid in RSUs, as determined by the Plan Administrator, by (b) the Market Price of a Common Share on the relevant date.
The Plan Administrator will have the sole authority to determine the settlement terms applicable to the grant of RSUs. Subject to the terms of the Omnibus Plan, and except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, on the settlement date for any RSU, the Participant will redeem each vested RSU for a Common Share, a cash payment, or a combination thereof.
Unless otherwise determined by the Plan Administrator and set forth in the particular Award Agreement, RSUs will be credited with dividend equivalents in the form of additional RSUs as of each dividend payment date in respect of which normal cash dividends are paid on Common Shares. Dividend equivalents will vest in proportion to the RSUs to which they relate and will be settled in the same manner as the RSUs.
(d) Performance Share Units
The Plan Administrator will issue performance goals prior to the date of grant to which such performance goals pertain. The performance goals may be based upon the achievement of corporate, divisional or individual goals and may be applied to performance relative to an index or comparator group, or on any other basis determined by the Plan Administrator. The Plan Administrator may modify the performance goals as necessary to align them with the Company’s corporate objectives, subject to any limitations set forth in an Award Agreement or other agreement with a Participant. The performance goals may include a threshold level of performance below which no payment will be made (or no vesting will occur), levels of performance at which specified payments will be made (or specified vesting will occur) and a maximum level of performance above which no additional payment will be made (or at which full vesting will occur), all as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.
Each PSU will consist of a right to receive a Common Share, cash payment, or a combination thereof, upon the achievement of such performance goals during such performance periods as the Plan Administrator may establish.
(e) Other Share-Based Awards
Each Other Share-Based Award shall consist of a right (a) which is other than an Award or right described above, and (b) which is denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on or related to, Common Shares (including, without limitation, securities convertible into Common Shares) as are deemed by the Plan Administrator to be consistent with the purposes of the Omnibus Plan; provided, however, that such right will comply with applicable law. Subject to the terms of the Omnibus Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, the Plan
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Administrator will determine the terms and conditions of Other Share-Based Awards.
Effect of Termination on Awards
The following table describes the impact of certain events upon the Participants under the Omnibus Plan, including termination for cause, resignation, termination without cause, disability, death or retirement, subject, in each case, to the terms of a Participant’s employment agreement, Award Agreement or other written agreement:
| Event Provisions | Provisions |
|---|---|
| Termination for cause | Forfeiture of any unexercised Option or other Award. |
| Resignation | Forfeiture of any unexercised Option or other Award |
| Termination without cause | Any Option or other Award that is not vested as of the termination date shall be cancelled. Vested Options or other Awards may be exercised at any time during the period that terminates on the earlier of: (A) the expiry date of such Award; and (B) 90 days after the termination date (or such other period as may be determined by the Board, provided such period is not more than one year following the termination date). |
| Death | Any Option or other Award that has not vested as of the date of the death of such Participant shall terminate. Vested Options or other Awards may be exercised at any time during the period that terminates on the earlier of: (A) the expiry date of such Award; and (B) the six month anniversary of the date of the death of the Participant. |
| Disability | Any Option or other Award that has not vested as of the date of the disability of such Participant shall terminate. Vested Options or other Awards may be exercised at any time during the period that terminates on the earlier of: (A) the expiry date of such Award; and (B) the six month anniversary of the date of disability of the Participant. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Plan Administrator may, in its discretion, permit the acceleration of vesting of any or all Awards or waive termination of any or all Awards, all in the manner and on the terms as may be authorized by the Plan Administrator.
Except as may be set forth in an employment agreement, Award Agreement or other written agreement between the Company or a subsidiary of the Company and the Participant or as set out in the Omnibus Plan, the Plan Administrator may, without the consent of any Participant, take such steps as it deems necessary or desirable, including to cause:
(a) the conversion or exchange of any outstanding Awards into or for, rights or other securities of substantially equivalent value, as determined by the Plan Administrator in its discretion, in any entity participating in or resulting from a Change in Control (as defined in the Omnibus Plan);
(b) outstanding Awards to vest and become exercisable, realizable or payable, or restrictions applicable to an Award to lapse, in whole or in part prior to or upon consummation of such Change in Control, and, to the extent the Plan Administrator determines, terminate upon or immediately prior to the effectiveness of such Change in Control;
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(c) the termination of an Award in exchange for an amount of cash and/or property, if any, equal to the amount that would have been attained upon the exercise or settlement of such Award or realization of the Participant’s rights as of the date of the occurrence of the transaction net of any exercise price payable by the Participant (and, for the avoidance of doubt, if as of the date of the occurrence of the transaction, the Plan Administrator determines, in good faith, that no amount would have been attained upon the exercise or settlement of such Award or realization of the Participant’s rights net of any exercise price payable by the Participant, then such Award may be terminated by the Company without payment);
(d) the replacement of such Award with other rights or property selected by the Board in its sole discretion; or
(e) any combination of the foregoing. In taking any of the foregoing actions, the Plan Administrator will not be required to treat all Awards similarly in the transaction.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, and unless otherwise determined by the Plan Administrator or as set out in the Omnibus Plan, if, as a result of a Change in Control, the Common Shares will cease trading on a stock exchange, the Company may terminate all of the Awards granted under the Omnibus Plan at the time of and subject to the completion of the Change in Control by paying to each holder an amount for each Award equal to the fair market value of the Award held by such Participant as determined by the Plan Administrator, acting reasonably.
Assignability
Except as required by law, the rights of a Participant under the Omnibus Plan are not capable of being assigned, transferred, alienated, sold, encumbered, pledged, mortgaged or charged and are not capable of being subject to attachment or legal process for the payment of any debts or obligations of the Participant.
Amendment, Suspension or Termination of the Omnibus Plan
The Plan Administrator may from time to time, without notice and without approval of the Shareholders, amend, modify, change, suspend or terminate the Omnibus Plan or any Awards granted pursuant thereunder as it, in its discretion, determines appropriate, provided, however, that: (a) no such amendment, modification, change, suspension or termination may materially impair any rights of a Participant or materially increase any obligations of a Participant under the Omnibus Plan without the consent of the Participant, unless the Plan Administrator determines such adjustment is required or desirable in order to comply with any applicable securities laws or Exchange requirements; and (b) any amendment that would cause an Award held by a U.S. taxpayer to be subject to the additional tax penalty under the U.S. tax code will be null and void with respect to the U.S. taxpayer unless his or her consent is obtained.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, but subject to the below, the Plan Administrator may, without shareholder approval, at any time or from time to time, amend the Omnibus Plan for the purposes of making:
(a) any amendments to the general vesting provisions of each Award;
(b) any amendment regarding the effect of termination of a participant’s employment or engagement;
(c) any amendments to add covenants of the Company for the protection of Participants, provided that the Plan Administrator must be of the good faith opinion that such additions will not be prejudicial to the rights or interests of the Participants;
(d) any amendments not inconsistent with the Omnibus Plan as may be necessary or desirable with respect to matters or questions which, in the good faith opinion of the Plan Administrator, having in mind the best interests of the Participants, it may be expedient to make, including amendments that are desirable as a result of changes in law in any jurisdiction where a Participant resides, provided that the Plan Administrator must be of the opinion that such amendments and modifications will not be prejudicial to the interests of the Participants and non-employee directors; or
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(e) any such changes or corrections which, on the advice of counsel to the Company, are required for the purpose of curing or correcting any ambiguity or defect or inconsistent provision or clerical omission or mistake or manifest error, provided that the Plan Administrator must be of the opinion that such changes or corrections will not be prejudicial to the rights and interests of the Participants.
Notwithstanding the foregoing and subject to any rules of the Exchange, shareholder approval will be required for any amendment, modification or change that:
(a) increases the percentage of Common Shares reserved for issuance under the Omnibus Plan, except pursuant to the provisions in the Omnibus Plan which permit the Plan Administrator to make equitable adjustments in the event of transactions affecting the Company or its capital;
(b) increases or removes the 10% limits on Common Shares issuable or issued to Insiders;
(c) reduces the exercise price of an Award, except pursuant to the provisions in the Omnibus Plan which permit the Plan Administrator to make equitable adjustments in the event of transactions affecting the Company or its capital;
(d) extends the term of an Award beyond the original expiry date (except where an expiry date would have fallen within a blackout period applicable to the Participant or within five business days following the expiry of such a blackout period);
(e) permits an Award to be exercisable beyond 10 years from its date of grant (except where an expiry date would have fallen within a blackout period);
(f) increases or removes the non-employee director participation limits;
(g) permits Awards to be transferred to a person;
(h) changes the eligible participants of the Omnibus Plan; or
(i) deletes or reduces the range of amendments which require shareholder approval.
The Board has unanimously approved the Omnibus Plan and recommends that Shareholders vote FOR the resolution regarding the Omnibus Plan. The complete text of the resolution (the "Omnibus Plan Resolution") which management intends to place before the Meeting for approval, confirmation and adoption, with or without modification, is as follows:
"WHEREAS the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange require shareholder approval for the implementation of the omnibus equity incentive plan ("Omnibus Plan") of Goliath Resources Limited (the "Company");
BE IT RESOLVED, AS AN ORDINARY RESOLUTION, THAT:
-
the Omnibus Plan, in the form attached as Schedule "A" to the management information circular dated February 7, 2025 of the Company, is hereby authorized and approved; and
-
any one officer and director of the Company be and is hereby authorized for and on behalf of the Company to execute and deliver all such instruments and documents and to perform and do all such acts and things as may be deemed advisable in such individual's discretion for the purpose of giving effect to this resolution, the execution of any such document or the doing of any such other act or thing being conclusive evidence of such determination."
COMMON SHARES REPRESENTED BY PROXIES IN FAVOUR OF MANAGEMENT NOMINEES WILL BE VOTED IN FAVOUR OF THE OMNIBUS PLAN RESOLUTION IN THE ABSENCE OF DIRECTION TO THE CONTRARY FROM THE SHAREHOLDER APPOINTING THEM. AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE
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OF A MAJORITY OF THE VOTES CAST BY SHAREHOLDERS AT THE MEETING IS SUFFICIENT FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE OMNIBUS PLAN RESOLUTION.
Approval of the Shareholder Rights Plan Agreement
The Board adopted a shareholder rights plan agreement dated as of February 7, 2025 (the “Rights Plan”), with Computershare Investor Services Inc., as rights agent. The full text of the Rights Plan is set out in Schedule “C” to this Information Circular and must be approved by a majority of Shareholders in order to be come effective. The Rights Plan also remains subject to the approval of the TSXV.
The purpose of the Rights Plan is to:
- provide Shareholders and the Board with adequate time to consider and evaluate any unsolicited bid and to provide the Board with adequate time to identify, develop and negotiate value-enhancing alternatives, if considered appropriate, to any such unsolicited bid; and
- encourage a potential acquirer who makes a take-over bid to proceed either by way of a “Permitted Bid” (as defined below), which generally requires a take-over bid to be made by way of a take-over bid circular in compliance with National Instrument 62-104 - Take-Over Bids and Issuer Bids (“NI 62-104”) or with the concurrence of shareholders and the Board. If a take-over bid fails to meet these requirements, the Rights Plan provides that holders of Common Shares, other than the Acquiring Person (as defined below), will be able to purchase additional Common Shares at a significant discount to market, thus exposing the Acquiring Person to substantial dilution of its holdings.
The Rights Plan is initially not dilutive. However, if a Flip-in Event (as defined below) occurs, holders of Rights not exercising their Rights after a Flip-in Event may suffer substantial dilution.
The Board did not adopt the Rights Plan in response to, or in anticipation of, any pending, threatened or proposed acquisition or take-over bid.
Summary of the Rights Plan
The following is a summary of the principal terms of the Rights Plan, which is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Rights Plan attached at Schedule “C”. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Rights Plan.
Effective Date
The effective date of the Rights Plan is February 7, 2025.
Term
If the Shareholders do not approve the Rights Plan at the Meeting, it will terminate at the close of the Meeting. If Shareholders approve the Rights Plan, it must be subsequently re-approved at every third annual meeting of the Shareholders or it will terminate.
Issues of Rights and Transferability
Certificates representing the Common Shares that were issued and outstanding at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on February 7, 2025 (the “Record Time”) also evidence one Right for each Common Share represented by such certificates. In addition, certificates representing Common Shares issued after the Record Time and prior to the earlier of the Separation Time (as defined below) and the expiration of the Rights Plan will also evidence one Right for each Common Share represented by such certificates.
Common Share certificates do not need to be exchanged to entitle a shareholder to these Rights. A legend referring to
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the Rights Plan has been and will be placed on all new share certificates for Common Shares following the Record Time and prior to the earlier of the Separation Time and the expiration of the Rights Plan.
Until the Separation Time, the Rights will be transferable only together with, and will be transferred by a transfer of, the associated Common Share. From and after the Separation Time and prior to the expiration of the Rights Plan, the Rights will be evidenced by Rights certificates separate from and independent of the certificates representing the Common Shares and will be transferable and traded separately the Common Shares.
Rights Exercise Privilege
The Rights will become exercisable and will be separate and independent from the Common Shares at the close of the business on the 10th trading day after the earlier of: (a) the first date of public announcement by the Company or an Acquiring Person (as defined below) of facts indicating that a person has become an Acquiring Person (the “Stock Acquisition Date”); (b) the date of the commencement of or first public announcement of the intent of any person to commence a take-over bid (other than a Permitted Bid (as defined below)), and (c) the date upon which a Permitted Bid ceases to be such (the “Separation Time”). Until a Right is exercised, the holder of the Right has no rights as a shareholder.
Acquiring Person
An “Acquiring Person” is a person who beneficially owns 20% or more of the Common Shares. An Acquiring Person does not, however, include the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any person who becomes the beneficial owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Common Shares as a result of a Permitted Bid or certain other exempt transactions described in the Rights Plan.
Flip-in Event
Upon the occurrence of a transaction in or pursuant to which any person becomes an Acquiring Person (a “Flip-in Event”), each Right shall constitute the right to purchase from the Company, upon exercise thereof in accordance with the terms of the Rights Plan, that number of Common Shares having an aggregate Market Price (as defined below) on the date of consummation or occurrence of such Flip-in Event equal to twice the Exercise Price (as defined below) for an amount in cash equal to the Exercise Price, subject to adjustment as provided in the Rights Plan. The “Market Price” will be the average of the daily closing prices per share of the Common Shares on each of the 20 consecutive trading days preceding such date. The “Exercise Price” shall be an amount equal to four times the Market Price per share determined as at the Separation Time, subject to adjustment in accordance with the terms of the Rights Plan. The Rights Plan provides that, upon the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, any Rights that are or were beneficially owned on or after the earlier of the Separation Time or the Stock Acquisition Date by:
- an Acquiring Person (or any affiliate or associate of an Acquiring Person or any other person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or any affiliate or associate of such other person), or
- a transferee or other successor in title of Rights, directly or indirectly, from an Acquiring Person (or any affiliate or associate of an Acquiring Person or any other person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or any affiliate or associate of such other person), where such transferee becomes a transferee concurrently with or subsequent to the Acquiring Person becoming an Acquiring Person; shall become null and void without any further action and any holder of such Rights (including transferees or other successors in title)
shall not have any other rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights under any provision of the Rights Plan.
Permitted Bids
A “Permitted Bid” is a take-over bid that is made by means of a take-over bid circular in compliance with NI 62-104 and is made to all holders of voting shares of record, provided, however, that a take-over bid that qualified as a Permitted Bid shall cease to be a Permitted Bid at any time and as soon as such time as when such take-over bid ceases
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to meet any or all of the provisions of the definition. A Permitted Bid need not be approved by the Board and maybe taken directly to holders of Common Shares. The acquisition of Common Shares made pursuant to a Permitted Bid does not give rise to a Flip-in Event.
Redemption and Waiver
Until the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, the Board, subject to receipt of Shareholder approval, may at any time elect to redeem all but not less than all of the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.00001 per Right (the "Redemption Price"), subject to adjustment as provided in the Rights Plan. The Board will be deemed to have elected to redeem all of the outstanding Rights at the Redemption Price where a person acquires Common Shares pursuant to a Permitted Bid. Where a take-over bid that is not a Permitted Bid expires, is withdrawn or otherwise terminated after the Separation Time has occurred and prior to the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, the Board may elect to redeem all of the outstanding Rights at the Redemption Price. If the Board elects or is deemed to have elected to redeem the Rights, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights will be to receive the Redemption Price.
Under the Rights Plan, the Board may, subject to Shareholder approval, at any time prior to the occurrence of a Flip-in Event that would occur by reason of an acquisition of Common Shares (other than through inadvertence), waive application of the Rights Plan. In the event that the Board proposes such a waiver, the Board shall extend the Separation Time to a date subsequent to and not more than 10 business days following the meeting of Shareholders called to approve such waiver.
The Board may also waive the application of the Rights Plan to a Flip-in Event, which the Board has determined occurred through inadvertence, subject to the inadvertent Acquiring Person reducing its holding of Common Shares within 14 days after that the Board's determination or such earlier or later date as the Board may determine.
Amendment
The Company may make any amendment to the Rights Plan to correct any clerical or typographical errors or any other amendments which are required to maintain the validity of the Rights Plan as a result of a change in any applicable legislation or regulations or rules. Subject to the foregoing and prior to the Separation Time, the Company may supplement, amend, vary, rescind or delete any of the provisions of the Rights Plan and the Rights with Shareholder approval. Subject to the foregoing, and after the Separation Time, the Company may supplement, amend, vary, rescind or delete any of the provisions of the Rights Plan and the Rights with approval of the holders of Rights.
Shareholder Approval
The Board has unanimously approved the Rights Plan and recommends that Shareholders vote FOR the resolution regarding the Rights Plan. The complete text of the resolution (the "Rights Plan Resolution") which management intends to place before the Meeting for approval, confirmation and adoption, with or without modification, is as follows:
"WHEREAS the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange require shareholder approval for the implementation of the shareholder rights plan agreement dated February 7, 2025 ("Rights Plan") between Goliath Resources Limited (the "Company") and Computershare Investor Services Inc., as rights agent;
BE IT RESOLVED, AS AN ORDINARY RESOLUTION, THAT:
- the Rights Plan, in the form attached as Schedule "C" to the management information circular dated February 7, 2025 of the Company, is hereby authorized and approved;
- the actions of the Company in adopting the Rights Plan and in executing and delivering the Rights Plan be and are hereby ratified, confirmed and approved; and
- any one officer and director of the Company be and is hereby authorized for and on behalf of the Company
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to execute and deliver all such instruments and documents and to perform and do all such acts and things as may be deemed advisable in such individual’s discretion for the purpose of giving effect to this resolution, the execution of any such document or the doing of any such other act or thing being conclusive evidence of such determination.”
COMMON SHARES REPRESENTED BY PROXIES IN FAVOUR OF MANAGEMENT NOMINEES WILL BE VOTED IN FAVOUR OF THE RIGHTS PLAN RESOLUTION IN THE ABSENCE OF DIRECTION TO THE CONTRARY FROM THE SHAREHOLDER APPOINTING THEM. AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE OF A MAJORITY OF THE VOTES CAST BY SHAREHOLDERS AT THE MEETING IS SUFFICIENT FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE RIGHTS PLAN RESOLUTION.
STATEMENT OF EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Named Executive Officer
The purpose of this Statement of Executive Compensation is to provide information about the Company’s philosophy, objectives and processes regarding executive compensation. This disclosure is intended to communicate the compensation provided to the most highly compensated executive officers of the Company (the “NEOs”). For the purposes of this Information Circular, a NEO means each of the following individuals:
(a) the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of the Company;
(b) the Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) of the Company;
(c) 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 more than $150,000 for that financial year; and
(d) each individual who would be a NEO under paragraph (c) but for the fact that the individual was not an executive officer of the Company, and was not acting in a similar capacity, at the June 30, 2024 financial year-end.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, Roger Rosmus, President and CEO, and Graham C. Warren, CFO, were each a “NEO” of the Company for the purposes of the following disclosure.
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
The Board has not appointed a compensation committee so the responsibilities relating to director and officer compensation are performed by the Board as a whole, including: (i) the review of and recommendations for director compensation; (ii) oversight of the Company’s base compensation structure and equity-based compensation programs; (iii) recommendations for compensation of the Company’s officers, employees and consultants; and (iv) the evaluation of the performance of officers, employees and consultants generally. The Board has not considered the implications of the risks associated with the Company’s compensation program.
Philosophy and Objectives
To determine executive compensation, the Company relies solely on Board discussion without any formal objectives, criteria and analysis.
When determining the compensation of NEOs, the Board considers the limited resources of the Company and the objectives of: (i) recruiting and retaining the executives critical to the success of the Company and the enhancement of shareholder value; (ii) providing fair and competitive compensation; (iii) balancing the interests of management and shareholders of the Company; and (iv) rewarding performance, both on an individual basis and with respect to the business in general in order to achieve these objectives.
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The compensation paid to NEOs consists of the following two components: (i) base fee; and (ii) long-term incentive in the form of Options and other Awards.
Base Fee
The base fee of each NEO is determined by an assessment of the Board of such executive’s performance, a consideration of competitive compensation levels in companies similar to the Company and a review of the performance of the Company as a whole and the role such executive officer played in such corporate performance.
Long-Term Incentive
The Company provides a long-term incentive by granting Options and other Awards to directors and executive officers under the Omnibus Plan. See “Approval of the Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan” for a summary of the material terms of the Omnibus Plan.
The objective of granting Options and other Awards is to encourage directors and officers to acquire an ownership interest in the Company over a period of time, which acts as a financial incentive for such directors and officers to consider the long term interests of the Company and its shareholders.
As of the date of this Information Circular, the Company had 11,541,556 Options and 5,681,000 RSUs issued and outstanding under the Omnibus Plan.
Option-Based Awards
The Board reviews the performance of the Company’s management and advisors from time to time, and recommends Option-based awards and other compensation awards or adjustments. These decisions take into consideration corporate and individual performance and industry standards. Previous grants of Option-based awards are also taken into consideration in making this determination. The experience of the Board members who are also involved as management of, or Board members or advisors to, other companies also informs decisions concerning compensation.
Consulting Agreements
The Company entered into a consulting agreement (the “Rosmus Agreement”) with Roger Rosmus effective as of November 1, 2024 (which superseded replaced a consulting agreement dated April 1, 2022 between Aberdeen Gould Advisory Services Ltd, a wholly-owned company of Mr. Rosmus, and the Company), pursuant to which Mr. Rosmus agreed to provide the services of CEO to the Company. In consideration for such services, the Company has agreed to pay Mr. Rosmus a fee of $30,000 per month, as well as grant Mr. Rosmus Awards pursuant to the Omnibus Plan. The Rosmus Agreement has a term of five years ending on December 31, 2029, unless terminated earlier. Pursuant to the Rosmus Agreement, if there is a Change in Control (as defined herein) and either the Company or Mr. Rosmus terminates the Rosmus Agreement within one year following the Change in Control, or there is a change in position or city in which Mr. Rosmus performs his work and Mr. Rosmus terminates the Rosmus Agreement pursuant to such change, Mr. Rosmus shall be paid a lump sum of $500,000 and any outstanding Awards of Mr. Rosmus shall immediately vest and become exercisable, realizable or payable in accordance with the terms of the Omnibus Plan.
The Company entered into a consulting agreement (the “Warren Agreement”) with Graham Warren effective as of November 1, 2024 (which superseded and replaced a consulting agreement dated July 1, 2023 between Mr. Warren and the Company), pursuant to which Mr. Warren agreed to provide the services of CFO to the Company. In consideration for such services, the Company has agreed to pay Mr. Warren a fee of $24,000 per month plus HST, as well as grant Mr. Warren Awards pursuant to the Omnibus Plan. The Warren Agreement has a term of five years ending on December 31, 2029, unless terminated earlier. Pursuant to the Warren Agreement, if there is a Change in Control and either the Company or Mr. Warren terminates the Warren Agreement within one year following the Change in Control, or there is a change in position or city in which Mr. Warren performs his work and Mr. Warren terminates the Warren Agreement pursuant to such change, Mr. Warren shall be paid a lump sum of $400,000 and any outstanding Awards of Mr. Warren shall immediately vest and become exercisable, realizable or payable in accordance with the terms of the Omnibus Plan.
Under each of the Rosmus Agreement and the Warren Agreement, a “Change in Control” means, generally: (1) any change in the holding, direct or indirect, of securities of the Company or of any voting rights attached to any securities of the Company, as a result of which any corporation or other person, or a group of corporations or persons acting in concert, or corporations or persons associated or affiliated with any such corporation, person or group within the meaning of the Securities Act (Ontario), would be entitled to cast more than fifty percent (50%) of the votes attached to all shares of the Company that may be cast to elect directors of the Company; (2) any change in the constitution of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company, such that more than fifty percent (50%) of the directors of the Company who are neither employees nor officers of the Company or any of its affiliates (within the meaning of the Canada Business Corporations Act (Canada)) are persons not approved or previously approved by the Consultant; (3) the Corporation shall consolidate or merge with or into, amalgamate with, or enter into a statutory arrangement with, any other person (other than a subsidiary of the Corporation) or any other person (other than a subsidiary of the Company) shall consolidate or merge with or into, or amalgamate with or enter into a statutory arrangement with, the Company, and, in connection therewith, all or part of the outstanding voting shares shall be changed in any way, reclassified or converted into, exchanged or otherwise acquired for shares or other securities of the Company or any other person or for cash or any other property; and (4) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer, including by way of the grant of a leasehold interest (or one or more of its subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer, including by way of the grant of a leasehold interest), property or assets (A) aggregating more than 50% of the consolidated assets (measured by either book value or fair market value) of the Company and its subsidiaries as at the end of the most recently completed financial year of the Company or (B) which during the most recently completed financial year of the Company generated, or during the then current financial year of the Company are expected to generate, more than 50% of the consolidated operating income or cash flow of the Company and its subsidiaries, to any other person or persons (other than the Company or one or more of its subsidiaries).
Summary Compensation Table
Compensation paid to the NEOs during the Company’s most recently completed financial years ended June 30, 2024, 2023 and 2022 is as set out below and expressed in Canadian dollars.
| Non-equity incentive plan compensation | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and principal position | Year ended June 30 | Salary ($) | Share-based awards ($) | Option-based awards ($)^{(1)} | Annual incentive plans ($) | Long-term incentive plans ($) | Pension value ($) | All other compensation ($) | Total Compensation ($) |
| Roger Rosmus | |||||||||
| President and CEO | |||||||||
| (4@5@8@9)(11) | 2024 | 272,000 | 55,977 | 1,063,750 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 1,391,727 |
| 2023 | 240,000 | Nil | 1,163,565 | Nil | Nil | Nil | 1,000,000^{(2)} | 2,403,565 | |
| 2022 | 174,500 | Nil | 2,988,479 | Nil | Nil | Nil | 500,000^{(3)} | 3,662,979 | |
| Graham C. Warren | |||||||||
| CFO and Secretary | |||||||||
| (4@7@8@19)(12) | 2024 | 217,600 | 44,781 | 851,294 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 1,113,675 |
| 2023 | 192,000 | Nil | 777,651 | Nil | Nil | Nil | 800,000^{(3)} | 1,769,651 | |
| 2022 | 126,600 | Nil | 1,967,967 | Nil | Nil | Nil | 400,000^{(3)} | 2,494,567 |
Notes:
(1) Options issued under the Omnibus Plan are accounted for using the fair value method of method of accounting for stock-based compensation. The fair value of the Option is recognized as a share based payment and contributed surplus over the vesting period of the Option. Share based payment is determined on the date of an Option grant using the Black-Scholes Option pricing model. The weighted average fair market value per Option was estimated using the Black-Scholes Option pricing model with the following assumptions: (i) dividend yield – nil, (ii) expected volatility 124% (2023 - 134%), (iii) risk free rate – 3.77% (2023 - 3.39%), and (iv) expected life - 5 years.
(2) Bonus payment made pursuant to the Rosmus Agreement.
(3) Bonus payment made pursuant to the Warren Agreement.
(4) Mr. Rosmus was appointed as CEO of the Company on October 11, 2017.
(5) Pursuant to the Rosmus Agreement, the Company engages Mr. Rosmus to perform the services of CEO to the Company.
(6) Mr. Warren was appointed as CFO of the Company on October 11, 2017.
(7) Pursuant to the Warren Agreement, the Company engages Mr. Warren to perform the services of CFO to the Company.
(8) This individual is also a director of the Company.
(9) On June 3, 2024, Mr. Rosmus was granted 1,233,654 RSUs on the following vesting schedule: (i) 411,218 vest on June 3, 2025; (ii) 411,218 vest on June 3, 2026; and (iii) 411,218 vest on June 3, 2027.
(10) On June 3, 2024, Mr. Warren was granted 986,922 RSUs on the following vesting schedule: (i) 328,974 vest on June 3, 2025; (ii) 328,974 vest on June 3, 2026; and (iii) 328,974 vest on June 3, 2027.
(11) During the financial year ended June 30, 2024, Mr. Rosmus was granted an aggregate of 1,388,875 Options as follows: (i) Options to purchase 218,875 Common Shares at an exercise price of $0.74 were granted on October 19, 2023; (ii) Options to purchase 309,000 Common Shares at an exercise price of$ 0.85 were granted on December 22, 2023; and (iii) Options to purchase 861,000 Common Shares at an exercise price of $0.96 were granted on June 3, 2024. The Options vested immediately.
(12) During the financial year ended June 30, 2024, Mr. Warren was granted an aggregate of 1,111,500 Options as follows: (i) Options to purchase 175,250 Common Shares at an exercise price of $0.74 were granted on October 19, 2023; (ii) Options to purchase 247,250 Common Shares at an exercise price of$ 0.85 were granted on December 22, 2023; and (iii) Options to purchase 689,000 Common Shares at an exercise price of $0.96 were granted on June 3, 2024. The Options vested immediately.
Incentive Plan Awards
Outstanding Share-Based and Option-Based Awards
The following table summarizes the awards to the NEOs under the Omnibus Plan that were outstanding as at the financial year ending June 30, 2024.
| Name and Position | Option-Based Awards | Share-based Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of securities underlying unexercised Options (#) | Option exercise price ($) | Option expiration date | Value of unexercised in-the-money Options ($) | Number of Shares or units of Shares that have not vested (#) | Market or payout value of share-based awards that have not vested ($) | Market or payout value of vested share-based awards not paid out or distributed ($) | |
| Roger Rosmus (1)CEO and President | 34,057 | $1.29 | July 25, 2026 | Nil | 1,233,654 | 1,122,625(2) | Nil |
| 1,712,250 | $1.52 | July 29, 2026 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 636,627 | $1.58 | November 15, 2027 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 767,500 | $0.61 | May 24, 2028 | 230,250 | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 218,875 | $0.74 | October 19, 2028 | 37,209 | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 309,000 | $0.85 | December 22, 2028 | 18,540 | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 861,000 | $0.96 | June 3, 2029 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| Graham C. Warren (1)CFO and | 145,000 | $0.90 | March 19, 2026 | 1,450 | 986,922 | 898,099(3) | Nil |
| 105,000 | $1.29 | July 25, 2026 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Incentive Plan Awards- Value Vested or Earned During the Year
The following table sets out the value vested or earned under incentive plans during the financial year ended June 30, 2024, for each NEO:
| Name | Option-based awards – Value vested during the year ($) (1) | Share-based awards – Value vested during the year ($) | Non-equity incentive plan compensation – Value earned during the year ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Rosmus Director, CEO and President | 19,828 | Nil | Nil |
| Graham C. Warren Director, CFO and Secretary | 15,868 | Nil | Nil |
Note:
(1) This individual is also a director of the Company.
The following table sets for the value vested or earned under incentive plans for the financial year ended June 30, 2024, for each NEO:
| Name | Fees earned ($) | Share-based awards ($) | Option-based awards ($) (1) | Non-equity incentive plan compensation ($) | Pension value ($) | All other compensation ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Isaacs | Nil | 7,837 (4) | 280,526 (6) | Nil | Nil | Nil | 288,363 |
| Derek L. Jackson | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| Natalie A. McCullough | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| Natalie A. McCullough | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 |
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| Rein Turna (2) | Nil | 7,837 (5) | 64,500 (7) | Nil | Nil | Nil | 72,337 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jean Lafleur (3) | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Notes:
(1) Represents the fair value of Options granted as estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes Option pricing model with the assumptions disclosed in the annual audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2024.
(2) Rein Turna joined the Board on October 16, 2023.
(3) Jean Lafleur resigned from the Board on October 13, 2023. All of Mr. Lafleur’s Options terminated in accordance with the Omnibus Plan.
(4) On June 3, 2024, Mr. Isaacs was granted 172,712 RSUs on the following vesting schedule: (i) 57,571 vested on June 3, 2025; (ii) 57,571 vest on June 3, 2026; and (iii) 57,570 vest on June 3, 2027.
(5) On June 3, 2024, Mr. Turna was granted 172,712 RSUs on the following vesting schedule: (i) 57,571 vested on June 3, 2025; (ii) 57,571 vest on June 3, 2026; and (iii) 57,570 vest on June 3, 2027.
(6) During the financial year ended June 30, 2024, Mr. Isaacs was granted an aggregate of 361,000 Options as follows: (i) Options to purchase 61,000 Common Shares at an exercise price of $0.74 were granted on October 19, 2023; (ii) Options to purchase 50,000 Common Shares at an exercise price of $0.85 were granted on December 22, 2023; and (iii) Options to purchase 250,000 Common Shares at an exercise price of $0.96 were granted on June 3, 2024. The Options vested immediately.
(7) During the financial year ended June 30, 2024, Mr. Turna was granted an aggregate of 100,000 Options as follows: (i) Options to purchase 50,000 Common Shares at an exercise price of $0.74 were granted on October 19, 2023; and (ii) Options to purchase 50,000 Common Shares at an exercise price of $0.85 were granted on December 22, 2023. The Options vested immediately.
The following table sets out all Options and share-based awards outstanding as at June 30, 2024, for each director, excluding any director who is already set out in disclosure for an NEO above.
| Option-based Awards | Share-based Awards | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Number of securities underlying unexercised Options (#) | Option exercise price ($) | Option expiration date | Value of unexercised in-the-money Options ($) (1) | Number of Shares or units of Shares that have not vested (#) | Market or payout value of share-based awards that have not vested ($) | Market or payout value of invested share-based awards not paid out or distributed ($) |
| Wayne Isaacs | 50,000 | 0.90 | March 19, 2026 | Nil | 172,712 (4) | Nil | Nil |
| 50,000 | 1.29 | July 25, 2026 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 50,000 | 1.52 | July 29, 2026 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 125,000 | 1.00 | March 16, 2027 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 16,666 | 1.58 | November 15, 2027 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 150,000 | 0.61 | May 24, 2028 | 45,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 61,000 | 0.74 | October 19, 2028 | 10,370 | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 50,000 | 0.85 | December 22, 2028 | 3,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 250,000 | 0.96 | June 3, 2029 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| Rein Turna (2) | 50,000 | 0.74 | October 19, 2028 | 8,500 | 172,712 (5) | Nil | Nil |
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| 50,000 | 0.85 | December 22, 2028 | 3,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jean Lafleur(3) | 100,000 | 0.26 | August 12, 2025 | 50,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| 100,000 | 0.47 | December 31, 2025 | 29,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 50,000 | 0.90 | March 19, 2026 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 100,000 | 1.29 | July 25, 2026 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 100,000 | 1.52 | July 29, 2026 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 125,000 | 1.00 | March 16, 2027 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 150,000 | 0.61 | May 24, 2028 | 22,500 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Notes:
(1) On June 28, 2024, the closing price of the Common Shares was $0.91.
(2) Rein Turna joined the Board on October 16, 2023.
(3) Jean Lafleur resigned from the Board on October 13, 2023. All of Mr. Lafleur’s Options terminated in accordance with the Omnibus Plan.
Exercise of Compensation Securities by Directors and NEOs
During the most recently completed financial year, the following director of the Company exercised compensation securities:
| Exercise of Compensation Securities by Directors and NEOs | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and position | Type of compensation security | Number of underlying securities exercised | Exercise price per security ($) | Date of exercise | Closing price per security on date of exercise ($) | Difference between exercise price and closing price on date of exercise ($) | Total value on exercise date ($) |
| Wayne Isaacs, Director | Options | 100,000 | 0.47 | January 30, 2024 | 1.02 | 0.55 | 55,000 |
Pension Plan Benefits
The Company does not have any pension plan or deferred compensation plan.
SECURITIES AUTHORIZED FOR ISSUANCE UNDER EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN
Except for the Omnibus Plan, the Company does not have any other equity incentive plan. See “Particulars of Matters to Be Acted on – Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan” for further details. The following table describes the Options and RSUs outstanding as at June 30, 2024.
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| Plan Category | Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding Options, warrants and rights (a) | Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding Options, warrants and rights (b) | Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a)) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity compensation plans approved by securityholders | 11,741,557 (1) | $1.13 | 94,589 (1) |
| 2,566,000 (2) | - | 7,833,096 (2) | |
| Equity compensation plans not approved by securityholders | Nil | N/A | Nil |
| Total | 14,307,557 | N/A | 7,927,685 |
Notes:
(1) Represents the Common Shares issuable pursuant to Options outstanding under the Omnibus Plan as at June 30, 2024. See “Particulars of Matters to be Acted Upon – Approval of Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan” for further details.
(2) Represents the Common Shares issuable pursuant to RSUs outstanding under the Omnibus Plan as at June 30, 2024. See “Particulars of Matters to be Acted Upon – Approval of Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan” for further details.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DISCLOSURE
Corporate governance relates to the activities of the Board, the members of which are elected by and are accountable to Shareholders, and takes into account the role of the individual members of management who are appointed by the Board and who are charged with the day to day management of the Company. The Board and senior management consider good corporate governance to be central to the effective and efficient operation of the Company.
National Policy 58-201 - Corporate Governance Guidelines establishes corporate governance guidelines which apply to all public companies. The Company has reviewed its own corporate governance practices in light of these guidelines. In certain cases, the Company’s practices comply with the guidelines; however, the Board considers that some of the guidelines are not suitable for the Company at its current stage of development and therefore these guidelines have not been adopted entirely.
National Instrument 58-101 - Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices (“NI 58-101”) also requires the Company to disclose annually in its information circular certain information concerning its corporate governance practices. As a “venture issuer”, the Company is required to make these disclosures with reference to the requirements of Form 58-101F2, as provided below.
Board of Directors
The Board is currently composed of the following four directors: Roger Rosmus, Graham C. Warren, Wayne Isaacs and Rein Turna. It is proposed that Roger Rosmus, Graham C. Warren, Wayne Isaacs and Rein Turna be re-elected at the Meeting.
NI 58-101 suggests that the board of directors of every listed company should be constituted with a majority of individuals who qualify as “independent” directors, within the meaning set out under NI 52-110, which provides that a director is independent if he or she has no direct or indirect “material relationship” with the company. “Material relationship” is defined as a relationship which could, in the view of the company’s board of directors, be reasonably expected to interfere with the exercise of a director’s independent judgment.
Of the current directors, Roger Rosmus, CEO and President of the Company, and Graham C. Warren, CFO and Secretary of the Company, are executive officers and accordingly are not considered to be “independent”. In assessing NI 58-101 and making the foregoing determinations, the circumstances of each director have been examined in relation to a number of factors. The remaining directors are considered to be independent directors since they are all independent of management and free from any material relationship with the Company. The basis for this
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determination is that, since the commencement of the Company's fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, none of the current independent directors have worked for the Company, received remuneration from the Company or had material contracts with or material interests in the Company which could interfere with their ability to act with a view to the best interests of the Company.
The Board believes that it functions independently of management. To enhance its ability to act independently of management, the members of the Board may meet in the absence of members of management and the non-independent directors. In the event of a conflict of interest at a meeting of the Board, the conflicted director will, in accordance with corporate law and in accordance with his fiduciary obligations as a director of the Company, disclose the nature and extent of his interest to the meeting and abstain from voting on or against the approval of such participation. In addition, the members of the Board who are not members of management of the Company are encouraged by the management members of the Board to communicate and obtain advice from such advisors and legal counsel as they may deem necessary in order to reach a conclusion with respect to issues brought before the Board.
Directorships
The following is a list of those directors of the Company who are directors of other reporting issuers as of the date thereof:
| Director | Reporting Issuer |
|---|---|
| Graham C. Warren | Zodiac Gold Inc. |
| Wayne Isaacs | AM Resources Corp. |
| ThreeD Capital Inc. | |
| Delta Uranium Inc. |
See “Particulars of Matters to be Acted Upon – Election of Directors – Other Reporting Issuer Experience”.
Orientation and Continuing Education
The Board has no formal governance policies relating to the directors' orientation and continuing education. Each director ultimately assumes responsibility for keeping himself informed about the Company's business and relevant developments outside the Company that affect its business. Management assists directors by providing them with regular updates on relevant developments and other information that management considers of interest to the Board.
Ethical Business Conduct
The Board expects management to operate the business of the Company in a manner that enhances shareholder value and is consistent with the highest level of integrity. However, to date, the Board has not adopted a formal written code of business conduct and ethics. The Board has found that the fiduciary duties placed on individual directors by the Company's governing corporate legislation and the common law have been sufficient to ensure that the Board acts in the best interests of the Company and its Shareholders. To ensure that an ethical business culture is maintained and promoted, directors are encouraged to exercise their independent judgment. If a director has a material interest in any transaction or agreement that the Company proposes to enter into, such director is expected to disclose such interest to the Board in compliance with the applicable laws, rules and policies which govern conflicts of interest in connection with such transaction or agreement. Further, any director who has a material interest in any proposed transaction or agreement will be excluded from the portion of the Board meeting concerning such matters and will be further precluded from voting on such matters.
Nomination of Directors
The Board is responsible for the identification and assessment of potential directors. While no formal nomination procedures are in place to identify new candidates, the Board does review the experience and performance of nominees for election to the Board. Members of the Board are canvassed with respect to the qualifications of a prospective
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candidate and each candidate is evaluated with respect to his or her experience and expertise, with particular attention paid to those areas of expertise that could complement and enhance current management. The Board also assesses any potential conflicts, independence or time commitment concerns that the candidate may present.
Assessments
The skills and knowledge of the Board as a whole is such that no formal continuing education process is currently considered required. The Board is comprised of individuals with varying backgrounds, who have, both collectively and individually, extensive experience in running and managing public companies. The Company has no formal policy concerning the evaluation of members of the Board.
Committees of the Board
At the present time, the Board has appointed only an Audit Committee (as defined herein). See “Audit Committee”.
Compensation
The process undertaken by the Board in respect of compensation is more fully described in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis”.
Diversity
On January 1, 2020, amendments to the Canada Business Corporations Act came into force requiring new disclosure of the number of: (i) women; (ii) Aboriginal peoples; (iii) people with disabilities; and (iv) members of visible minorities (collectively, the “Designated Groups”) on the Board and in senior management positions with the Company.
The Company recognizes the benefits of diversity within its Board, at the senior management level and all levels of the organization. Due to its size, industry sector and the number of Board members and management, the Company has not adopted a formal written policy on the search for and selection of members of Designated Groups as directors or members of senior management. The Company does not believe that a formal policy would enhance the representation of Designated Groups on the Board beyond the current recruitment and selection process.
The Company evaluates the necessary competencies, skills, experience and other qualifications of each candidate as a whole and considers the representation of Designated Groups as one of many factors in the recruitment and selection of candidates for Board and senior management positions.
The Company recognizes the value of individuals with diverse attributes on the Board and in senior management positions. However, the Board has not adopted formal targets regarding members of Designated Groups being represented on the Board or holding senior management positions. The representation of Designated Groups is one of many factors considered in the overall recruitment and selection process in respect of Board and senior management positions at the Company. The Board does not believe that formal targets would enhance the representation of Designated Groups on the Board or in senior management positions beyond the current recruitment and selection process.
Currently, one member of the Board is a member of the Designated Groups (25%) and no members of the senior management team of the Company is a member of the Designated Group (0%). The Board has not adopted a formal policy relating to term limits for directors. The Board strives to be constituted to achieve a balance between experience and the need for renewal and fresh perspective. The Board does not believe such policy is appropriate given the Company’s size and stage of development. The Board is of the opinion that term limits may disadvantage the Company through the loss of beneficial contributions of its directors.
AUDIT COMMITTEE DISCLOSURE
The audit committee of the Board (the “Audit Committee”) is responsible for the Company’s financial reporting
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process and quality of its financial reporting. The Audit Committee is charged with the mandate of providing independent review and oversight of the Company's financial reporting process, the system of internal control and management of financial risks, and the audit process, including the selection, oversight and compensation of the Company's external auditors. In performing its duties, the Audit Committee maintains effective working relationships with the Board, management, and the external auditors and monitors the independence of those auditors. The full text of the charter of the Audit Committee is attached hereto as Schedule "B".
Composition of the Audit Committee
The Audit Committee is comprised of the following directors:
| Name | Independent^{(1)} | Financially Literate^{(2)} |
|---|---|---|
| Roger Rosmus | No^{(3)} | Yes |
| Wayne Isaacs (Chair) | Yes | Yes |
| Rein Turna | Yes | Yes |
Notes:
(1) A member of the Audit Committee is independent if the member has no direct or indirect material relationship with the Company, which could, in the view of the Board, reasonably interfere with the exercise of a member's independent judgment.
(2) An individual is financially literate if he or she has the ability to read and understand a set of financial statements that present a breadth of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Company's financial statements.
(3) Roger Rosmus is the President and CEO of the Company, and accordingly, is not considered to be "independent".
In accordance with TSXV Policy 3.1, the majority of the Audit Committee are not employees, Control Persons (as defined by the rules and policies of the TSXV) or officers of the Company.
Relevant Education and Experience
| Name of Audit Committee Member | Relevant Experience and Qualifications |
|---|---|
| Roger Rosmus | Mr. Rosmus is President of Aberdeen Gould Capital Markets Ltd., that provides corporate advisory services to private and public companies. Mr. Rosmus has over 25 years of investment banking experience in the public and private sectors, having led many mergers, acquisitions and corporate financings. Previously, he was the founder of Aberdeen Gould Inc., where he successfully completed over 30 mergers and acquisitions transactions, and he owned and operated several businesses in a wide variety of industries. Mr. Rosmus holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario - Richard Ivey School of Business. |
| Wayne Isaacs | Mr. Isaacs has enjoyed a 30 year career on Bay Street specializing in the resource sector both as a corporate executive of resource companies and as an investment banker. This extensive experience has allowed him to successfully seek out and engage and acquire significant resource assets and financing to support exploration, development and mining activities for his operating and investee companies. Mr. Isaacs has been involved as a principal and served as a director and/or senior officer of over 35 public companies. He served as President and Director of Forsys Metals Corp., a TSX-listed company with uranium assets in Namibia, Africa, from 2003 to 2007. During his tenure, he led the company from its inception to achieving a market capitalization exceeding $750 million. He successfully raised over $70 million to advance its uranium project from exploration to the production decision stage. Mr. Isaacs is currently a director of AM Resources Corp. (TSXV: AMR), ThreeD Capital Inc. (CSE: IDK), and Delta Uranium Inc. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and has held numerous securities certifications and licenses. |
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| Rein Turna | Mr. Rein Turna, P.Geo. is a consulting geologist with over 40 years experience in mineral exploration in British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Yukon and Northwest Territories. He is a registered professional geologist with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia since 1993. Mr. Turna has held staff and consulting positions with mining companies, including Placer Dome Inc., Falconbridge Ltd., UMEX Inc., Lac Minerals Ltd. and Osisko Hammond Reef Gold Ltd. He has managed exploration programs for porphyry, volcanogenic massive sulphide, epithermal and other deposit types. Mr. Turna has also researched and worked on Archean orogenic gold as well as sedex prospects. |
|---|---|
Audit Committee Oversight
At no time since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year have any recommendations by the Audit Committee respecting the nomination and/or compensation of the Company’s external auditors not been adopted by the Board.
Use of Certain Exemptions
The Company is relying on the exemption in Section 6.1 of NI 52-110 (Venture Issuers) relating to Part 3 (Composition of Audit Committee) and Part 5 (Reporting Obligations). Since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year, the Company has not relied on (a) the exemption in section 2.4 (De Minimis Non-audit Services) of NI 52-110; or (b) an exemption from NI 52-110, in whole or in part, granted under Part 8 (Exemptions).
Pre-Approval and Procedures
The Audit Committee has not adopted any specific policies or procedures for the engagement of non-audit services.
Audit Fees
The following table sets out the fees paid by the Company to McGovern Hurley LLP for services rendered in the last two fiscal years:
| Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2024 ($) | Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2023 ($) | |
|---|---|---|
| Audit Fees(1) | 39,590 | 37,000 |
| Audit-related Fees(2) | Nil | Nil |
| Tax Fees(3) | 4,280 | 4,000 |
| All Other Fees(4) | Nil | Nil |
Notes:
(1) “Audit Fees” include fees rendered by the Company’s external auditor for professional services necessary to perform the annual audit and any quarterly reviews of the Company’s financial statements. This includes fees for the review of tax provisions and for accounting consultations on matters reflected in the financial statements.
(2) “Audit-related Fees” include fees for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Company’s financial statements and that are not included in the “Audit Fees” category.
(3) “Tax Fees” include fees for professional services rendered by the Company’s external auditor for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning.
(4) “All Other Fees” include fees for products and services provided by the Company’s external auditor, other than services reported under the table headings “Audit Fees”, “Audit-Related Fees” or “Tax Fees”.
INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND SENIOR OFFICERS
As at the date of this Information Circular, there was no indebtedness owing by the current or former officers, directors and employees of the Company (a) to the Company or (b) to other entities if the indebtedness was subject to a guarantee, support agreement, letter of credit or other similar arrangement or understanding provided by the Company other than ordinary travel or expense advances.
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INTEREST OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS
For the purposes of this Information Circular, “informed person” means (a) a director or executive officer of the Company; (b) a director or executive officer of a person or company that is itself an informed person or subsidiary of the Company; (c) any person or company who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, voting securities of the Company or who exercises control or direction over voting securities of the Company or a combination of both, carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to all outstanding voting securities of the Company, other than voting securities held by the person or company as underwriter in the course of a distribution; and (d) the Company if it has purchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired any of its own securities for so long as it holds any of its securities.
No informed person, no proposed director of the Company and no associate or affiliate of any such informed person or proposed director, has any material interest, direct or indirect, in any material transaction since the commencement of the Company’s last completed financial year or in any proposed transaction, which, in either case, has materially affected or will materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information relating to the Company, including the annual audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended June 30, 2024 and related management’s discussion and analysis, are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company’s website at https://goliathresourcesltd.com/.
Upon request, the Chief Financial Officer will provide a copy of the comparative financial statements of the Company filed with the applicable securities regulatory authorities for the Company’s most recently completed financial year, together with the report of any auditor, related management’s discussion and analysis, and any interim financial statements of the Company filed with the applicable securities regulatory authorities subsequent to the filing of the annual financial statements. Please call 416-565-4422.
OTHER MATTERS
As of the date of this Information Circular, the Board and management of the Company are not aware of any matters to come before the Meeting other than those matters specifically identified in the accompanying Notice. However, if such other matters properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment(s) thereof, the persons designated in the accompanying form of proxy will vote thereon in accordance with their judgment, pursuant to the discretionary authority conferred by the form of proxy with respect to such matters.
BOARD APPROVAL
The contents of this Information Circular and the sending of it to each director of the Company, to the auditor of the Company, to the Shareholders and to the appropriate governmental agencies, have been approved by the Board.
DATED at Toronto, Ontario on February 7, 2025
(Signed) “Roger Rosmus”
Roger Rosmus
President and Chief Executive Officer
SCHEDULE "A"
OMNIBUS EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
GOLIATH RESOURCES LIMITED
ARTICLE 1
PURPOSE
1.1 Purpose
The purpose of this Plan is to provide the Corporation with a share-related mechanism to attract, retain and motivate qualified Directors, Officers, Employees and Consultants, to reward such of those Directors, Officers, Employees and Consultants as may be granted Awards under this Plan by the Board from time to time for their contributions toward the long term goals and success of the Corporation and to enable and encourage such Directors, Officers, Employees and Consultants to acquire Shares as long term investments and proprietary interests in the Corporation.
1.2 Amendment to Predecessor Plan
This Plan constitutes an amendment to and restatement of the Corporation’s 2017 Stock Option Plan (the “Predecessor Plan”). All outstanding stock options granted under the Predecessor Plan (the “Predecessor Options”) shall continue to be outstanding as stock options granted under and subject to the terms of this Plan, provided however that if the terms of this Plan adversely alter the terms or conditions, or impair any right of, an Option holder pursuant to any Predecessor Option, and such Option holder has not otherwise consented thereto, the applicable terms of the Predecessor Plan shall continue to apply for the benefit of such Option holder.
ARTICLE 2
INTERPRETATION
2.1 Definitions
When used herein, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms have the indicated meanings, respectively:
“Affiliate” means any entity that is an “affiliate” for the purposes of National Instrument 45-106 — Prospectus Exemptions, as amended from time to time;
“Award” means any Option, Deferred Share Unit, Restricted Share Unit, Performance Share Unit or Other Share-Based Award granted under this Plan, which may be denominated or settled in Shares, cash or in such other forms as provided for herein;
“Award Agreement” means a signed, written agreement between a Participant and the Corporation, in the form or any one of the forms approved by the Plan Administrator, and evidencing the terms and conditions on which an Award has been granted under this Plan (including written or other applicable employment agreements) and which need not be identical to any other such agreements;
“Award Date” means the date on which an Award is granted to a Participant;
“Black-Out Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.2;
“Board” means the board of directors of the Corporation as it may be constituted from time to time;
“Business Day” means a day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, on which the principal commercial banks in the City of Toronto are open for commercial business during normal banking hours;
“Canadian Taxpayer” means a Participant that is resident in Canada for purposes of the Tax Act;
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"Cash Fees" has the meaning set forth in Section 5.1(a);
"Cashless Exercise" has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.50;
"Cause" means, with respect to:
(a) a particular Employee: (1) "cause" as such term is defined in the employment or other written agreement between the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation and the Employee; (2) in the event there is no written or other applicable employment agreement between the Employee and the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation or "cause" is not defined in such agreement, "cause" as such term is defined in the Award Agreement; or (3) in the event neither clause (1) nor (2) apply, then "cause" as such term is defined by applicable law or, if not so defined, such term shall refer to circumstances where an employer can terminate an individual's employment without notice or pay in lieu thereof;
(b) in the case of a Consultant (1) the occurrence of any event which, under the written consulting agreement with the Consultant or the common law or the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Consultant provides services, gives the Corporation or any of its Affiliates the right to immediately terminate the consulting agreement; or (2) the termination of the consulting agreement as a result of an order made by any Regulatory Authority having jurisdiction to so order;
(c) in the case of a Director, ceasing to be a Director as a result of (1) ceasing to be qualified to act as a Director pursuant to the CBCA; (2) a resolution having been passed by the shareholders pursuant to the CBCA, or (3) an order made by any Regulatory Authority having jurisdiction to so order; or
(d) in the case of an Officer, (1) cause as such term is defined in the written employment or consulting agreement with the Officer or if there is no written employment agreement or consulting agreement or cause is not defined therein, the usual meaning of just cause under the common law or the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Officer provides services; or (2) ceasing to be an Officer as a result of an order made by any Regulatory Authority having jurisdiction to so order.
"CBCA" means the Canada Business Corporations Act;
"Change in Control" means the occurrence of any one or more of the following events:
(a) any transaction at any time and by whatever means pursuant to which any Person or any group of two or more Persons acting jointly or in concert (other than the Corporation or a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Corporation) hereafter acquires the direct or indirect beneficial ownership of, or acquires the right to exercise Control or direction over, securities of the Corporation representing more than 50% of the then issued and outstanding voting securities of the Corporation, including, without limitation, as a result of a takeover bid, an exchange of securities, an amalgamation of the Corporation with any other entity, an arrangement, a capital reorganization or any other business combination or reorganization;
(b) the sale, assignment or other transfer of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Corporation to a Person other than a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Corporation;
(c) the dissolution or liquidation of the Corporation, other than in connection with the distribution of assets of the Corporation to one or more Persons which were wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Corporation prior to such event;
(d) the occurrence of a transaction requiring approval of the Corporation's shareholders whereby the Corporation is acquired through consolidation, merger, exchange of securities, purchase of assets, amalgamation, statutory arrangement or otherwise by any other Person (other than a short form amalgamation or exchange of securities with a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Corporation);
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(e) any other event which the Board determines to constitute a change in control of the Corporation; or
(f) individuals who comprise the Board as of the last annual meeting of shareholders of the Corporation (the "Incumbent Board") for any reason cease to constitute at least a majority of the members of the Board, unless the election, or nomination for election by the Corporation's shareholders, of any new director was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the Incumbent Board, and in that case such new director shall be considered as a member of the Incumbent Board;
provided that, notwithstanding clauses (a), (b), (c) and (d) above, a Change in Control shall be deemed not to have occurred pursuant to clauses (a), (b), (c) or (d) above if immediately following the transaction set forth in clause (a), (b), (c) or (d) above: (A) the holders of securities of the Corporation that immediately prior to the consummation of such transaction represented more than 50% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities eligible to vote for the election of directors of the Corporation hold (x) securities of the entity resulting from such transaction (including, for greater certainty, the Person succeeding to assets of the Corporation in a transaction contemplated in clause (b) above) (the "Surviving Entity") that represent more than 50% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities eligible to vote for the election of directors or trustees ("voting power") of the Surviving Entity, or (y) if applicable, securities of the entity that directly or indirectly has beneficial ownership of 100% of the securities eligible to elect directors of the Surviving Entity (the "Parent Entity") that represent more than 50% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities eligible to vote for the election of directors of the Parent Entity, and (B) no Person or group of two or more Persons, acting jointly or in concert, is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the voting power of the Parent Entity (or, if there is no Parent Entity, the Surviving Entity) (any such transaction which satisfies all of the criteria specified in clauses (A) and (B) above being referred to as a "Non-Qualifying Transaction" and, following the Non-Qualifying Transaction, references in this definition of "Change in Control" to the "Corporation" shall mean and refer to the Parent Entity (or, if there is no Parent Entity, the Surviving Entity) and, if such entity is a company or a trust, references to the "Board" shall mean and refer to the board of directors or trustees, as applicable, of such entity).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of any Award that constitutes "deferred compensation" (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code), the payment of which would be accelerated upon a Change in Control, a transaction will not be deemed a Change in Control for Awards granted to any Participant who is a U.S. Taxpayer unless the transaction qualifies as "a change in control event" within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code;
"Code" means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time;
"Committee" has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2;
"Consultant" has the meaning given to that term in National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus and Registration Exemptions, and for the purposes of the Plan includes consultants of the Corporation and any of its affiliates, as well as consultant companies of the Corporation and any of its affiliates.
"Control" means:
(a) when applied to the relationship between a Person and a corporation, the beneficial ownership by that Person, directly or indirectly, of voting securities or other interests in such corporation entitling the holder to exercise control and direction in fact over the activities of such corporation;
(b) when applied to the relationship between a Person and a partnership, limited partnership, trust or joint venture, means the contractual right to direct the affairs of the partnership, limited partnership, trust or joint venture; and
(c) when applied in relation to a trust, the beneficial ownership at the relevant time of more than 50% of the property settled under the trust, and
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the words “Controlled by”, “Controlling” and similar words have corresponding meanings; provided that a Person who controls a corporation, partnership, limited partnership or joint venture will be deemed to Control a corporation, partnership, limited partnership, trust or joint venture which is Controlled by such Person and so on;
“Corporation” means Goliath Resources Limited;
“Deferred Share Unit” or “DSU” means any right granted under Article 5 of this Plan;
“Director” means a director of the Corporation who is not an Employee;
“Director Fees” means the total compensation (including annual retainer and meeting fees, if any) paid by the Corporation to a Director in a calendar year for service on the Board;
“Disabled” or “Disability” means, in respect of a Participant, suffering from a state of mental or physical disability, illness or disease that prevents the Participant from carrying out his or her normal duties as an Employee for a continuous period of six months or for any period of six months in any consecutive twelve month period, as certified by two medical doctors or as otherwise determined in accordance with procedures established by the Plan Administrator for purposes of this Plan;
“Effective Date” means the effective date of this Plan, being February 15, 2024;
“Elected Amount” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.1(a);
“Electing Person” means a Participant who is, on the applicable Election Date, a Director;
“Election Date” means the date on which the Electing Person files an Election Notice in accordance with Section 5.1(b);
“Election Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.1(b);
“Employee” means an individual who:
(a) is considered an employee of the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation for purposes of source deductions under applicable tax or social welfare legislation; or
(b) works full-time or part-time on a regular weekly basis for the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation providing services normally provided by an employee and who is subject to the same control and direction by the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation over the details and methods of work as an employee of the Corporation or such subsidiary, and, for greater certainty, includes any Executive Chairman of the Corporation.
“Exchange” means the TSX Venture Exchange and any other exchange on which the Shares are or may be listed from time to time;
“Exercise Notice” means a notice in writing in the form attached hereto as Schedule “A”, signed by a Participant and stating the Participant’s intention to exercise a particular Option;
“Exercise Price” means the price at which an Option Share may be purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option;
“Expiry Date” means the expiry date specified in the Award Agreement (which shall not be later than the 10th anniversary of the Award Date) or, if not so specified, means the 10th anniversary of the Award Date;
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"Insider" has the meaning assigned by Policy 1.1 of the rules and policies of the Exchange, as amended from time to time;
"Investor Relations Activities" has the meaning assigned by Policy 1.1 of the rules and policies of the Exchange, as amended from time to time;
"Management Corporation Employee" means an individual 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;
"Market Price" of the Shares for a relevant date shall be determined as follows:
(a) for each organized trading facility on which the Shares are listed, Market Price shall be the closing trading price of the Shares on such facility on the last trading date immediately preceding the relevant date;
(b) if the Shares are listed on more than one organized trading facility, then Market Price shall be the greater of the Market Prices determined for each organized trading facility on which those Shares are listed as determined for each organized trading facility in accordance with (a) above;
(c) if the Shares are listed on one or more organized trading facility but have not traded during the 10 trading day period immediately preceding the relevant date, then the Market Price shall be, subject to the necessary approvals of the applicable Regulatory Authority, such value as is determined by resolution of the Board; and
(d) if the Shares are not listed on any organized trading facility, then the Market Price shall be, subject to the necessary approvals of the applicable Regulatory Authority, the fair market value of the Shares on the relevant date as determined by the Board in its discretion,
provided that, for so long as the Shares are listed and posted for trading on the Exchange, the Market Price shall not be less than the market price, as calculated under the policies of the Exchange;
"Net Exercise" has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.5(c);
"Net Exercise Notice" means the notice respecting the exercise of an Option on a net basis, in the form, set out as Schedule "B" hereto, duly executed by the Participant;
"Officer" means an officer of the Corporation or Management Corporation Employee and for the purposes of the Plan includes officers of the Corporation and Management Corporation Employees and any Related Entity of the Corporation;
"Option" means an option to purchase Shares from treasury granted by the Corporation to a Participant, subject to the provisions contained herein;
"Option Shares" means Shares issuable by the Corporation upon the exercise of outstanding Options;
"Other Share-Based Award" means any right granted under Article 8;
"Participant" means an Employee, Consultant, Officer or Director to whom an Award has been granted under this Plan;
"Participant's Employer" means with respect to a Participant that is or was an Employee, the Corporation or such subsidiary of the Corporation as is or, if the Participant has ceased to be employed by the Corporation or such subsidiary of the Corporation, was the Participant's Employer;
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"Performance Goals" means performance goals expressed in terms of attaining a specified level of the particular criteria or the attainment of a percentage increase or decrease in the particular criteria, and may be applied to one or more of the Corporation, a subsidiary of the Corporation, a division of the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation, or an individual, or may be applied to the performance of the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation relative to a market index, a group of other companies or a combination thereof, or on any other basis, all as determined by the Plan Administrator in its discretion;
"Performance Share Unit" or "PSU" means any right granted under Article 7 of this Plan;
"Person" means an individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, unincorporated association, unincorporated syndicate, unincorporated organization, trust, body corporate, and a natural person in his or her capacity as trustee, executor, administrator or other legal representative;
"Personal Representative" means:
(a) in the case of a deceased Participant, the executor or administrator of the deceased duly appointed by a court or public authority having jurisdiction to do so; and
(b) in the case of a Participant who for any reason is unable to manage his or her affairs, the person entitled by law to act on behalf of such Participant.
"Plan" means this Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan, as may be amended from time to time;
"Plan Administrator" means the Board or, to the extent that the administration of this Plan has been delegated by the Board to the Committee pursuant to Section 3.2, the Committee;
"Predecessor Options" has the meaning set forth in Section 1.2;
"Predecessor Plan" has the meaning set forth in Section 1.2;
"Regulatory Authority" means any stock exchange, inter-dealer quotation network and other organized trading facility on which the Shares are listed and any securities commissions or similar securities regulatory body having jurisdiction over the Corporation;
"Related Entity" has the meaning given to that term in National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus Exemptions;
"Restricted Share Unit" or "RSU" means a unit equivalent in value to a Share, credited by means of a bookkeeping entry in the books of the Corporation in accordance with Article 6;
"Section 409A of the Code" means Section 409A of the Code and all regulations, guidance, compliance programs, and other interpretive authority issued thereunder;
"Securities Laws" means securities legislation, securities regulation and securities rules, as amended, and the policies, notices, instruments and blanket orders in force from time to time that govern or are applicable to the Corporation or to which it is subject;
"Security Based Compensation Arrangement" means a stock option, stock option plan, employee stock purchase plan or any other compensation or incentive mechanism involving the issuance or potential issuance of Shares to Directors, Officers, Employees, Consultants and/or service providers of the Corporation or any subsidiary of the Corporation, including a share purchase from treasury which is financially assisted by the Corporation by way of a loan, guarantee or otherwise;
"Share" means one common share in the capital of the Corporation as constituted on the Effective Date, or
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any share or shares issued in replacement of such common share in compliance with Canadian law or other applicable law, and/or one share of any additional class of common shares in the capital of the Corporation as may exist from time to time, or after an adjustment contemplated by Article 11, such other shares or securities to which the holder of an Award may be entitled as a result of such adjustment;
“subsidiary” means an issuer that is Controlled directly or indirectly by another issuer and includes a subsidiary of that subsidiary, or any other entity in which the Corporation has an equity interest and is designated by the Plan Administrator, from time to time, for purposes of this Plan to be a subsidiary, provided that, in the case of a Canadian Taxpayer, the issuer is related (for purposes of the Tax Act) to the Corporation;
“Tax Act” means the Income Tax Act (Canada);
“Termination Date” means:
(a) in the case of an Employee whose employment with the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation terminates, (i) the date designated by the Employee and the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation in a written employment agreement, or other written agreement between the Employee and Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation, or (ii) if no written employment agreement exists, the date designated by the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation, as the case may be, on which an Employee ceases to be an employee of the Corporation or the subsidiary of the Corporation, as the case may be, provided that, in the case of termination of employment by voluntary resignation by the Employee, such date shall not be earlier than the date notice of resignation was given, and “Termination Date” specifically does not mean the date of termination of any period of reasonable notice that the Corporation or the subsidiary of the Corporation (as the case may be) may be required by law to provide to the Employee;
(b) in the case of a Consultant whose consulting agreement or arrangement with the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation, as the case may be, terminates, the date that is designated by the Corporation or the subsidiary of the Corporation (as the case may be), as the date on which the Consultant’s consulting agreement or arrangement is terminated, provided that in the case of voluntary termination by the Consultant of the Consultant’s consulting agreement or other written arrangement, such date shall not be earlier than the date notice of voluntary termination was given, and “Termination Date” specifically does not mean the date on which any period of notice of termination that the Corporation or the subsidiary of the Corporation (as the case may be) may be required to provide to the Consultant under the terms of the consulting agreement or arrangement expires; or
(c) in the case of a U.S. Taxpayer, a Participant’s “Termination Date” will be the date the Participant experiences a “separation from service” with the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code.
“U.S.” means the United States of America;
“U.S. Taxpayer” shall mean a Participant who, with respect to an Award, is subject to taxation under the applicable U.S. tax laws; and
“VWAP” mean the volume weighted average trading price of the Shares on the Exchange calculated by dividing the total value by the total volume of such securities traded for the five trading days immediately preceding the applicable date.
2.2 Interpretation
(a) Whenever the Plan Administrator exercises discretion in the administration of this Plan, the term “discretion” means the sole and absolute discretion of the Plan Administrator.
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(b) As used herein, the terms “Article”, “Section”, “Subsection” and “clause” mean and refer to the specified Article, Section, Subsection and clause of this Plan, respectively.
(c) Words importing the singular include the plural and vice versa and words importing any gender include any other gender.
(d) Unless otherwise specified, time periods within or following which any payment is to be made or act is to be done shall be calculated by excluding the day on which the period begins, including the day on which the period ends, and abridging the period to the immediately preceding Business Day in the event that the last day of the period is not a Business Day. In the event an action is required to be taken or a payment is required to be made on a day which is not a Business Day such action shall be taken or such payment shall be made by the immediately preceding Business Day.
(e) Unless otherwise specified, all references to money amounts are to Canadian currency.
(f) The headings used herein are for convenience only and are not to affect the interpretation of this Plan.
ARTICLE 3
ADMINISTRATION
3.1 Administration
This Plan will be administered by the Plan Administrator and the Plan Administrator has sole and complete authority, in its discretion, to:
(a) determine the individuals to whom grants of Awards under the Plan may be made;
(b) make grants of Awards under the Plan, whether relating to the issuance of Shares or otherwise (including any combination of Options, Deferred Share Units, Restricted Share Units, Performance Share Units or Other Share-Based Awards), in such amounts, to such Persons and, subject to the provisions of this Plan, on such terms and conditions as it determines including without limitation:
(i) the time or times at which Awards may be granted;
(ii) the conditions under which:
(A) Awards may be granted to Participants; or
(B) Awards may be forfeited to the Corporation,
including any conditions relating to the attainment of specified Performance Goals;
(iii) the number of Shares to be covered by any Award;
(iv) the price, if any, to be paid by a Participant in connection with the purchase of Shares covered by any Awards;
(v) whether restrictions or limitations are to be imposed on the Shares issuable pursuant to grants of any Award, and the nature of such restrictions or limitations, if any; and
(vi) any acceleration of exercisability or vesting, or waiver of termination regarding any Award, based on such factors as the Plan Administrator may determine;
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(c) establish the form or forms of Award Agreements;
(d) cancel, amend, adjust or otherwise change any Award under such circumstances as the Plan Administrator may consider appropriate in accordance with the provisions of this Plan;
(e) construe and interpret this Plan and all Award Agreements;
(f) adopt, amend, prescribe and rescind administrative guidelines and other rules and regulations relating to this Plan, including rules and regulations relating to sub-plans established for the purpose of satisfying applicable foreign laws or for qualifying for favorable tax treatment under applicable foreign laws; and
(g) make all other determinations and take all other actions necessary or advisable for the implementation and administration of this Plan.
3.2 Delegation to Committee
(a) The initial Plan Administrator shall be the Board.
(b) To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Board may, from time to time, delegate to a committee of the Board (the "Committee") all or any of the powers conferred on the Plan Administrator pursuant to this Plan, including the power to sub-delegate to any member(s) of the Committee or any specified officer(s) of the Corporation or its subsidiaries all or any of the powers delegated by the Board. In such event, the Committee or any sub-delegate will exercise the powers delegated to it in the manner and on the terms authorized by the delegating party.
3.3 Determinations Binding
Except as may be otherwise set forth in any written employment agreement, consulting agreement, Award Agreement or other written agreement between the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation and the Participant, any decision made or action taken by the Board, the Committee or any sub-delegate to whom authority has been delegated pursuant to Section 3.2 arising out of or in connection with the administration or interpretation of this Plan is final, conclusive and binding on the Corporation and all subsidiaries of the Corporation, the affected Participant(s), their respective legal and personal representatives and all other Persons.
3.4 Eligibility
All Employees, Consultants, Directors and Officers are eligible to participate in the Plan, subject to Section 10.1(e). Participation in the Plan is voluntary and eligibility to participate does not confer upon any Employee, Consultant, Director or Officer any right to receive any grant of an Award pursuant to the Plan. The extent to which any Employee, Consultant, Director or Officer is entitled to receive a grant of an Award pursuant to the Plan will be determined in the discretion of the Plan Administrator. The Board shall determine in its sole discretion whether any Person is a bona fide Employee, Consultant, Director or Officer, as applicable.
3.5 Plan Administrator Requirements
Any Award granted under this Plan shall be subject to the requirement that, if at any time the Corporation shall determine that the listing, registration or qualification of the Shares issuable pursuant to such Award upon any securities exchange or under any Securities Laws of any jurisdiction, or the consent or approval of the Exchange and any securities commissions or similar securities regulatory bodies having jurisdiction over the Corporation is necessary as a condition of, or in connection with, the grant or exercise of such Award or the issuance or purchase of Shares thereunder, such Award may not be accepted or exercised, as applicable, in whole or in part unless such listing, registration, qualification, consent or approval shall have been effected or obtained on conditions acceptable to the Plan Administrator. Nothing herein shall be deemed to require the Corporation to apply for or to obtain such listing, registration, qualification, consent or approval. Participants shall, to the extent applicable, cooperate with the
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Corporation in complying with such legislation, rules, regulations and policies.
3.6 Total Shares Subject to Awards
(a) The Plan is a “rolling up to 10% and fixed up to 10%” Security Based Compensation Plan, as defined in Policy 4.4 - Security Based Compensation of the Exchange. The Plan is a: (a) “rolling” plan pursuant to which the number of Shares that are issuable pursuant to the exercise of Options (including the Predecessor Options) granted hereunder shall not exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding Shares as at the date of any Option grant; and (b) “fixed” plan under which the number of Shares that are issuable pursuant to all Awards other than Options granted hereunder and under any other Security Based Compensation Arrangement, in aggregate is a maximum of 10,399,096 Shares, in each case, subject to adjustment as provided in Article 11 and any subsequent amendment to this Plan.
(b) To the extent the Shares are no longer listed on the Exchange, and subject to any additional and applicable approval by other stock exchange on which the Shares are then listed, the limits set forth in Section 3.6(a) shall no longer be applicable.
(c) To the extent any Awards (or portion(s) thereof) under this Plan are terminated or are cancelled for any reason prior to exercise in full, any Shares subject to such Awards (or portion(s) thereof) shall be added back to the number of Shares reserved for issuance under this Plan and will again become available for issuance pursuant to the exercise of Awards granted under this Plan. To the extent any Options (or portion(s) thereof) under this Plan are exercised, any Shares subject to such Options (or portion(s) thereof) shall be added back to the number of Shares reserved for issuance under this Plan and will again become available for issuance pursuant to the exercise of Options granted under this Plan.
(d) Any Shares issued by the Corporation through the assumption or substitution of outstanding stock options or other equity-based awards from an acquired company shall reduce the number of Shares available for issuance pursuant to the exercise of Awards granted under this Plan.
3.7 Limits on Grants of Awards
Notwithstanding anything in this Plan, the aggregate number of Shares issuable at any time under all Security Based Compensation Arrangements:
(a) awarded in a one-year period to any one Consultant shall not exceed 2% of the issued and outstanding Shares (calculated at the time of award);
(b) awarded in a one-year period to any one Participant (other than a Consultant) shall not exceed 5% of the issued and outstanding Shares (calculated at the time of award), unless disinterested shareholder approval has been obtained;
(c) awarded in a one-year period to Persons employed to provide Investor Relations Activities services shall not exceed 2% of the issued and outstanding Shares (calculated at the time of award). For greater certainty, a Person conducting Investor Relations Activities shall only be entitled to receive Options as a form of Award under the Plan;
(d) awarded to Insiders in aggregate at any time shall not exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding Shares (calculated at the time of award), unless disinterested shareholder approval has been obtained; or
(e) awarded to Insiders in aggregate in a one-year period shall not exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding Shares (calculated at the time of award), unless disinterested shareholder approval has been obtained,
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provided that the acquisition of Shares by the Corporation for cancellation shall not constitute non-compliance with this Section 3.7 for any Awards outstanding prior to such purchase of Shares for cancellation.
3.8 Award Agreements
Each Award under this Plan will be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Award Agreement will be subject to the applicable provisions of this Plan and will contain such provisions as are required by this Plan and any other provisions that the Plan Administrator may direct. Any one officer of the Corporation is authorized and empowered to execute and deliver, for and on behalf of the Corporation, any Award Agreement to a Participant granted an Award pursuant to this Plan.
3.9 Non-transferability of Awards
Except to the extent that certain rights may pass to a beneficiary or legal representative upon the death of a Participant by will or as required by law, no assignment or transfer of Awards, whether voluntary, involuntary, by operation of law or otherwise, vests any interest or right in such Awards or under this Plan whatsoever in any assignee or transferee and immediately upon any assignment or transfer, or any attempt to make the same, such Awards will terminate and be of no further force or effect.
ARTICLE 4 OPTIONS
4.1 Granting of Options
The Plan Administrator may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Plan Administrator may prescribe, grant Options to any Participant. The terms and conditions of each Option grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.
4.2 Exercise Price
The Plan Administrator will establish the Exercise Price at the time each Option is granted, which Exercise Price must in all cases be not less than the Market Price on the relevant date.
4.3 Term of Options
Subject to any accelerated termination as set forth in this Plan, each Option expires on its Expiry Date.
4.4 Vesting and Exercisability
(a) The Plan Administrator shall have the authority to determine the vesting terms applicable to grants of Options.
(b) Once an instalment becomes vested, it shall remain vested and shall be exercisable until expiration or termination of the Option, unless otherwise specified by the Plan Administrator, or as may be otherwise set forth in any written employment agreement, consulting agreement, Award Agreement or other written agreement between the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation and the Participant. Each vested Option or instalment may be exercised at any time or from time to time, in whole or in part, for up to the total number of Option Shares with respect to which it is then exercisable. The Plan Administrator has the right to accelerate the date upon which any instalment of any Option becomes exercisable.
(c) Subject to the provisions of this Plan and any Award Agreement, Options shall be exercised by means of a fully completed Exercise Notice delivered to the Corporation.
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(d) The Plan Administrator may provide at the time of granting an Option that the exercise of that Option is subject to restrictions, in addition to those specified in this Section 4.4, such as vesting conditions relating to the attainment of specified Performance Goals.
(e) Options issued to any Person retained to provide Investor Relations Activities must vest in stages over a period of not less than 12 months such that: (A) no more than 1/4 of the Options vest no sooner than three months after the Options were granted; (B) no more than another 1/4 of the Options vest no sooner than six months after the Options were granted; (C) no more than another 1/4 of the Options vest no sooner than nine months after the Options were granted; and (D) no more than another 1/4 of the Options vest no sooner than 12 months after the Options were granted.
4.5 Payment of Exercise Price
(a) Unless otherwise specified by the Plan Administrator at the time of granting an Option and set forth in the particular Award Agreement, the Exercise Notice must be accompanied by payment of the Exercise Price. Except as otherwise provided below, payment of the Exercise Price for the number of Shares being purchased pursuant to any Option shall be made (i) in cash, by cheque or in cash equivalent; (ii) if permitted by the Plan Administrator, applicable law and Exchange policies, by means of a Cashless Exercise (as defined herein), a Net Exercise (as defined herein), or by such other consideration as may be approved by the Plan Administrator from time to time to the extent permitted by applicable law and Exchange policies, or (iii) by any combination thereof. The Plan Administrator may at any time or from time to time grant Options which do not permit all of the foregoing forms of consideration to be used in payment of the Exercise Price or which otherwise restrict one or more forms of consideration.
(b) Subject to the Corporation having established a program or procedure pursuant to this Section 4.50, a Participant or the Personal Representative of the Participant may elect to exercise such Options on a cashless basis (a "Cashless Exercise"). A "Cashless Exercise" means the exercise of an Option where the Corporation has an arrangement with a brokerage firm pursuant to which the brokerage firm will loan money to the Participant to purchase the Shares underlying the Option and then the brokerage firm sells a sufficient number of Shares to cover the exercise price of the Option in order to repay the loan made to the Participant and receives an equivalent number of Shares from the exercise of the Options as were sold to cover the loan and the Participant then receives the balance of the Shares or the cash proceeds from the balance of the Shares. Pursuant to a Cashless Exercise, a Participant shall deliver a properly executed Exercise Notice together with irrevocable instructions to a broker providing for assignment to the Corporation of the proceeds of a sale or loan with respect to some or all of the Shares being acquired upon the exercise of the Option. The Corporation reserves the right, in the Corporation's sole and absolute discretion, to establish, decline to approve or terminate any program or procedures for the exercise of Options by means of a Cashless Exercise, including with respect to one or more Participants specified by the Corporation notwithstanding that such program or procedures may be available to other Participants.
(c) Other than a Person conducting Investor Relations Activities, a Participant or the Personal Representative of the Participant may elect to exercise an Option without payment of the aggregate Exercise Price of the Shares to be purchased pursuant to the exercise of the Option (a "Net Exercise") by delivering a Net Exercise Notice to the Plan Administrator. Upon receipt by the Plan Administrator of a Net Exercise Notice from a Participant or Personal Representative of a Participant, the Corporation shall calculate and issue to such Participant or Personal Representative of such Participant that number of Shares as is determined by application of the following formula:
$$
\mathbf{X} = [\mathbf{Y}(\mathbf{A} - \mathbf{B})] / \mathbf{A}
$$
Where:
$\mathbf{X} =$ the number of Shares to be issued to the Participant upon the Net Exercise
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$\mathbf{Y} =$ the number of Shares underlying the Options being exercised
$\mathbf{A} =$ the VWAP as at the date of the Net Exercise Notice, if such VWAP is greater than the Exercise Price
$\mathbf{B} =$ the Exercise Price of the Options being exercised
The Corporation may, but is not obligated to accept, any Net Exercise of which it receives notice. If the Corporation does accept such Net Exercise, no fractional Shares will be issued to any Participant or the Personal Representative of the Participant electing a Net Exercise. If the number of Shares to be issued to the Participant in the event of a Net Exercise would otherwise include a fraction of a Share, the Corporation will pay a cash amount to such Participant equal to (i) the fraction of a Share otherwise issuable multiplied by (ii) the value attributed to "A" in the formula set out above.
(d) Unless otherwise required by applicable laws, or as determined in the discretion of the Board or the Plan Administrator, the Exercise Price for Options shall be designated in Canadian dollars. A foreign Participant may be required to provide evidence that any currency used to pay the Exercise Price of any Option was acquired and taken out of the jurisdiction in which the Participant resides in accordance with applicable laws, including foreign exchange control laws and regulations. In the event the Exercise Price for an Option is paid in another foreign currency, if permitted by the Plan Administrator, the amount payable will be determined by conversion from Canadian dollars at the exchange rate as selected by the Plan Administrator on the date of exercise. For Participants subject to United States income tax, such conversion shall be determined in a manner which does not result in any adverse tax consequences to the Participant pursuant to Section 409A of the Code.
ARTICLE 5 DEFERRED SHARE UNITS
5.1 Granting of DSUs
(a) The Plan Administrator may fix, from time to time, a portion of the Director Fees that is to be payable in the form of DSUs. In addition, subject to the approval of the Plan Administrator, each Electing Person is given, subject to the conditions stated herein, the right to elect in accordance with Section 5.1(b) to participate in the grant of additional DSUs pursuant to this Article 5. An Electing Person who elects to participate in the grant of additional DSUs pursuant to this Article 5 shall receive their Elected Amount (as that term is defined below) in the form of DSUs in lieu of cash. The "Elected Amount" shall be an amount, as elected by the Director, in accordance with applicable tax law, between $0\%$ and $100\%$ of any Director Fees that are otherwise intended to be paid in cash (the "Cash Fees").
(b) Each Electing Person who elects to receive their Elected Amount in the form of DSUs in lieu of cash will be required to file a notice of election in the form of Schedule "C" hereto (the "Election Notice") with the Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation: (i) in the case of an existing Electing Person, by December 31 in the year prior to the year to which such election is to apply; and (ii) in the case of a newly appointed Electing Person who is not a U.S. Taxpayer, within 30 days of such appointment with respect to compensation paid for services to be performed after such date. In the case of an existing Electing Person who is a U.S. Taxpayer as of the Effective Date of this Plan, an initial Election Notice may be filed by the date that is 30 days from the Effective Date only with respect to compensation paid for services to be performed after the Election Date; and, in the case of a newly appointed Electing Person who is a U.S. Taxpayer, an Election Notice may be filed within 30 days of such appointment only with respect to compensation paid for services to be performed after the Election Date. If no election is made within the foregoing time frames, the Electing Person shall be deemed to have elected to be paid the entire amount of his or her Cash Fees in cash.
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(c) Subject to Section 5.1(d), the election of an Electing Person under Section 5.1(b) shall be deemed to apply to all Cash Fees that would be paid subsequent to the filing of the Election Notice, and such Electing Person is not required to file another Election Notice for subsequent calendar years.
(d) Each Electing Person who is not a U.S. Taxpayer is entitled once per calendar year to terminate his or her election to receive DSUs in lieu of Cash Fees by filing with the Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation a notice in the form of Schedule “D” hereto. Such termination shall be effective immediately upon receipt of such notice, provided that the Corporation has not imposed a “blackout” on trading. Thereafter, any portion of such Electing Person’s Cash Fees payable or paid in the same calendar year and, subject to complying with Section 5.1(b), all subsequent calendar years shall be paid in cash. For greater certainty, to the extent an Electing Person terminates his or her participation in the grant of DSUs pursuant to this Article 5, he or she shall not be entitled to elect to receive the Elected Amount, or any other amount of his or her Cash Fees in DSUs in lieu of cash again until the calendar year following the year in which the termination notice is delivered. An election by a U.S. Taxpayer to receive the Elected Amount in DSUs in lieu of cash for any calendar year is irrevocable for that calendar year after the expiration of the election period for that year and any termination of the election will not take effect until the first day of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the termination notice in the form of Schedule “D” is delivered.
(e) Any DSUs granted pursuant to this Article 5 prior to the delivery of a termination notice pursuant to Section 5.1(d) shall remain in the Plan following such termination and will be redeemable only in accordance with the terms of the Plan.
(f) The number of DSUs (including fractional DSUs) granted at any particular time pursuant to this Article 5 will be calculated by dividing (i) the amount of any compensation that is to be paid in DSUs (including Director Fees and any Elected Amount), as determined by the Plan Administrator, by (ii) the Market Price of a Share on the Award Date.
(g) In addition to the foregoing, the Plan Administrator may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Plan Administrator may prescribe, grant DSUs to any Participant.
5.2 DSU Account
All DSUs received by a Participant (which, for greater certainty includes Electing Persons) shall be credited to an account maintained for the Participant on the books of the Corporation, as of the relevant date. The terms and conditions of each DSU grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.
5.3 Vesting of DSUs
Except as provided in Sections Error! Reference source not found. and 11.2, no DSUs issued to a Participant may vest before the date that is one year following the date they are granted.
5.4 Settlement of DSUs
(a) DSUs shall be settled on the date established in the Award Agreement; provided, however that in no event shall an Award in the form of a DSU be settled prior to, or later than one (1) year following, the date of the applicable Participant’s separation from service. In the case of a Participant (other than a Canadian Participant), in no event shall an Award in the form of a DSU be settled later than three (3) years following the date of the applicable Participant’s separation from service. If the Award Agreement does not establish a date for the settlement of the DSUs, then the settlement date shall be the date of separation from service, subject to the delay that may be required under Section 12.6(d) below in the case of a U.S. Participant. Subject to Section 12.6(d) below in the case of a U.S. Participant, and except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, on the settlement date for any DSU, the Participant shall redeem each vested DSU for:
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(i) one fully paid and non-assessable Share issued from treasury to the Participant or as the Participant may direct, or
(ii) a cash payment, or
(iii) a combination of Shares and cash as contemplated by paragraphs (i) and (ii) above,
in each case as determined by the Plan Administrator in its sole discretion.
(b) Any cash payments made under this Section 5.4 by the Corporation to a Participant in respect of DSUs to be redeemed for cash shall be calculated by multiplying the number of DSUs to be redeemed for cash by the Market Price per Share as at the settlement date.
(c) Payment of cash to Participants on the redemption of vested DSUs may be made through the Corporation’s payroll in the pay period that the settlement date falls within.
ARTICLE 6
RESTRICTED SHARE UNITS
6.1 Granting of RSUs
(a) The Plan Administrator may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Plan Administrator may prescribe, grant RSUs to any Participant in respect of services rendered in the year of grant. The terms and conditions of each RSU grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.
(b) The number of RSUs (including fractional RSUs) granted at any particular time pursuant to this Article 6 will be calculated by dividing (i) the amount of any compensation that is to be paid in RSUs, as determined by the Plan Administrator, by (ii) the Market Price of a Share on the relevant date.
6.2 RSU Account
All RSUs received by a Participant shall be credited to an account maintained for the Participant on the books of the Corporation, as of the Award Date.
6.3 Vesting of RSUs
Except as provided in Sections Error! Reference source not found. and 11.2, no RSUs issued to a Participant may vest before the date that is one year following the date they are granted.
6.4 Settlement of RSUs
(a) The Plan Administrator shall have the sole authority to determine the settlement terms applicable to the grant of RSUs. Subject to Section 12.6(d) below and except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, on the settlement date for any RSU, the Participant shall redeem each vested RSU for:
(i) one fully paid and non-assessable Share issued from treasury to the Participant or as the Participant may direct, or
(ii) a cash payment, or
(iii) a combination of Shares and cash as contemplated by paragraphs (i) and (ii) above, in each case as determined by the Plan Administrator in its sole discretion.
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(b) Any cash payments made under this Section 6.4 by the Corporation to a Participant in respect of RSUs to be redeemed for cash shall be calculated by multiplying the number of RSUs to be redeemed for cash by the Market Price per Share as at the settlement date.
(c) Payment of cash to Participants on the redemption of vested RSUs may be made through the Corporation’s payroll in the pay period that the settlement date falls within.
(d) Subject to Section 12.6(d) below and except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, no settlement date for any RSU shall occur, and no Share shall be issued or cash payment shall be made in respect of any RSU, under this Section 6.4 any later than the final Business Day of the third calendar year following the year in which the RSU is granted.
ARTICLE 7
PERFORMANCE SHARE UNITS
7.1 Granting of PSUs
The Plan Administrator may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Plan Administrator may prescribe, grant PSUs to any Participant in respect of services rendered in the year of grant. The terms and conditions of each PSU grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each PSU will consist of a right to receive a Share, cash payment, or a combination thereof (as provided in Section 7.6(a)), upon the achievement of such Performance Goals during such performance periods as the Plan Administrator shall establish.
7.2 Terms of PSUs
The Performance Goals to be achieved during any performance period, the length of any performance period, the amount of any PSUs granted, the termination of a Participant’s employment or consulting arrangement and the amount of any payment or transfer to be made pursuant to any PSU will be determined by the Plan Administrator and by the other terms and conditions of any PSU, all as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.
7.3 Performance Goals
The Plan Administrator will issue Performance Goals prior to the Award Date to which such Performance Goals pertain. The Performance Goals may be based upon the achievement of corporate, divisional or individual goals, and may be applied relative to performance relative to an index or comparator group, or on any other basis determined by the Plan Administrator. The Plan Administrator may modify the Performance Goals as necessary to align them with the Corporation’s corporate objectives, subject to any limitations set forth in an Award Agreement or an employment agreement, consulting agreement or other agreement with a Participant. The Performance Goals may include a threshold level of performance below which no payment will be made (or no vesting will occur), levels of performance at which specified payments will be made (or specified vesting will occur), and a maximum level of performance above which no additional payment will be made (or at which full vesting will occur), all as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.
7.4 PSU Account
All PSUs received by a Participant shall be credited to an account maintained for the Participant on the books of the Corporation, as of the Award Date.
7.5 Vesting of PSUs
Except as provided in Sections Error! Reference source not found. and 11.2, no PSUs issued to a Participant may vest before the date that is one year following the date they are granted.
7.6 Settlement of PSUs
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(a) The Plan Administrator shall have the authority to determine the settlement terms applicable to the grant of PSUs. Subject to Section 12.6(d) below and except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, on the settlement date for any PSU, the Participant shall redeem each vested PSU for:
(i) one fully paid and non-assessable Share issued from treasury to the Participant or as the Participant may direct, or
(ii) a cash payment, or
(iii) a combination of Shares and cash as contemplated by paragraphs (i) and (ii) above, in each case as determined by the Plan Administrator in its sole discretion.
(b) Any cash payments made under this Section 7.6 by the Corporation to a Participant in respect of PSUs to be redeemed for cash shall be calculated by multiplying the number of PSUs to be redeemed for cash by the Market Price per Share as at the settlement date.
(c) Payment of cash to Participants on the redemption of vested RSUs may be made through the Corporation’s payroll in the pay period that the settlement date falls within.
(d) Subject to Section 12.6(d) below and except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, no settlement date for any PSU shall occur, and no Share shall be issued or cash payment shall be made in respect of any PSU, under this Section 7.6 any later than the final Business Day of the third calendar year following the year in which the PSU is granted.
ARTICLE 8 OTHER SHARE-BASED AWARDS
The Plan Administrator may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Plan Administrator may prescribe, grant Other Share-Based Awards to any Participant, which shall be subject to the prior approval of the Exchange. The terms and conditions of each Other Share-Based Award grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Other Share-Based Award shall consist of a right (1) which is other than an Award or right described in Article 4, Article 5, Article 6, and (2) which is denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on or related to, Shares (including, without limitation, securities convertible into Shares) as are deemed by the Plan Administrator to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan; provided, however, that such right will comply with applicable law. Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, the Plan Administrator will determine the terms and conditions of Other Share-Based Awards. Shares or other securities delivered pursuant to a purchase right granted under this Article 8 will be purchased for such consideration, which may be paid by such method or methods and in such form or forms, including, without limitation, cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards, other property, or any combination thereof, as the Plan Administrator shall determine in its discretion.
ARTICLE 9 ADDITIONAL AWARD TERMS
9.1 Dividend Equivalents
(a) Unless otherwise determined by the Plan Administrator and set forth in the particular Award Agreement, as part of a Participant’s grant of DSUs or RSUs (as applicable) and in respect of the services provided by the Participant for such original grant, DSUs and RSUs (as applicable) shall be credited with dividend equivalents in the form of additional DSUs or RSUs, as applicable, as of each dividend payment date in respect of which normal cash dividends are paid on Shares. Such dividend equivalents shall be computed by dividing: (i) the amount obtained by multiplying the amount of the dividend declared and paid per Share by the number of DSUs or RSUs, as applicable, held by the Participant on the record date for the payment of such dividend, by (ii) the Market Price at the close of the first business day immediately following the dividend record date, with fractions
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computed to three decimal places. Dividend equivalents credited to a Participant’s account shall vest in proportion to the DSUs or RSUs, as applicable, to which they relate, and shall be settled in accordance with Section 6.4.
(b) The number of additional RSUs and DSUs issued in lieu of dividends must be included in the limits set out in Section 3.6 and 3.7 of this Plan
(c) The foregoing does not obligate the Corporation to declare or pay dividends on Shares and nothing in this Plan shall be interpreted as creating such an obligation.
9.2 Blackout Period
In the event that the Award Date occurs, or an Award expires, during a Black-Out Period, the effective Award Date for such Award, or expiry of such Award, as the case may be, will be no later than 10 business days after the last day of the Black-Out Period, and the Market Price with respect to the grant of such Award shall be calculated based on the VWAP of the five business days after the last day of the Black-Out Period. For the purposes hereof, a “Black-Out Period” means that period during which a trading black-out period is imposed by the Corporation to restrict trades in the Corporation’s securities by a Participant.
9.3 Withholding Taxes
Notwithstanding any other terms of this Plan, the granting, vesting or settlement of each Award under this Plan is subject to the condition that if at any time the Plan Administrator determines, in its discretion, that the satisfaction of withholding tax or other withholding liabilities is necessary or desirable in respect of such grant, vesting or settlement, such action is not effective unless such withholding has been effected to the satisfaction of the Plan Administrator. In such circumstances, the Plan Administrator may require that a Participant pay to the Corporation the minimum amount as the Corporation or an Affiliate of the Corporation is obliged to withhold or remit to the relevant taxing authority in respect of the granting, vesting or settlement of the Award. Any such additional payment is due no later than the date on which such amount with respect to the Award is required to be remitted to the relevant tax authority by the Corporation or an Affiliate of the Corporation, as the case may be. Alternatively, and subject to any requirements or limitations under applicable law, the Corporation may (a) withhold such amount from any remuneration or other amount payable by the Corporation or any Affiliate to the Participant, (b) require the sale of a number of Shares issued upon exercise, vesting, or settlement of such Award and the remittance to the Corporation of the net proceeds from such sale sufficient to satisfy such amount, or (c) enter into any other suitable arrangements for the receipt of such amount.
9.4 Recoupment
Notwithstanding any other terms of this Plan, Awards may be subject to potential cancellation, recoupment, rescission, payback or other action in accordance with the terms of any clawback, recoupment or similar policy adopted by the Corporation or the relevant subsidiary of the Corporation and in effect at the Award Date of the Award, or as set out in the Participant’s employment agreement, Award Agreement or other written agreement, or as otherwise required by law or the rules of the Exchange. The Plan Administrator may at any time waive the application of this Section 9.4 to any Participant or category of Participants.
ARTICLE 10 TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT OR SERVICES
10.1 Termination of Employees, Consultants, Directors and Officers
Unless otherwise determined by the Plan Administrator or as set forth in an employment agreement, consulting agreement, Award Agreement or other written agreement (but in no event shall Options or Awards exceed one year following the Termination Date, death, or Disability of a Participant):
(a) where a Participant’s employment agreement, consulting agreement or arrangement is terminated,
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or the Participant ceases to hold the office of his or her position, as applicable, by reason of voluntary resignation by the Participant or termination by the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation for Cause, then any Option or other Award held by the Participant that has not been exercised as of the Termination Date shall be immediately forfeited and cancelled as of the Termination Date;
(b) where a Participant’s employment agreement, consulting agreement or other position is terminated, or the Participant ceases to hold the office of his or her position, as applicable, by the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation without Cause (whether such termination occurs with or without any or adequate reasonable notice, or with or without any or adequate compensation in lieu of such reasonable notice) then all unvested Options or other Awards shall terminate, and all vested Options or other Awards may be exercised or surrendered to the Corporation by the Participant at any time during the period that terminates on the earlier of: (A) the Expiry Date of such Award; and (B) the date that is 90 days after the Termination Date (or such other period as may be determined by the Board, provided such period is not more than one year following the Termination Date). Any Option or other Award that remains unexercised or has not been surrendered to the Corporation by the Participant shall be immediately forfeited upon the termination of such period;
(c) where a Participant becomes Disabled, then any Option or other Award held by the Participant that has not vested as of the date of Disability of such Participant shall terminate, and all Options or other Awards that are vested as of the date of Disability may be exercised or surrendered to the Corporation by the Participant at any time during the period that terminates on the earlier of: (A) the Expiry Date of such Award; and (B) the date that is six months after the date of Disability. Any Option or other Award that remains unexercised or has not been surrendered to the Corporation by the Participant shall be immediately forfeited upon the termination of such period;
(d) where a Participant’s employment agreement, consulting agreement or arrangement is terminated, or the Participant ceases to hold office of his or her position, as applicable, by reason of the death of the Participant, then any Option or other Award held by the Participant that has not vested as of the date of the death of such Participant shall terminate, and all Options or other Awards that are vested as of the date of death and may be exercised or surrendered to the Corporation by the Participant at any time during the period that terminates on the earlier of: (A) the Expiry Date of such Award; and (B) the six month anniversary of the date of the death of such Participant. Any Option or other Award that remains unexercised or has not been surrendered to the Corporation by the Participant shall be immediately forfeited upon the termination of such period;
(e) a Participant’s eligibility to receive further grants of Options or other Awards under this Plan ceases as of:
(i) the date that the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation, as the case may be, provides the Participant with written notification that the Participant’s employment, consulting agreement or arrangement is terminated, notwithstanding that such date may be prior to the Termination Date; or
(ii) the date of the death, or Disability of the Participant; and notwithstanding Section 10.1(b), unless the Plan Administrator, in its discretion, otherwise determines, at any time and from time to time, Options or other Awards are not affected by a change of employment or consulting agreement or arrangement, or directorship within or among the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation for so long as the Participant continues to be a Director, Employee or Consultant, as applicable, of the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation.
10.2 Discretion to Permit Acceleration
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 10.1, the Plan Administrator may, in its discretion, at any time prior to, or following the events contemplated in such Section, or in an employment agreement,
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consulting agreement, Award Agreement or other written agreement between the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation and the Participant, permit the acceleration of vesting of any or all Awards or waive termination of any or all Awards, all in the manner and on the terms as may be authorized by the Plan Administrator; provided that Awards may not be accelerated earlier than one year from the Award Date.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 10.2(a), the Plan Administrator may not permit the acceleration of vesting of any Options granted to any Persons employed to provide Investor Relations Activities without the prior written approval of the Exchange.
10.3 Participants' Entitlement
Except as otherwise provided in this Plan, Awards previously granted under this Plan are not affected by any change in the relationship between, or ownership of, the Corporation and an Affiliate of the Corporation. For greater certainty, all grants of Awards remain outstanding and are not affected by reason only that, at any time, an Affiliate of the Corporation ceases to be an Affiliate of the Corporation.
ARTICLE 11 EVENTS AFFECTING THE CORPORATION
11.1 General
The existence of any Awards does not affect in any way the right or power of the Corporation or its shareholders to make, authorize or determine any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or any other change in the Corporation's capital structure or its business, or any amalgamation, combination, arrangement, merger or consolidation involving the Corporation, to create or issue any bonds, debentures, Shares or other securities of the Corporation or to determine the rights and conditions attaching thereto, to effect the dissolution or liquidation of the Corporation or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its assets or business, or to effect any other corporate act or proceeding, whether of a similar character or otherwise, whether or not any such action referred to in this Article 11 would have an adverse effect on this Plan or on any Award granted hereunder.
11.2 Change in Control
Except as may be set forth in an employment agreement, consulting agreement, Award Agreement or other written agreement between the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation and the Participant:
(a) The Plan Administrator may, without the consent of any Participant, take such steps as it deems necessary or desirable, including to cause (i) the conversion or exchange of any outstanding Awards into or for, rights or other securities of substantially equivalent value, as determined by the Plan Administrator in its discretion, in any entity participating in or resulting from a Change in Control; (ii) outstanding Awards to vest and become exercisable, realizable, or payable, or restrictions applicable to an Award to lapse, in whole or in part prior to or upon consummation of such Change in Control, and, to the extent the Plan Administrator determines, terminate upon or immediately prior to the effectiveness of such Change in Control; (iii) the termination of an Award in exchange for an amount of cash and/or property, if any, equal to the amount that would have been attained upon the exercise or settlement of such Award or realization of the Participant's rights as of the date of the occurrence of the transaction net of any exercise price payable by the Participant (and, for the avoidance of doubt, if as of the date of the occurrence of the transaction the Plan Administrator determines in good faith that no amount would have been attained upon the exercise or settlement of such Award or realization of the Participant's rights net of any exercise price payable by the Participant, then such Award may be terminated by the Corporation without payment); (iv) the replacement of such Award with other rights or property selected by the Board in its sole discretion; or (v) any combination of the foregoing. In taking any of the actions permitted under this Section 11.2(a), the Plan Administrator will not be required to treat all Awards similarly in the transaction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of Options held by a Canadian Taxpayer, the Plan
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Administrator may not cause the Canadian Taxpayer to receive (pursuant to this Section 11.2(a)) any property in connection with a Change of Control other than rights to acquire shares of a corporation or units of a “mutual fund trust” (as defined in the Tax Act), of the Corporation or a “qualifying person” (as defined in the Tax Act) that does not deal at arm’s length (for purposes of the Tax Act) with the Corporation, as applicable, at the time such rights are issued or granted.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 11.2(a), and unless otherwise determined by the Plan Administrator, if, as a result of a Change in Control, the Shares will cease trading on an Exchange, then the Corporation may terminate all of the Awards granted under this Plan (other than Options held by Canadian Taxpayers) at the time of and subject to the completion of the Change in Control transaction by paying to each holder at or within a reasonable period of time following completion of such Change in Control transaction an amount for each Award equal to the fair market value of the Award held by such Participant as determined by the Plan Administrator, acting reasonably, or in the case of Options held by a Canadian Taxpayer by permitting the Canadian Taxpayer to surrender such Options to the Corporation for an amount for each such Option equal to the fair market value of such Option as determined by the Plan Administrator, acting reasonably, upon the completion of the Change in Control (following which such Options may be cancelled for no consideration).
(c) It is intended that any actions taken under this Section 11.2 will comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code with respect to Awards granted to U.S. Taxpayers.
11.3 Reorganization of Corporation’s Capital
Should the Corporation effect a subdivision or consolidation of Shares or any similar capital reorganization or a payment of a stock dividend (other than a stock dividend that is in lieu of a cash dividend), or should any other change be made in the capitalization of the Corporation that does not constitute a Change in Control and that would warrant the amendment or replacement of any existing Awards in order to adjust the number of Shares that may be acquired on the vesting of outstanding Awards and/or the terms of any Award in order to preserve proportionately the rights and obligations of the Participants holding such Awards, the Plan Administrator will, subject to the prior approval of the Exchange, authorize such steps to be taken as it may consider to be equitable and appropriate to that end.
11.4 Other Events Affecting the Corporation
In the event of an amalgamation, combination, arrangement, merger or other transaction or reorganization involving the Corporation and occurring by exchange of Shares, by sale or lease of assets or otherwise, that does not constitute a Change in Control and that warrants the amendment or replacement of any existing Awards in order to adjust the number of Shares that may be acquired on the vesting of outstanding Awards and/or the terms of any Award in order to preserve proportionately the rights and obligations of the Participants holding such Awards, the Plan Administrator will, subject to the prior approval of the Exchange (if required), authorize such steps to be taken as it may consider to be equitable and appropriate to that end.
11.5 Immediate Acceleration of Awards
In taking any of the steps provided in Sections 11.3 and 11.4, the Plan Administrator will not be required to treat all Awards similarly and where the Plan Administrator determines that the steps provided in Sections 11.3 and 11.4 would not preserve proportionately the rights, value and obligations of the Participants holding such Awards in the circumstances or otherwise determines that it is appropriate, the Plan Administrator may, but is not required, to permit the immediate vesting of any unvested Awards.
11.6 Issue by Corporation of Additional Shares
Except as expressly provided in this Article 11, neither the issue by the Corporation of shares of any class or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of any class, nor the conversion or exchange of such shares or securities, affects, and no adjustment by reason thereof is to be made with respect to the number of Shares that may be acquired as a result of a grant of Awards or other entitlements of the Participants under such Awards.
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11.7 Fractions
No fractional Shares will be issued pursuant to an Award. Accordingly, (whether as a result of any adjustment under this Article 11, a dividend equivalent or otherwise), a Participant would become entitled to a fractional Share, the Participant has the right to acquire only the adjusted number of full Shares and no payment or other adjustment will be made with respect to the fractional Shares, which shall be disregarded.
ARTICLE 12
U.S. TAXPAYERS
12.1 Provisions for U.S. Taxpayers
Options granted under this Plan to U.S. Taxpayers may be non-qualified stock options or incentive stock options qualifying under Section 422 of the Code (“ISOs”). Each Option shall be designated in the Award Agreement as either an ISO or a non-qualified stock option. The Corporation shall not be liable to any Participant or to any other Person if it is determined that an Option intended to be an ISO does not qualify as an ISO.
12.2 ISOs
Subject to any limitations in Section 3.63.6(a), the aggregate number of Shares reserved for issuance in respect of granted ISOs shall not exceed 10,000,000 Shares, and the terms and conditions of any ISOs granted to a U.S. Taxpayer on the Award Date hereunder, including the eligible recipients of ISOs, shall be subject to the provisions of Section 422 of the Code, and the terms, conditions, limitations and administrative procedures established by the Plan Administrator from time to time in accordance with this Plan. At the discretion of the Plan Administrator, ISOs may be granted to any employee of the Corporation, or of a “parent corporation” or “subsidiary corporation”, as such terms are defined in Sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code.
12.3 ISO Grants to 10% Shareholders
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Plan, if an ISO is granted to a person who owns shares representing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of shares of the Corporation or of a “parent corporation” or “subsidiary corporation”, as such terms are defined in Section 424(e) and (f) of the Code, on the Award Date, the term of the Option shall not exceed five years from the time of grant of such Option and the Exercise Price shall be at least 110% of the Market Price of the Shares subject to the Option.
12.4 $100,000 Per Year Limitation for ISOs
To the extent the aggregate Market Price as at the relevant date of the Shares for which ISOs are exercisable for the first time by any person during any calendar year (under all plans of the Corporation) exceeds $100,000, such excess ISOs shall be treated as non-qualified stock options.
12.5 Disqualifying Dispositions
Each person awarded an ISO under this Plan shall notify the Corporation in writing immediately after the date he or she makes a disposition or transfer of any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of such ISO if such disposition or transfer is made (a) within two years from the Award Date or (b) within one year after the date such person acquired the Shares. Such notice shall specify the date of such disposition or other transfer and the amount realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness or other consideration, by the person in such disposition or other transfer. The Corporation may, if determined by the Plan Administrator and in accordance with procedures established by it, retain possession of any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an ISO as agent for the applicable person until the end of the later of the periods described in (a) or (b) above, subject to complying with any instructions from such person as to the sale of such Shares.
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12.6 Section 409A of the Code
(a) This Plan will be construed and interpreted to be exempt from, or where not so exempt, to comply with Section 409A of the Code to the extent required to preserve the intended tax consequences of this Plan. To the extent that an Award or payment, or the settlement or deferral thereof, is subject to Section 409A of the Code, the Award will be granted, paid, settled or deferred in a manner that will meet the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, such that the grant, payment, settlement or deferral will not be subject to the additional tax or interest applicable under Section 409A of the Code. The Corporation reserves the right to amend this Plan to the extent it reasonably determines is necessary in order to preserve the intended tax consequences of this Plan in light of Section 409A of the Code. In no event will the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries or Affiliates be liable for any tax, interest or penalties that may be imposed on a Participant under Section 409A of the Code or any damages for failing to comply with Section 409A of the Code.
(b) All terms of the Plan that are undefined or ambiguous must be interpreted in a manner that complies with Section 409A of the Code if necessary to comply with Section 409A of the Code.
(c) The Plan Administrator, in its sole discretion, may permit the acceleration of the time or schedule of payment of a U.S. Taxpayer’s vested Awards in the Plan under circumstances that constitute permissible acceleration events under Section 409A of the Code.
(d) Notwithstanding any provisions of the Plan to the contrary, in the case of any “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code who is a U.S. Taxpayer, distributions of non-qualified deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code made in connection with a “separation from service” within the meaning set forth in Section 409A of the Code may not be made prior to the date which is six months after the date of separation from service (or, if earlier, the date of death of the U.S. Taxpayer). Any amounts subject to a delay in payment pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be paid as soon practicable following such six-month anniversary of such separation from service.
12.7 Section 83(b) Election
If a Participant makes an election pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Code with respect to an Award of Shares subject to vesting or other forfeiture conditions, the Participant shall be required to promptly file a copy of such election with the Corporation.
ARTICLE 13 AMENDMENT, SUSPENSION OR TERMINATION OF THE PLAN
13.1 Amendment, Suspension, or Termination of the Plan
The Plan Administrator may from time to time, without notice and without approval of the holders of voting shares of the Corporation, amend, modify, change, suspend or terminate the Plan or any Awards granted pursuant to the Plan as it, in its discretion, determines appropriate, provided, however, that:
(a) no such amendment, modification, change, suspension or termination of the Plan or any Awards granted hereunder may materially impair any rights of a Participant or materially increase any obligations of a Participant under the Plan without the consent of the Participant, unless the Plan Administrator determines such adjustment is required or desirable in order to comply with any applicable Securities Laws or Exchange requirements; and
(b) any amendment that would cause an Award held by a U.S. Taxpayer be subject to the additional tax penalty under Section 409A(1)(b)(i)(II) of the Code shall be null and void ab initio with respect to the U.S. Taxpayer unless the consent of the U.S. Taxpayer is obtained.
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13.2 Shareholder Approval
Notwithstanding Section 13.1 and subject to any rules of the Exchange, approval of the holders of the Shares shall be required for any amendment, modification or change that:
(a) increases the percentage of Shares reserved for issuance under the Plan, except pursuant to the provisions in the Plan which permit the Plan Administrator to make equitable adjustments in the event of transactions affecting the Corporation or its capital;
(b) increases or removes the limit on the number of Shares issuable or issued to Insiders as set forth in Section 3.7(d) and Section 3.7(e);
(c) reduces the exercise price of an Award (for this purpose, a cancellation or termination of an Award of a Participant prior to its Expiry Date for the purpose of reissuing an Award to the same Participant with a lower exercise price shall be treated as an amendment to reduce the exercise price of an Award) except pursuant to the provisions in the Plan which permit the Plan Administrator to make equitable adjustments in the event of transactions affecting the Corporation or its capital;
(d) extends the term of an Award beyond the original Expiry Date (except where an Expiry Date would have fallen within a blackout period applicable to the Participant or within five business days following the expiry of such a blackout period);
(e) permits an Award to be exercisable beyond 10 years from its Award Date (except where an Expiry Date would have fallen within a blackout period of the Corporation);
(f) increases or removes the limits on the participation of Directors or Officers;
(g) permits Awards to be transferred to a Person;
(h) changes the eligible participants of the Plan; or
(i) deletes or reduces the range of amendments which require approval of shareholders under this Section 13.2.
13.3 Disinterested Shareholder Approval
Disinterested shareholder approval will be obtained:
(a) for any reduction in the Exercise Price or extension of the term of an Option if the Participant is an Insider of the Corporation at the time of the proposed amendment; and
(b) for any changes to the aggregate number of Shares reserved for issuance pursuant to all Awards, other than Options, granted under the Plan, together with any other Security Based Compensation Arrangement, as set out in Section 3.63.6(a).
Disinterested shareholder approval will also be required as specified in the Plan.
13.4 Permitted Amendments
Without limiting the generality of Section 13.1, but subject to Section 13.2, the Plan Administrator may, without shareholder approval, at any time or from time to time, amend the Plan for the purposes of:
(a) making any amendments to the general vesting provisions of each Award;
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(b) making any amendments to the provisions set out in Article 10;
(c) making any amendments to add covenants of the Corporation for the protection of Participants, as the case may be, provided that the Plan Administrator shall be of the good faith opinion that such additions will not be prejudicial to the rights or interests of the Participants, as the case may be;
(d) making any amendments not inconsistent with the Plan as may be necessary or desirable with respect to matters or questions which, in the good faith opinion of the Plan Administrator, having in mind the best interests of the Participants, it may be expedient to make, including amendments that are desirable as a result of changes in law in any jurisdiction where a Participant resides, provided that the Plan Administrator shall be of the opinion that such amendments and modifications will not be prejudicial to the interests of the Participants; or
(e) making such changes or corrections which, on the advice of counsel to the Corporation, are required for the purpose of curing or correcting any ambiguity or defect or inconsistent provision or clerical omission or mistake or manifest error, provided that the Plan Administrator shall be of the opinion that such changes or corrections will not be prejudicial to the rights and interests of the Participants.
ARTICLE 14
MISCELLANEOUS
14.1 Legal Requirement
The Corporation is not obligated to grant any Awards, issue any Shares or other securities, make any payments or take any other action if, in the opinion of the Plan Administrator, in its discretion, such action would constitute a violation by a Participant or the Corporation of any provision of any applicable statutory or regulatory enactment of any government or government agency or the requirements of any Exchange upon which the Shares may then be listed.
14.2 No Other Benefit
No amount will be paid to, or in respect of, a Participant under the Plan to compensate for a downward fluctuation in the price of a Share, nor will any other form of benefit be conferred upon, or in respect of, a Participant for such purpose.
14.3 Rights of Participant
No Participant has any claim or right to be granted an Award and the granting of any Award is not to be construed as giving a Participant a right to remain as an Employee, Consultant, Director or Officer. No Participant has any rights as a shareholder of the Corporation in respect of Shares issuable pursuant to any Award until the allotment and issuance to such Participant, or as such Participant may direct, of certificates representing such Shares.
14.4 Corporate Action
Nothing contained in this Plan or in an Award shall be construed so as to prevent the Corporation from taking corporate action which is deemed by the Corporation to be appropriate or in its best interest, whether or not such action would have an adverse effect on this Plan or any Award.
14.5 Conflict
In the event of any conflict between the provisions of this Plan and an Award Agreement, the provisions of the Plan shall govern. In the event of any conflict between or among the provisions of this Plan, on the one hand, and a Participant's employment agreement or consulting agreement with the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation, as the case may be, on the other hand, the provisions of the Plan shall prevail.
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14.6 Anti-Hedging Policy
By accepting the Option or Award, each Participant acknowledges that he or she is restricted from purchasing financial instruments such as prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, or units of exchange funds that are designed to hedge or offset a decrease in market value of Options or Awards.
14.7 Participant Information
Each Participant shall provide the Corporation with all information (including personal information) required by the Corporation in order to administer the Plan. Each Participant acknowledges that information required by the Corporation in order to administer the Plan may be disclosed to any custodian appointed in respect of the Plan and other third parties, and may be disclosed to such persons (including persons located in jurisdictions other than the Participant's jurisdiction of residence), in connection with the administration of the Plan. Each Participant consents to such disclosure and authorizes the Corporation to make such disclosure on the Participant's behalf.
14.8 Participation in the Plan
The participation of any Participant in the Plan is entirely voluntary and not obligatory and shall not be interpreted as conferring upon such Participant any rights or privileges other than those rights and privileges expressly provided in the Plan. In particular, participation in the Plan does not constitute a condition of employment or engagement nor a commitment on the part of the Corporation to ensure the continued employment or engagement of such Participant. The Plan does not provide any guarantee against any loss which may result from fluctuations in the market value of the Shares. The Corporation does not assume responsibility for the income or other tax consequences for the Participants and they are advised to consult with their own tax advisors.
14.9 International Participants
With respect to Participants who reside or work outside Canada, the Plan Administrator may, in its discretion, amend, or otherwise modify, without shareholder approval, the terms of the Plan or Awards with respect to such Participants in order to conform such terms with the provisions of local law, and the Plan Administrator may, where appropriate, establish one or more sub-plans to reflect such amended or otherwise modified provisions.
14.10 Successors and Assigns
The Plan shall be binding on all successors and assigns of the Corporation and its subsidiaries.
14.11 General Restrictions on Assignment
Except as required by law, the rights of a Participant under the Plan are not capable of being assigned, transferred, alienated, sold, encumbered, pledged, mortgaged or charged and are not capable of being subject to attachment or legal process for the payment of any debts or obligations of the Participant unless otherwise approved by the Plan Administrator.
14.12 Severability
The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of the Plan shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision and any invalid or unenforceable provision shall be severed from the Plan.
14.13 Notices
All written notices to be given by a Participant to the Corporation shall be delivered personally, e-mail or mail, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:
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Goliath Resources Limited
82 Richmond Street East, Suite 1614
Toronto, ON, M5C 1P1
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
All notices to a Participant will be addressed to the principal address of the Participant on file with the Corporation. Either the Corporation or the Participant may designate a different address by written notice to the other. Such notices are deemed to be received, if delivered personally or by e-mail, on the date of delivery, and if sent by mail, on the fifth business day following the date of mailing; provided that in the event of any actual or imminent postal disruption, notices shall be delivered to the appropriate party and not sent by mail. Any notice given by either the Participant or the Corporation is not binding on the recipient thereof until received.
14.14 Effective Date
This Plan becomes effective on a date to be determined by the Plan Administrator, subject to the approval of the shareholders of the Corporation.
14.15 Governing Law
This Plan and all matters to which reference is made herein shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the internal laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without reference to conflicts of law rules.
14.16 Submission to Jurisdiction
The Corporation and each Participant irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of competent jurisdiction in the Province of Ontario in respect of any action or proceeding relating in any way to the Plan, including, without limitation, with respect to the grant of Awards and any issuance of Shares made in accordance with the Plan.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK]
GOLIATH RESOURCES LIMITED
EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
(THE “PLAN”)
ELECTION NOTICE
All capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably gives notice of the exercise of the Option to acquire and hereby subscribes for (cross out inapplicable item):
(a) all of the Shares; or
(b) _______ of the Shares;
which are the subject of the Award Agreement attached hereto.
The undersigned tenders herewith a certified cheque or bank draft (circle one) payable to the Corporation in an amount equal to the aggregate Exercise Price of the aforesaid Shares exercised and directs the Corporation to issue the certificate evidencing said Shares in the name of the undersigned to be mailed to the undersigned at the following address:
By executing this Exercise Notice, the undersigned hereby confirms that the undersigned has read the Plan and agrees to be bound by the provisions of the Plan.
DATED the _ day of ____, _.
Signature of Option Holder
GOLIATH RESOURCES LIMITED
EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
(THE “PLAN”)
NET EXERCISE NOTICE
All capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably gives notice, pursuant to the Plan, of the exercise of the Option to acquire and hereby subscribes for (cross out inapplicable item):
(a) all of the Shares; or
(b) _______ of the Shares;
which are the subject of the Award Agreement attached hereto.
Pursuant to Section 4.50 of the Plan and the approval of the Board, the number of Shares to be issued in accordance with the instructions of the undersigned shall be as is determined by application of the following formula, after deduction of any income tax or other amounts required by law to be withheld:
$$
\mathrm{X} = [\mathrm{Y}(\mathrm{A} - \mathrm{B})] / \mathrm{A}
$$
Where:
X = the number of Shares to be issued to the Participant upon the Net Exercise
Y = the number of Shares underlying the Options being exercised
A = the VWAP as at the date of the Net Exercise Notice, if such VWAP is greater than the Exercise Price
B = the Exercise Price of the Options being exercised
No fractional Shares will be issued upon the undersigned making a Net Exercise. If the number of Shares to be issued to the Participant in the event of a Net Exercise would otherwise include a fraction of a Share, the Corporation will pay a cash amount to such Participant equal to (i) the fraction of a Share otherwise issuable multiplied by (ii) the value attributed to "A" in the formula set out above.
The undersigned directs the Corporation to issue the certificate evidencing said Shares in the name of the undersigned to be mailed to the undersigned at the following address:
By executing this Net Exercise Notice, the undersigned hereby confirms that the undersigned has read the Plan and agrees to be bound by the provisions of the Plan.
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DATED the __ day of ___, _____.
Signature of Option Holder
GOLIATH RESOURCES LIMITED
EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
(THE “PLAN”)
ELECTION NOTICE
All capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan.
Pursuant to the Plan, I hereby elect to participate in the grant of DSUs pursuant to Article 5 of the Plan and to receive ____% of my Cash Fees in the form of DSUs in lieu of cash.
I confirm that:
- I have received and reviewed a copy of the terms of the Plan and agreed to be bound by them.
- I recognize that when DSUs credited pursuant to this election are redeemed in accordance with the terms of the Plan, income tax and other withholdings as required will arise at that time. Upon redemption of the DSUs, the Corporation will make all appropriate withholdings as required by law at that time.
- The value of DSUs is based on the value of the Shares and therefore is not guaranteed.
- To the extent I am a U.S. taxpayer, I understand that this election is irrevocable for the calendar year to which it applies and that any revocation or termination of this election after the expiration of the election period will not take effect until the first day of the calendar year following the year in which I file the revocation or termination notice with the Corporation.
The foregoing is only a brief outline of certain key provisions of the Plan. For more complete information, reference should be made to the Plan’s text.
Dated
(Name of Participant)
(Signature of Participant)
GOLIATH RESOURCES LIMITED
EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
(THE “PLAN”)
ELECTION TO TERMINATE RECEIPT OF ADDITIONAL DSUS
All capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan.
Notwithstanding my previous election in the form of Schedule “C” to the Plan, I hereby elect that no portion of the Cash Fees accrued after the date hereof shall be paid in DSUs in accordance with Article 5 of the Plan.
I understand that the DSUs already granted under the Plan cannot be redeemed except in accordance with the Plan.
I confirm that I have received and reviewed a copy of the terms of the Plan and agree to be bound by them.
Dated
(Name of Participant)
(Signature of Participant)
Note: An election to terminate receipt of additional DSUs can only be made by a Participant once in a calendar year.
GOLIATH RESOURCES LIMITED
EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
(THE “PLAN”)
ELECTION TO TERMINATE RECEIPT OF ADDITIONAL DSUS
(U.S. TAXPAYERS)
All capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan.
Notwithstanding my previous election in the form of Schedule “C” to the Plan, I hereby elect that no portion of the Cash Fees accrued after the effective date of this termination notice shall be paid in DSUs in accordance with Article 5 of the Plan.
I understand that this election to terminate receipt of additional DSUs will not take effect until the first day of the calendar year following the year in which I file this termination notice with the Corporation.
I understand that the DSUs already granted under the Plan cannot be redeemed except in accordance with the Plan.
I confirm that I have received and reviewed a copy of the terms of the Plan and agree to be bound by them.
Dated
(Name of Participant)
(Signature of Participant)
Note: An election to terminate receipt of additional DSUs can only be made by a Participant once in a calendar year.
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SCHEDULE "B"
AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARTER
I. PURPOSE
The Audit Committee is a committee of the Board of Directors of Goliath Resources Limited (the "Corporation"). The primary function of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its financial reporting and control responsibilities to the shareholders of the Corporation. The Audit Committee's primary duties and responsibilities are:
- overseeing the integrity of the Corporation's financial statements and reviewing the financial reports, other financial information and other relevant documents provided by the Corporation to any regulatory body or the public;
- recommending the appointment and the compensation and reviewing and appraising the audit efforts of the Corporation's independent auditor. overseeing the independent auditor's qualifications and independence and providing an open avenue of communication among the independent auditor, financial and senior management and the Board of Directors;
- serving as an independent and objective party to oversee and monitor the Corporation's financial reporting process and internal controls, the Corporation's processes to manage business and financial risk, and its compliance with legal, ethical and regulatory requirements;
- encouraging continuous improvement of, and fostering adherence to, the Corporation's policies, procedures and practices at all levels.
II. COMPOSITION AND MEETINGS
The Audit Committee shall be comprised of at least three directors. Unless otherwise authorized by the Board of Directors, each Committee member shall be financially literate and independent, the meaning of such terms being in accordance with National Instrument 52-110 Audit Committees, or any successor thereto ("NI 52-110").
The foregoing notwithstanding, the Board of Directors may appoint not more than one member who does not meet the test of independence set out in NI 52-110.
The members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Board at the annual organizational meeting of the Board. Such appointment shall be until their successors are duly appointed and qualified. Unless a Chairman is elected by all the members of the Board, the members of the Committee may designate a Chairman by a majority vote of the Committee.
The Committee shall meet at least four times annually, or more frequently as circumstances require. The Committee shall meet within 60 days following the end of each of the first three financial quarters to review and discuss the unaudited financial results for the preceding quarter and the related Management Discussion & Analysis prior to their being published. The Committee shall meet within 120 days following the end of the fiscal year end to review and discuss the audited financial results for the year and related Management Discussion & Analysis prior to their being published.
The Committee may ask members of management or others to attend meetings and provide pertinent information as necessary. For purposes of performing their audit-related duties, members of the Committee shall have full access to all corporate information and shall be permitted to discuss such information and any other matters relating to the financial position of the Corporation with senior employees, officers and independent auditor of the Corporation.
As part of its mandate to foster open communication, the Committee should meet at least annually with management and the independent auditor in separate executive sessions to discuss any matters that the Committee or each of these groups believe should be discussed privately.
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A quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Audit Committee shall be a majority of the number of members of the Committee.
Meetings of the Audit Committee shall be held from time to time and at such place as the Audit Committee or the Chairman of the Committee shall determine upon 48 hours notice to each of the members. The notice period may be waived by a quorum of the Committee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each of the Chairman of the Committee, members of the Committee, Chairman of the Board, independent auditor, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Secretary shall be entitled to request that the Chairman of the Audit Committee call a meeting which shall be held within 48 hours of receipt of such request.
III. RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
To fulfill its responsibilities and duties the Audit Committee shall:
- Create an agenda for the ensuing year.
- Review and update this Charter at least annually, as conditions dictate.
- Ensure that the independent auditor reports directly to the Committee and is made accountable to the Committee.
- Describe in the Corporation’s Management Information Circular or, if the Corporation is not required to send such circular, in its Annual Information Form or Management Discussion and Analysis, the Committee’s composition and responsibilities and how such responsibilities were discharged, as required by Form 52-110F2.
- Report periodically to the Board of Directors.
Documents/Reports Review
- Review with management and the independent auditor, the Corporation’s annual financial statements, Management Discussion and Analysis and any reports or other financial information to be submitted to any regulatory body, or the public, including any certification, report, opinion or review rendered by the independent auditor for the purpose of recommending their approval to the Board of Directors prior to their filing, issue or publication.
- Review with financial management the Corporation’s interim financial statements, Management Discussion and Analysis and earnings releases and any filings which contain financial information, to be submitted to regulatory bodies or the public prior to their filing, issue or publication. The Chairman of the Committee may represent the Committee for this review in circumstances where time does not allow all of the members of the Committee to be available.
- Review policies and procedures with respect to directors’ and officers’ expense accounts and management perquisites and benefits, including their use of corporate assets and expenditures related to executive travel and entertainment, and review the results of the procedures performed in these areas by the independent auditor, based on terms of reference agreed upon by the independent auditor and the Audit Committee.
Independent Auditor
- Review the performance of the independent auditor, consider their independence, review their engagement letter including their proposed fees and other compensation to be paid to the independent auditor in the ensuing year, and recommend to the Board of Directors the selection of the independent auditor for approval by shareholders at the next meeting of shareholders.
- Review and discuss, at least on an annual basis, with the independent auditor, all significant relationships it has with the Corporation to determine its independence, and report to the Board of Directors.
B-3
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Approve any proposed discharge and replacement of the independent auditor when circumstances warrant. Consider with management and the independent auditor the rationale for employing accounting/auditing firms other than the principal independent auditor.
-
Arrange for the independent auditor to be available to the Audit Committee and the full Board of Directors as needed.
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Subject to Section 14 below, review and pre-approve requests for any non-audit services to be performed by the independent auditor and be advised of any other studies, engagement or non-audit services undertaken at the request of management that is beyond the scope of the audit engagement letter and related fees. In connection with the pre-approval of permissible non-audit services, adopt specific policies and procedures for the engagement of such services, which detail the particular non-audit services. Such procedures must not include delegation of the Committee’s responsibilities to management.
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Ensure that the independent auditor is prohibited from providing the following non-audit services and determine which other non-audit services the independent auditor is prohibited from providing:
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bookkeeping or other services related to the accounting records or financial statements of the Corporation;
- financial information systems design and implementation;
- appraisal or valuation services, fairness opinions, or contribution-in-kind reports;
- actuarial services;
- internal audit outsourcing services;
- management functions or human resources;
- broker or dealer, investment adviser or investment banking services;
- legal services and expert services unrelated to the audit; and
- any other services which the Public Corporation Accounting Oversight Board determines to be impermissible.
Financial Reporting Processes
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In consultation with the independent auditor review the integrity of the Corporation’s financial and accounting and reporting processes, both internal and external.
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Consider the independent auditor’s judgments about the quality and appropriateness, not just the acceptability, of the Corporation’s accounting principles and financial disclosure practices, as applied in its financial reporting, particularly about the degree of aggressiveness or conservatism of its accounting principles and underlying estimates and whether those principles are common practices or are minority practices.
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Consider and, if appropriate, approve major changes to the Corporation’s accounting principles and practices as suggested by management with the concurrence of the independent auditor and ensure that the accountants’ reasoning is described in determining the appropriateness of changes in accounting principles and disclosure.
Process Improvement
- At least annually obtaining and reviewing a report prepared by the independent auditor describing (i) the
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independent auditor’s quality-control procedures; and (ii) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the independent auditor, or by any inquiry of investigation by regulatory or professional authorities, within the preceding five years, respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the independent auditor, and any steps taken to deal with any such issues.
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Establish procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Corporation regarding accounting, controls and audit matters and for the confidential and anonymous submissions by employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.
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Review and approve hiring policies for employees or former employees of the past and present independent auditor.
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Review the scope and plans of the independent auditor’s audit and reviews prior to the audit and reviews being conducted. The Committee may authorize the independent auditor to perform supplemental reviews or audits, as the Committee may deem desirable.
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Monitor the relationship between management and the independent auditor including reviewing any management letters or other reports of the independent auditor and discussing any material differences of opinion between management and the independent auditor. Where there are unsettled material differences, the Committee shall ensure that there is an agreed course of action for the resolution of such matters.
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Establish regular and separate systems of reporting to the Audit Committee by each of management and the independent auditor regarding any significant judgments made in management’s preparation of the financial statements and the view of each as to appropriateness of such judgments.
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Meet with the independent auditor without management in attendance at the time of the completion of the annual audit about significant risks or exposures, internal controls and other steps that management has taken to control such risks, and the fullness and accuracy of the organization’s financial statements. Particular emphasis should be given to the adequacy of internal controls to expose any payments, transactions, or procedures that might be deemed illegal or otherwise improper. At this meeting the independent auditor would be expected to report on any issues they had with management including concerns about the competence to manage the financial affairs of the Corporation.
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Following completion of the annual audit, review separately with each of management and the independent auditor any significant changes to planned procedures, any difficulties encountered during the course of the audit and reviews, including any restrictions on the scope of work or access to required information and the cooperation that the independent auditor received during the course of the audit.
a. Review any significant disagreements among management and the independent auditor in connection with the preparation of the financial statements.
b. Review with the independent auditor and management significant findings during the year and the extent to which changes or improvements in financial or accounting practices, as approved by the Audit Committee, have been implemented. This review should be conducted at an appropriate time subsequent to implementation of changes or improvements, as decided by the Committee.
c. Review activities, organizational structure, and qualifications of the Chief Financial Officer and the staff in the financial reporting area and see to it that matters related to succession planning within the Corporation are raised for consideration by the Board of Directors.
Ethical and Legal Compliance
- Review and update periodically a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and ensure that management has established a system to enforce this Code. Review through appropriate actions taken to ensure compliance with the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and to review the results.
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SCHEDULE "C"
SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN AGREEMENT
(See attached)
SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN AGREEMENT
DATED AS OF FEBRUARY 7, 2025
BETWEEN
GOLIATH RESOURCES LIMITED
- AND -
COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR SERVICES INC.
as RIGHTS AGENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ARTICLE 1 INTERPRETATION... 1
1.1 Certain Definitions... 1
1.2 Currency... 16
1.3 Headings... 16
1.4 Calculation of Beneficial Ownership of Outstanding Voting Shares... 16
1.5 Acting Jointly or in Concert... 16
ARTICLE 2 THE RIGHTS... 17
2.1 Issuance and Evidence of Holdings of Rights... 17
2.2 Exercise of Rights; Detachment of Rights... 17
2.3 Adjustments to Exercise Price; Number of Rights... 21
2.4 Date on Which Exercise Is Effective... 24
2.5 Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating of Rights Certificates... 24
2.6 Registration, Transfer and Exchange... 25
2.7 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Rights Certificates... 25
2.8 Persons Deemed Owners of Rights... 26
2.9 Delivery and Cancellation of Rights Certificates... 26
2.10 Agreement of Rights Holders... 27
2.11 Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder... 28
ARTICLE 3 ADJUSTMENTS TO THE RIGHTS IN THE EVENT OF CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS... 28
3.1 Flip-in Event... 28
ARTICLE 4 THE RIGHTS AGENT... 30
4.1 General... 30
4.2 Merger, Amalgamation or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent... 31
4.3 Duties of Rights Agent... 32
4.4 Change of Rights Agent... 33
4.5 Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Legislation... 34
ARTICLE 5 MISCELLANEOUS... 34
5.1 Redemption of Rights... 34
5.2 Waiver of Flip-In Events... 35
-i-
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
Page
5.3 Expiration... 36
5.4 Issuance of New Rights Certificates... 36
5.5 Supplements and Amendments... 36
5.6 Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares... 38
5.7 Rights of Action... 38
5.8 Regulatory Approvals... 39
5.9 Fiduciary Duties of the Board of Directors... 39
5.10 Declaration as to Non-Canadian Holders... 39
5.11 Privacy Legislation... 39
5.12 Notices... 40
5.13 Costs of Enforcement... 41
5.14 Successors... 41
5.15 Benefits of this Agreement... 41
5.16 Governing Law... 41
5.17 Severability... 41
5.18 Effective Date... 42
5.19 Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors... 42
5.20 Time of the Essence... 42
5.21 Force Majeure... 42
5.22 Execution in Counterparts... 43
5.23 Language... 43
SCHEDULE A FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATE... 45
SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN AGREEMENT
SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN AGREEMENT dated as of February 7, 2025 between GOLIATH RESOURCES LIMITED (the "Corporation"), a corporation existing under federal laws of Canada, and COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR SERVICES INC., a corporation existing under the federal laws of Canada and registered to carry on business in the Province of Ontario (the "Rights Agent").
WHEREAS in order to maximize shareholder value the Board of Directors (as herein defined) has determined that it is advisable for the Corporation to renew its shareholder rights plan that was first adopted on December 11, 2020;
AND WHEREAS in order to implement the renewal of a shareholders rights plan as established by this Agreement, the Board of Directors: (a) authorized the issuance, effective at the close of business (Toronto Time) on the Effective Date (as hereinafter defined), of one Right (as hereinafter defined) in respect of each Common Share (as hereinafter defined) outstanding at the Record Time (as hereinafter defined); (b) authorized the issuance of one Right in respect of each Common Share of the Corporation issued after the Record Time and prior to the earlier of the Separation Time (as hereinafter defined) and the Expiration Time (as hereinafter defined); and (c) authorized the issuance of Rights Certificates (as hereinafter defined) to holders of Rights pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein;
AND WHEREAS each Right entitles the holder thereof, after the Separation Time, to purchase securities of the Corporation pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein;
AND WHEREAS the Corporation desires to appoint the Rights Agent to act on behalf of the Corporation and the holders of Rights, and the Rights Agent is willing to so act, in connection with the issuance, transfer, exchange and replacement of Rights Certificates (as hereinafter defined), the exercise of Rights and other matters referred to herein;
AND WHEREAS the foregoing recitals are made as representations and statements of fact by the Corporation and not the Rights Agent.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the respective covenants and agreements set forth herein, and subject to such covenants and agreements, the parties hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1 INTERPRETATION
1.1 Certain Definitions
For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" means any Person who is the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares; provided, however, that the term "Acquiring Person" shall not include:
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(i) the Corporation or any Subsidiary of the Corporation;
(ii) any Person who becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares as a result of one or any combination of:
(A) a Voting Share Reduction;
(B) a Permitted Bid Acquisition;
(C) an Exempt Acquisition;
(D) a Convertible Security Acquisition; or
(E) a Pro Rata Acquisition; provided, however, that if a Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares by reason of one or any combination of (A), (B), (C), (D) or (E) above and thereafter becomes the Beneficial Owner of additional Voting Shares in an amount greater than 1% of the outstanding Voting Shares (other than pursuant to one or any combination of (A), (B), (C), (D) or (E) above), then as of the date such Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of such additional Voting Shares, such Person shall become an “Acquiring Person”;
(iii) for a period of ten days after the Disqualification Date, any Person who becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares as a result of such Person becoming disqualified from relying on Subsection 1.1(e)(iii)(B) solely because such Person is making or has announced a current intention to make a Take-over Bid, either alone or by acting jointly or in concert with any other Person. For the purposes of this definition, “Disqualification Date” means the first date of public announcement that any Person is making or has announced an intention to make a Take-over Bid, either alone, through such Person’s Affiliates or Associates or by acting jointly or in concert with any other Person, and includes, without limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 5.2(1) of NI 62-104;
(iv) an underwriter or member of a banking or selling group that becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the Voting Shares in connection with a distribution to the public of securities of the Corporation, which includes, without limitation, a distribution of securities pursuant to a prospectus or by way of private placement; or
(v) a Person (a “Grandfathered Person”) who is the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares determined as at the Record Time, provided, however, that this exception shall not be, and shall cease to be, applicable to a Grandfathered Person in the event that such Grandfathered Person shall, after the Record Time, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional Voting Shares that increases its Beneficial Ownership of Voting
- 3 -
Shares by more than 1% of the number of Voting Shares outstanding, other than through one or any combination of a Voting Share Reduction, a Permitted Bid Acquisition, an Exempt Acquisition, a Convertible Security Acquisition or a Pro Rata Acquisition).
(b) “Affiliate”, when used to indicate a relationship with a specified Person means a Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more controlled intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such specified Person.
(c) “Agreement” means this shareholder rights plan agreement, as the same may be amended or supplemented from time to time, and the terms “hereof”, “herein”, “hereto” and similar expressions mean and refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular part of this Agreement.
(d) “Associate”, when used to indicate a relationship with a specified Person, means (i) a spouse of that Person, (ii) any Person of the same or opposite sex with whom that Person is living in a conjugal relationship outside marriage, (iii) a child of that Person, or (iv) a relative of that Person or of a Person mentioned in items (i), (ii) or (iii) of this definition if that relative has the same residence as that Person.
(e) A Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, to have “Beneficial Ownership” of, and to “Beneficially Own”:
(i) any securities as to which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates is the owner at law or in equity;
(ii) any securities as to which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has the right to become the owner at law or in equity (where such right is exercisable within a period of 60 days, whether or not on condition or on the happening of any contingency) upon the exercise of any Convertible Securities or pursuant to any agreement, arrangement, pledge or understanding, whether or not in writing (other than (A) customary agreements with and between underwriters and/or banking group members and/or selling group members with respect to a public offering or distribution of securities or pursuant to a private placement of securities and (B) pledges of securities in the ordinary course of business), or upon the exercise of any conversion right, exchange right, share purchase right (other than the Rights), warrant or option; and
(iii) any securities which are Beneficially Owned within the meaning of Subsections 1.1(e)(i) or 1.1(e)(ii) by any other Person with whom such Person is acting jointly or in concert; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to have “Beneficial Ownership” of, or to “Beneficially Own”, any security because:
(A) the holder of such security has agreed pursuant to a Permitted Lock-up Agreement to deposit or tender such security pursuant to a Take-
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over Bid, in each case made by such Person, made by any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates or made by any other Person acting jointly or in concert with such Person, or such security has been deposited or tendered pursuant to any Take-over Bid made by such Person, made by any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates or made by any other Person acting jointly or in concert with such Person, until such deposited or tendered security is accepted unconditionally for payment or exchange or is taken up or paid for, whichever shall first occur;
(B) such Person, any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates or any other Person acting jointly or in concert with such Person holds such security provided that:
(1) the ordinary business of any such Person includes the management of mutual funds or other investment funds for others (the “Investment Manager”) (which others, for greater certainty, may include or be limited to one or more employee benefit plans or pension plans) and the Investment Manager holds such security in the ordinary course of such business in the performance of such Investment Manager’s duties for the account of any other Person (a “Client”), including the acquisition or holding of securities for non-discretionary accounts held on behalf of a Client by a broker or dealer registered under applicable law,
(2) such Person is licensed to carry on the business of a trust company under applicable laws (the “Trust Company”) and, as such, acts as trustee or administrator or in a similar capacity in relation to the estates of deceased or incompetent Persons (each, an “Estate Account”) or in relation to other accounts (each, an “Other Account”) and holds such security in the ordinary course of such duties for the estate of any such deceased or incompetent Person or for such other accounts,
(3) such Person is established by statute (the “Statutory Body”) for purposes that include, and the ordinary business or activity of such Statutory Body includes, the management of investment funds for employee benefit plans, pension plans, insurance plans (other than plans administered by insurance companies) or various public bodies,
(4) such Person is a Crown agent or agency (a “Crown Agent”), or
- 5 -
(5) such Person is the administrator or trustee (the "Administrator") of one or more pension funds or plans (a "Plan") or is a Plan registered under the laws of Canada or any province thereof or the laws of the United States of America or any state thereof; provided, in any of the above cases, that the Investment Manager, the Trust Company, the Statutory Body, the Crown Agent, the Administrator or the Plan, as the case may be, is not then making a Take-over Bid or has not then announced an intention to make a Take-over Bid, other than an Offer to Acquire Voting Shares or other securities by means of a distribution by the Corporation or by means of ordinary market transactions (including prearranged trades entered into in the ordinary course of business of such person) executed through the facilities of a stock exchange, securities quotation system or organized over-the-counter market, in each case, alone, through its Affiliates or Associates or by acting jointly or in concert with any other Person;
(C) such Person is (1) a Client of the same Investment Manager as another Person on whose account the Investment Manager holds such security, (2) an Estate Account or an Other Account of the same Trust Company as another Person on whose account the Trust Company holds such security, or (3) a Plan with the same Administrator as another Plan on whose account the Administrator holds such security;
(D) such Person is the registered holder of securities solely as the result of carrying on the business of or acting as a nominee of a securities depository; or
(E) such Person is (1) a Client of an Investment Manager and such security is owned at law or in equity by the Investment Manager, (2) an Estate Account or an Other Account of a Trust Company and such security is owned at law or in equity by the Trust Company, or (3) a Plan and such security is owned at law or in equity by the Administrator of the Plan.
(f) "Board of Directors" means the board of directors of the Corporation.
(g) "Business Day" means a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or any statutory holiday in the Province of Ontario.
(h) "Canadian Dollar Equivalent" of any amount, which is expressed in United States dollars means, on any date, the Canadian dollar equivalent of such amount determined by reference to the U.S. – Canadian Exchange Rate in effect on such date.
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(i) “CBCA” means the Canada Business Corporations Act, as amended from time to time, and the regulations thereunder, and any comparable or successor laws or regulations thereto.
(j) “Close of Business” on any given date means the time on such date (or, if such date is not a Business Day, the time on the next succeeding Business Day) at which the principal transfer office in the City of Montreal, Quebec of the transfer agent for the Common Shares (or, after the Separation Time, the principal transfer office in Montreal, Quebec of the Rights Agent) is closed to the public.
(k) “Common Shares” means the common shares in the capital of the Corporation and any other shares of the Corporation into which such common shares may be subdivided, consolidated, reclassified or changed from time to time.
(l) A Person is “controlled” by another Person if:
(i) in the case of a body corporate:
(A) securities entitled to vote in the election of directors carrying more than 50% of the votes for the election of directors are held, directly or indirectly, by or for the benefit of the other Person; and
(B) the votes carried by such securities are entitled, if exercised, to elect a majority of the board of directors of such corporation;
(ii) in the case of a limited partnership, the other Person is the general partner of the limited partnership;
(iii) in the case of a Person that is not a body corporate or a limited partnership, more than 50% of the voting interests of such entity are held, directly or indirectly, by or on behalf of the Person or Persons; and “controls”, “controlling” and “under common control with” shall be interpreted accordingly.
(m) “Convertible Securities” means, at any time, any securities issued by the Corporation from time to time (other than the Rights) carrying any purchase, exercise, conversion or exchange right pursuant to which the holder thereof may acquire Voting Shares or other securities which are convertible into, exercisable into or exchangeable for Voting Shares (in each case, whether such right is exercisable immediately or after a specified period and whether or not on condition or the happening of any contingency).
(n) “Convertible Security Acquisition” means the acquisition by a Person of Voting Shares upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of Convertible Securities received by such Person pursuant to a Permitted Bid Acquisition, Exempt Acquisition or a Pro Rata Acquisition.
(o) “Co-Rights Agents” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 4.1(a).
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(p) “Disposition Date” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 5.2(b).
(q) “Dividend Reinvestment Acquisition” means an acquisition of Voting Shares pursuant to a Dividend Reinvestment Plan.
(r) “Dividend Reinvestment Plan” means any regular dividend reinvestment or other plan of the Corporation made available by the Corporation to holders of its securities where such plan permits the holder to direct that some or all of:
(i) dividends paid in respect of shares of any class of the Corporation;
(ii) proceeds of redemption of shares of the Corporation;
(iii) interest paid on evidences of indebtedness of the Corporation; or
(iv) optional cash payments;
be applied to the purchase of Voting Share from the Corporation.
(s) “Effective Date” means February 7, 2025.
(t) “Election to Exercise” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 2.2(d)(ii).
(u) “Exempt Acquisition” means an acquisition of Common Shares:
(i) in respect of which the Board of Directors has waived the application of Section 3.1 pursuant to the provisions of Section 5.2;
(ii) which was made pursuant to a Dividend Reinvestment Plan of the Corporation;
(iii) pursuant to the receipt or exercise of rights issued by the Corporation to all holders of the Common Shares (other than holders resident in a jurisdiction where such distribution is restricted or impracticable as a result of applicable law) to subscribe for or purchase Common Shares or Convertible Securities, provided that such rights are acquired directly from the Corporation and not from any other Person and provided that the Person does not thereby acquire a greater percentage of Common Shares or Convertible Securities so offered than the Person’s percentage of Common Shares or Convertible Securities Beneficially Owned immediately prior to such acquisition;
(iv) pursuant to a distribution by the Corporation or an Affiliate of the Corporation of Common Shares or Convertible Securities made pursuant to a prospectus, provided that the Person does not thereby acquire a greater percentage of Common Shares or Convertible Securities so offered than the Person’s percentage of Common Shares or Convertible Securities Beneficially Owned immediately prior to such acquisition;
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(v) pursuant to a distribution by the Corporation or an Affiliate of the Corporation of Common Shares or Convertible Securities by way of a private placement or a securities exchange take-over bid circular or upon the exercise by an individual of options to purchase Common Shares granted under an option plan of the Corporation or an Affiliate of the Corporation or rights to purchase securities under a share purchase plan of the Corporation or an Affiliate of the Corporation, provided that:
(A) all necessary stock exchange approvals for such private placement, acquisition, option plan or purchase plan have been obtained and such private placement, acquisition, option plan or purchase plan complies with the terms and conditions of such approvals; and
(B) such Person does not become the Beneficial Owner of more than an additional 5% of the Common Shares outstanding immediately prior to the distribution, and in making this determination, the Common Shares to be issued to such Person in the distribution shall be deemed to be held by such Person but shall not be included in the aggregate number of outstanding Common Shares immediately prior to the distribution; or (vi) pursuant to an amalgamation, arrangement, merger or other procedure requiring shareholder approval.
(v) “Exercise Price” means, as of any date from and after the Separation Time, the price at which a holder may purchase the securities issuable upon exercise of one whole Right which, subject to adjustment in accordance with the terms hereof, shall be an amount equal to four times the Market Price per Common Share determined as at the Separation Time.
(w) “Expansion Factor” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 2.3(a)(iv)(A).
(x) “Expiration Time” means the time and date on which this Agreement terminates pursuant to Section 5.18.
(y) “Fiduciary” means a trust company registered under the trust company legislation of Canada or any province thereof, a trust company organized under the laws of any state of the United States, a portfolio manager registered under the securities legislation of one or more provinces of Canada or an investment dealer registered under the United States Investment Advisers Act of 1940 or any other securities legislation of the United States or any state of the United States.
(z) “Flip-in Event” means a transaction in or pursuant to which any Person becomes an Acquiring Person.
(aa) “holder” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 2.8.
(bb) “Independent Shareholders” means holders of Voting Shares, other than:
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(i) any Acquiring Person;
(ii) any Offeror, other than any Person who by virtue of Subsection 1.1(e)(iii)(B) of the definition of “Beneficial Owner” at the relevant time is not deemed to Beneficially Own the Voting Shares held by such Person;
(iii) any Affiliate or Associate of such Acquiring Person or Offeror;
(iv) any Person acting jointly or in concert with such Acquiring Person or Offeror; and
(v) any person who is a trustee of any employee benefit plan, share purchase plan, deferred profit sharing plan, stock participation plan and any other similar plan or trust for the benefit of employees of the Corporation unless the beneficiaries of the plan or trust direct the manner in which the Voting Shares are to be voted or direct whether the Voting Shares are to be tendered to a Take-over Bid.
(cc) “Market Price” per security of any securities on any date of determination shall mean the average of the daily closing prices per share of such securities (determined as described below) on each of the 20 consecutive Trading Days through and including the Trading Day immediately preceding such date; provided, however, that if an event of a type analogous to any of the events described in Section 2.3 shall have caused the closing prices used to determine the Market Price on any Trading Day not to be fully comparable with the closing price on such date of determination or, if the date of determination is not a Trading Day, on the immediately preceding Trading Day, each such closing price so used shall be appropriately adjusted in a manner analogous to the applicable adjustment provided for in Section 2.3 or as the Board of Directors shall otherwise determine in order to make it fully comparable with the closing price on such date of determination or, if the date of determination is not a Trading Day, on the immediately preceding Trading Day. The closing price per security of any securities on any date shall be:
(i) the closing board lot sale price or, in case no such sale takes place on such date, the average of the closing bid and asked prices for each of such securities as reported by the principal Canadian stock exchange (as determined by the Board of Directors) on which such securities are listed or admitted to trading;
(ii) if for any reason none of such prices is available on such day or the securities are not listed or posted for trading on a Canadian stock exchange, the last sale price or, in case no such sale takes place on such date, the average of the closing bid and asked prices for each of such securities as reported by the principal national United States securities exchange (as determined by the Board of Directors) on which such securities are listed or admitted to trading;
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(iii) if for any reason none of such prices is available on such day or the securities are not listed or admitted to trading on a Canadian stock exchange or a national United States securities exchange, the last sale price or, in case no sale takes place on such date, the average of the high bid and low asked prices for each of such securities in the over-the-counter market, as quoted by any reporting system then in use (as determined by the Board of Directors); or
(iv) if for any reason none of such prices is available on such day or the securities are not listed or admitted to trading on a Canadian stock exchange or a national United States securities exchange or quoted by any such reporting system, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the securities selected by the Board of Directors; provided, however, that if for any reason none of such prices is available on such day, the closing price per share of such securities on such date means the fair value per share of such securities on such date as determined by a nationally recognized investment dealer or investment banker. The Market Price shall be expressed in Canadian dollars and, if initially determined in respect of any day forming part of the 20 consecutive Trading Day period in question in United States dollars, such amount shall be translated into Canadian dollars on such date at the Canadian Dollar Equivalent thereof.
(dd) “NI 62-104” means National Instrument 62-104 – Take-Over Bids and Issuer Bids adopted by the Canadian Securities Administrators as now in effect or as the same may from time to time be amended, re-enacted or replaced.
(ee) “Nominee” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 2.2(c).
(ff) “Offer to Acquire” includes:
(i) an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell Voting Shares or Convertible Securities; and
(ii) an acceptance of an offer to sell Voting Shares or Convertible Securities, whether or not such offer to sell has been solicited, or any combination thereof, and the Person accepting an offer to sell shall be deemed to be making an Offer to Acquire to the Person that made the offer to sell.
(gg) “Offeror” means a Person who has announced a current intention to make or who is making a Take-over Bid.
(hh) “Offeror’s Securities” means Voting Shares Beneficially Owned by an Offeror on the date of the Offer to Acquire.
(ii) “Permitted Bid” means a Take-over Bid made by an Offeror that is made by means of a take-over bid circular and which also complies with the following additional provisions:
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(i) the Take-over Bid is made to all holders of Voting Shares of record other than the Offeror;
(ii) the Take-over Bid contains, and the take-up and payment for securities tendered or deposited is subject to, irrevocable and unqualified conditions that no Voting Shares will be taken up or paid for pursuant to the Take-over Bid
(A) prior to the Close of Business on a date that is not less than 105 days following the date of the Take-over Bid or such shorter minimum period that a take-over bid that is not exempt from any of the requirements of Division 5 Bid Mechanics of Part 2 Bids of NI 62-104 must remain open for deposits of securities thereunder, in the applicable circumstances at such time; and
(B) unless at such date more than 50% of the Voting Shares held by Independent Shareholders shall have been deposited or tendered pursuant to the Take-over Bid and not withdrawn;
(iii) unless the Take-over Bid is withdrawn, the Take-over Bid contains an irrevocable and unqualified provision that Voting Shares may be deposited pursuant to such Take-over Bid at any time during the period described in Subsection 1.1(ll)(ii)(A) and that any Voting Shares deposited pursuant to the Take-over Bid may be withdrawn until taken up and paid for; and
(iv) unless the Take-over Bid is withdrawn, the Take-over Bid contains an irrevocable and unqualified provision that in the event that the deposit condition set forth in Subsection 1.1(ll)(ii)(B) is satisfied the Offeror will make a public announcement of that fact and the Take-over Bid will remain open for deposits and tenders of Voting Shares for not less than 10 days from the date of such public announcement; provided, however, that a Take-over Bid that qualifies as a Permitted Bid shall cease to be a Permitted Bid at any time and at such time as such Take-over Bid ceases to meet any or all of the provisions of this definition.
(jj) “Permitted Bid Acquisition” means an acquisition of Voting Shares made pursuant to a Permitted Bid.
(kk) “Permitted Lock-up Agreement” means an agreement between a Person and one or more holders of Voting Shares or Convertible Securities (each, a “Locked-up Person”) (the terms of which are publicly disclosed and a copy of which is made available to the public (including the Corporation) not later than the date the Lock-up Bid is publicly announced or, if the Lock-up Bid has been made prior to the date on which such agreement is entered into, forthwith, and in any event not later than the date of such agreement), pursuant to which each such Locked-up Person agrees to deposit or tender Voting Shares or Convertible Securities (or both) to a Take-over Bid (the “Lock-up Bid”) made or to be made by the Person or any of such
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Person's Affiliates or Associates or any other Person referred to in Subsection 1.1(e)(iii); provided that:
(i) the agreement:
(A) permits the Locked-up Person to terminate its obligation to deposit or tender, and permits the Locked-up Person to withdraw if already deposited or tendered, the Voting Shares or Convertible Securities (or both) from the Lock-up Bid in order to tender or deposit such securities to another Take-over Bid or to support another transaction that represents an offering price for each Voting Share or Convertible Security that exceeds, or provides a value that is greater than, the offering price or value represented or proposed to be represented by the Lock-up Bid; or
(1) permits the Locked-up Person to terminate its obligation to deposit or tender, and permits the Locked-up Person to withdraw if already deposited or tendered, the Voting Shares or Convertible Securities from the agreement in order to tender or deposit the Voting Shares or Convertible Securities to another Take-over Bid, or to support another transaction that provides for a consideration for each Voting Share or Convertible Security that exceeds by as much as or more than a specified amount (the "Specified Amount") of the consideration for each Voting Share or Convertible Security contained in or proposed to be contained in, and is made for at least the same number of Voting Shares or Convertible Securities as, the Lock-up Bid; and
(2) does not by its terms provide for a Specified Amount that is greater than 7% over the consideration for each Voting Share or Convertible Security contained in or proposed to be contained in the Lock-up Bid;
and, for greater clarity, the agreement may contain a right of first refusal or permit a period of delay to give such Person an opportunity to at least match a higher consideration in another Takeover Bid and may provide for any other similar limitation on a Locked-up Person's right to withdraw Voting Shares or Convertible Securities (or both) from the agreement, as long as the Locked-up Person can accept another bid or tender to another transaction; and
(ii) no "break-up" fees, "top-up" fees, penalties, expenses or other amounts that exceed in the aggregate the greater of:
(A) the cash equivalent of 2.5% of the price or value payable under the Lock-up Bid to a Locked-up Person; and
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(B) 50% of the amount by which the price or value payable under another Take-over Bid or transaction to a Locked-up Person exceeds the price or value of the consideration that such Locked-up Person would have received under the Lock-up Bid,
is payable by a Locked-up Person pursuant to the agreement in the event a Locked-up Person fails to deposit or tender Voting Shares or Convertible Securities (or both) to the Lock-up Bid, withdraws Voting Shares or Convertible Securities (or both) previously tendered thereto or supports another transaction.
(II) “Person” includes an individual, body corporate, firm, partnership, syndicate or other form of unincorporated association, trust, trustee, executor, administrator, legal personal representative, group, unincorporated organization, a government and its agencies or instrumentalities, or other entity whether or not having legal personality.
(mm) “Pro Rata Acquisition” means an acquisition by a Person of Voting Shares or Convertible Securities pursuant to:
(i) a Dividend Reinvestment Acquisition;
(ii) a stock dividend, stock split or other event in respect of securities of the Corporation of one or more particular classes or series pursuant to which such Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of Voting Shares or Convertible Securities on the same pro rata basis as all other holders of securities of the particular class, classes or series;
(iii) the acquisition or the exercise by the Person of rights to purchase Voting Shares distributed to that Person in the course of a distribution to all holders of securities of the Corporation of one or more particular classes or series pursuant to a rights offering (other than the Rights) or pursuant to a prospectus provided that the Person does not thereby acquire a greater percentage of such Voting Shares, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Voting Shares, so offered than the Person’s percentage of Voting Shares Beneficially Owned immediately prior to such acquisition; or
(iv) a distribution of Voting Shares, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Voting Shares (and the conversion or exchange of such convertible or exchangeable securities), made pursuant to a prospectus or by way of a private placement by the Corporation, provided that the Person does not thereby acquire a greater percentage of such Voting Shares, or Convertible Securities so offered than the Person’s percentage of Voting Shares Beneficially Owned immediately prior to such acquisition.
(nn) “Record Time” means the Close of Business on the date of this Agreement.
(oo) “Redemption Price” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 5.1(a).
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(pp) “Right” means a right to purchase a Common Share upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement.
(qq) “Rights Certificates” means the certificates representing the Rights after the Separation Time, which shall be substantially in the form attached hereto as SCHEDULE A.
(π) “Rights Register” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 2.6(a).
(ss) “Rights Registrar” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 2.6(a).
(tt) “Securities Act” means the Securities Act (Ontario), as amended from time to time, and the regulations thereunder, and any comparable or successor laws or regulations thereto.
(uu) “Separation Time” shall mean the Close of Business on the tenth Trading Day after the earlier of:
(i) the Stock Acquisition Date;
(ii) the date of the commencement of or first public announcement of the intent of any Person (other than the Corporation or any Subsidiary of the Corporation) to commence a Take-over Bid (other than a Permitted Bid); and
(iii) the date upon which a Permitted Bid ceases to be such;
or, in the case of Subsections (ii) and (iii) of this definition, such later time as may be determined by the Board of Directors in good faith; provided that (x) if any Take-over Bid referred to in Subsection (ii) above expires, is not made, is cancelled, terminated or otherwise withdrawn prior to the Separation Time, such Take-over Bid shall be deemed, for the purposes of this definition, never to have been commenced, made or announced, and (y) if the Board of Directors determines, pursuant to Section 5.2, to waive the application of Section 3.1 to a Flip-In Event, then the Separation Time in respect of such Flip-In Event shall be deemed never to have occurred.
(vv) “Shareholder Approval” means approval by a majority of the votes cast by the holders of Voting Shares at a meeting called and held in accordance with applicable laws and the articles and by-laws of the Corporation or a written resolution approved by holders of a majority of the outstanding Voting Shares excluding, in all cases, Voting Shares held by Persons who are not Independent Shareholders.
(ww) “Stock Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 5.2(1) of NI 62104) by the Corporation or an Acquiring Person of facts indicating that a Person has become an Acquiring Person.
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(xx) A corporation shall be deemed to be a “Subsidiary” of another corporation if:
(i) it is controlled by:
(A) that other; or
(B) that other and one or more corporations each of which is controlled by that other; or
(C) two or more corporations each of which is controlled by that other; or (ii) it is a Subsidiary of a corporation that is that other’s Subsidiary.
(yy) “Take-over Bid” means an Offer to Acquire Voting Shares, or securities convertible into Voting Shares, where the Voting Shares subject to the Offer to Acquire, together with (i) the Voting Shares into which securities subject to the Offer to Acquire are convertible and (ii) the Offeror’s Securities, constitute in the aggregate 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares at the date of the Offer to Acquire.
(zz) “Trading Day”, when used with respect to any securities, means a day on which the principal Canadian stock exchange on which such securities are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the securities are not listed or admitted to trading on any Canadian stock exchange, a Business Day.
(aaa) “U.S. – Canadian Exchange Rate” means, on any date:
(i) if on such date the Bank of Canada sets an average noon spot rate of exchange for the conversion of one United States dollar into Canadian dollars, such rate; and
(ii) in any other case, the rate for such date for the conversion of one United States dollar into Canadian dollars calculated in such manner as may be determined by the Board of Directors from time to time acting in good faith.
(bbb) “Voting Share Reduction” means an acquisition or redemption by the Corporation of Voting Shares or any other transaction which, by reducing the number of Voting Shares outstanding, increases the percentage outstanding of Voting Shares Beneficially Owned by any Person to 20% or more of the Voting Shares then outstanding.
(ccc) “Voting Shares” shall mean the Common Shares of the Corporation and any other shares in the capital of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of all directors.
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1.2 Currency
All sums of money, which are referred to in this Agreement are expressed in lawful money of Canada, unless otherwise specified.
1.3 Headings
The division of this Agreement into Articles, Sections, Subsections, Clauses, Subclauses, Paragraphs, Subparagraphs or other portions hereof and the insertion of headings and subheadings are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
1.4 Calculation of Beneficial Ownership of Outstanding Voting Shares
(a) For purposes of this Agreement, the percentage of Voting Shares Beneficially Owned by any Person, shall be and be deemed to be the product (expressed as a percentage) determined by the following formula:
$$
100 \times \frac{A}{B}
$$
where:
A = the number of votes for the election of all directors generally attaching to the Voting Shares Beneficially Owned by such Person; and
B = the number of votes for the election of all directors generally attaching to all outstanding Voting Shares.
(b) For the purposes of the foregoing formula, where any Person is deemed to Beneficially Own unissued Voting Shares which may be acquired pursuant to Convertible Securities, such Voting Shares shall be deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of calculating the percentage of Voting Shares Beneficially Owned by such Person in both the numerator and the denominator, but no other unissued Voting Shares which may be acquired pursuant to any other outstanding Convertible Securities shall, for the purposes of that calculation, be deemed to be outstanding.
1.5 Acting Jointly or in Concert
For the purposes of this Agreement, a Person is acting jointly or in concert with every other Person who, as a result of any agreement, arrangement, commitment or understanding, whether formal or informal, or written or unwritten, with the first Person or any Associate or Affiliate thereof, acquires or offers to acquire or Offer to Acquire any Voting Shares or Convertible Securities (other than (A) customary agreements with and between underwriters and/or banking group members and/or selling group members with respect to a distribution of securities by way of prospectus or private placement; (B) pledges of securities in the ordinary course of business, or (C) Permitted Lock-Up Agreements).
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ARTICLE 2
THE RIGHTS
2.1 Issuance and Evidence of Holdings of Rights
(a) Certificates representing Common Shares which are issued after the Record Time but prior to the earlier of the Separation Time and the Expiration Time, shall also evidence one Right for each Common Share represented thereby until the earlier of the Separation Time or the Expiration Time and shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them the following legend:
> “Until the earlier of the Separation Time or the Expiration Time (as both terms are defined in the Shareholder Rights Agreement referred to below), this certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain Rights described in the Shareholder Rights Plan Agreement dated February 7, 2025, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time (the “Shareholder Rights Agreement”) between Goliath Resources Limited (the “Corporation”) and Computershare Investor Services Inc., as Rights Agent, the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal offices of the Corporation. Under certain circumstances set out in the Shareholder Rights Agreement, the Rights may expire, may be amended or redeemed, may become null and void or may be evidenced by separate certificates and no longer evidenced by this certificate. The Corporation will mail or arrange for the mailing of a copy of the Shareholder Rights Agreement to the holder of this certificate without charge as soon as practicable after the receipt of a written request therefor.”
(b) Certificates representing Common Shares that are issued and outstanding at the Record Time shall also evidence one Right for each Common Share represented thereby notwithstanding the absence of the foregoing legend until the Close of Business on the earlier of the Separation Time and the Expiration Time. Registered holders of Common Shares who have not received a share certificate and are entitled to do so on the earlier of the Separation Time and the Expiration Time shall be entitled to Rights as if such certificates had been issued and such Rights shall for all purposes hereof be evidenced by the corresponding entries on the Corporation’s securities register for Common Shares.
2.2 Exercise of Rights; Detachment of Rights
(a) Subject to adjustment as herein set forth, each Right will entitle the holder thereof, from and after the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time, to purchase one Common Share for the Exercise Price (which Exercise Price and number of Common Shares are subject to adjustment as set forth below). Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, any Rights held by the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries shall be void.
(b) Until the Separation Time:
(i) the Rights shall not be exercisable and no Right may be exercised; and
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(ii) each Right will be evidenced by the certificate for the associated Common Share registered in the name of the holder thereof (which certificate shall also be deemed to represent a Rights Certificate) and will be transferable only together with, and will be transferred by a transfer of, such associated Common Share.
(c) From and after the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time:
(i) the Rights shall be exercisable; and
(ii) the registration and transfer of Rights shall be separate from and independent of the Common Shares.
Promptly following the Separation Time, the Corporation will prepare or cause to be prepared and the Rights Agent will mail to each holder of record of Common Shares as of the Separation Time and, in respect of each Convertible Security converted into Common Shares after the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time, promptly after such conversion, the Corporation will prepare or cause to be prepared and the Rights Agent will mail to the holder so converting (other than in either case an Acquiring Person and, in respect of any Rights Beneficially Owned by such Acquiring Person which are not held of record by such Acquiring Person, the holder of record of such Rights (a “Nominee”)), at such holder’s address as shown by the records of the Corporation (the Corporation hereby agreeing to furnish copies of such records to the Rights Agent for this purpose): (x) a Rights Certificate appropriately completed, representing the number of Rights held by such holder at the Separation Time or at the time of conversion, as applicable, and having such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Corporation may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any law, rule or regulation or with any rule or regulation of any self-regulatory organization, stock exchange or quotation system on which the Rights may from time to time be listed or traded, or to conform to usage; and (y) a disclosure statement describing the Rights, provided that a Nominee shall be sent the materials provided for in (x) and (y) only in respect of all Common Shares held of record by it which are not Beneficially Owned by an Acquiring Person. In order for the Corporation to determine whether any Person is holding Common Shares which are Beneficially Owned by another Person, the Corporation may require such first Person to furnish such information and documentation as the Corporation deems necessary.
(d) Rights may be exercised, in whole or in part, on any Business Day after the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time by submitting to the Rights Agent at its office in Toronto, Ontario, Canada or any other office of the Rights Agent in cities designated from time to time for that purpose by the Corporation with the approval of the Rights Agent:
(i) the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights;
(ii) an election to exercise such Rights (an “Election to Exercise”) substantially in the form attached to the Rights Certificate appropriately completed and duly executed by the holder or such holder’s executors or administrators or
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other personal representatives or such holder’s or their legal attorney duly appointed by an instrument in writing in form and executed in a manner satisfactory to the Rights Agent; and
(iii) payment by certified cheque, banker’s draft or money order payable to the order of the Corporation, of a sum equal to the Exercise Price multiplied by the number of Rights being exercised and a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates or the issuance or delivery of certificates for Common Shares in a name other than that of the holder of the Rights being exercised.
(e) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate, together with a duly completed Election to Exercise executed in accordance with Subsection 2.2(d)(ii), which does not indicate that such Right is null and void as provided by Subsection 3.1(c), and payment as set forth in Subsection 2.2(d)(iii), the Rights Agent (unless otherwise instructed by the Corporation in the event that the Corporation is of the opinion that the Rights cannot be exercised in accordance with this Agreement) will thereupon as soon as practicable:
(i) requisition from the transfer agent for the Common Shares certificates representing the number of such Common Shares to be purchased (the Corporation hereby irrevocably authorizing its transfer agent to comply with all such requisitions);
(ii) when appropriate, requisition from the Corporation a cheque representing the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuing fractional Common Shares;
(iii) after receipt of the certificates referred to in Subsection 2.2(e)(i), deliver the same to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder;
(iv) after receipt of the certificates referred to in Subsection 2.2(e)(i), deliver a cheque representing any cash referred to in Subsection 2.2(e)(ii) to or to the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificates; and
(v) remit to the Corporation all payments received on the exercise of Rights.
(f) In case the holder of any Rights shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced by such holder’s Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate evidencing the Rights remaining unexercised (subject to the provisions of Subsection 5.6(a)) will be issued by the Rights Agent to such holder or to such holder’s duly authorized assigns.
(g) The Corporation covenants and agrees that it will:
(i) use its best efforts to maintain its existence as a body corporate;
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(ii) take all such action as may be necessary and within its power to ensure that all Common Shares delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Common Shares (subject to payment of the Exercise Price), be duly and validly authorized, executed, issued and delivered as fully paid and non-assessable;
(iii) take all such actions as may be necessary and within its power to comply with the requirements of the CBCA, the Securities Act and the applicable securities laws or comparable legislation of each of the provinces of Canada and any other applicable law, rule or regulation, in connection with the issuance and delivery of the Rights Certificates and the issuance of any Common Shares upon exercise of Rights;
(iv) use reasonable efforts to cause all Common Shares issued upon exercise of Rights to be listed on the stock exchanges on which such Common Shares were traded immediately prior to the Stock Acquisition Date;
(v) cause to be reserved and kept available out of the authorized and unissued Common Shares, the number of Common Shares that, as provided in this Agreement, will from time to time be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights;
(vi) pay when due and payable, if applicable, any and all federal, provincial and municipal transfer taxes and charges (not including any income or capital taxes of the holder or exercising holder or any liability of the Corporation to withhold tax) which may be payable in respect of the original issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates, or certificates for Common Shares to be issued upon exercise of any Rights, provided that the Corporation shall not be required to pay any transfer tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates or the issuance or delivery of certificates for Common Shares in a name other than that of the holder of the Rights being transferred or exercised;
(vii) perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement; and
(viii) after the Separation Time, except as permitted by Section 5.1, not take (or permit any Subsidiary of the Corporation to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
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2.3 Adjustments to Exercise Price; Number of Rights
The Exercise Price, the number and kind of securities subject to purchase upon exercise of each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 2.3.
(a) In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time:
(i) declare or pay a dividend on Common Shares payable in Common Shares (or capital stock or other securities exchangeable for or convertible into or giving a right to acquire Common Shares or other capital stock) other than pursuant to any optional stock dividend program, Dividend Reinvestment Plan or a dividend payable in Voting Shares in lieu of a regular periodic cash dividend;
(ii) subdivide or change the then outstanding Common Shares into a greater number of Common Shares;
(iii) consolidate or change the then outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of Common Shares; or
(iv) otherwise issue any Common Shares (or other securities exchangeable for or convertible into or giving a right to acquire Common Shares) in respect of, in lieu of or in exchange for existing Common Shares in a reclassification, amalgamation, merger, statutory arrangement, or consolidation, the Exercise Price, the number of Rights outstanding and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights shall be adjusted as of the record or effective date as follows:
(A) the Exercise Price in effect after such adjustment will be equal to the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment divided by the number of Common Shares (the “Expansion Factor”) that a holder of one Common Share immediately prior to such dividend, subdivision, change, consolidation or issuance would hold thereafter as a result thereof (assuming the exercise of any such exchange, conversion or acquisition rights); and
(B) each Right held prior to such adjustment shall become that number of Rights equal to the Expansion Factor and the adjusted number of Rights will be deemed to be allocated among the Common Shares with respect to which the original Rights were associated (if they remain outstanding) and the shares issued in respect of such dividend, subdivision, change, consolidation or issuance, so that each such Common Share will have exactly one Right associated with it.
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To the extent that any such exchange, conversion or acquisition rights are not exercised prior to the expiration thereof, the Exercise Price shall be readjusted to the Exercise Price which would be in effect, based on the number of Common Shares actually issued on the exercise of such rights.
In the event the Corporation at any time after the Record Time and prior to the Separation Time issues any Common Shares (or other securities exchangeable for or convertible into or giving a right to acquire Common Shares), each such Common Share shall automatically have one new Right associated with it, which Right shall be evidenced by the certificate representing such associated Common Share.
(b) If, after the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time, the Corporation shall issue any shares of capital stock other than Common Shares (or other securities exchangeable for or convertible into or giving a right to acquire shares of any such capital stock) in a transaction of a type described in Subsections 2.3(a)(i) or 2.3(a)(iv), the shares of such capital stock shall be treated herein as nearly equivalent to Common Shares to the extent practicable and appropriate under the circumstances, as determined by the Board of Directors, and the shares purchasable upon exercise of Rights shall be adjusted as necessary such that the shares purchasable upon exercise of each Right after such adjustment will be the shares that a holder of the shares purchasable upon exercise of one Right immediately prior to such issuance would hold thereafter as a result of such issuance. Notwithstanding Section 5.5, the Corporation and the Rights Agent are authorized and agree to amend this Agreement in order to give effect to the foregoing.
(c) In the event that at any time after the Record Time and prior to the Expiration Time there shall occur:
(i) a reclassification or re-designation of the Common Shares or any change of the Common Shares into other shares (other than as the result of an event described in Subsection 2.3(a));
(ii) a consolidation, arrangement, merger or amalgamation of the Corporation with or into another body corporate (other than a consolidation, arrangement, merger or amalgamation which does not result in a reclassification of the Common Shares or a change of the Common Shares into other shares); or
(iii) the transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation to another body corporate;
a holder of a Right shall thereafter be entitled to receive and shall accept upon exercise of such Right, in lieu of the number of Common Shares to which such holder was theretofore entitled to acquire upon such exercise, the kind and amount of shares and/or other securities or property which such holder would have been entitled to receive as a result of such occurrence if, on the effective date thereof, such holder had been the holder of the number of Common Shares to which such holder was then entitled upon exercise of such Right. The Corporation shall take all
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necessary steps so that holders of Rights shall thereafter be entitled to acquire such shares and/or other securities or property, subject to adjustment thereafter in accordance with provisions the same, as nearly as may be possible, as those contained in this Section 2.3.
(d) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no adjustment in the Exercise Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Exercise Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Subsection 2.3(d) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 2.3 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a share. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Subsection 2.3(d), any adjustment required by this Section 2.3 shall be made no later than the earlier of: (i) three years from the date of the transaction which gives rise to such adjustment; and (ii) the Expiration Time.
(e) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Exercise Price or the number of Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Exercise Price per Common Share and the number of Common Shares which were expressed in the initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder.
(f) In any case in which this Section 2.3 shall require that an adjustment in the Exercise Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Corporation may elect to defer until the occurrence of such event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the number of Common Shares and other securities of the Corporation, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of Common Shares and other securities of the Corporation, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Exercise Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Corporation shall deliver to such holder an appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional shares (fractional or otherwise) or other securities upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(g) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section 2.3 to the contrary, the Corporation shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Exercise Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 2.3, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board of Directors shall determine to be advisable, in order that any:
(i) consolidation or subdivision of Common Shares;
(ii) issuance (wholly or in part for cash) of Common Shares or securities that by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Common Shares;
(iii) stock dividends; or
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(iv) issuance of rights, options or warrants, hereafter made by the Corporation to holders of its Common Shares, shall not be taxable to such shareholders.
(h) Whenever an adjustment to the Exercise Price or a change in the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights is made pursuant to this Section 2.3, the Corporation shall promptly and in any event, where such change or adjustment occurs prior to the Separation Time, not later than the Separation Time:
(i) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Shares a certificate specifying the particulars of such adjustment or change; and
(ii) cause notice of the particulars of such adjustment or change to be given to the holders of the Rights.
Failure to file such certificate or to cause such notice to be given as aforesaid, or any defect therein, shall not affect the validity of such adjustment or change.
2.4 Date on Which Exercise Is Effective
Each Person in whose name any certificate for Common Shares or other securities, if applicable, is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the absolute holder of record of the Common Shares or other securities, if applicable, represented thereon, and such certificate shall be dated the date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered in accordance with Subsection 2.2(d) (together with a duly completed Election to Exercise) and payment of the Exercise Price for such Rights (and any applicable transfer taxes and other governmental charges payable by the exercising holder hereunder) was made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Common Share transfer books of the Corporation are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such Common Shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Common Share transfer books of the Corporation are open.
2.5 Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating of Rights Certificates
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Corporation by any one of its Chief Executive Officer, President, or Chief Financial Officer. The signature of any of these officers on the Rights Certificates may be manual, by facsimile or by other electronically transmitted form. Rights Certificates bearing the manual, facsimile or electronically transmitted signature of the individual who was at any time the proper officer of the Corporation shall bind the Corporation, notwithstanding that such individual has ceased to hold such office either before or after the countersignature and delivery of such Rights Certificates.
(b) Promptly after the Corporation learns of the Separation Time, the Corporation will notify the Rights Agent of such Separation Time and will deliver (x) Rights Certificates executed by the Corporation to the Rights Agent for countersignature, and (y) a disclosure statement describing the Rights. The Rights Agent shall manually countersign (in a manner satisfactory to the Corporation) Rights
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Certificates and send such Rights Certificates and the disclosure statement to the holders of the Rights pursuant to Subsection 2.2(c) hereof. No Rights Certificate shall be valid for any purpose until countersigned by the Rights Agent as aforesaid.
(c) Each Rights Certificate shall be dated the date of countersignature thereof.
2.6 Registration, Transfer and Exchange
(a) After the Separation Time, the Corporation will cause to be kept a register (the “Rights Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Corporation will provide for the registration and transfer of Rights. The Rights Agent is hereby appointed registrar for the Rights (the “Rights Registrar”) for the purpose of maintaining the Rights Register for the Corporation and registering Rights and transfers of Rights as herein provided and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. In the event that the Rights Agent shall cease to be the Rights Registrar, the Rights Agent will have the right to examine the Rights Register at all reasonable times. After the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time, upon surrender for registration of transfer or exchange of any Rights Certificate, and subject to the provisions of Subsection 2.6(c), the Corporation shall execute, and the Rights Agent shall manually countersign and deliver, in the name of the holder or the designated transferee or transferees, as required pursuant to the holder’s instructions, one or more new Rights Certificates evidencing the same aggregate number of Rights as did the Rights Certificates so surrendered.
(b) All Rights issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Rights Certificates shall be the valid obligations of the Corporation, and such Rights shall be entitled to the same benefits under this Agreement as the Rights surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.
(c) Every Rights Certificate surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange shall be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Corporation or the Rights Agent, as the case may be, duly executed by the holder thereof or such holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing. As a condition to the issuance of any new Rights Certificate under this Section 2.6, the Corporation or the Rights Agent may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of the Rights Agent) connected therewith.
2.7 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Rights Certificates
(a) If any mutilated Rights Certificate is surrendered to the Rights Agent prior to the Expiration Time, the Corporation shall execute and the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver in exchange therefore a new Rights Certificate evidencing the same number of Rights as did the Rights Certificate so surrendered provided that the requirements of Section 2.7(b) are satisfied.
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(b) If there shall be delivered to the Corporation and the Rights Agent prior to the Expiration Time:
(i) evidence to their reasonable satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Rights Certificate; and
(ii) such indemnity and surety bond as may be reasonably required by each of them in their sole discretion to save each of them and any of their agents harmless; then, in the absence of notice to the Corporation or the Rights Agent that such Rights Certificate has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Corporation shall execute and upon the Corporation’s request the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate evidencing the same number of Rights as did the Rights Certificate so destroyed, lost or stolen.
(c) As a condition to the issuance of any new Rights Certificate under this Section 2.7, the Corporation or the Rights Agent may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of the Rights Agent) connected therewith.
(d) Every new Rights Certificate issued pursuant to this Section 2.7 in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Rights Certificate shall evidence the contractual obligation of the Corporation, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Rights Certificate shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Agreement equally and proportionately with any and all other Rights duly issued hereunder.
2.8 Persons Deemed Owners of Rights
The Corporation, the Rights Agent and any agent of the Corporation or the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person, in whose name a Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Separation Time, the associated Common Share certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby for all purposes whatsoever. In this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires, the term “holder” of any Right means the registered holder of such Right (or, prior to the Separation Time, of the associated Common Share) and the term “certificate”, when used in the context of a certificate representing Common Shares or a Rights Certificate, shall include any document or written acknowledgement constituting evidence of book-entry ownership of the applicable securities as may be adopted from time to time by the Corporation.
2.9 Delivery and Cancellation of Rights Certificates
All Rights Certificates surrendered upon exercise or for redemption, registration of transfer or exchange shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Rights Agent, be delivered to the Rights Agent and, in any case, shall be promptly cancelled by the Rights Agent. The Corporation may at any time deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation any Rights Certificates previously countersigned and delivered hereunder which the Corporation may have acquired in any manner
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whatsoever, and all Rights Certificates so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Rights Agent. No Rights Certificate shall be countersigned in lieu of or in exchange for any Rights Certificates cancelled as provided in this Section 2.9, except as expressly permitted by this Agreement. The Rights Agent shall, subject to applicable laws, destroy all cancelled Rights Certificates and, if requested, deliver a certificate to the Corporation confirming such destruction.
2.10 Agreement of Rights Holders
Every holder of Rights, by accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Corporation and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of Rights:
(a) to be bound by and subject to the provisions of this Agreement, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof, in respect of all Rights held;
(b) that prior to the Separation Time, each Right will be transferable only together with, and will be transferred by a transfer of, the associated Common Share certificate representing such Right;
(c) that after the Separation Time, the Rights Certificates will be transferable only upon registration of the transfer on the Rights Register as provided herein;
(d) that prior to due presentment of a Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Separation Time, the associated Common Share certificate) for registration of transfer, the Corporation, the Rights Agent and any agent of the Corporation or the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name the Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Separation Time, the associated Common Share certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on such Rights Certificate or the associated Common Share certificate made by anyone other than the Corporation or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Corporation nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary;
(e) that such holder of Rights has waived his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares or other securities upon exercise of a Right (except as provided herein);
(f) that, subject to the provisions of Section 5.5, this Agreement may be supplemented or amended from time to time as provided herein without the approval of any holder of Rights or Voting Shares and upon the sole authority of the Board of Directors, acting in good faith;
(g) perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement; and
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(h) that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Corporation nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or any other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation.
2.11 Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder
No holder, as such, of any Rights or Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose whatsoever the holder of any Common Share or any other share or security of the Corporation which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Rights Certificate be construed or deemed or confer upon the holder of any Right or Rights Certificate, as such, any right, title, benefit or privilege of a holder of Common Shares or any other shares or securities of the Corporation or any right to vote at any meeting of shareholders of the Corporation whether for the election of directors or otherwise or upon any matter submitted to holders of Common Shares or any other shares of the Corporation at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any action of the Corporation, or to receive notice of any meeting or other action affecting any holder of Common Shares or any other shares of the Corporation except as expressly provided herein, or to receive dividends, distributions or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates shall have been duly exercised in accordance with the terms and provisions thereof.
ARTICLE 3 ADJUSTMENTS TO THE RIGHTS IN THE EVENT OF CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS
3.1 Flip-in Event
(a) Subject to Subsection 3.1(b) and Sections 5.1 and 5.2, in the event that prior to the Expiration Time a Flip-in Event shall occur, each Right shall constitute, effective no later than the Close of Business on the tenth Trading Day after the Stock Acquisition Date, the right to purchase from the Corporation, upon exercise thereof in accordance with the terms hereof, that number of Common Shares having an aggregate Market Price on the date of consummation or occurrence of such Flip-in Event equal to twice the Exercise Price for an amount in cash equal to the Exercise Price (such right to be appropriately adjusted in a manner analogous to the applicable adjustment provided for in Section 2.3 in the event that after such date of consummation or occurrence, an event of a type analogous to any of the events described in Section 2.3 shall have occurred).
(b) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, upon the occurrence of any Flip-in Event, any Rights that are or were Beneficially Owned on or after the earlier of the Separation Time or the Stock Acquisition Date by:
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(i) an Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any other Person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of such other Person); or
(ii) a transferee or other successor in title (collectively, a “Transferee”) of Rights, directly or indirectly, from an Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any other Person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of such other Person), where such Transferee becomes a transferee concurrently with or subsequent to the Acquiring Person becoming such in a transfer, whether or not for consideration, that the Board of Directors has determined is part of a plan, understanding or scheme of an Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any other Person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of such other Person), that has the purpose or effect of avoiding this Section 3.1(b), shall become null and void without any further action, and any holder of such Rights (including a Transferee) shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any provision of this Agreement and further shall thereafter not have any other rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise.
(c) Any Rights Certificate that represents Rights Beneficially Owned by a Person described in either Subsections 3.1(b)(i) or 3.1(b)(ii) or transferred to any nominee of any such Person, and any Rights Certificate issued upon the transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain the following legend:
“The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate were issued to a Person who was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or an Associate of an Acquiring Person or a Person who was acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Shareholder Rights Plan Agreement dated February 7, 2025). This Rights Certificate and the Rights represented hereby are void or shall become void in the circumstances specified in Subsection 3.1(b) of the Shareholder Rights Plan Agreement.”
provided, however, that the Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility to ascertain the existence of facts that would require the imposition of such legend but shall impose such legend only if instructed to do so by the Corporation in writing or if a holder fails to certify upon transfer or exchange in the space provided on the Rights Certificate that such holder is not a Person described in such legend and provided further that the fact that such legend does not appear on a certificate is not determinative of whether any Rights represented thereby are void under this Section.
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ARTICLE 4
THE RIGHTS AGENT
4.1 General
(a) The Corporation hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Corporation and the holders of the Rights in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Corporation may from time to time appoint such co-rights agents (a “Co-Rights Agents”) as it may deem necessary or desirable. In the event the Corporation appoints one or more Co-Rights Agents, the respective duties of the Rights Agent and Co-Rights Agents shall be as the Corporation may determine, with the approval of the Rights Agent. The Corporation agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and other disbursements reasonably incurred in the execution and administration of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder, including the reasonable fees of legal counsel for matters referred in connection with the discharge of the Rights Agent’s duties hereunder, with the prior approval of the Corporation. The Corporation also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent, its officers, directors, employees and agents for, and to hold such persons harmless against, any loss, liability, cost, claim, action, suit, damage, or expense incurred (that is not the result of gross negligence, bad faith or wilful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, its officers or directors or employees) for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability, which right to indemnification will survive the termination of this Agreement or the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any certificate for Common Shares, Rights Certificate, certificate for other securities of the Corporation, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons.
(c) The Corporation shall inform the Rights Agent in a reasonably timely manner of events which may materially affect the administration of this Agreement by the Rights Agent and, at any time upon request, shall provide to the Rights Agent an incumbency certificate certifying the then current officers of the Corporation.
(d) The Rights Agent may retain any cash balance held in connection with this Agreement and may, but need not, hold the same in its deposit department or the deposit department of one of its Affiliates; but the Rights Agent and its Affiliates shall not be liable to account for any profit to the Corporation or any other person
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or entity other than at a rate, if any, established from time to time by the Rights Agent or its Affiliates.
(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, and whether such losses or damages are foreseeable or unforeseeable, the Rights Agent shall not be liable under any circumstances whatsoever for (a) breach by any other party of securities law or other rule of any securities regulatory authority, (b) lost profits or (c) special, indirect, incidental, consequential, exemplary, aggravated or punitive losses or damages. Any liability of the Rights Agent will be limited in the aggregate to an amount equal to the annual fee paid by the Corporation pursuant to this Agreement in the twelve (12) months immediately prior to the Rights Agent receiving the first notice of the claim.
(f) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any error in judgment or for any act done or step taken or omitted by it in good faith or for any mistake, in fact or law, or for anything which it may do or refrain from doing in connection herewith except arising out of its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(g) None of the provisions contained in this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to expend or to risk its own funds or otherwise to incur financial liability in the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers unless indemnified and funded as foresaid.
4.2 Merger, Amalgamation or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor rights agent may be merged or amalgamated or with which it may be consolidated, or to which all or substantially all of its corporate trust business is sold or is otherwise transferred, or any corporation resulting from any merger, amalgamation, statutory arrangement or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor rights agent is a party, or any corporation succeeding to the shareholder or stockholder services business of the Rights Agent or any successor rights agent, will be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor rights agent under the provisions of Section 4.4. In case at the time such successor rights agent succeeds to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Rights Certificates have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor rights agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights have not been countersigned, any successor rights agent may countersign such Rights Certificates in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor rights agent; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates will have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent is changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the
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Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
4.3 Duties of Rights Agent
The Rights Agent undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and conditions, all of which the Corporation, the holders of certificates for Common Shares and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) the Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Corporation) and the opinion of such counsel will be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion; the Rights Agent may also, with the prior approval of the Corporation, consult with such other experts as the Rights Agent shall consider necessary or appropriate to properly carry out the duties and obligations imposed under this Agreement;
(b) whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Rights Agent deems it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Corporation prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by any one of the Chief Executive Officer, President, or Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate will be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate;
(c) the Rights Agent will be liable hereunder for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct;
(d) the Rights Agent will not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the certificates for Common Shares or the Rights Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and will be deemed to have been made by the Corporation only;
(e) the Rights Agent will not be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due authorization, execution and delivery hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any certificate for a Common Share or Rights Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor will it be responsible for any breach by the Corporation of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate; nor will it be responsible for any change in the exercisability of
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the Rights (including the Rights becoming void pursuant to Subsection 3.1(b)) or any adjustment required under the provisions of Section 2.3 or responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights after receipt of the certificate contemplated by Section 2.3 describing any such adjustment); nor will it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization of any Common Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights or as to whether any Common Shares will, when issued, be duly and validly authorized, executed, issued and delivered as fully paid and non-assessable;
(f) The Corporation agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) the Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions in writing with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any one of the Chief Executive Officer, President, or Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation, and to apply to any such individual for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such individual;
(h) the Rights Agent and any shareholder, director, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in Common Shares, Rights or other securities of the Corporation or become peculiarly interested in any transaction in which the Corporation may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Corporation or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not the Rights Agent under this Agreement;
(i) nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Corporation or for any other legal entity; and
(j) the Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent will not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Corporation resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.
4.4 Change of Rights Agent
The Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon 30 days' notice (or such lesser notice as is acceptable to the Corporation) in writing mailed to the Corporation and to the transfer agent of Common Shares by registered or certified mail. The Corporation may remove the Rights Agent upon 30 days' notice (or such lesser notice as is
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acceptable to the Rights Agent) in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent and to the transfer agent of the Common Shares by registered or certified mail. If the Rights Agent should resign or be removed or otherwise become incapable of acting, the Corporation will appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Corporation fails to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent, then by prior written notice to the Corporation the resigning Rights Agent or the holder of any Rights (which holder shall, with such notice, submit such holder’s Rights Certificate, if any, for inspection by the Corporation), may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new rights agent. Any successor rights agent, whether appointed by the Corporation or by such a court, shall be a corporation incorporated under the laws of Canada or a province thereof authorized to carry on the business of a trust company in the Province of Ontario. After appointment, the successor rights agent will be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor rights agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Corporation will file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and the transfer agent of the Common Shares and mail a notice thereof in writing to the holders of the Rights in accordance with Section 5.12. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 4.4, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of any successor rights agent, as the case may be.
4.5 Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Legislation
The Rights Agent shall retain the right not to act and shall not be liable for refusing to act if, due to a lack of information or for any other reason whatsoever, the Rights Agent reasonably determines that such an act might cause it to be in non-compliance with any applicable anti-money laundering or anti-terrorist legislation, regulation or guideline. Further, should the Rights Agent reasonably determine at any time that its acting under this Agreement has resulted in it being in non-compliance with any applicable anti-money laundering or anti-terrorist legislation, regulation or guideline, then it shall have the right to resign on 10 days’ prior written notice to the Corporation, provided: (i) that the Rights Agent’s written notice shall describe the circumstances of such non-compliance; and (ii) that if such circumstances are rectified to the Rights Agent’s satisfaction within such 10 day period, then such resignation shall not be effective.
ARTICLE 5 MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Redemption of Rights
(a) Until the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, as to which the application of Section 3.1 has not been waived pursuant to Section 5.2, the Board of Directors, subject to receipt of Shareholder Approval, may at any time elect to redeem all but not less than all of the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.00001 per Right (the “Redemption Price”), appropriately adjusted in a manner analogous to the
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applicable adjustment provided for in Section 2.3, if an event of the type analogous to any of the events described in Section 2.3 shall have occurred.
(b) If a Person acquires, pursuant to a Permitted Bid, outstanding Voting Shares, the Board of Directors shall, immediately upon such acquisition and without further formality, be deemed to have elected to redeem the Rights at the Redemption Price.
(c) Where a Take-over Bid that is not a Permitted Bid expires, is withdrawn or otherwise terminated after the Separation Time has occurred and prior to the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, the Board of Directors may elect to redeem all of the outstanding Rights at the Redemption Price.
(d) If the Board of Directors elects to or is deemed to have elected to redeem the Rights (i) the right to exercise the Rights will thereupon, without further action and without notice, terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price, and (ii) subject to Subsection 5.1(f), no further Rights shall thereafter be issued.
(e) Within 10 Business Days of the Board of Directors electing or having been deemed to have elected to redeem the Rights, the Corporation shall give notice of redemption to the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to each such holder at his last address as it appears upon the Rights Register, or, prior to the Separation Time, on the share register maintained by the Corporation’s transfer agent or transfer agents. Each such notice of redemption shall state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price shall be made.
(f) Upon the Rights being redeemed pursuant to Subsection 5.1(c), all the provisions of this Agreement shall continue to apply as if the Separation Time had not occurred and Rights Certificates representing the number of Rights held by each holder of record of Common Shares as of the Separation Time had not been mailed to each such holder and for all purposes of this Agreement, the Separation Time shall be deemed not to have occurred.
5.2 Waiver of Flip-In Events
(a) The Board of Directors may, subject to receipt of Shareholder Approval, at any time prior to the occurrence of a Flip-in Event that would occur otherwise than in the circumstances set forth in Subsection 5.2(b), waive the application of Section 3.1 to such Flip-in Event by written notice delivered to the Rights Agent. In the event that the Board of Directors proposes such a waiver, the Board of Directors shall extend the Separation Time to a date subsequent to and not more than 10 Business Days following the meeting of shareholders called to approve such waiver.
(b) The Board of Directors may waive the application of Section 3.1 in respect of the occurrence of any Flip-in Event if the Board of Directors has determined that a Person became an Acquiring Person by inadvertence and without any intention to become, or knowledge that it would become, an Acquiring Person under this
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Agreement and, in the event that such a waiver is granted by the Board of Directors, such Stock Acquisition Date shall be deemed not to have occurred and the Separation Time shall be deemed not to have occurred. Any such waiver pursuant to this Subsection 5.2(b) must be on the condition that such Person, within 14 days after the foregoing determination by the Board of Directors or such earlier or later date as the Board of Directors may determine (the “Disposition Date”), has reduced its Beneficial Ownership of Voting Shares such that the Person is no longer an Acquiring Person. If the Person remains an Acquiring Person at the Close of Business on the Disposition Date, the Disposition Date shall be deemed to be the date of occurrence of a further Stock Acquisition Date and Section 3.1 shall apply thereto.
5.3 Expiration
No Person shall have any rights whatsoever pursuant to this Agreement or in respect of any Right after the Expiration Time, except the Rights Agent as specified in Subsection 4.1(a) of this Agreement.
5.4 Issuance of New Rights Certificates
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or the Rights Certificates to the contrary, the Corporation may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in the number or kind or class of securities purchasable upon exercise of Rights made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
5.5 Supplements and Amendments
(a) The Corporation may make amendments to this Agreement to correct any clerical or typographical error or any other amendments which are required to maintain the validity of this Agreement as a result of any change in any applicable legislation or regulations or rules thereunder. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 5.5 to the contrary, no such supplement or amendment shall be made to the provisions of Article 4 except with the written concurrence of the Rights Agent to such supplement or amendment.
(b) Subject to Subsection 5.5(a), the Corporation may, with the prior consent of the holders of Voting Shares obtained as set forth below, at any time prior to the Separation Time, supplement, amend, vary, rescind or delete any of the provisions of this Agreement and the Rights (whether or not such action would materially adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights generally). Such consent shall be deemed to have been given if the action requiring such approval is authorized by the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by Independent Shareholders present or represented at and entitled to be voted at a meeting of the holders of Voting Shares duly called and held in compliance with applicable laws and the articles and by-laws of the Corporation.
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(c) The Corporation may, with the prior consent of the holders of Rights, at any time on or after the Separation Time, supplement, amend, vary, rescind or delete any of the provisions of this Agreement and the Rights (whether or not such action would materially adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights generally), provided that no such amendment, supplement, variation or deletion shall be made to the provisions of Article 4 except with the written concurrence of the Rights Agent thereto. Such consent shall be deemed to have been given if such amendment, supplement, variation or deletion is authorized by the affirmative votes of the holders of Rights present or represented at and entitled to be voted at a meeting of the holders and representing 50% plus one of the votes cast in respect thereof.
(d) Any approval of the holders of Rights shall be deemed to have been given if the action requiring such approval is authorized by the affirmative votes of the holders of Rights present or represented at and entitled to be voted at a meeting of the holders of Rights and representing a majority of the votes cast in respect thereof. For the purposes hereof, each outstanding Right (other than Rights which are void pursuant to the provisions thereof) shall be entitled to one vote, and the procedures for the calling, holding and conduct of the meeting shall be those, as nearly as may be, which are provided in the Corporation’s articles and by-laws and the CBCA with respect to meetings of shareholders of the Corporation.
(e) Any amendments made by the Corporation to this Agreement pursuant to Subsection 5.5(a) which are required to maintain the validity of this Agreement as a result of any change in any applicable legislation or regulation thereunder shall:
(i) if made before the Separation Time, be submitted to the shareholders of the Corporation at the next meeting of shareholders and the shareholders may, by the majority referred to in Subsection 5.5(b), confirm or reject such amendment; or
(ii) if made after the Separation Time, be submitted to the holders of Rights at a meeting to be called for on a date not later than immediately following the next meeting of shareholders of the Corporation and the holders of Rights may, by resolution passed by the majority referred to in Subsection 5.5(d), confirm or reject such amendment.
(f) Any amendments made by the Corporation pursuant to Section 5.5 shall be subject to the receipt of any required acceptance, approval or consent of any governmental or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Corporation, including any required approval of stock exchanges on which the Voting Shares are listed. Any such amendment shall, unless the Board of Directors otherwise stipulates, be effective from the date of the resolution of the Board of Directors adopting such amendment, until it is confirmed or rejected or until it ceases to be effective (as described in the next sentence) and, where such amendment is confirmed, it continues in effect in the form so confirmed. If such amendment is rejected by the shareholders or the holders of Rights or is not submitted to the shareholders or
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holders of Rights as required, then such amendment shall cease to be effective from and after the termination of the meeting (or any adjournment of such meeting) at which it was rejected or to which it should have been but was not submitted or from and after the date of the meeting of holders of Rights that should have been but was not held, and no subsequent resolution of the Board of Directors to amend this Agreement to substantially the same effect shall be effective until confirmed by the shareholders or holders of Rights, as the case may be.
5.6 Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares
(a) The Corporation shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. After the Separation Time, in lieu of issuing fractional Rights, the Corporation shall pay to the holders of record of the Rights Certificates (provided the Rights represented by such Rights Certificates are not void pursuant to the provisions of Subsection 3.1(b), at the time such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable), an amount in cash equal to the Market Price of one Right multiplied by the fraction of a Right that would otherwise be issuable.
(b) The Corporation shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares upon exercise of Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares. In lieu of issuing fractional Common Shares, the Corporation shall pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates, at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided, an amount in cash equal to the Market Price of one Common Share multiplied by the fraction of a Common Share that would otherwise be issuable upon the exercise of such Right at the date of such exercise. For greater certainty, the Rights Agent shall have no obligation to determine the amount of cash payable in lieu of issuing fractional Common Shares or Rights to the registered holder. The Rights Agent shall have no obligation to make any payments in lieu of fractional Common Shares unless the Corporation shall have provided the Rights Agent with the necessary funds to pay in full all amounts payable.
5.7 Rights of Action
Subject to the terms of this Agreement, all rights of action in respect of this Agreement, other than rights of action vested solely in the Rights Agent, are vested in the respective holders of the Rights. Any holder of Rights, without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights, may, on such holder's own behalf and for such holder's own benefit and the benefit of other holders of Rights, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Corporation to enforce such holder's right to exercise such holder's Rights, or Rights to which such holder is entitled, in the manner provided in such holder's Rights Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations of any Person subject to, this Agreement.
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5.8 Regulatory Approvals
Any obligation of the Corporation or action or event contemplated by this Agreement shall be subject to the receipt of any requisite approval or consent from any governmental or regulatory authority, including without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any necessary approvals of the Toronto Stock Exchange or any other applicable stock exchange or market.
5.9 Fiduciary Duties of the Board of Directors
For greater certainty, nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed so as to suggest or imply that the Board of Directors shall not be entitled to recommend that the holders of Voting Shares and/or Convertible Securities reject or accept any Take-over Bid or take any other action, including the commencement, prosecution, defence or settlement of any litigation, and the solicitation of additional or alternative Take-over Bids or other proposals to shareholders that the Board of Directors believe are necessary or appropriate in the exercise of their fiduciary duties.
5.10 Declaration as to Non-Canadian Holders
If in the opinion of the Board of Directors (who may rely upon the advice of counsel) any action or event contemplated by this Agreement would require compliance by the Corporation with the securities laws or comparable legislation of a jurisdiction outside Canada, the Board of Directors acting in good faith shall take such actions as it may deem appropriate to ensure such compliance is not required, including establishing procedures for the issuance to a Canadian resident Fiduciary of Rights or securities issuable upon exercise of Rights, the holding thereof in trust for persons entitled thereto (but reserving to the Fiduciary or to the Fiduciary and the Corporation, as the Corporation may determine in its absolute discretion with respect thereto) and the sale thereof and remittance of the proceeds of such sale, if any, to the Persons entitled thereto. In no event shall the Corporation or the Rights Agent be required to issue or deliver Rights or securities issuable on exercise of Rights to Persons who are citizens, residents or nationals of any jurisdiction other than Canada, in which such issue or delivery would be unlawful without registration of the relevant Persons or securities for such purposes. For greater certainty, the Rights Agent has no obligation in making any of the determinations necessary for the administration of the provisions of this Section 5.10.
5.11 Privacy Legislation
The parties acknowledge that federal and/or provincial legislation that addresses the protection of individual's personal information (collectively, "Privacy Laws") applies to obligations and activities under this Agreement. Despite any other provision of this Agreement, neither party will take or direct any action that would contravene, or cause the other to contravene, applicable Privacy Laws. The Corporation will, prior to transferring or causing to be transferred personal information to the Rights Agent, obtain and retain required consents of the relevant individuals to the collection, use and disclosure of their personal information, or will have determined that such consents either have previously been given upon which the parties can rely or are not required under the Privacy Laws. The Rights Agent will use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that its services hereunder comply with Privacy Laws.
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5.12 Notices
(a) Notices or demands authorized or required by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights to or on the Corporation shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered, sent by first class mail, postage prepaid, or sent by facsimile or other form of recorded electronic communication, charges prepaid and confirmed in writing, as follows:
Goliath Resources Limited
82 Richmond St. East
Toronto, Ontario M5C 1P1
Attention: Secretary
Facsimile No.: (416) 488-2887
(b) Notices or demands authorized or required by this Agreement to be given or made by the Corporation or by the holder of any Rights to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered, sent by first class mail, postage prepaid, or sent by facsimile or other form of recorded electronic communication, charges prepaid and confirmed in writing, as follows:
Computershare Investor Services Inc.
650 de Maisonneuve W, 7th floor
Montreal, QC H3A 3T2
Attention: Manager, Client Services
Facsimile No.: (514) 982-7580
(c) Notices or demands authorized or required by this Agreement to be given or made by the Corporation or the Rights Agent to or on the holder of any Rights shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered or sent by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as it appears upon the register of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Separation Time, on the register of the Corporation for the Common Shares. Any notice which is mailed or sent in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice.
(d) Any notice given or made in accordance with this Section 5.12 shall be deemed to have been given and to have been received on the day of delivery, if so delivered, on the third Business Day (excluding each day during which there exists any general interruption of postal service due to strike, lockout or other cause) following the mailing thereof, if so mailed, and on the day such notice is sent by facsimile or by other means of recorded electronic communication (provided that if such sending is prior to 4:30 p.m. (local time of the recipient) on a Business Day, be
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deemed to be given and received on that day and, in any other case, be deemed to be given and received on the next Business Day.)
(e) Each of the Corporation and the Rights Agent may from time to time change its address for notice under Subsection 5.12(a) or 5.12(b) by notice to the other given in the manner aforesaid.
5.13 Costs of Enforcement
The Corporation agrees that if the Corporation fails to fulfil any of its obligations pursuant to this Agreement, then the Corporation will reimburse the holder of any Rights for the costs and expenses (including legal fees) reasonably incurred by such holder to enforce such holder’s rights pursuant to any Rights or this Agreement.
5.14 Successors
All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Corporation or the Rights Agent shall bind and enure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
5.15 Benefits of this Agreement
Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Corporation, the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement. This Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Corporation, the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights.
5.16 Governing Law
This Agreement and each Right issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the Province of Ontario and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such province applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such province.
The Courts of the Province of Ontario in the City of Toronto shall have the irrevocable and exclusive jurisdiction and venue over all disputes arising in connection with this Agreement.
5.17 Severability
If any term or provision hereof or the application thereof to any circumstance shall, in any jurisdiction and to any extent, be invalid or unenforceable, such term or provision shall be ineffective only as to such jurisdiction and to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability in such jurisdiction without invalidating or rendering unenforceable or ineffective the remaining terms and provisions hereof in such jurisdiction or the application of such term or provision in any other jurisdiction or to circumstances other than those as to which it is specifically held invalid or unenforceable.
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5.18 Effective Date
(a) This Agreement is effective and in full force and effect in accordance with its terms from and after the Effective Date. If this Agreement is not confirmed by resolution passed by a majority of greater than 50% of the votes cast by the Independent Shareholders represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote in respect of such confirmation at a meeting to be held not later than six months from February 7, 2025, then this Agreement and all outstanding Rights and all other rights hereunder shall terminate and be void and of no further force and effect on and from the close of such meeting at which this Agreement was not so approved, or any adjournment or postponement thereof.
(b) If this Agreement is not approved by resolution passed by a majority of the votes cast by Independent Shareholders represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote in respect of approval of this Agreement at every third annual meeting of the shareholders of the Corporation held after the annual meeting of the shareholders of the Corporation to be held in 2025, then this Agreement and all outstanding Rights and all other rights hereunder shall terminate and be void and of no further force and effect on and from the close of such meeting at which this Agreement was not so approved, or any adjournment or postponement thereof.
(c) Notwithstanding Subsection 5.18(a) or 5.18(b), termination shall not occur as provided in Subsection 5.18(a) if a Flip-in Event has occurred (other than a Flip-in Event which has been waived pursuant to the terms thereof), prior to the date upon which this Agreement would otherwise terminate pursuant to this Section 5.18.
5.19 Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors
All actions, calculations and determinations (including all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board of Directors, in good faith, shall not subject the Board of Directors or any director of the Corporation to any liability whatsoever to the holders of the Rights.
5.20 Time of the Essence
Time shall be of the essence in this Agreement.
5.21 Force Majeure
No party shall be liable to the other, or held in breach of this Agreement, if prevented, hindered, or delayed in the performance or observance of any provision contained herein by reason of act of God, riots, terrorism, acts of war, epidemics, governmental action or judicial order, earthquakes, or any other similar causes (including, but not limited to, mechanical, electronic or communication interruptions, disruptions or failures). Performance times under this Agreement shall be extended for a period of time equivalent to the time lost because of any delay that is excusable under this Section 5.21.
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5.22 Execution in Counterparts
This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and may be executed by facsimile or other electronic transmission, all of which when taken together shall be deemed to be one and the same document and notwithstanding the actual date of execution of each counterpart, this Agreement shall be deemed to be dated as of the date first above written.
5.23 Language
The parties confirm that it is their express wish that this Agreement, as well as any other documents relating to this Agreement, including notices, schedules and authorizations, have been and shall be drawn up in the English language only. Les parties aux présentes confirment leur volonté expresse que cette convention, de même que tous les documents s'y rattachant, y compris tous avis, annexes et autorisations s'y rattachant, soient rédigés en langue anglaise seulement.
[signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
GOLIATH RESOURCES LIMITED
Per:
Name: Roger Rosmus
Title: Chief Executive Officer
I have authority to bind the Corporation
COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR SERVICES INC.
Per:
Name:
Title:
Per:
Name:
Title:
We have authority to bind the Corporation
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SCHEDULE A
FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO TERMINATION ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES (SPECIFIED IN SUBSECTION 3.1(b) OF THE SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN AGREEMENT), RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR CERTAIN RELATED PARTIES OR TRANSFEREES OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR CERTAIN RELATED PARTIES, MAY BECOME VOID.
Certificate No.: _________
GOLIATH RESOURCES LIMITED
RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
THIS CERTIFICATE ISSUED TO
This certifies that the registered holder, or registered assigns, is the registered holder of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the registered holder thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Shareholder Rights Plan Agreement, dated as of February 7, 2025 as the same may be amended or supplemented from time to time (the “Shareholder Rights Agreement”), between Goliath Resources Limited, a corporation existing under the federal laws of Canada (the “Corporation”) and Computershare Investor Services Inc., a company an existing under the federal laws of Canada and registered to carry on business in the Province of Ontario (the “Rights Agent”) (which term shall include any successor rights agent under the Shareholder Rights Agreement), to purchase from the Corporation at any time after the Separation Time (as such term is defined in the Shareholder Rights Agreement) and prior to the Expiration Time (as such term is defined in the Shareholder Rights Agreement), one fully paid common share of the Corporation (a “Common Share”) at the Exercise Price referred to below, upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election to Exercise (in the form attached hereto) duly executed and submitted to the Rights Agent at its principal office in the City of Toronto, Ontario. The Exercise Price shall be an amount expressed in Canadian dollars equal to four times the Market Price (as such term is defined in the Shareholder Rights Agreement) per Common Share at the Separation Time, subject to adjustment in certain events as provided in the Shareholder Rights Agreement.
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms and provisions of the Shareholder Rights Agreement, which terms and provisions are incorporated herein by reference and made a part thereof and to which Shareholder Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Rights Agent, the Corporation and the holders of the Rights Certificates. Copies of the Shareholder Rights Agreement are on file at the principal offices of the Corporation.
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This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon surrender at any of the offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing an aggregate number of Rights equal to the aggregate number of Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered. If this Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the registered holder shall be entitled to receive, upon surrender hereof, another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Shareholder Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate may be, and under certain circumstances are required to be, redeemed by the Corporation at a redemption price of $0.00001 per Right.
No fractional Common Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any Rights evidenced hereby, but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Shareholder Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Rights Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of Common Shares or of any other securities which may at any time be issuable upon the exercise hereof; nor shall anything contained in the Shareholder Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Corporation or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in the Shareholder Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Shareholder Rights Agreement.
This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the signature of the proper officer of the Corporation.
Date: _________
GOLIATH RESOURCES LIMITED
Per: _____
Name: ____
Title: ______
I have authority to bind the Corporation
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Countersigned:
COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR SERVICES INC.
Per:
Name:
Title:
Per:
Name:
Title:
We have authority to bind the Corporation
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FORM OF ELECTION TO EXERCISE
(To be completed by the registered holder if such holder desires to exercise the Rights represented by the attached Rights Certificate.)
TO: _____________
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise _____________
whole Rights represented by the attached Rights Certificate to purchase the Common Shares or other securities, if applicable, issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such securities be issued in the name of:
(Name)
(Address)
(City and Province)
(Social Insurance Number or other taxpayer identification number)
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by the attached Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance of such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
(Name)
(Address)
(City and Province)
(Social Insurance Number or other taxpayer identification number)
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Date:
Signature
(Signature must correspond to name as written upon the face of the attached Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.)
Signature Guaranteed:
Signature must be guaranteed by a SCHEDULE A Canadian chartered bank, a major trust company in Canada, a member of the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program, a member of the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program or a member of the New York Stock Exchange Inc. Medallion Program (each, an “Eligible Institution”) or in some other manner satisfactory to the Rights Agent (except that no guarantee is required if the signature is that of an Eligible Institution).
CERTIFICATE
(To be completed if true.)
The undersigned party exercising Rights hereunder hereby represents, for the benefit of all holders of Rights and Common Shares, that the Rights evidenced by the attached Rights Certificate are not, and, to the knowledge of the undersigned, have never been, Beneficially Owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof or a Person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof. Capitalized terms shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in the Shareholder Rights Agreement.
Date:
Signed:
Print the name of Signatory
Witness (If Signatory is an individual)
NOTICE
In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of Election to Exercise is not completed and signed upon exercise of the Right(s) evidenced by the attached Rights Certificate, the Corporation will deem the Beneficial Owner of the Right(s) evidenced by the attached Rights
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Certificate to be an Acquiring Person (as defined in the Shareholder Rights Agreement) and, accordingly, such Rights shall be null and void and not transferable or exercisable.
(To be attached to each Rights Certificate.)
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be completed by the registered holder if such holder desires to transfer the Rights represented by the attached Rights Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto
(Please print name of transferee)
(Please print address of transferee)
the Rights represented by the attached Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint _____, as attorney, to transfer the within Rights on the books of the Corporation, with full power of substitution.
Date: _______
Signature: _______
(Signature must correspond to name as written upon the face of the attached Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.)
Signature Guaranteed: _______
Signature must be guaranteed by a SCHEDULE A Canadian chartered bank, a major trust company in Canada, a member of the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program ("STAMP"), a member of the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program ("SEMP") or a member of the New York Stock Exchange Inc. Medallion Program (each, an "Eligible Institution") or in some other manner satisfactory to the Rights Agent (except that no guarantee is required if the signature is that of an Eligible Institution).
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CERTIFICATE
(To be completed if true.)
The undersigned party transferring Rights hereunder hereby represents, for the benefit of all holders of Rights and Common Shares, that the Rights evidenced by the attached Rights Certificate are not, and, to the knowledge of the undersigned, have never been, Beneficially Owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof or by any Person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof. Capitalized terms shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in the Shareholder Rights Agreement.
Date:
Signed:
Print the name of Signatory
Witness (If Signatory is an individual)
NOTICE
In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of Assignment is not completed and signed upon transfer of the Right(s) evidenced by the attached Rights Certificate, the Corporation will deem the Beneficial Owner of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate to be an Acquiring Person (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and, accordingly, such Rights shall be null and void and not transferable or exercisable.
(To be attached to each Rights Certificate.)
63385005.3