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ICWHY Capital Ventures Inc. — Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement 2023
Nov 17, 2023
48245_rns_2023-11-17_90622e98-687b-4d78-9fd6-17b4f402e1ad.pdf
Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement
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ICWHY CAPITAL VENTURES INC.
26, 2365 Abbeyglen Way Kamloops, BC V1S 1Y3 Phone: (778) 362-3037
INFORMATION CIRCULAR
(containing information as at November 17, 2023) For the Annual General Meeting to be held on December 14, 2023
This management information circular (the "Information Circular") is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by management of ICWHY Capital Ventures Inc. for use at the annual general meeting (the "Meeting") of Shareholders (as defined herein) of the Company to be held at 26, 2365 Abbeyglen Way, Kamloops, BC, V1S 1Y3 on Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 10:00 AM Pacific Standard Time and any adjournment thereof, for the purposes set forth in the attached Notice of Annual General Meeting. Except where otherwise indicated, the information contained herein is stated as of November 8, 2023.
In this Information Circular, references to the "Company", "we" and "our" refer to ICWHY Capital Ventures Inc. "Common Shares" means common shares without par value in the capital of the Company. "Registered Shareholders" means shareholders whose names appear on the records of the Company as the registered holders of Common Shares. "Non-Registered Shareholders" or "Beneficial Shareholders" means shareholders who do not hold Common Shares in their own name. "Shareholders" means, collectively, Registered Shareholders and Non-Registered Shareholders or Beneficial Shareholders. "Intermediaries" refers to brokers, investment firms, clearing houses and similar entities that own securities on behalf of Beneficial Shareholders.
SOLICITATION OF PROXIES
The solicitation proxies for the Meeting will be primarily by mail; however, proxies may be solicited personally or by telephone by the directors, officers and employees of the Company. The cost of solicitation will be borne by the Company.
The Company will also be holding a viewing-only portion of the Meeting electronically. Shareholders will not be able to vote if they are only viewing the Meeting electronically and therefore the Company strongly advises that any Shareholder who wishes to vote at the Meeting vote in advance of the Meeting and in any event at least 48 hours in advance of the Meeting or any postponement or adjournment thereof. Shareholders are reminded that only Shareholders and duly appointed proxyholders will be permitted to attend the Meeting by electronic means. If any Shareholder does wish to attend the Meeting in person or by electronic means, please contact Randy Clifford at (778) 362-3037 or by email at [email protected] in order for arrangements to be made in respect of attending the Meeting in person or to pre-register with the Company to attend the Meeting online on a viewing-only basis and receive the necessary Meeting login details. In the event it is not possible or advisable to hold the Meeting in person, the Company will announce alternative arrangements for the Meeting as promptly as practicable, which may include holding the Meeting entirely by electronic means.
APPOINTMENT AND REVOCATION OF PROXIES
The persons named in the accompanying form of proxy (the "Instrument of Proxy") are directors and/or officers of the Company. A SHAREHOLDER HAS THE RIGHT TO APPOINT A PERSON (WHO NEED NOT BE A SHAREHOLDER) TO ATTEND AND ACT FOR THEM ON THEIR BEHALF AT THE MEETING OTHER THAN THE PERSONS NAMED IN THE ENCLOSED INSTRUMENT OF PROXY. TO EXERCISE THIS RIGHT, A SHAREHOLDER SHALL STRIKE OUT THE NAMES OF THE PERSONS NAMED IN THE INSTRUMENT OF PROXY AND INSERT THE NAME OF THEIR NOMINEE IN THE BLANK SPACE PROVIDED, OR COMPLETE ANOTHER INSTRUMENT OF PROXY. A PROXY WILL NOT BE VALID UNLESS IT IS DEPOSITED WITH THE COMPANY'S REGISTRAR AND TRANSFER AGENT, COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR SERVICES INC. ("COMPUTERSHARE" OR THE"TRANSFER AGENT"), 8 TH FLOOR, 100 UNIVERSITY AVENUE, TORONTO, ONTARIO, M5J 2Y1, ON OR BEFORE 10:00 A.M., PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2023, OR, IN THE EVENT OF AN ADJOURNMENT, NOT LESS THAN 48 HOURS (EXCLUDING SATURDAY, SUNDAY AND HOLIDAYS) BEFORE THE TIME OF THE ADJOURNED MEETING.
The instrument of proxy must be signed by the Shareholder or by his attorney in writing, or, if the Shareholder is a Company, it must either be under its common seal or signed by a duly authorized officer.
A Shareholder who has given a proxy may revoke it at any time before it is exercised. In addition to revocation in any other manner permitted by law, a proxy may be revoked by an instrument in writing executed by the Shareholder or by their attorney authorized in writing, or, if the Shareholder is a corporation, it must either be under its common seal, or signed by a duly authorized officer and deposited at Computershare, 8 th floor,100 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2Y1, at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the day of the Meeting, or any adjournment of it, at which the proxy is to be used, or to the Chairperson of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting or any adjournment of it. A revocation of a proxy does not affect any matter on which a vote has been taken prior to the revocation.
VOTING OF COMMON SHARES AND EXERCISE OF DISCRETION OF PROXIES
On any poll, the persons named in the enclosed Instrument of Proxy will vote the Common Shares in respect of which they are appointed. Where directions are given by the Shareholder in respect of voting for or against any resolution, the proxy holder will do so in accordance with such direction.
IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY INSTRUCTION IN THE PROXY, IT IS INTENDED THAT SUCH COMMON SHARES WILL BE VOTED IN FAVOUR OF THE MOTIONS PROPOSED TO BE MADE AT THE MEETING AS STATED UNDER THE HEADINGS IN THIS INFORMATION CIRCULAR. The Instrument of Proxy enclosed, when properly signed, confers discretionary authority with respect to amendments or variations to the matters which may properly be brought before the Meeting. At the time of printing this Information Circular, the Management of the Company is not aware that any such amendments, variations or other matters are to be presented for action at the Meeting. However, if any other matters which are not now known to the Management should properly come before the Meeting, the proxies hereby solicited will be voted on such matters in accordance with the best judgment of the nominee.
In order to approve a motion proposed at the Meeting, a majority of greater than 50% of the votes cast will be required (an "Ordinary Resolution") unless the motion requires a "special resolution", in which case a majority of not less than 66-2/3% of the votes cast will be required. In the event that a motion proposed at the Meeting requires disinterested Shareholder approval, Common Shares held by Shareholders of the Company who are also "insiders", as such term is defined under applicable securities laws, will be excluded from the count of votes cast on such motion.
ADVICE TO BENEFICIAL SHAREHOLDERS
The information set forth in this section is of significant importance to many Shareholders, as a substantial number of the Shareholders do not hold their Common Shares in their own name. Shareholders holding their Common Shares through their brokers, intermediaries, trustees or other parties, or otherwise not holding their Common Shares in their own name (referred to in this Information Circular as "Beneficial Shareholders") should note that only proxies deposited by Shareholders appearing on the records maintained by Computershare as registered holders of Common Shares will be recognized and acted upon at the Meeting. If Common Shares are listed in an account statement provided to a Beneficial Shareholder by a broker, those Common Shares, in all likelihood, will NOT be registered in the Shareholder's name. Such Common Shares will more likely be registered under the name of the Shareholder's broker or an agent of that broker. In Canada, the vast majority of such Common Shares are registered under the name of CDS & Co., the registration name for The Canadian Depository for Securities Limited, which acts as nominee for many Canadian brokerage firms. Common Shares held by brokers (or their agents or nominees) on behalf of a broker's client can only be voted (for or against resolutions) at the direction of the Beneficial Shareholder. Without specific instructions, brokers and their agents and nominees are prohibited from voting Common Shares for the broker's clients. Therefore, each Beneficial Shareholder should ensure that voting instructions are communicated to the appropriate party well in advance of the Meeting.
Regulatory polices require brokers and other intermediaries to seek voting instructions from Beneficial Shareholders in advance of shareholder meetings. The various brokers and other intermediaries have their own mailing procedures and provide their own return instructions to clients, which should be carefully followed by the Beneficial Shareholders in order to ensure that their Common Shares are voted at the Meeting. The form requesting such voting instructions (a "VIF") supplied to the Beneficial Shareholder by its broker (or the agent of the broker) is substantially similar to the Proxy provided directly to the Registered Shareholders by the Company, however, its purpose is limited to instructing the Registered Shareholder (i.e., the broker or agent of the broker) how to vote on behalf of the Beneficial Shareholder.
Most brokers now delegate responsibility for obtaining instructions from clients to Broadridge Investor Communications ("Broadridge") in Canada. Broadridge typically prepares a machine-readable VIF, mails those forms to Beneficial Shareholders and asks Beneficial Shareholders to return the VIFs to Broadridge (by way of mail, the Internet or telephone). Broadridge then tabulates the results of all instructions received and provides appropriate instructions respecting the voting of Common Shares to be represented at the Meeting. A Beneficial Shareholder cannot use a VIF to vote Common Shares directly at the Meeting. The VIF must be returned to Broadridge (or instructions respecting the voting of Common Shares must otherwise be communicated to Broadridge) or other third party in accordance with the instructions on the VIF well in advance of the Meeting in order to have the Common Shares voted. If you have any questions respecting the voting of Common Shares held through a broker or other Intermediary, please contact that broker or other Intermediary for assistance.
Although a Beneficial Shareholder may not be recognized directly at a Meeting for the purposes of voting Common Shares registered in the name of their broker, a Beneficial Shareholder may attend the Meeting as Proxyholder for the Registered Shareholder and vote the Common Shares in that capacity if the Company receives a properly completed proxy from the Intermediary. Beneficial Shareholders wishing to attend the Meeting and indirectly vote their Common Shares as Proxyholder for the Registered Shareholder, should enter their own names in the blank space on the VIF provided to them and return it in accordance with the instructions provided by such party on the VIF.
These security holder materials are being sent to both Registered Shareholders and Non-Registered Shareholders. If you are a Non-Registered Shareholder and the Company or the Transfer Agent has sent these materials directly to you, your name and address and information about your holdings of securities have been obtained in accordance with applicable securities regulatory requirements from the intermediary holding on your behalf. In this event, by choosing to send these materials to you directly, the Company (and not the intermediary holding on your behalf) has assumed responsibility for (i) delivering these materials to you; and (ii) executing your proper voting instructions. Please return your voting instructions as specified in the request for voting instructions.
There are two kinds of Beneficial Shareholders, those who object to their name being made known to the issuers of securities which they own ("OBOs" for Objecting Beneficial Owners) and those who do not object to the issuers of the securities they own knowing who they are ("NOBOs" for Non-Objecting Beneficial Owners). Pursuant to National Instrument 54-101 "Communication with Beneficial Owners of Securities of a Reporting Issuer" ("NI 54- 101") issuers can obtain a list of their NOBOs from intermediaries for distribution of proxy related materials directly to NOBOs.
This year, the Company has decided to take advantage of those provisions of NI 54-101 that permit it to directly deliver proxy-related materials to its NOBOs. As a result, NOBOs can expect to receive a scannable VIF from the Transfer Agent. These VIFs are to be completed and returned to Computershare in the envelope provided or by facsimile. In addition, Computershare provides both telephone voting and internet voting as described on the VIF itself which contains complete instructions. Computershare will tabulate the results of the VIFs received from NOBOs and will provide appropriate instructions at the Meeting with respect to the Common Shares represented by the VIFs they receive.
In accordance with the Provisions of NI 54-101, the Company has elected not to pay for mailing to OBO's. As a result, OBO's will only receive paper copies of proxy-related materials if the OBO's intermediary assumes the costs of delivery.
RECORD DATE AND QUORUM
The board of directors (the "Board") of the Company has fixed the record date for the Meeting as the close of business on November 8, 2023 (the "Record Date"). Shareholders of record as at the Record Date are entitled to receive notice of the Meeting and to vote their Common Shares at the Meeting, except to the extent that any such Shareholder transfers any Common Shares after the Record Date and the transferee of those Common Shares establishes that the transferee owns the Common Shares and demands, not less than ten (10) days before the Meeting, that the transferee's name be included in the list of Shareholders entitled to vote at the Meeting, in which case, only such transferee shall be entitled to vote such Common Shares at the Meeting.
Under the Company's Articles, the quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of Shareholders is two (2) persons who are, or represent by proxy, Shareholders holding, in the aggregate, at least five percent (5%) of the Common Shares entitled to be voted at the meeting.
VOTING COMMON SHARES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS THEREOF
The authorized capital of the Company consists of an unlimited number of Common Shares and an unlimited number of preferred shares having attached thereto the special rights and restrictions as set forth in the Articles of the Company. On the Record Date, there were 6,300,000 Common Shares issued and outstanding, each share carrying the right to one vote. No Preferred shares have been issued. The Company has no other classes of voting shares.
To the knowledge of the directors and senior officers of the Company, as of the Record Date, there are no persons or corporations that beneficially own, or control or direct, directly or indirectly, Common Shares carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to all outstanding Common Shares of the Company other than those listed below:
John Randolph Clifford 1,000,000 Common Shares 15.87%
The information above is not within the knowledge of the management of the Company and has been furnished by the respective nominees accordingly.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended March 31, 2023 (the "Financial Statements"), together with the Auditors' Report thereon, will be presented to Shareholders at the Meeting. The Financial Statements, the Auditor's Report thereon together with Management Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for the financial year ended March 31, 2023 are currently available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The Notice of Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, Information Circular, Request for Financial Statements (NI 51-102) and form of Proxy are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, from the Company's Registrar and Transfer Agent, Computershare at 8 th floor, 100 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2Y1, or from the Company's head office located at. 26, 2365 Abbeyglen Way, Kamloops, BC, V1S 1Y3.
REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
National Instrument 51-102 "Continuous Disclosure Obligations" sets out the procedures for a Shareholder to receive financial statements. If you wish to receive financial statements, you may use the enclosed form or provide instructions in any other written format. Registered Shareholders must also provide written instructions in order to receive the financial statements.
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
The persons named in the enclosed instrument of proxy intend to vote in favour of a resolution fixing the number of directors to be elected at five (5). Although Management is nominating five individuals to stand for election, subject to compliance with the Company's Articles of Incorporation (see "Advance Notice Provisions" below), the names of further nominees for directors may be put forth at the Meeting.
Each director of the Company is elected annually and holds office until the next annual meeting of Shareholders, or until his successor is duly elected, or until his resignation as a director.
In the absence of express instructions to the contrary, the Common Shares represented by proxy will be voted for the nominees herein listed. Management does not contemplate that any of the nominees will be unable to serve as a director.
ADVANCE NOTICE PROVISIONS
The Company's Articles of Incorporation include advance notice provisions (the "Advance Notice Provisions"), which provide, among other things, a provision that requires advance notice be given to the Company in circumstances where nomination of persons for election to the Board are made by Shareholders of the Company. The Advance Notice Provisions set a deadline by which Shareholders must submit nominations (a "Notice") for the election of directors to the Company prior to any annual or special meeting of Shareholders. The Advance Notice Provisions also set forth the information that a Shareholder must include in the Notice to the Company, and establish the form in which the Shareholder must submit the Notice for that notice to be in proper written form.
In the case of an annual meeting of Shareholders, a Notice must be provided to the Company not less than 30 days and not more than 65 days prior to the date of the annual meeting. However, in the event that the annual meeting is to be held on a date that is less than 50 days after the date on which the first public announcement of the date of the annual meeting was made, a Notice must be provided to the Company not later than the close of business on the 10th day following such public announcement.
As of the date of this Information Circular, the Company has not received notice of a nomination in compliance with the Advance Notice Provisions.
INFORMATION CONCERNING NOMINEES SUBMITTED BY MANAGEMENT
The following table sets out the names of the persons proposed to be nominated by management of the Company for election as a director, the province and country in which each person is ordinarily resident, the positions and offices which each presently holds with the Company, the date for which each person became a director of the Company, the respective principal occupations or employment during the past five years and the number of Common Shares of the Company which each beneficially owns, or controls or directs, directly or indirectly, as of the date of this Information Circular. Each of the five (5) nominees are currently directors of the Company.
| Name, Province andCountry of OrdinaryResidence (1) | Principal Occupation(1) | Date First Became aDirector | Number of CommonShares BeneficiallyOwned, Directly orIndirectly (1) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Randolph Clifford(2)CEO, CFO, CorporateSecretary & DirectorBritish Columbia, Canada | Independent Businessman | March 23, 2021 | 1,000,000 | |
| Josh Gerstein(2)DirectorOntario, Canada | Consultant, Everfront Capital Corp. | March 23, 2021 | 500,000 | |
| Jim Sekora(2)DirectorAlberta, Canada | Contract CFO, Tannjinn EnterprisesInc. | March 23, 2021 | 700,000 | |
| Jon GrahamDirectorOntario, Canada | President, Canada Film InvestmentCorporation | March 23, 2021 | 400,000 | |
| Kevin PattersonDirectorSaskatchewan, Canada | President, Patterson Capital Corp. | March 23, 2021 | 400,000 |
(1) The information as to province and country of ordinary residence, principal occupation, business or employment and Common Shares beneficially owned or controlled is not within the knowledge of the management of the Company and has been furnished by the respective nominees.
(2) Denotes member of the Audit Committee.
Other than as specified below, no proposed director of the Company is, or has been, within the 10 years prior to the date of this Information Circular:
- (a) a director or executive officer of any company that was subject to a cease trade or similar order or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation, that was in effect for a period of more than 30 consecutive days, while that person was acting in that capacity;
- (b) a director or executive officer of any company that was subject to a cease trade or similar order or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation, that was in effect for a period of more than 30 consecutive days, that was issued after the proposed director ceased to act in that capacity and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in that capacity;
- (c) a director or executive officer of any 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;
- (d) 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 director or officer; or
- (e) has been subject to any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation or by any securities regulatory authority or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority, or has been subject to any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body or self-regulatory authority that would be likely to be considered important to a reasonable investor making an investment decision.
All of the nominees are ordinarily resident in Canada.
The Company does not currently have an Executive Committee of the Board.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
In accordance with the provisions of applicable securities legislation, the Company had one (1) "Named Executive Officers" during the financial year ended March 31, 2023, namely, John Randolph Clifford, CEO, CFO and Corporate Secretary.
Definitions: For the purpose of this Information Circular:
"CEO" means an individual who acted as chief executive officer of the company, or acted in a similar capacity, for any part of the most recently completed financial year;
"CFO" means an individual who acted as chief financial officer of the company, or acted in a similar capacity, for any part of the most recently completed financial year;
"closing price" means the price at which the company's security was last sold, on the applicable date,
- (a) in the security's principal marketplace in Canada; or
- (b) if the security is not listed or quoted on a marketplace in Canada, in the security's principal marketplace;
"compensation securities" includes stock options, convertible securities, exchangeable securities and similar instruments including stock appreciation rights, deferred share units and restricted stock units granted or issued by the company or one of its subsidiaries for services provided or to be provided, directly or indirectly, to the company or any of its subsidiaries;
"external management company" includes a subsidiary affiliate or associate of the external management company;
"grant date" means a date determined for financial statement reporting purposes under IFRS 2 Share-based Payment.
"NEO" or "named executive officer" means each of the following individuals:
- (a) a CEO;
- (b) a CFO;
- (c) the most highly compensated executive officers other than the CEO and CFO, at the end of the most recently completed financial year whose total compensation was more than $150,000, as determined in accordance with subsection 1.3(5) of Form 51-102F6V – Statement of Executive Compensation – Ventures Issuers, for that financial year; and
- (d) each individual who would be an NEO under paragraph (c) but for the fact that the individual was neither an executive officer of the company, nor acting in a similar capacity, at the end of that financial year;
"plan" includes any plan, contract, authorization, or arrangement, whether or not set out in any formal document, where cash, compensation securities or any other property may be received, whether for one or more persons;
"underlying securities" means any securities issuable on conversion, exchange or exercise of compensation securities.
DIRECTOR AND NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION
The following information is presented in accordance with Form 51-102F6V – Statement of Executive Compensation – Venture Issuers and provides details of all compensation for each of the directors and Named Executive Officers of the Company for the years ended March 31, 2023 and March 31, 2022.
Director and Named Executive Officer Compensation, Excluding Compensation Securities
The following table sets out all compensation paid, payable, awarded, granted, given or otherwise provided, directly or indirectly, by the Company, to each NEO and each director, in any capacity, for the years ended March 31, 2023 and March 31, 2022.
| TABLE OF COMPENSATION EXCLUDING COMPENSATION SECURITIES | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name andPosition | Year | Salary,consultingfee,retainer orcommission($) | Bonus($) | Committeeormeetingfees($) | Value ofperquisites($) | Value ofall othercompensation($) | Totalcompensation($) |
| John Randolph CliffordCEO, CFO, CorporateSecretary and Director | 20232022 | NilNil | NilNil | NilNil | NilNil | NilNil | NilNil |
| Josh Gerstein | 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Director | 2022 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Jim Sekora | 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Director | 2022 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Jon Graham | 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Director | 2022 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Kevin Patterson | 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Director | 2022 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Stock Options and Other Compensation Securities
The following table sets out all compensation securities granted to the Named Executive Officers and the Directors of the Company during the financial year ended March 31, 2023.
| COMPENSATION SECURITIES | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and position | Type ofcompensationsecurity | Number ofcompensationsecurities,number ofunderlyingsecurities, andpercentage ofclass | Dateofissueorgrant | Issue,conversionor exerciseprice($) | Closingprice ofsecurity orunderlyingsecurity ondate ofgrant($) | Closingprice ofsecurity orunderlyingsecurity atyear end($) | Expirydate |
| John RandolphCliffordCEO, CFO,Corporate Secretaryand Director | Stock options | 210,000 | June17,2022 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $ 0.08 | June17,2032 |
| Josh GersteinDirector | Stock options | 107,000 | June17,2022 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $ 0.08 | June17,2032 |
| Jim SekoraDirector | Stock options | 145,000 | June17,2022 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $ 0.08 | June17,2032 |
| Jon GrahamDirector | Stock options | 84,000 | June17,2022 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $ 0.08 | June17,2032 |
| Kevin PattersonDirector | Stock options | 84,000 | June17,2022 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $ 0.08 | June17,2032 |
Exercise of Compensation Securities
The following table sets out particulars of the exercise of compensation securities granted to the Named Executive Officers and the directors of the Company during the financial year ended March 31, 2023.
| EXERCISE OF COMPENSATION SECURITIES BY DIRECTORS AND NEOS | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and position | Type ofcompensationsecurity | Number ofunderlyingsecuritiesexercised | Exercisepricepersecurity($) | Date ofexercise | Closingprice ofsecurity orunderlyingsecurityon date ofexercise($) | Differencebetweenexerciseprice andclosingprice ondate ofexercise($) | Totalvalue onexercisedate($) |
| John RandolphCliffordCEO, CFO,Corporate Secretaryand Director | Stock options | Nil | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Josh GersteinDirector | Stock options | Nil | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Jim SekoraDirector | Stock options | Nil | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Jon GrahamDirector | Stock options | Nil | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Kevin PattersonDirector | Stock options | Nil | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Stock Option Plans and Other Incentive Plans
In connection with the completion of the Company's initial public offering on June 17, 2022, the Company adopted a stock option plan (the "Stock Option Plan") pursuant to which the Board may grant stock options (the "Stock Options") to purchase common shares of the Company to NEOs, directors and employees of the Company or affiliated corporations and to consultants retained by the Company.
The purpose of the Stock Option Plan is to advance the interests of the Company by encouraging the directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company, and of its subsidiaries and affiliates, if any, to acquire common shares in the capital of the Company, thereby increasing their proprietary interest in the Company, encouraging them to remain associated with the Company and furnishing them with additional incentive in their efforts on behalf of the Company in the conduct of its affairs.
The number of common shares of the Company which may be the subject of Stock Options on a yearly basis to any one person cannot exceed five (5%) percent of the number of issued and outstanding common shares at the time of the grant. Stock Options may be granted to any employee, officer, director, consultant, affiliate or subsidiary of the Company exercisable at a price which is not less than the discounted market price of common shares of the Company on the date of the grant. The directors of the Company may, by resolution, determine the time period during which any stock option may be exercised (the "Exercise Period"), provided that the Exercise Period does not contravene any rule or regulation of such exchange on which the common shares of the Company may be listed. All Stock Options will terminate on the earliest to occur of (a) the expiry of their term; and (b) the date that is 12 months after the optionee ceases to be a director, officer, technical consultant or employee of the Company for any reason other than death*.*
Stock Options are non-assignable and are subject to early termination in the event of the death of a participant or in the event a participant ceases to be a NEO, director, employee, consultant, affiliate, or subsidiary of the Company, as the case may be. Subject to the foregoing restrictions, and certain other restrictions set out in the Stock Option Plan, the Board is authorized to provide for the granting of Stock Options and the exercise and method of exercise of Stock Options granted under the Stock Option Plan.
As long as the Company is classified as a CPC, the terms and conditions of the Stock Option Plan will remain subject to the following specific restrictions:
(a) Options granted by the CPC may only entitle the participant to acquire shares of the CPC. Options may only be granted to a director or officer of the CPC, and where permitted by applicable securities legislation, a technical consultant whose particular industry expertise in relation to the business of the Vendors (as defined in Policy 2.4 of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") or the Target Company (as defined in Policy 2.4 of the Exchange), as the case may be, is required to evaluate the proposed Qualifying Transaction, or a company, all of whose securities are owned, directly and indirectly, by such a director, officer or technical consultant. The total number of shares reserved for issuance pursuant to options may not exceed 10% of the CPC's common shares outstanding as at the closing of the CPC's initial public offering (the "IPO").
- (b) The number of common shares reserved for issuance pursuant to Options to any individual director or officer may not exceed 5% of the CPC's common shares outstanding as at the closing of the IPO. The number of Shares reserved for issuance pursuant to Options to all technical consultants may not exceed 2% of the common shares outstanding as at the closing of the IPO. Options granted by a CPC are subject to the percentage limitations set forth in Policy 4.4 of the Exchange.
- (c) The CPC is prohibited from granting Options to any person providing Investor Relations Activities (as defined in the policies of the Exchange), promotional or market-making services.
- (d) The exercise price per share under any Option granted by a CPC cannot be less than the greater of the IPO Share (as defined in the policies of the Exchange) price and the Discounted Market Price (as defined in the policies of the Exchange).
The Company currently has no equity compensation plans other than the Stock Option Plan. The Company anticipates that, particularly following completion of its Qualifying Transaction, the Stock Option Plan will be an important part of the Company's long-term incentive strategy for its executive officers. The Stock Option Plan is intended to reinforce commitment to long-term growth in profitability and Shareholder value. The size of stock option grants to officers is dependent on each officer's level of responsibility, authority and importance to the Company and the degree to which such executive officer's long term contribution to the Company will be key to its long-term success. Previous grants of stock options will be taken into account by the Board when considering new grants.
There are presently 630,000 stock options outstanding under the Stock Option Plan, all of which are held directly by NEOs or directors of the Company. For further information regarding the terms of the Stock Option Plan, see "Particulars of Other Matters to be Acted Upon – Approval of Rolling Stock Option Plan" below.
Employment, Consulting and Management Agreements
Management functions of the Company are not, to any substantial degree, performed other than by NEOs or directors of the Company. During the year ended March 31, 2023, there were no agreements or arrangements that provide for compensation to NEOs or directors of the Company, or that provide for payments to a NEO or director at, following or in connection with any termination (whether voluntary, involuntary or constructive), resignation, retirement, severance, a change of control in the Company or a change in the NEO or director's responsibilities.
Oversight and Description of Director and Named Executive Officer Compensation
The Board has not appointed a compensation committee so the responsibilities relating to executive and director compensation, including reviewing and recommending director compensation, overseeing the Company's base compensation structure and equity-based compensation program, recommending compensation of the Company's officers and employees, and evaluating the performance of officers generally and in light of annual goals and objectives, is performed by the Board as a whole.
NEO compensation is typically comprised of a base salary, stock options, and as circumstances permit, pre-set or discretionary bonuses. Base salary seeks to provide a competitive and fair level of base compensation. Stock option awards seek to incentivize executives and align the executives' interests with increases in shareholder value and short and long term corporate growth and success. Bonuses seek to incentivize executives to satisfy particular corporate goals or objectives, to improve financial performance and to achieve other milestones or are awarded on a discretionary basis as a result of exemplary performance. Base salary and other compensation mechanisms are not evaluated against a formal "peer" group but will be determined by the Board in reliance upon the general experience of its members.
The Board also assumes responsibility for reviewing and monitoring the long-range compensation strategy for the senior management of the Company. The Board reviews the compensation of senior management on an as required basis taking into account compensation paid by other issuers of similar size and activity.
In accordance with the policies of the Exchange, until the Company has completed its Qualifying Transaction, it is prohibited from paying any remuneration, including salaries, consulting fees, management fees, bonuses, or similar fees to NEOs. The Company has granted incentive options to its NEO and its directors after considering: (i) the experience of the Company's directors in making option grants to NEOs by other Capital Pool Companies and (ii) the amount and terms of outstanding options and the number of options remaining available to management and the Board. Until the Company has completed its Qualifying Transaction, specific performance targets are not built into the compensation structure.
The Board has not conducted a formal evaluation of the implications of the risks associated with the Company's compensation policies. Risk management is a consideration of the Board when implementing its compensation policies and the Board do not believe that the Company's compensation policies result in unnecessary or inappropriate risk taking including risks that are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.
Pension Disclosure
No pension, retirement or deferred compensation plans, including defined contribution plans, have been instituted by the Company and none are proposed at this time.
SECURITIES AUTHORIZED FOR ISSUANCE UNDER EQUITY COMPENSATION PLANS
The following table sets forth information with respect to all compensation plans under which equity securities are authorized for issuance as of March 31, 2023:
| Number of securities tobe issued upon exerciseof outstanding options,warrants and rights | Weighted-averageexercise price ofoutstanding options,warrants and rights | Number of securities remainingavailable for future issuanceunder equity compensation plans(excluding securities reflected incolumn (a)) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan Category | (a) | (b) | it's a |
| Equity compensation plansapproved by security holders | 630,000 | $ 0.10 | Nil |
| Equity compensation plansnot approved by securityholders(1) | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| TOTAL | 630,000 | $ 0.10 | Nil |
(1) Represents the Company's Stock Option Plan. As discussed under the heading "Particulars of Other Matters to be Acted On" below, the Company's Stock Option Plan will be submitted to Shareholders for approval at the Meeting.
INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS AND SENIOR OFFICERS
Other than "routine indebtedness" as defined in applicable securities legislation, since the beginning of the last fiscal year of the Company, none of the executive officers, directors or employees, any former executive officers, directors or employees of the Company, or any proposed nominee for election as a director, or any affiliate or associate of any of the foregoing, is or has been indebted to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or has been indebted to any other entity where that indebtedness was the subject of a guarantee, support agreement, letter of credit or other similar arrangement or understanding provided by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
INTEREST OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS
Except as disclosed herein or above, since the commencement of the Company's most recently completed financial year, no informed person (a director, officer, employee, or holder of 10% or more Common Shares) or nominee for election as a director of the Company or any associate or affiliate of any informed person or proposed director had any interest in any transaction which has materially affected or would materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
National Instrument 52-110 "Audit Committees" ("NI 52-110") requires the Company, as a venture issuer, to disclose annually in its information circular certain information concerning the constitution of its audit committee and its relationship with its independent auditor, as set forth in the following.
Audit Committee Disclosure
Pursuant to Section 224(1) of the British Columbia Business Corporations Act and NI 52-110 the Company is required to have an audit committee comprised of not less than three directors, a majority of whom are not officers, control persons or employees of the Company or an affiliate of the Company. NI 52-110 requires the Company as a venture issuer, to disclose annually in its information circular certain information concerning the makeup of its audit committee and its relationship with its independent auditor.
The primary function of the audit committee of the Company (the "Committee") is to assist the Board in fulfilling its financial oversight responsibilities by: (i) reviewing the financial reports and other financial information provided by
the Company to regulatory authorities and Shareholders; (ii) reviewing the systems for internal corporate controls which have been established by the Board and management; and (iii) overseeing the Company's financial reporting processes generally. In meeting these responsibilities, the Committee monitors the financial reporting process and internal control system; reviews and appraises the work of external auditors and provides an avenue of communication between the external auditors, senior management and the Board. The Committee is also mandated to review and approve all material related party transactions.
Composition of the Audit Committee
The Committee is comprised of the following members: (i) John Randolph Clifford; (ii) Josh Gerstein; and (iii) Jim Sekora;. Each member of the Committee is considered to be financially literate as defined by NI 52-110 in that he has the ability to read and understand a set of financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can presumably be expected to be raised by the Company's financial statements.
The members of the Committee are elected by the Board at its first meeting following the annual Shareholders' meeting. Unless a chair is elected by the full Board, the members of the Committee designate a chair by a majority vote of the full Committee membership.
Relevant Education and Experience
John Randolph Clifford – Not Independent – Mr. Clifford has over thirty-five years of corporate management and consulting experience with numerous public and private companies as a CEO and CFO. Mr. Clifford has been directly responsible for preparation for the financial reporting with most of these companies.
Josh Gerstein – Independent – Mr. Gerstein has a Master of Business Administration and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Arts in statistics from the University of Western Ontario. Mr. Gerstein also has extensive experience as a director and officer of private and public companies.
Jim Sekora – Independent – Mr. Sekora has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calgary. Mr. Sekora has been a Chartered Accountant since 1986 and has over 30 years of public and private business experience.
All of the members of the Committee are "financially literate" as that term is defined in NI 52-110.
The Audit Committee's Charter
The Company has adopted a Charter of the Audit Committee of the Board, a copy of which is annexed hereto as Schedule "A".
Audit Committee Oversight
Since the commencement of the Company's most recently completed financial year, the Board has not failed to adopt a recommendation of the Committee to nominate or compensate an external auditor.
Reliance on Certain Exemptions
Since the commencement of the Company's most recently completed financial year, the Company has not relied on the exemptions contained in sections 2.4, 6.1.1(4), 6.1.1(5), 6.1.1(6) or 8 of the Instrument. Section 2.4 provides an exemption from the requirement that the audit committee must pre-approve all non-audit services to be provided by the auditor, where the total amount of fees related to the non-audit services are not expected to exceed 5% of the total fees payable to the auditor in the fiscal year in which the non-audit services were provided. Sections 6.1.1(4), 6.1.1(5) and 6.1.1(6) provide exemptions from audit committee composition requirements applicable to venture issuers in certain circumstances. Section 8 permits a company to apply to a securities regulatory authority for an exemption from the requirements of NI 52-110, in whole or in part.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Committee has not adopted specific policies and procedures for the engagement of non-audit services. Subject to the requirements of NI 52-110, the engagement of non-audit services is considered by the Board, and where applicable the Committee, on a case-by-case basis.
External Auditor Service Fees
In the following table, "audit fees" are fees billed by the Company's external auditor for services provided in auditing the Company's annual financial statements for the subject year. "Audit-related fees" are fees not included in audit fees that are billed by the auditor for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Company's financial statements. "Tax fees" are fees billed by the auditor for professional services rendered for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning. "All other fees" are fees billed by the auditor for products and services not included in the foregoing categories.
The fees paid by the Company to its auditor in each of the last two fiscal years, by category, are as follows:
| Financial YearEnding | Audit Fees | Audit Related Fees | Tax Fees | All Other Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $8,400 | Nil | $1,680 | Nil |
| 2022 | $6,563 | Nil | Nil | $3,150 |
Exemption
The Company is relying on the exemption provided by section 6.1 of NI 52-110 which provides that the Company, as a venture issuer, is not required to comply with Part 3 (Composition of the Audit Committee) and Part 5 (Reporting Obligations) of NI 52-110.
APPOINTMENT AND REMUNERATION OF AUDITORS
The persons named in the enclosed Instrument of Proxy will vote for the re-appointment of Saturna Group Chartered Professional Accountants LLP as auditors for the Company, to hold office until the next annual meeting of the Shareholders, at a remuneration to be fixed by the Board, and the persons named in the enclosed Proxy intend to vote in favour of such re-appointment. Saturna Group Chartered Professional Accountants LLP has been the auditor of the company since June 22, 2021.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS
The Company is not a party to a management contract with any directors or officers of the Company.
PARTICULARS OF OTHER MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
APPROVAL OF ROLLING STOCK OPTION PLAN
On October 12, 2021, the Company implemented a 10% rolling Stock Option Plan. Under the policies of the Exchange, a rolling stock option plan, such as the Company's must be approved by Shareholders on a yearly basis.
Accordingly, at the Meeting, Shareholders will be asked to pass an Ordinary Resolution approving the Company's Stock Option Plan. A summary of the material provisions of the Stock Option Plan are as follows:
-
- the Stock Option Plan reserves, for issue pursuant to stock options, a maximum number of Common Shares equal to 10% of the outstanding Common Shares of the Company from time to time, with no mandatory vesting provisions;
-
- the number of Common Shares reserved for issue to any one person in any 12 month period under the Stock Option Plan may not exceed 5% of the outstanding Common Shares at the time of grant without Disinterested Shareholder Approval (as defined in Policy 4.4 of the Exchange);
-
- the number of Common Shares reserved for issue to any Consultant (as defined by the Exchange) in any 12 month period under the Stock Option Plan may not exceed 2% of the outstanding Common Shares at the time of grant;
-
- the aggregate number of Common Shares reserved for issue to any persons conducting Investor Relations Activities (as defined by the Exchange) in any 12 month period under the Stock Option Plan may not exceed 2% of the outstanding Common Shares at the time of grant;
-
- the number of Common Shares issued to any one person within a 12 month period on the exercise of stock options may not exceed 5% of the outstanding Common Shares at the time of exercise without Disinterested Shareholder Approval;
-
- options issued to persons retained to provide Investor Relations Activities must vest in stages over a period of not less than 12 months with no more than 1/4 of the options vesting in any 3 month period;
-
- the exercise price per common shares for a stock option may not be less than the Discounted Market Price (as determined pursuant to the policies of the Exchange);
-
- stock options may have a term not exceeding ten years;
-
- if an optionee dies prior to the expiry of his option, each stock option held by such optionee shall terminate and cease to be exercisable no later than the earlier of the last day of the term for a stock option and the date which is one year after the date of the optionee's death;
-
- if an optionee ceases to be a director, officer, technical consultant or employee of the Company for any reason other than death, each stock option held by such optionee shall terminate and cease to be exercisable on the date that is 12 months after the optionee ceases to be a director, officer, technical consultant or employee of the Company;
-
- all stock options are non-assignable and non-transferable; and
-
- the Stock Option Plan contains provisions for adjustment in the number of Common Shares or other property issuable on exercise of stock options in the event of a share consolidation, split, reclassification or other relevant change in the Common Shares, or an amalgamation, merger or other relevant change in the Company's corporate structure, or any other relevant change in the Company's capitalization.
A copy of the Stock Option Plan is available on request from the Company.
The text of the resolution to be passed is as follows:
"BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Company's rolling Stock Option Plan, be and is hereby ratified, confirmed and approved with such additional provisions and amendments, provided that such are not inconsistent with the Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, as the directors of the Company may deem necessary or advisable."
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Corporate governance relates to the activities of the Board, the members of which are elected by and are accountable to the Shareholders, and takes into account the role of the individual members of management who are appointed by the Board and charged with the day to day management of the Company. The Canadian Securities Administrators (the "CSA") have adopted National Policy 58-201 "Corporate Governance Guidelines", which provides non prescriptive guidelines on corporate governance practices for reporting issuers such as the Company. In addition, the CSA have implemented National Instrument 58-101 "Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices", which prescribes certain disclosure by the Company of its corporate governance practices. This disclosure is presented below.
Board of Directors
The composition of the Board currently consists of five (5) members, and it is proposed that at the Meeting the Shareholders will approve this board of directors consisting of John Randolph Clifford, Josh Gerstein, Jim Sekora, Jon Graham and Kevin Patterson.
The Board consists of a majority of individuals who qualify as independent directors. For this purpose, a director is independent if he or she has no direct or indirect "material relationship" with the Company. A "material relationship" is a relationship which could, in the view of the Board, be reasonably expected to interfere with the exercise of the director's independent judgment. Of the proposed nominees, one director, John Randolph Clifford, CEO, CFO and Corporate Secretary, is considered not independent.
Other Reporting Issuers
The following table sets forth the directors of the Company who are currently directors and/or officers of other reporting issuers:
| Name of Director | Name of Reporting Issuer |
|---|---|
| John Randolph Clifford | Smartset Services Inc. |
| Josh Gerstein | Smartset Services Inc. |
| Jim Sekora | Smartset Services Inc. |
Orientation and Continuing Education
Orientation of new members of the Board is conducted informally by management and members of the Board. The Company has not adopted formal policies respecting continuing education for Board members.
Ethical Business Conduct
The Board has not adopted a formal code of business conduct and ethics. The Board is of the view that the fiduciary duties placed on individual directors by the Company's governing legislation and common law together with corporate statutory restrictions on an individual director's participation in Board decisions in which the director has an interest are sufficient to ensure that the Board operates independently of management and in the best interests of the Company.
Nomination of Directors
The Board considers its size each year when it considers the number of directors to recommend to the Shareholders for election at the annual meeting. The Board takes in to account the number of directors required to carry out the Board's duties effectively and to maintain diversity of views and experience.
The Board has not established a nominating committee and this function is currently performed by the Board as a whole.
Compensation
The Board has not established a formal compensation committee. Rather the independent Board members are responsible for reviewing and determining the adequacy and form of compensation paid to the Company's executives and key employees. The independent Board members evaluate the performance of the CEO and other senior management measured against the Company's business goals and industry compensation levels.
Board Committees
The Board has no committees other than the Committee.
Assessments
The Board annually, and at such other times as it deems appropriate, reviews the performance and effectiveness of the Board, the directors and its committees to determine whether changes in size, personnel or responsibilities are warranted. To assist in its review, the Board conducts informal surveys of its directors and receives reports from each committee respecting its own effectiveness. As part of the assessments, the Board or the individual committee may review their respective mandate or charter and conduct reviews of applicable corporate policies.
OTHER MATTERS
The Management of the Company knows of no other matters to come before the Meeting other than those referred to in the Notice of Meeting. Should any other matters properly come before the Meeting; the Common Shares represented by the Proxy solicited hereby will be voted on such matters in accordance with the best judgment of the persons voting by proxy.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information relating to the Company is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Copies of the Company's financial statements and MD&A may be obtained without charge upon request from the Company's registered and records office 1120 – 625 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 2T6. Financial information on the Company is provided in its audited financial statements and Management Discussion & Analysis for the year ended March 31, 2023.
DIRECTOR APPROVAL
The contents of this Information Circular and the sending thereof to the Shareholders have been approved by the Board.
DATED at Kamloops, BC, this 8 th day of November, 2023.
Signed "John Randolph Clifford"
John Randolph Clifford CEO, CFO, Corporate Secretary & Director
SCHEDULE "A" AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARTER
Purpose
The overall purpose of the Audit Committee (the "Committee") of ICWHY CAPITAL VENTURES INC. (the "Company") is to ensure that the Company's management has designed and implemented an effective system of internal financial controls, to review and report on the integrity of the financial statements and related financial disclosure of the Company, and to review the Company's compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements as they relate to financial statements, taxation matters and disclosure of financial information. It is the intention of the Company's board of directors (the "Board") that through the involvement of the Committee, the external audit will be conducted independently of the Company's Management to ensure that the independent auditors serve the interests of Shareholders rather than the interests of Management of the Company. The Committee will act as a liaison to provide better communication between the Board and the external auditors. The Committee will monitor the independence and performance of the Company's independent auditors.
Composition, Procedures and Organization
- (1) The Committee shall consist of at least three members of the Board of Directors (the "Board").
- (2) At least two (2) members of the Committee shall be independent1 and the Committee shall endeavour to appoint a majority of independent directors to the Committee, who in the opinion of the Board, would be free from a relationship which would interfere with the exercise of the Committee members' independent judgment. At least one (1) member of the Committee shall have accounting or related financial management expertise. All members of the Committee that are not financially literate will work towards becoming financially literate to obtain a working familiarity with basic finance and accounting practices applicable to the Company. For the purposes of this Charter, 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 and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Company's financial statements.
- (3) All of the members of the Committee shall be "financially literate"2 .
- (4) The Board, at its organizational meeting held in conjunction with each annual general meeting of the shareholders, shall appoint the members of the Committee for the ensuing year. The Board may at any time remove or replace any member of the Committee and may fill any vacancy in the Committee.
- (5) Unless the Board shall have appointed a chair of the Committee, the members of the Committee shall elect a chair and a secretary from among their number.
- (6) The quorum for meetings shall be a majority of the members of the Committee, present in person or by telephone or other telecommunication device that permits all persons participating in the meeting to speak and to hear each other.
- (7) The Committee shall have access to such officers and employees of the Company and to the Company's external auditors, and to such information respecting the Company, as it considers to be necessary or advisable in order to perform its duties and responsibilities.
- (8) Meetings of the Committee shall be conducted as follows:
- (A) the Committee shall meet at least four times annually at such times and at such locations as may be requested by the chair of the Committee. The external auditors or any member of the Committee may request a meeting of the Committee;
- (B) the external auditors shall receive notice of and have the right to attend all meetings of the Committee;
1 "Independent" member of an audit committee means a member who has no direct or indirect material relationship with the Company. A "material relationship" means a relationship which could, in view of the Company's Board of Directors, reasonably interfere with the exercise of a member's independent judgment.
2 "Financially literate" individual is an individual who has the ability to read and understand a set of financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Company's financial statements.
- (C) management representatives may be invited to attend all meetings except private sessions with the external auditors; and
- (D) the proceedings of all meetings will be minuted.
- (9) The internal auditors and the external auditors shall have a direct line of communication to the Committee through its chair and may bypass management if deemed necessary. The Committee, through its chair, may contact directly any employee in the Company as it deems necessary, and any employee may bring before the Committee any matter involving questionable, illegal or improper financial practices or transactions.
- (10) Any member of the Committee may be removed or replaced at any time by the Board and shall cease to be a member of the Committee on ceasing to be a director. The Board may fill vacancies on the Committee by election from among its number. If and whenever a vacancy shall exist on the Committee, the remaining members may exercise all its powers so long as a quorum remains in office. Subject to the above, each member oftheCommittee shall hold office assuch until the next Annual General Meeting ofthe Shareholders after his/her election.
- (11) The members of the Committee shall be entitled to receive such remuneration for acting as members of the Committee as the Board may from time to time determine.
Roles and Responsibilities
-
(1) The overall duties and responsibilities of the Committee shall be as follows:
- (A) to assist the Board in the discharge of its responsibilities relating to the Company's accounting principles, reporting practices and internal controls and its approval of the Company's annual and quarterly consolidated financial statements and related financial disclosure;
- (B) to establish and maintain a direct line of communication with the Company's internal and external auditors and assess their performance;
- (C) to ensure that the management of the Company has designed, implemented and is maintaining an effective system of internal financial controls; and
- (D) to report regularly to the Board on the fulfillment of its duties and responsibilities.
-
(2) The duties and responsibilities of the Committee as they relate to the external auditors shall be as follows:
- (A) to recommend to the Board a firm of external auditors to be engaged by the Company, and to verify the independence of such external auditors;
- (B) to review and approve the fee, scope and timing of the audit and other related services rendered by the external auditors;
- (C) review the audit plan of the external auditors prior to the commencement of the audit;
- (D) to review with the external auditors, upon completion of their audit:
- (i) contents of their report;
- (ii) scope and quality of the audit work performed;
- (iii) adequacy of the Company's financial and auditing personnel;
- (iv) cooperation received from the Company's personnel during the audit;
- (v) internal resources used;
- (vi) significant transactions outside of the normal business of the Company;
- (vii)significant proposed adjustments and recommendations for improving internal accounting controls, accounting principles or management systems; and
- (viii) the non-audit services provided by the external auditors;
- (E) to discuss with the external auditors the quality and not just the acceptability of the Company's accounting principles;
- (F) to implementstructures and proceduresto ensure that the Committee meetsthe external auditors on a regular basis in the absence of management; and
-
(G) review any significant disagreements between management and the external auditor regarding financial reporting.
-
(3) The duties and responsibilities of the Committee as they relate to the Company's internal auditors are to:
- (A) periodically review the internal audit function with respect to the organization, staffing and effectiveness of the internal audit department;
- (B) review and approve the internal audit plan; and
- (C) review significant internal audit findings and recommendations, and management's response thereto.
-
(4) The duties and responsibilities of the Committee as they relate to the internal control procedures of the Company are to:
- (A) review the appropriateness and effectiveness of the Company's policies and business practices which impact on the financial integrity of the Company, including those relating to internal auditing, insurance, accounting, information services and systems and financial controls, management reporting and risk management;
- (B) review any unresolved issues between management and the external auditors that could affect the financial reporting or internal controls of the Company; and
- (C) periodically review the Company's financial and auditing procedures and the extent to which recommendations made by the internal audit staff or by the external auditors have been implemented.
-
(5) The Committee is also charged with the responsibility to:
- (A) review the Company's quarterly statements of earnings, including the impact of unusual items and changes in accounting principles and estimates and report to the Board with respect thereto;
- (B) review and approve the financial sections of:
- (i) the annual report to Shareholders;
- (ii) the annual information form, if required;
- (iii) annual and interim MD&A;
- (iv) prospectuses;
- (v) news releases discussing financial results of the Company; and
- (vi) other public reports of a financial nature requiring approval by the Board, and report to the Board with respect thereto;
- (C) review regulatory filings and decisions as they relate to the Company's consolidated financial statements;
- (D) review the appropriateness of the policies and procedures used in the preparation of the Company's consolidated financial statements and other required disclosure documents, and consider recommendations for any material change to such policies;
- (E) review and report on the integrity of the Company's consolidated financial statements;
- (F) establish procedures for:
- (i) the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters; and
- (ii) the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the Company of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters;
- (G) review and approve the Company's hiring policies regarding partners, employees and former partners and employees of the present and former external auditor of the Company;
- (H) review and recommend updates to the charter and receive approval of changes from the Board;
- (I) review the minutes of any audit committee meeting of subsidiary companies;
- (J) review with management, the external auditors and, if necessary, with legal counsel, any litigation, claim or other contingency, including tax assessments that could have a material effect upon the financial position
or operating results of the Company and the manner in which such matters have been disclosed in the consolidated financial statements;
- (K) review the Company's compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements as they relate to financial statements, tax matters and disclosure of financial information; and
- (L) perform other functions as requested by the full Board.
- (6) The Committee shall have the authority:
- (A) to engage independent counsel and other advisors as it determines necessary to carry out its duties,
- (B) to set and pay the compensation for any advisors employed by the Committee; and
- (C) to communicate directly with the internal and external auditors.