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Ikigai Capital Corp. — Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement 2024
Nov 13, 2024
48217_rns_2024-11-13_ba6aece3-fc4f-4563-9c77-4ec416e2584a.pdf
Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement
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Ikigai Capital Corp.
905 – 1030 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC V6E 2Y3 Telephone: 604-689-2646
INFORMATION CIRCULAR
SOLICITATION OF PROXIES BY MANAGEMENT
This management information circular (the “Circular”) is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by or on behalf of the management of Ikigai Capital Corp. (the “Company”) for use at the annual general meeting (the “Meeting”) of the shareholders of the Company (the “Shareholders”) to be held at 3200 – 650 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, on Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. (local time) and at any adjournments thereof for the purposes set out in the accompanying Notice of Meeting. Although it is expected that the solicitation of proxies will be primarily by mail, proxies may also be solicited personally, electronically or by telephone by directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Company. Arrangements will also be made with clearing agencies, brokerage houses and other financial intermediaries to forward proxy solicitation material to the beneficial owners of common shares in the capital of the Company (the “ Shares ”) pursuant to the requirements of National Instrument 54-101, Communication with Beneficial Owners of Securities of a Reporting Issuer (“ National Instrument 54-101 ”).
The Canadian securities regulators have adopted new rules under National Instrument 54-101, which permit the use of notice-and-access for proxy solicitation, instead of the traditional physical delivery of material. This new process provides the option to post meeting related materials, including management information circulars, as well as annual financial statements, and related management’s discussion and analysis, on a website in addition to SEDAR+. Under notice-and-access, such meeting related materials will be available for viewing for up to one (1) year from the date of posting, and a paper copy of the material can be requested at any time during this period. The Company is not relying on the notice-andaccess provisions of National Instrument 54-101 to send proxy related materials to registered shareholders or beneficial owners of shares in connection with the Meeting.
The Company may reimburse shareholders’ nominees or intermediaries (including brokers or their agents holding shares on behalf of clients) for the cost incurred in obtaining from their principals authorization to execute forms of proxy. The cost of any such solicitation will be borne by the Company. Unless otherwise stated, the information contained in this Circular is given as at October 29, 2024.
APPOINTMENT OF PROXYHOLDERS AND COMPLETION AND REVOCATION OF PROXIES
The purpose of a proxy is to designate persons who will vote the proxy on a Shareholder’s behalf in accordance with the instructions given by the Shareholder in the proxy. The persons named in the enclosed proxy (the “ Management Designees ”) have been selected by the directors of the Company.
A Shareholder has the right to designate a person (who need not be a Shareholder), other than the Management Designees to represent the Shareholder at the Meeting. Such right may be exercised by inserting in the space provided for that purpose on the proxy the name of the person to be designated, and by deleting from the proxy the names of the Management Designees, or by completing another proper form of proxy and delivering the same to the transfer agent of the Company. Such Shareholder should notify the nominee of the appointment, obtain the nominee’s consent to act as proxyholder and
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attend the Meeting, and provide instructions on how the Shareholder’s shares are to be voted. The nominee should bring personal identification with them to the Meeting.
To be valid, the proxy must be dated and executed by the Shareholder or an attorney authorized in writing, with proof of such authorization attached (where an attorney executed the proxy). The proxy must then be delivered to the Company’s registrar and transfer agent, Endeavor Trust Corporation, Suite 702 – 777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6Z 1S4, or by fax to 604-559-8908, and entering the control number shown on your proxy, at least 48 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, before the time of the Meeting or any adjournment thereof. Proxies received after that time may be accepted by the Chairman of the Meeting in the Chairman’s discretion, but the Chairman is under no obligation to accept late proxies.
Any registered Shareholder who has returned a proxy may revoke it at any time before it has been exercised. A proxy may be revoked by a registered Shareholder personally attending at the Meeting and voting their Shares. A Shareholder may also revoke their proxy in respect of any matter upon which a vote has not already been cast by depositing an instrument in writing, including a proxy bearing a later date executed by the registered Shareholder or by their authorized attorney in writing, or, if the Shareholder is a corporation, under its corporate seal by an officer or attorney thereof duly authorized, either at the office of the Company’s registrar and transfer agent at the foregoing address or the head office of the Company, at 905 – 1030 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6E 2Y3, at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the date of the Meeting, or any adjournment thereof at which the proxy is to be used, or by depositing the instrument in writing with the Chairman of such Meeting, or any adjournment thereof. Only registered Shareholders have the right to revoke a proxy. Non-registered Shareholders who wish to change their vote must, at least seven days before the Meeting, arrange for their respective nominees to revoke the proxy on their behalf.
VOTING OF PROXIES
Voting at the Meeting will be by a show of hands, each registered Shareholder and each proxyholder (representing a registered or unregistered Shareholder) having one vote, unless a poll is required or requested, whereupon each such Shareholder and proxyholder is entitled to one vote for each Share held or represented, respectively. Each Shareholder may instruct their proxyholder how to vote their Shares by completing the blanks on the proxy. All Shares represented at the Meeting by properly executed proxies will be voted or withheld from voting when a poll is required or requested and, where a choice with respect to any matter to be acted upon has been specified in the form of proxy, the Shares represented by the proxy will be voted in accordance with such specification. In the absence of any such specification as to voting on the proxy, the Management Designees, if named as proxyholder, will vote in favour of the matters set out therein.
The enclosed proxy confers discretionary authority upon the Management Designees, or other person named as proxyholder, with respect to amendments to or variations of matters identified in the Notice of Meeting and any other matters which may properly come before the Meeting. As of the date hereof, the Company is not aware of any amendments to, variations of or other matters which may come before the Meeting. If other matters properly come before the Meeting, then the Management Designees intend to vote in a manner which in their judgment is in the best interests of the Company.
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 66 2/3% of the votes cast will be required.
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BENEFICIAL HOLDERS
Only registered Shareholders or duly appointed proxyholders are permitted to vote at the Meeting. Most Shareholders are “non-registered” or “beneficial” shareholders because the Shares they own are not registered in their names, but are instead registered in the name of the brokerage firm, bank or trust company through which they purchased the Shares. More particularly, a person is not a registered Shareholder in respect of Shares which are held on behalf of that person (the “ Beneficial Holder ”) but which are registered either: (a) in the name of an intermediary (an “ Intermediary ”) that the Beneficial Holder deals with in respect of the Shares (Intermediaries include, among others, banks, trust companies, securities dealers or brokers and trustees or administrators of self-administered RRSP’s, RRIF’s, RESP’s and similar plans); or (b) in the name of a clearing agency (such as The Canadian Depository for Securities Limited) of which the Intermediary is a participant. In accordance with the requirements of National Instrument 54-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators, the Company has distributed copies of the Notice of Meeting, this Circular and the Proxy (collectively, the “ Meeting Materials ”) directly, and to the clearing agencies and Intermediaries for onward distribution to Beneficial Holders. These securityholder materials are being sent to both registered and nonregistered owners of securities. If you are a non-registered owner, and the Company or its agent has sent these materials directly to you, your name and address and information about your holdings of securities, have been obtained in accordance with applicable securities regulatory requirements from the Intermediary holding on your behalf. By choosing to send the Meeting Materials to you directly, the Company (and not the intermediary holding on your behalf) has assumed responsibility for (i) delivering the Meeting Materials to you; and (ii) executing your proper voting instructions. Please return your voting instructions as specified in the form of proxy.
Intermediaries are required to forward the Meeting Materials to Beneficial Holders unless a Beneficial Holder has waived the right to receive them. Very often, Intermediaries will use service companies to forward the Meeting Materials to Beneficial Holders. Generally, Beneficial Holders who have not waived the right to receive Meeting Materials will either:
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(a) be given a form of proxy which has already been signed by the Intermediary (typically by a facsimile, stamped signature), which is restricted as to the number of shares beneficially owned by the Beneficial Holder but which is otherwise not completed. Because the Intermediary has already signed the form of proxy, this form of proxy is not required to be signed by the Beneficial Holder when submitting the proxy. In this case, the Beneficial Holder who wishes to submit a proxy should otherwise properly complete the form of proxy and deposit it with the Company’s transfer agent as provided above; or
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(b) more typically, be given a voting instruction form which is not signed by the Intermediary, and which, when properly completed and signed by the Beneficial Holder and returned to the Intermediary or its service company, will constitute voting instructions (often called a “proxy authorization form”) which the Intermediary must follow. Typically, the proxy authorization form will consist of a one page pre-printed form. Sometimes, instead of the one page pre-printed form, the proxy authorization form will consist of a regular printed proxy form accompanied by a page of instructions which contains a removable label containing a bar-code and other information. In order for the form of proxy to validly constitute a proxy authorization form, the Beneficial Holder must remove the label from the instructions and affix it to the form of proxy, properly complete and sign the form of proxy and return it to the Intermediary or its service company in accordance with the instructions of the Intermediary or its service company.
In either case, the purpose of this procedure is to permit Beneficial Holders to direct the voting of the Shares which they beneficially own. Should a Beneficial Holder who receives one of the above forms wish to vote at
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the Meeting in person, the Beneficial Holder should strike out the names of the Management Designees named in the form and insert the Beneficial Holder’s name in the blank space provided. In either case, Beneficial Holders should carefully follow the instructions of their Intermediary, including those regarding when and where the proxy or proxy authorization form is to be delivered.
The Company does not intend to pay for Intermediaries to forward to objecting beneficial owners (an “ OBO ”) under NI 54-101 the proxy-related materials and Form 54-101F7 Request for Voting Instructions Made by Intermediary. An OBO will not receive such materials unless the OBO’s Intermediary assumes the cost of delivery.
VOTING SECURITIES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS THEREOF
The Company is authorized to issue an unlimited number of Shares, without nominal or par value, of which as at the date hereof 9,100,000 Shares are issued and outstanding.
The holders of Shares of record at the close of business on the record date, set by the directors of the Company to be October 29, 2024, are entitled to vote such Shares at the Meeting on the basis of one vote for each Shares held.
The Articles of the Company provide that a quorum for the transaction of business at the Meeting is two (2) persons who are, or represent by proxy, shareholders holding, in the aggregate, at least 5% of the issued shares entitled to be voted at the Meeting.
To the knowledge of the directors and senior officers of the Company, there are no persons or companies who beneficially own, directly or indirectly, or exercise control or direction over, voting securities carrying more than 10% of the outstanding voting rights, other than the following:
| Percentage(1) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Number of Voting Securities | (%) |
| Harry Chew | 1,000,000 | 11.0 |
(1) Calculated using the issued and outstanding share capital figure as at October 29, 2024, being 9,100,000 Shares.
Those Shareholders so desiring may be represented by proxy at the Meeting.
PARTICULARS OF MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE COMPANY’S DIRECTORS, THE ONLY MATTERS TO BE PLACED BEFORE THE MEETING ARE THOSE REFERRED TO IN THE NOTICE OF MEETING ACCOMPANYING THIS CIRCULAR. HOWEVER, SHOULD ANY OTHER MATTERS PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE MEETING, THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THE PROXY SOLICITED HEREBY WILL BE VOTED ON SUCH MATTERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BEST JUDGMENT OF THE PERSONS VOTING THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THE PROXY.
Additional detail regarding each of the matters to be acted upon at the Meeting is set forth below.
1. Financial Statements
The audited financial statements of the Company for the financial year ended June 30, 2024 (the “ Financial Statements ”), together with each of the Auditor’s Report thereon, will be presented to the Shareholders at the Meeting. Shareholders should note that in accordance with the rules of National Instrument 51-102 “Continuous Disclosure Obligations”, Shareholders no longer automatically receive copies of financial statements unless the Financial Statements Request Form (in the form enclosed herewith or on the Proxy) has
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been completed and returned as instructed. Copies of all previously issued annual and quarterly financial statements and related Management Discussions and Analysis are available to the public on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca .
2. Appointment of Auditors
Management proposes the appointment of Saturna Group Chartered Professional Accountants LLP, as auditors of the Company for the ensuing year and that the directors be authorized to fix their remuneration. Saturna Group Chartered Professional Accountants LLP have been the Company’s auditors since incorporation.
In the absence of instructions to the contrary the Shares represented by proxy will be voted in favour of a resolution to appoint Saturna Group Chartered Professional Accountants LLP, as auditors of the Company for the ensuing year, at a remuneration to be fixed by the Board of Directors, unless the Shareholder has specified in the Shareholder’s proxy that the Shareholder’s Shares are to be withheld from voting on the appointment of auditors.
3. Election of Directors
The board of directors of the Company (the “ Board ” or the “ Board of Directors ”) currently consists of four (4) directors, all of whom are elected annually. The term of office for each of the present directors of the Company expires at the Meeting. It is proposed that the number of directors for the ensuing year be fixed at four (4) subject to such increases as may be permitted by the Articles of the Company.
It is proposed that the persons named below will be nominated at the Meeting. Each director elected will hold office until the next annual and general meeting of the Company or until his successor is duly elected or appointed pursuant to the Articles of the Company unless his office is earlier vacated in accordance with the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) or the Company’s Articles.
It is the intention of the management designees, if named as proxy, to vote for the election of the said persons to the Board of Directors, unless the Shareholder has specified in its proxy that its Shares are to be withheld from voting on the election of directors. Management does not contemplate that any of the nominees will be unable to serve as a director.
The following information relating to the nominees for election to the Board of Directors is based on information received by the Company from said nominees:
| Harry Chew(1)(2) British Columbia, Canada Director since January 2021 President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer since January 2021 Shares: 1,000,000 |
CPA, CGA. Self-employed, Pacific Paragon Group of Companies. |
|---|---|
| Sonny Chew(1)(2) British Columbia, Canada Director since January 2021 Shares: 500,000 |
Director of Finance and Administration, Pacific Paragon Capital Group Ltd., a management and financial consulting company; President of Wynson Management Services Ltd., an accounting consulting company. |
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| Trent S. Hunter(1)(2) | Professional Engineer; President of Sterling Enterprise Consulting, a |
|---|---|
| Alberta, Canada | management consulting company, since 1997 to present. |
| Director since January 2021 |
| Trent S. Hunter(1)(2) Alberta, Canada Director since January 2021 Professional Engineer; President of Sterling Enterprise Consulting, a management consulting company, since 1997 to present. |
Trent S. Hunter(1)(2) Alberta, Canada Director since January 2021 Professional Engineer; President of Sterling Enterprise Consulting, a management consulting company, since 1997 to present. |
|
|---|---|---|
| Shares: 250,000 | ||
| Terrance G. Owen(1) British Columbia, Canada Director since October 2021 Shares: 100,000 |
Director of Olivier Ventures Inc. since January, 2013; Director of Artic Fox Lithium Corp. since May 2021; Director of Eastwood Bio-Medical Canada Inc. since July, 2013; Director of Clearmind Medicine Inc. from May, 2018 to August, 2019; Director of Pacific Arc Resources Ltd. from December, 2011 to January, 2018; Director of Sonoma Resources Inc. from March, 2008 to May, 2016; Director of Element Lifestyle Retirement Inc. from December, 2011 to December, 2015; Director of Future Farm Technologies Inc. from October, 2002 to December, 2014. |
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(1) Information as to the province of residence, principal occupation, and shares beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, or controlled or directed, has been furnished by the respective directors.
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(2) Member or proposed member of the audit committee.
Corporate Cease Trade Orders or Bankruptcies
To the knowledge of the Company, no director or proposed director of the Company is, or within the ten years prior to the date of this Circular has been, a director or executive officer of any company, including the Company, that while that person was acting in that capacity:
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(a) was the subject of a cease trade order or similar order or an order that denied the company access to any exemption under securities legislation for a period of more than 30 consecutive days; or
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(b) was subject to an event that resulted, after the director ceased to be a director or executive officer of the company being the subject of a cease trade order or similar order or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation, for a period of more than 30 consecutive days; or
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(c) 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.
Individual Bankruptcies
To the knowledge of the Company, no director or proposed director of the Company has, within the ten years prior to the date of this Circular, become bankrupt or made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or been 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 that individual.
Penalties or Sanctions
To the knowledge of the Company, no proposed director of the Company has been subject to any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation or by a securities regulatory
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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 that would likely be considered important to a reasonable securityholder in deciding whether to vote for a proposed director.
4. Stock Option Plan
The Company currently maintains a rolling stock option plan (the “ Stock Option Plan ”), authorizing the issuance of incentive stock options to eligible persons for up to an aggregate of 10% of the issued Shares from time to time. The policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the “ Exchange ”) require the approval of the Stock Option Plan by the Company’s shareholders annually. There are currently 9,100,000 Shares issued and outstanding, and therefore the current 10% threshold is 910,000 Shares available for incentive stock option grants under the Stock Option Plan.
However, during the time that the Company is a Capital Pool Company (a “ CPC ”), the aggregate number of Shares issuable upon exercise of all options granted under the Option Plan shall not exceed ten percent (10%) of the Shares of the Company issued and outstanding at the closing of the Company’s initial public offering. Such options will be exercisable for a period of up to ten (10) years from the date of grant, subject to extension in certain circumstances where the expiry date occurs within a “blackout period”. In connection with the foregoing, the number of Shares reserved for issuance to: (a) any individual will not exceed 5% of the issued and outstanding Shares; and (b) all consultants will not exceed 2% of the issued and outstanding Shares. In addition, the Option Plan provides that no more than 5% of the issued Shares will be granted to any individual in any 12 month period unless the Company has obtained disinterested shareholder approval in respect of such grant and meets applicable Exchange requirements; no more than 2% of the issued Shares will be granted to any one consultant in any 12 month period; and no more than an aggregate of 2% of the issued Shares will be granted to an employee conducting investor relations activities in any twelve (12) month period.
The Company, as long as it is a CPC, will not grant options to any person providing investor relations activities, promotional or market-making services. In the event that a director, officer, technical consultant or employee does not continue on with the Company following completion of its Qualifying Transaction, options must be exercised within the greater of twelve (12) months after the completion of a Qualifying Transaction and ninety (90) days following cessation of the optionee’s position with the Company, provided that if the cessation of office, employment, directorship, or consulting arrangement was by reason of death, the option may be exercised within a maximum period of one year after such death, subject to the expiry date of such option. Any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of options under the Option Plan prior to completion of a Qualifying Transaction must be deposited in escrow and will be subject to escrow until the final Exchange bulletin is issued.
Shareholders are referred to the full text of the Stock Option Plan, a copy of which has been posted on SEDAR+ and is available for inspection under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca , for complete details.
In the event that shareholder approval is not obtained at the Meeting, the Company will implement a new fixed stock option plan for up to 10% of the Company’s issued shares (which does not require shareholder approval), and any existing option grants under the Stock Option Plan will not be affected.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
(For the Financial Year Ended June 30, 2024)
For purposes of this Circular, “named executive officer” of the Company means an individual who, at any time during the year, was:
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(a) each individual who, in respect of the Company, during any part of the most recently completed financial year, served as a Chief Executive Officer (“ CEO ”), including an individual performing functions similar to a CEO;
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(a) each individual who, in respect of the Company, during any part of the most recently completed financial year, served as a Chief Financial Officer (“ CFO ”), including an individual performing functions similar to a CFO;
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(b) in respect of the Company and its subsidiaries, the most highly compensated executive officer, other than individuals identified in paragraphs (a) and (b) above at the end of the most recently completed financial year whose total compensation was more than $150,000 for that financial year; and
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(c) each individual who would be a NEO under paragraphs (a), (b) or (c) above, 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 end of that financial year;
(each a “ Named Executive Officer ” or “NEO”).
Based on the foregoing definition, during the last two completed financial years of the Company, there was one (1) Named Executive Officers, namely, its President, CEO and CFO, Harry Chew.
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
In assessing the compensation of its executive officers, the Company does not have in place any formal objectives, criteria or analysis; instead, it relies mainly on discussions at the Board level.
The Company’s executive compensation program has three principal components: base salary, incentive bonus plan, and incentive stock options. The determination and administration of base salaries or incentive bonuses, or both, are discussed in greater detail below. When appropriate to do so, incentive bonuses in the form of cash payments, are designed to add a variable component of compensation, in addition to stock options, based on corporate and individual performances for Named Executive Officers, and may or may not be awarded in any financial year. The Company has no other forms of compensation for its NEOs, although payments may be made from time to time to individuals who are NEOs or companies they control, for the provision of consulting services. Such consulting services are paid for by the Company at competitive industry rates for work of a similar nature by reputable arm’s length services providers.
The Company notes that it is in an exploration phase with respect to its properties, has to operate with limited financial resources, and must control costs to ensure that funds are available to complete scheduled exploration programs and otherwise fund its operations. The Board has to consider the current and anticipated financial position of the Company at the time of any compensation determination. The Board has attempted to keep the cash compensation paid to the Company’s NEOs relatively modest, while providing long-term incentives through the granting of stock options.
The Company’s executive compensation program is administered by the Board of Directors and is designed to provide incentives for the enhancement of shareholder value. The overall objectives are to attract and retain qualified executives critical to the success of the Company, to provide fair and competitive compensation, to align the interest of management with those of the Shareholders and to reward corporate and individual performance. The Company’s compensation package has been structured in order to link shareholder return, measured by the change in the share price, with executive
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compensation through the use of incentive stock options as the primary element of variable compensation for its Named Executive Officers. The Company does not currently offer long-term incentive plans or pension plans to its Named Executive Officers.
The Company bases the compensation for a NEO on the years of service with the Company, responsibilities of each officer and their duties in that position. The Company also bases compensation on the performance of each officer. The Company believes that stock options can create a strong incentive to the performance of each officer and is intended to recognize extra contributions and achievements towards the goals of the Company.
The Board, when determining cash compensation payable to a NEO, takes into consideration their experience in the mining industry, as well as their responsibilities and duties and contributions to the Company’s success. Named Executive Officers receive a base cash compensation that the Company feels is in line with that paid by similar companies in North America, subject to the Company’s financial resources; however no formal survey was completed by the Board.
In performing its duties, the Board has considered the implications of risks associated with the Company’s compensation policies and practices. At its early stage of development and considering its current compensation policies, the Company has no compensation policies or practices that would encourage an executive officer or other individual to take inappropriate or excessive risks. An NEO or director is permitted for his or her own benefit and at his or her own financial risk, to purchase financial instruments, including, for greater certainty, prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars or units or exchange funds, that are designed to hedge or offset a decrease in the market value of equity securities granted as compensation or held, directly or indirectly, by the NEO or director.
Option-Based Awards
Stock options are granted to provide an incentive to the directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company to achieve the longer-term objectives of the Company; to give suitable recognition to the ability and industry of such persons who contribute materially to the success of the Company; and to attract and retain persons of experience and ability, by providing them with the opportunity to acquire an increased proprietary interest in the Company. The Company awards stock options to its executive officers based upon the recommendation of the Board, which recommendation is based upon the Board’s review of a proposal from the CEO. Previous grants of incentive stock options are taken into account when considering new grants.
Implementation of a new incentive stock option plan and amendments to the existing stock option plan are the responsibility of the Company’s Board.
Summary Compensation Table
Director and NEO Compensation, excluding Compensation Securities
The following table provides a summary of compensation paid, payable, awarded, granted, given, or otherwise provided, directly or indirectly, by the Company or a subsidiary of the Company to each NEO and director of the Company during the fiscal years ended June 30, 2023 and June 30, 2024:
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Table of Compensation Excluding Compensation Securities
| Salary, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consulting Fee, | Committee | Value of all | |||||
| Retainer of | or Meeting | Value of |
Other | Total | |||
| Name and Principal | Commission | Bonus | Fees | Perquisites | Compensation |
Compensation |
|
| Position | Year | ($) | ($) | ($) | ($) | ($) | ($) |
| Harry Chew President, CEO, CFO and Director |
2024 2023 |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
| Sonny Chew | 2024 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Director | 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Trent S. Hunter | 2024 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Director | 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Terrance G. Owen | 2024 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Director | 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Stock Options and Other Compensation Securities
There were no stock options or other share-based awards granted to the Named Executive Officers to purchase or acquire securities of the Company outstanding at the end of the most recently completed financial year.
No compensation security has been re-priced, cancelled and replaced, had its term extended, or otherwise been materially modified, in the most recently completed financial year.
There are no restrictions or conditions for converting, exercising or exchanging the compensation securities.
Exercise of Compensation Securities by Directors and NEOs
There were no stock options exercised during the year ended June 30, 2024 by directors and Named Executive Officers.
Termination and Change of Control Benefits
There are no management or consulting agreements with any directors or officers of the Company, and no arrangements for termination or change of control benefits.
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
The following table sets forth certain information pertaining to the Company’s equity compensation plan as at the end of the most recently completed financial year:
| Number of Securities to | Weighted-average | Number of Securities Remaining | |
|---|---|---|---|
| be Issued Upon Exercise | Exercise Price of | Available for Future Issuance Under | |
| of Outstanding Options, | Outstanding Options, | Equity Compensation Plans (Excluding |
|
| Warrants and Rights | Warrants and Rights | Securities Reflected in Column (a)) | |
| Plan Category | (a) | (b) | (c) |
| Equity compensation plans approved by securityholders |
900,000 | $0.10 | 10,000 |
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| Number of Securities to | Weighted-average | Number of Securities Remaining | |
|---|---|---|---|
| be Issued Upon Exercise | Exercise Price of | Available for Future Issuance Under | |
| of Outstanding Options, | Outstanding Options, | Equity Compensation Plans (Excluding |
|
| Warrants and Rights | Warrants and Rights | Securities Reflected in Column (a)) | |
| Plan Category | (a) | (b) | (c) |
| Equity compensation plans not approved by securityholders |
N/A | N/A | N/A |
| TOTAL | 900,000 | $0.10 | 10,000 |
INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
None of the directors or senior officers of the Company, no proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company, and no associates or affiliates of any of them, is or has been indebted to the Company or its subsidiaries at any time since the beginning of the Company’s last completed financial year.
INTEREST OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS
No Insider of the Company, no proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company and no associate or affiliate of any of the foregoing, has any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the commencement of the Company’s last 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.
INTEREST OF CERTAIN PERSONS OR COMPANIES IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
Other than as set forth herein, management of the Company is not aware of 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 or the appointment of auditors, of any person or company who has been: (a) if the solicitation is made by or on behalf of management of the Company, a director or executive officer of the Company at any time since the beginning of the Company’s last financial year; (b) if the solicitation is made other than by or on behalf of management of the Company, any person or company by whom or on whose behalf, directly or indirectly, the solicitation is made; (c) any proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company; or (d) any associate or affiliate of any of the foregoing persons or companies.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS
Management functions of the Company and its subsidiaries are substantially performed by the Company’s directors and executive officers. The Company has not entered into any contracts, agreements or arrangements with parties other than its directors and executive officers for the provision of such management functions.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
General
The Board believes that good corporate governance improves corporate performance and benefits all shareholders. National Policy 58-201 - Corporate Governance Guidelines provides non-prescriptive guidelines on corporate governance practices for reporting issuers such as the Company. In addition, National Instrument 58-101 - Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices (“ NI 58-101 ”) prescribes
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certain disclosure by the Company of its corporate governance practices. This disclosure is presented below.
Board of Directors
The Board facilitates its exercise of independent supervision over the Company’s management through frequent meetings of the Board.
The Board is comprised of four (4) directors, of whom Sonny Chew, Trent S. Hunter and Terrance G. Owen are independent for the purposes of NI 58-101. Harry Chew is not independent since he serves as President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company.
Directorships
Certain of the directors are also directors of other reporting issuers, as follows:
| Director | Other Reporting Issuers |
|---|---|
| Harry Chew | Arctic Fox Lithium Corp. |
| Olivier Ventures Inc. | |
| Sonny Chew | Arctic Fox Lithium Corp. |
| Olivier Ventures Inc. | |
| Trent S. Hunter | Olivier Ventures Inc. |
| Terrance G. Owen | Arctic Fox Lithium Corp. |
| Eastwood Bio-Medical Canada Inc. | |
| Olivier Ventures Inc. |
Orientation and Continuing Education
New Board members receive an orientation package which includes reports on operations and results, and public disclosure filings by the Company. Board meetings are sometimes held at the Company’s offices and, from time to time, are combined with presentations by the Company’s management to give the directors additional insight into the Company’s business. In addition, management of the Company makes itself available for discussion with all Board members.
Ethical Business Conduct
The Board has found that the fiduciary duties placed on individual directors by the Company’s governing corporate legislation and the common law and the restrictions placed by applicable corporate legislation on an individual director’s participation in decisions of the Board in which the director has an interest have been 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 of shareholders, taking into account the number required to carry out the Board’s duties effectively and to maintain a diversity of view and experience.
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The Board does not have a nominating committee, and these functions are currently performed by the Board as a whole. However, if there is a change in the number of directors required by the Company, this policy will be reviewed.
Compensation Governance
The Company does not have a separate Compensation Committee, so the entire Board of Directors comprises the Compensation Committee, and is responsible for, among other things, evaluating the performance of the Company’s executive officers, determining or making recommendations with respect to the compensation of the Company’s executive officers, making recommendations with respect to director compensation, incentive compensation plans and equity-based plans, making recommendations with respect to the compensation policy for the employees of the Company or its subsidiaries and ensuring that the Company is in compliance with all legal requirements with respect to compensation disclosure. In performing its duties, the Board has the authority to engage such advisors, including executive compensation consultants, as it considers necessary.
Other Board Committees
The Board has no other committees, other than the Audit Committee and the Governance, Nominating and Compensation Committee.
Assessments
Due to the minimal size of the Company’s Board of directors, no formal policy has been established to monitor the effectiveness of the directors, the Board and its committees.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
Under National Instrument 52-110 – Audit Committees (“ NI 52-110 ”) reporting issuers are required to provide disclosure with respect to its Audit Committee including the text of the Audit Committee’s Charter, composition of the Committee, and the fees paid to the external auditor. The Company’s Audit Committee Charter is attached as Schedule A to this Circular.
Composition of Audit Committee
Following the election of directors pursuant to this Circular, the following will be members of the Audit Committee:
| Sonny Chew(Chair) | independent(1) | Financially literate(2) |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Chew | Not independent(1) | Financially literate(2) |
| Trent S. Hunter | Independent(1) | Financially literate(2) |
(1) A member of an 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 of Directors, reasonably interfere with the exercise of a member’s independent judgment.
(2) An individual is financially literate if he 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.
Relevant Education and Experience
The relevant education and/or experience of each member of the Audit Committee is as follows:
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Sonny Chew , Director : Mr. Chew is a Partner in Pacific Paragon Capital Group Ltd., where he also leads as the Vice President of Finance and Administration. Since 1993, he has supported the growth and scaling of companies across emerging sectors seeking to go public through his experience in dealing with the TSX and CSE. Mr. Chew has acted as a director or officer for a number of reporting companies in Canada and is currently a director for Olivier Ventures Inc. and Arctic Fox Lithium Corp. He is also the active President of Wynson Management Services Ltd., a management and bookkeeping consulting company. He is a graduate of Simon Fraser University where he received a Bachelor of Arts specializing in Economics.
Harry Chew , President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director : Mr. Chew is the Chairman of the Audit Committee. He is President of Myntek Management Services Inc., a management and consulting company. Mr. Chew is also President of Pacific Paragon Group of Companies. Mr. Chew has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Simon Fraser University, B.C. He also is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia. Mr. Chew has been a director or officer of numerous other public companies, and is currently a director or officer of three other reporting issuers.
Trent S. Hunter , Director : Mr. Hunter holds a Bachelor of Science (Engineering) degree from the University of Saskatchewan, is a Professional Engineer, and holds a Masters of Business Administration from Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Mr. Hunter has extensive experience in and knowledge of the Western Canadian oil field and oil field technology services. Mr. Hunter is currently the President of Sterling Enterprise Consulting and is a director of Hyfold Technology Corp. (Canada). Mr. Hunter was the President and CEO of Hunter Energy Inc., a private junior oil and gas exploration and production company based in Calgary, Alberta, from 2006 to March, 2009.
Audit Committee Oversight
At no time since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year was a recommendation of the Audit Committee to nominate or compensate an external auditor not adopted by the Board of Directors.
Reliance on Certain Exemptions
At no time since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year has the Company relied on the exemption in Section 2.4 of NI 52-110 (De Minimis Non-audit Services), or an exemption from NI 52-110, in whole or in part, granted under Part 8 of National Instrument 52-110.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Audit Committee is authorized by the Board of Directors to review the performance of the Company’s external auditors and approve in advance provision of services other than auditing and to consider the independence of the external auditors, including a review of the range of services provided in the context of all consulting services bought by the Company. The Audit Committee is authorized to approve in writing any non-audit services or additional work which the Chairman of the Audit Committee deems is necessary, and the Chairman will notify the other members of the Audit Committee of such non-audit or additional work and the reasons for such non-audit work for the Committee’s consideration, and if thought fit, approval in writing.
External Auditor Service Fees
The fees billed by the Company’s external auditors in each of the last two financial years for audit and non-audit related services provided to the Company or its subsidiaries (if any) are as follows:
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| Financial Year Ending | Audit Fees | Audit Related Fees | Tax Fees |
All Other Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 30 | ($) | ($) | ($) | ($) |
| 2024 | 8,500 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| 2023 | 9,146 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Exemption
As an Exchange listed issuer, the Company is exempt from the requirements of Part 3 Composition of the Audit Committee and Part 5 Reporting Obligations of NI 52-110.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Financial information is provided in the Company’s audited annual financial statements and accompanying management’s discussion and analysis (“ MD&A ”) for the year ended June 30, 2024.
Under National Instrument 51-102, Continuous Disclosure Obligations , any person or company who wishes to receive financial statements from the Company may deliver a written request for such material to the Company or the Company’s agent, together with a signed statement that the persons or company is the owner of securities of the Company. Shareholders who wish to receive financial statements are encouraged to send the enclosed mail card, together with the completed form of proxy, in the addressed envelope provided, to the Company’s registrar and transfer agent, Endeavor Trust Corporation, Suite 702 – 777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6Z 1S4. The Company will maintain a supplemental mailing list of persons or companies wishing to receive financial statements. Additional information relating to the Company is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca .
GENERAL
Unless otherwise specified, all matters referred to herein for approval by the Shareholders require a simple majority of the Shareholders voting, in person or by proxy, at the Meeting. Where information contained in this Circular, rests specifically within the knowledge of a person other than the Company, the Company has relied upon information furnished by such person.
The contents of this Circular have been approved and this mailing has been authorized by the Directors of the Company.
DATED as of the 29[th] day of October, 2024.
BY THE ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF IKIGAI CAPITAL CORP.
“Harry Chew” Harry Chew , President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer
SCHEDULE A
AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARTER
1. Overall Purpose and Objectives
The Audit Committee will assist the directors (the “Directors”) of the Company in fulfilling their responsibilities under applicable legal and regulatory requirements. To the extent considered appropriate by the Audit Committee or as required by applicable legal or regulatory requirements, the Audit Committee will review the financial reporting process of the Company, the system of internal controls and management of the financial risks of the Company and the audit process of the financial information of the Company. In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Audit Committee should maintain an effective working relationship with the Directors, management of the Company and the external auditor of the Company as well as monitor the independence of the external auditor.
2. Authority
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(a) The Audit Committee shall have the authority to:
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(i) engage independent counsel and other advisors as the Audit Committee determines necessary to carry out its duties;
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(ii) set and pay the compensation for any advisors employed by the Audit Committee;
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(iii) communicate directly with the internal and external auditor of the Audit Committee and require that the external auditor of the Company report directly to the Audit Committee; and
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(iv) seek any information considered appropriate by the Audit Committee from any employee of the Company.
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(b) The Audit Committee shall have unrestricted and unfettered access to all personnel and documents of the Company and shall be provided with the resources reasonably necessary to fulfill its responsibilities.
3.
Membership and Organization
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(a) The Audit Committee will be composed of at least three members. The members of the Audit Committee shall be appointed by the Directors to serve one-year terms and shall be permitted to serve an unlimited number of consecutive terms. The majority of the members of the Audit Committee must be Directors who are independent and financially literate to the extent required by (and subject to the exemptions and other provisions set out in) applicable laws, rules and regulations, and stock exchange requirements (“Applicable Laws”). In this Charter, the terms “independent” and “financially literate” have the meaning ascribed to such terms by Applicable Laws, and include the meanings given to similar terms by Applicable Laws, including in the case of the term “independent” the terms “outside” and “unrelated” to the extent such latter terms are applicable under Applicable Laws.
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(b) The chairman of the Audit Committee will be an independent Director and will be appointed by the Audit Committee from time to time and must have such accounting or
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related financial management expertise as the Directors may determine in their business judgment.
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(c) The secretary of the Audit Committee will be the chosen by the Audit Committee.
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(d) The Audit Committee may invite such persons to meetings of the Audit Committee as the Audit Committee considers appropriate, except to the extent exclusion of certain persons is required pursuant to this Charter or Applicable Laws.
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(e) The Audit Committee may invite the external auditor of the Company to be present at any meeting of the Audit Committee and to comment on any financial statements, or on any of the financial aspects, of the Company.
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(f) The Audit Committee will meet as considered appropriate or desirable by the Audit Committee. Any member of the Audit Committee or the external auditor of the Company may call a meeting of the Audit Committee at any time upon 48 hours’ prior written notice.
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(g) All decisions of the Audit Committee shall be by simple majority and the chairman of the Audit Committee shall not have a deciding or casting vote.
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(h) Minutes shall be kept in respect of the proceedings of all meetings of the Audit Committee.
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(i) No business shall be transacted by the Audit Committee except at a meeting of the members thereof at which a majority of the members thereof is present.
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(j) The Audit Committee may transact its business by a resolution in writing signed by all the members of the Audit Committee in lieu of a meeting of the Audit Committee.
4. Role and Responsibilities
To the extent considered appropriate or desirable or required by applicable legal or regulatory requirements, the Audit Committee shall:
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(a) recommend to the Directors
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(i) the external auditor to be nominated for the purpose of preparing or issuing an auditor's report on the annual financial statements of the Company or performing other audit, review or attest services for the Company, and
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(ii) the compensation to be paid to the external auditor of the Company;
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(b) review the proposed audit scope and approach of the external auditor of the Company and ensure no unjustifiable restriction or limitations have been placed on the scope of the proposed audit;
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(c) meet separately and periodically with the management of the Company, the external auditor of the Company and the internal auditor (or other personnel responsible for the internal audit function of the Company) of the Company to discuss any matters that the Audit Committee, the external auditor of the Company or the internal auditor of the Company, respectively, believes should be discussed privately;
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(d) be directly responsible for overseeing the work of the external auditor engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an auditor's report on the annual financial statements of the Company or performing other audit, review or attest services for the Company, including the resolution of disagreements between management of the Company and the external auditor of the Company regarding any financial reporting matter and review the performance of the external auditor of the Company;
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(e) review judgmental areas, for example those involving a valuation of the assets and liabilities and other commitments and contingencies of the Company;
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(f) review audit issues related to the material associated and affiliated entities of the Company that may have a significant impact on the equity investment therein of the Company;
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(g) meet with management and the external auditor of the Company to review the annual financial statements of the Company and the results of the audit thereof;
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(h) review and determine if internal control recommendations made by the external auditor of the Company have been implemented by management of the Company;
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(i) pre-approve all non-audit services to be provided to the Company or any subsidiary entities thereof by the external auditor of the Company and, to the extent considered appropriate:
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(i) adopt specific policies and procedures in accordance with Applicable Laws for the engagement of such non-audit services; and/or
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(ii) delegate to one or more independent members of the Audit Committee the authority to pre-approve all non-audit services to be provided to the Company or any subsidiary entities thereof by the external auditor of the Company provided that the other members of the Audit Committee are informed of each such nonaudit service;
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(j) consider the qualification and independence of the external auditor of the Company, including reviewing the range of services provided by the external auditor of the Company in the context of all consulting services obtained by the Company;
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(k) consider the fairness of the Interim Financial Report and financial disclosure of the Company and review with management of the Company whether,
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(i) actual financial results for the interim period varied significantly from budgeted or projected results,
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(ii) generally accepted accounting principles have been consistently applied,
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(iii) there are any actual or proposed changes in accounting or financial reporting practices of the Company, and
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(iv) there are any significant or unusual events or transactions which require disclosure and, if so, consider the adequacy of that disclosure;
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(l) review the financial statements of the Company, management's discussion and analysis and any annual and interim earnings press releases of the Company before the Company publicly discloses such information and discuss these documents with the external auditor and with management of the Company, as appropriate;
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(m) review and be satisfied that adequate procedures are in place for the review of the public disclosure of the Company of financial information extracted or derived from the financial statements of the Company, other than the public disclosure referred to in paragraph 4(l) above, and periodically assess the adequacy of those procedures;
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(n) establish procedures for,
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(i) the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, and
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(ii) the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the Company of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters relating to the Company;
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(o) review and approve the hiring policies of the Company regarding partners, employees and former partners and employees of the present and any former external auditor of the Company;
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(p) review the areas of greatest financial risk to the Company and whether management of the Company is managing these risks effectively;
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(q) review significant accounting and reporting issues, including recent professional and regulatory pronouncements, and consider their impact on the financial statements of the Company;
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(r) review any legal matters which could significantly impact the financial statements of the Company as reported on by counsel and meet with counsel to the Company whenever deemed appropriate;
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(s) institute special investigations and, if appropriate, hire special counsel or experts to assist in such special investigations;
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(t) at least annually, obtain and review a report prepared by the external auditor of the Company describing:
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(i) the firm's quality-control procedures;
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(ii) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review or peer review of the firm or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities, within the preceding five years, in respect of one or more independent audits carried out by the firm, and any steps taken to deal with any such issues;
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(iii) and (to assess the auditor's independence) all relationships between the independent auditor and the Company;
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(u) review with the external auditor of the Company any audit problems or difficulties and management's response to such problems or difficulties;
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(v) discuss the Company's earnings press releases, as well as financial information and earning guidance provided to analysts and rating agencies, if applicable; and
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(w) review this charter and recommend changes to this charter to the Directors from time to time.
5. Communication with the Directors
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(a) The Audit Committee shall produce and provide the Directors with a written summary of all actions taken at each Audit Committee meeting or by written resolution.
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(b) The Audit Committee shall produce and provide the Directors with all reports or other information required to be prepared under Applicable Laws.