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Imagine Lithium Inc. — AGM Information 2021
Jul 27, 2021
45492_rns_2021-07-27_8bf70887-0ef2-4000-a27a-e28c3dc59ba5.pdf
AGM Information
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INFINITE ORE CORP.
Suite 1240 – 789 West Pender Street Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6C 1H2 Telephone (604) 683-3995 Facsimile (604) 683-3988
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TAKE NOTICE that the annual general meeting (the " Meeting ") of Shareholders of Infinite Ore Corp. (the " Company ") will be held at Suite 700, 401 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, on Friday, September 3, 2021, at 10:00 a.m., Vancouver time, for the following purposes:
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To receive the report of the Directors of the Company;
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To receive and consider the audited financial statements of the Company for its fiscal period ended January 31, 2021, and the report of the auditor thereon;
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To fix the number of Directors of the Company at five;
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To elect Directors of the Company for the ensuing year;
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To appoint auditors for the ensuing year and to authorize the Directors to fix their remuneration;
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To consider and, if thought fit, to pass an ordinary resolution ratifying and approving the 10% rolling stock option plan of the Company; and
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To transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment thereof.
The Information Circular dated July 9, 2021 and form of Proxy accompany this Notice. The Information Circular contains details of matters to be considered at the Meeting.
A shareholder who is unable to attend the Meeting in person and who wishes to ensure that such shareholder's shares will be voted at the Meeting is requested to complete, date and sign the enclosed form of Proxy, or another suitable form of Proxy, and deliver it by fax, by hand or by mail in accordance with the instructions set out in the form of Proxy and in the Information Circular.
DATED at Vancouver, British Columbia, this 9[th] day of July, 2021.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD
“Michael B. England”
Director
10454472.1
INFINITE ORE CORP.
Suite 1240 – 789 West Pender Street Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6C 1H2 Telephone (604) 683-3995 Facsimile (604) 683-3988
INFORMATION CIRCULAR
Solicitation of Proxies
This information circular (the “ Information Circular ”) is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the management of Infinite Ore Corp.(the “ Company ”) for use at the annual general meeting of shareholders (the " Shareholders ") of the Company (the “ Meeting ”) to be held at 700 – 401 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, on September 3, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) and any adjournment thereof, for the purposes set forth in the accompanying Notice of Annual General Meeting of Shareholders.
The solicitation of proxies will be primarily by mail, but proxies may be solicited personally or by telephone by directors, officers and regular employees of the Company. All costs of this solicitation will be borne by the Company. The Company has made arrangements for intermediaries to forward solicitation materials to the beneficial owners of the Common Shares held of record by those intermediaries and the Company may reimburse the intermediaries for reasonable fees and disbursements incurred by them in so doing.
Notice of the Meeting was provided to the securities commissions in each jurisdiction where the Company is a reporting issuer under applicable securities laws.
In this Information Circular, references to “ the Company ”, “ we ” and “ our ” refer to Infinite Ore Corp. “ Common Shares ” means common shares in the authorized share structure of the Company. “ Beneficial Shareholders ” means Shareholders who do not hold Common Shares in their own name and “intermediaries” refers to brokers, investment firms, clearing houses and similar entities that own securities on behalf of Beneficial Shareholders.
Date of Information Circular
Information contained in this Information Circular is given as at July 9, 2021, unless otherwise indicated.
GENERAL PROXY INFORMATION
Revocability of Proxies
In addition to revocation in any other manner permitted by law, a registered shareholder who has given a proxy may revoke it by either:
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(a) executing a proxy bearing a later date; or
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(b) executing a valid notice of revocation, either of the foregoing to be executed by the registered shareholder or the shareholder’s authorized attorney in writing, or, if the shareholder is a company, under its corporate seal by an officer or attorney duly authorized, and by depositing the Proxy bearing a later date with TSX Trust Company, or at the address of the registered office of the Company at 700 - 401 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 5A1, at any time up to and including the last business day that precedes the day of the Meeting or, if the Meeting is adjourned, the date that precedes any reconvening thereof, or to the chair of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting or any reconvening thereof, or in any other manner provided by law; or
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(c) by the registered shareholder personally attending the Meeting and voting the registered shareholder’s Common Shares.
A revocation of a proxy will not affect a matter on which a vote is taken before the revocation.
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Appointment of Proxyholders
A shareholder entitled to vote at the Meeting may, by means of a proxy, appoint a proxyholder or one or more alternate proxyholders, who need not be Shareholders, to attend and act at the Meeting for the shareholder on the shareholder’s behalf.
The individuals named in the accompanying form of proxy (the “ Proxy ”) are directors and/or officers of the Company (the “ Management Designees ”). If you are a shareholder entitled to vote at the Meeting, you have the right to appoint a person, who need not be a shareholder, to attend and act for you and on your behalf at the Meeting other than either of the Management Designees. You may do so either by inserting the name of that other person in the blank space provided in the Proxy or by completing and delivering another suitable form of proxy.
A proxy will not be valid unless the completed, signed and dated form of proxy is delivered to the office of TSX Trust Company, Proxy Department, by any of the following methods: by mail: Suite 301, 100 Adelaide Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 4H1 or by fax: 416.595.9593 or online: www.voteproxyonline.com, not less than 48 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) before the Meeting or the adjournment thereof at which the Proxy is to be used.
Exercise of Discretion
The Management Designees named in the Proxy will vote or withhold from voting the shares represented thereby in accordance with the instructions of the shareholder on any ballot that may be called for. The Proxy will confer discretionary authority on the nominees named therein with respect to:
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(a) each matter or group of matters identified therein for which a choice is not specified other than the appointment of an auditor and the election of directors,
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(b) any amendment to or variation of any matter identified therein, and
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(c) any other matter that properly comes before the Meeting.
In respect of a matter for which a choice is not specified in the Proxy, the Management Designees will vote the Common Shares represented by the Proxy at their own discretion for the approval of such matter.
As of the date of this Information Circular, management of the Company knows of no amendment, variation or other matter that may come before the Meeting, but if any amendment, variation or other matter properly comes before the Meeting, each Management Designee intends to vote thereon in accordance with the Management Designee’s best judgment.
Proxy Voting Options
If you are a registered shareholder, you may elect to submit a proxy in order to vote whether or not you are able to attend the Meeting in person. In order to vote by mail, you must complete, date and sign the Proxy and return it to the Company’s transfer agent, TSX Trust Company, Proxy Department, by any of the following methods: by mail: Suite 301, 100 Adelaide Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 4H1, or by fax: 416.595.9593 or online: www.voteproxyonline.com, at any time up to and including 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on September 1, 2021.
Advice to Beneficial Holders of Common Shares
The information set forth in this section is of significant importance to many Shareholders, as a substantial number of Shareholders do not hold Common Shares in their own name. Beneficial Shareholders should note that only Proxies deposited by Shareholders whose names appear on the records of the Company as the registered holders of Common Shares can be recognized and acted upon at the Meeting.
If Common Shares are listed in an account statement provided to a shareholder by a broker, then in almost all cases those Common Shares will not be registered in the shareholder’s name on the records of the Company. Such Common Shares will more likely be registered under the names of the shareholder’s broker or an agent of that broker. In the United States, the vast majority of such shares are registered under the name of Cede & Co. as nominee for The Depositary Trust Company (which acts as depositary for many U.S. brokerage firms and custodian
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banks), and in Canada under the name of CDS & Co. (the registration name for The Canadian Depository for Securities Limited, which acts as nominee for many Canadian brokerage firms).
Intermediaries are required to seek voting instructions from Beneficial Shareholders in advance of Shareholders’ meetings unless the Beneficial Shareholders have waived the right to receive meeting material. Every intermediary has its own mailing procedures and provides its own return instructions to clients, which should be carefully followed by Beneficial Shareholders in order to ensure that their Common Shares are voted at the Meeting.
If you are a Beneficial Shareholder, the form of proxy supplied to you by your broker (or its agent) is similar to the form of Proxy provided to registered Shareholders by the Company. However, its purpose is limited to instructing the intermediary how to vote on your behalf. The majority of brokers now delegate responsibility for obtaining instructions from clients to Broadridge Communications Solutions Canada ( “ Broadridge ” ) in the United States and in Canada. Broadridge mails a voting instruction form in lieu of a proxy provided by the Company. The voting instruction form will name the Management Designees to represent you at the Meeting. You have the right to appoint a person (who need not be a shareholder of the Company), other than the persons designated in the voting instruction form, to represent you at the Meeting. To exercise this right, you should insert the name of the desired representative in the blank space provided in the voting instruction form. The completed voting instruction form must then be returned to Broadridge by mail or facsimile or given to Broadridge by phone or over the internet, in accordance with Broadridge’s instructions. Broadridge then tabulates the results of all instructions received and provides appropriate instructions respecting the voting of Common Shares to be represented at the Meeting. If you receive a voting instruction form from Broadridge, you cannot use it to vote Common Shares directly at the Meeting. It must be returned to Broadridge well in advance of the Meeting in order to have the Common Shares voted.
Although, as a Beneficial Shareholder, you may not be recognized directly at the Meeting for the purposes of voting Common Shares registered in the name of your broker (or agent of your broker), you may attend at the Meeting as proxyholder for your broker and vote the Common Shares in that capacity. If you wish to attend at the Meeting and indirectly vote your Common Shares as proxyholder for your broker or have a person designated by you to do so, you should enter your own name, or the name of the person you wish to designate, in the blank space on the voting instrument form provided to you and return the same to your broker (or your broker’s agent) in accordance with the instructions provided by your broker (or agent), well in advance of the Meeting.
Alternatively, you may request in writing that your broker send you a legal Proxy which would enable you, or a person designed by you, to attend at the Meeting and vote your Common Shares.
INTEREST OF CERTAIN PERSONS IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
None of the directors or executive officers of the Company, nor any person who has held such a position since the beginning of the last completed financial year end of the Company, nor any proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company, nor any associate or affiliate of the foregoing persons, has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted on at the Meeting other than as disclosed herein.
VOTING SECURITIES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF VOTING SECURITIES
The board of directors (the “ Board ”) of the Company has fixed July 9, 2021, as the record date (the “ Record Date ”) for determination of persons entitled to receive notice of the Meeting. Only Shareholders of record at the close of business on the Record Date who either attend the Meeting personally or complete, sign and deliver a form of proxy in the manner and subject to the provisions described above will be entitled to vote or to have their Common Shares voted at the Meeting.
As of July 9, 2021, the Company had outstanding 132,520,170 fully paid and non-assessable Common Shares without par value, each carrying the right to one vote. The Company has no other classes of voting securities.
To the knowledge of the Directors and executive officers of the Company, no one beneficial owner owns, directly or indirectly, or exercises control or direction over, shares carrying more than 10% of the outstanding voting rights of the Company.
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VOTES NECESSARY TO PASS RESOLUTIONS
A simple majority of affirmative votes cast at the Meeting is required to pass the ordinary resolutions described herein. If there are more nominees for election as directors or appointment of the Company’s auditor than there are vacancies to fill, those nominees receiving the greatest number of votes will be elected or appointed, as the case may be, until all such vacancies have been filled. If the number of nominees for election or appointment is equal to the number of vacancies to be filled all such nominees will be declared elected or appointed by acclamation.
Recommendation of the Board
The Board unanimously recommends that Shareholders vote in favour of all resolutions.
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
The Board currently consists of five directors. Management proposes to fix the number of directors of the Company at five and to nominate the persons listed below for election as directors.
The term of office of each of the current directors will end at the conclusion of the Meeting. Unless the director’s office is earlier vacated in accordance with the provisions of the British Columbia Business Corporations Act or the Articles of the Company, each director elected will hold office until the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company, or if no director is then elected, until a successor is elected.
Management does not contemplate that any of the nominees will be unable to serve as a director. In the event that prior to the Meeting any vacancies occur in the slate of nominees herein listed, it is intended that discretionary authority shall be exercised by the person named in the proxy as nominee to vote the Common Shares represented by proxy for the election of any other person or persons as directors.
The following table sets out the names of the management nominees; their positions and offices in the Company; principal occupations; the period of time that they have been directors of the Company; and the number of Common Shares of the Company which each beneficially owns or over which control or direction is exercised:
| Nominee Position with the Company and Province/State and Country of Residence |
Occupation, Business or Employment(1) |
Director of the Company Since |
Committee Membership |
Common Shares Beneficially Owned, Directly or Indirectly, or Over Which Control of Direction is Exercised(2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael B. England Director British Columbia, Canada |
President, England Communications Ltd. since February 2009; CEO and Director of Sky Gold Corp. since September 2016 and August 2016, respectively; Director and President of BTU Metals Corp. since April 2009 and August 2013, respectively: Director, CEO and President of Golden Lake Exploration Inc. since June 2019, July 2019 and July 2019, respectively; Director and CEO of Rockland Resources Ltd. since March 2021; Director of Pegasus Resources Inc. since May 2021. |
June 22, 2007 | Audit Committee | 1,730,813 |
| Gerhard Jacob, Director Alberta, Canada |
Consulting Geologist, EurGeol., Qualified Person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101. |
April 26, 2017 | Audit Committee | Nil |
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| Nominee Position with the Company and Province/State and Country of Residence |
Occupation, Business or Employment(1) |
Director of the Company Since |
Committee Membership |
Common Shares Beneficially Owned, Directly or Indirectly, or Over Which Control of Direction is Exercised(2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Masters Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Secretary & Director British Columbia, Canada |
Director of Sky Gold Corp. since July 2016 and CFO and Corporate Secretary since September 2016; Director and Corporate Secretary of Sienna Resources Inc. since October 2015; CFO & Secretary Golden Lake Exploration since July 2019; Director of 79 Resources since December 2019. |
February 25, 2010 |
Audit Committee | 80,000 |
| Jonathan Gagné, Director Quebec, Canada |
Consulting Engineer, Servimine Inc., Qualified Person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101; Director of Vision Lithium since July 2019; Director of Vanstar Mining Resources Inc. since Sept 2020; Director of Blue Moon Metals Inc. since Jan 2021 |
July 6, 2020 | None | Nil |
| Jean-Claude (J.C.) St-Amour, Director & President Quebec, Canada |
President and Director of Infinite Ore Corp. since July 6, 2020; President of Upper Canada Advisors since April 2013; Director of Pelangio Exploration Inc. since February 2019; Director of Sky Gold Corp. since August 2020. |
July 6, 2020 | None | 1,000,000 |
(1) The information as to 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. Each nominee has held the same or a similar principal occupation with the organization indicated or a predecessor thereof for the last five years unless otherwise indicated.
(2) The number of Common Shares beneficially owned by the above nominees for directors, directly or indirectly, is based on information furnished by TSX Trust Company, the registrar and transfer agent of the Company, insider reports filed on SEDI and by the nominees themselves.
Other than as set out below, to the knowledge of the Company, no proposed director is, or has, within the 10 years before the date of this Information Circular, been a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any company that,
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(a) was subject to an order that was issued while the proposed director was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer; or
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(b) was subject to an order that was issued after the proposed director ceased to be a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer.
BTU Metals Corp. (formerly BTU Capital Corp.), a company of which Michael B. England became a director in April of 2009, was issued a cease trade order dated September 8, 2014 by the BC Securities Commission for failing to file annual audited financial statements for the period ending April 30, 2014, within the required time period. BTU Metals Corp. was reinstated in good standing with the BC Securities Commission and the TSX Venture Exchange on June 20, 2017.
To the knowledge of the Company, no proposed director of the Company was, as at the date of the Information Circular, or has been within 10 years before the date of the Information Circular, a director or executive officer of any company (including Infinite Ore Corp.) 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
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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.
Other than as set out below, to the knowledge of the Company, no proposed director of the Company has, within the 10 years before the date of the information circular, become bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or become subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of the proposed director.
On May 19[th] , 2016 John Masters made a Consumer Proposal to a single creditor under section 66.13 of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. On April 7[th] , 2017 Mr. Masters received a Certificate of Full Performance.
No proposed director of the Company has been subject to (i) any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation or by a security regulatory authority or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority, or (ii) any 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 that proposed director.
COMPENSATION OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
The Board as a whole has the responsibility of determining the compensation for the Chief Executive Officer (the " CEO ") and the Chief Financial Officer (the " CFO ") and of determining compensation for directors and senior management.
The Company’s compensation objectives include the following:
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to assist the Company in attracting and retaining highly-qualified individuals;
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to create among directors, officers, consultants and employees a sense of ownership in the Company and to align their interests with those of the shareholders; and
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to ensure competitive compensation that is also financially affordable for the Company.
Compensation
The compensation program is designed to provide competitive levels of compensation. The Company recognizes the need to provide a total compensation package that will attract and retain qualified and experienced executives as well as align the compensation level of each executive to that executive’s level of responsibility. In general, the Company’s NEOs (defined below) may receive compensation that is comprised of three components:
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Salary, wages or contractor payments;
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Stock option grants; and/or
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Bonuses.
The objectives and reasons for this system of compensation are to allow the Company to remain competitive compared to its peers in attracting experienced personnel. The base salary of an NEO is intended to attract and retain executives by providing a reasonable amount of non-contingent remuneration.
The base salary review of each NEO takes into consideration the current competitive market conditions, experience, proven or expected performance, and the particular skills of the NEO. Base salary is not evaluated against a formal “peer group”. The Compensation Committee relies on the general experience of its members in setting base salary amounts.
Stock option grants are designed to reward the NEOs for success on a similar basis as the shareholders of the Company, although the level of reward provided by a particular stock option grant is dependent upon the volatile stock market.
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Any bonuses paid to the NEOs are allocated on an individual basis related to the review by the Board of the work planned during the year and the work achieved during the year, including work related to mineral exploration, administration, financing, shareholder relations and overall performance. The bonuses are paid to reward work done above the base level of expectations set by the base salary, wages or contractor payments.
Executive Compensation
In this section “ Named Executive Officer ” or “ NEO ” means the CEO, the CFO and each of the three most highly compensated executive officers, other than the CEO and CFO, who were serving as executive officers at the end of the most recently completed fiscal year and whose total compensation exceeds $150,000 as well as any additional individuals for whom disclosure would have been provided except that the individual was not serving as an officer of the Company at the end of the most recently completed financial year end.
JC St-Amour, the Company's President and John Masters, the Company's Secretary and CFO are the “ Named Executive Officers ” of the Company for the purposes of the following disclosure. There are no other executive officers of the Company whose total compensation exceeded $150,000 in the financial year ended January 31, 2021. The compensation paid to the Named Executive Officers for the three most recently completed financial years of the Company is as set out below:
Summary Compensation Table
| Name and Principal Position |
Year | Salary ($) |
Share- based awards ($) |
Option- based awards ($)(1) |
Non-equity incentive plan compensation ($) |
Non-equity incentive plan compensation ($) |
Pension value ($) |
All other Compen- sation ($) |
Total Compen- sation ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual incentive plans |
Long-term incentive plans |
||||||||
| JC St-Amour(2)(3) President |
2021 2020 2019 |
Nil Nil Nil |
Nil Nil Nil |
$94,947 $ Nil $ Nil |
Nil Nil Nil |
Nil Nil Nil |
Nil Nil Nil |
$ 55,000 $ Nil $ Nil |
$149,947 $ Nil $ Nil |
| Michael B. England(3)(4) former President |
2021 2020 2019 |
Nil Nil Nil |
Nil Nil Nil |
$46,643 $27,240 $25,477 |
Nil Nil Nil |
Nil Nil Nil |
Nil Nil Nil |
$ 52,200 $64,260(4) $65,000 |
$98,843 $91,500(4) $90,477 |
| John Masters(2) Secretary & CFO |
2021 2020 2019 |
Nil Nil Nil |
Nil Nil Nil |
$21,173 $13,620 $12,738 |
Nil Nil Nil |
Nil Nil Nil |
Nil Nil Nil |
$34,800(4) $42,840(4) $43,000 |
$55,973(4) $56,460(4) $55,738 |
(1) The fair value of the option-based awards was determined on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model because it is a widely used and generally accepted method of estimating the fair value of stock options for accounting purposes.
(2) JC St-Amour and John Masters also serve as directors of the Company and receive compensation for services as the directors, and that compensation has been included in the figures provided in this Summary Compensation Table. Amounts, if any, which relates to the director role are disclosed in subsequent footnotes hereunder.
(3) Michael B. England resigned as President and JC St-Amour was appointed as President on July 6, 2020. Mr. England remains a director of the Company.
(4) The Company pays all management and administrative fees, including employer contributions, directly to England Communications Ltd. (" ECL "), a company of which director Michael B. England is the sole director and shareholder, rather than paying invoices directly for each individual. During the year ended January 31, 2021, the Company paid ECL $145,000 (2020 - $178,500) consisting of $52,200 (2020 - $65,260) in management fees paid to ECL for Mr. England's services, $58,000 (2020 - $71,400) in office and administrative expenses as well as $34,800 (2020 - $42,840) in administration fees related to management fees for John Masters.
Outstanding Share-Based Awards And Option-Based Awards
The following tables provide information regarding all option-based awards held by the Company’s current Named Executive Officers that were outstanding as at July 9, 2021 (information regarding option-based awards granted to Mr. England follows below under “Compensation of Directors”).
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| Option-based Awards | Share-based Awards | ||||||||
| Market or | |||||||||
| Number of | Value of | Number of | payout value |
||||||
| securities | unexercised | shares or units | of share- | ||||||
| underlying | in-the- | of shares that | based awards | ||||||
unexercised |
Option | money | have not | that have not | |||||
| options | exercise price | Option expiration | options(1) | vested | vested | ||||
| Name | (#) | ($) | date | ($) | (#) | ($) | |||
| (a) | (b) | (c) | (d) | (e) | (f) | (g) | |||
| JC St-Amour(2) President |
1,000,000 500,000 |
$0.06 $0.10 |
December 8, 2022 July 3, 2022 |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
|||
| John Masters Secretary & CFO |
500,000 200,000 |
$0.06 $0.10 |
December 8, 2022 January 24, 2022 |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
|||
| (1) This amount is calculated based on the difference between the market value of the securities underlying the options at the end of the most recently completed financial year, which was $0.085 (January 31, 2021) and the exercise or base price of the option. (2) JC St-Amour was appointed as President on July 6, 2020. Incentive Plan Awards- value vested or earned during the year Name (a) Option-based awards – Value vested during the year(1) ($) (b) Share-based awards – Value vested during the year ($) (c) Non-equity incentive plan compensation – Value earned during the year ($) (d) JC St-Amour(2) President 77,947 Nil Nil John Masters Secretary & CFO 21,173 Nil Nil |
|||||||||
Name (a) JC St-Amour(2) President John Masters Secretary & CFO |
|||||||||
| Option-based awards – | Share-based awards – | Non-equity incentive plan | |||||||
| Value vested during the | Value vested during the | compensation – Value earned | |||||||
| year(1) | year | during the year | |||||||
| ($) | ($) | ($) | |||||||
| (b) | (c) | (d) | |||||||
| 77,947 | Nil | Nil | |||||||
| 21,173 | Nil | Nil |
(1) This amount is the dollar value that would have been realized computed by obtaining the difference between the market price of the underlying securities at exercise and the exercise or base price of the options under the option-based award on the vesting date.
(2) JC St-Amour was appointed as President on July 6, 2020.
Termination of Employment, Change in Responsibilities and Employment Contracts
There are no employment contracts between the Company and the Named Executive Officers except as described under the heading "Management Contracts".
There are no compensatory plans, contracts or arrangements between the Company and any Named Executive Officer, where the Named Executive Officer is entitled to receive more than $50,000 from the Company, including periodic payments or instalments, in the event of:
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(a) the resignation, retirement or any other termination of employment of the Named Executive Officer’s employment with the Company;
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(b) a change of control of the Company; or
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(c) a change of the Named Executive Officer’s responsibilities following a change in control.
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Pension Arrangements
The Company does not have any pension arrangements in place for the Named Executive Officers.
COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS
For a description of the compensation paid to the Company's Named Executive Officer(s) who also act as directors, see "Summary Compensation Table".
Other than as disclosed elsewhere in this Information Circular, no director of the Company who is not a Named Executive Officer has received, during the most recently completed financial year, compensation pursuant to:
-
(a) any standard arrangement for the compensation of directors for their services in their capacity as directors, including any additional amounts payable for committee participation or special assignments;
-
(b) any other arrangement, in addition to, or in lieu of, any standard arrangement, for the compensation of directors in their capacity as directors except for the granting of stock options; or
-
(c) any arrangement for the compensation of directors for services as consultants or experts.
The Company may grant incentive stock options to directors of the Company from time to time pursuant to the stock option plan of the Company and in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the " TSXV ").
The compensation paid to the directors, other than the Named Executive Officers, during the Company’s most recently completed financial year is as set out below:
| Name (a) |
Fees earned ($) (b) |
Share- based awards ($) (c) |
Option- based awards ($) (d) |
Non-equity incentive plan compensation ($) (e) |
Pension value ($) (f) |
All other compensation ($) (g) |
Total ($) (h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael England | Nil | Nil | 46,643 | Nil | Nil | Nil | 46,643 |
| Gerhard Jacob | Nil | Nil | 12,704 | Nil | Nil | Nil | 12,704 |
| Jonathan Gagne(1) | Nil | Nil | 12,704 | Nil | Nil | Nil | 12,704 |
| Michel Boily(2) | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
(1) Jonathan Gagne was appointed as a director of the Company July 6, 2020.
(2) Michel Boily was a director of the Company from July 5, 2016 to April 6, 2020,
Narrative Discussion
Other than amounts already included in the above table, the Company has no arrangements, standard or otherwise, pursuant to which directors are compensated by the Company for their services in their capacity as directors, or for committee participation, involvement in special assignments or for services as consultant or expert during the most recently completed financial year or subsequently, up to and including the date of this Information Circular.
The Company has a stock option plan for the granting of incentive stock options to the officers, employees and directors. The purpose of granting such options to the Company's directors is to assist the Company in compensating, attracting, retaining and motivating the directors and to closely align the personal interests of the directors to that of the Company's shareholders.
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Incentive Plan Awards - Outstanding Share-Based Awards And Option-Based Awards
The following table sets forth information concerning all awards outstanding under incentive plans of the Company pursuant to which compensation that depends on achieving certain performance goals or similar conditions within a specified period, at the end of the most recently completed financial year, including awards granted before the most recently completed financial year, to each of the Directors who are not Named Executive Officers:
| Option-based Awards | Option-based Awards | Share-based Awards | Share-based Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name (a) |
Market or | |||||
| Number of | Value of | payout value | ||||
| securities | unexercised | Number of | of share- |
|||
| underlying | Option | in-the- | shares or units | based awards | ||
| unexercised | exercise | money | of shares that | that have not | ||
| options(1) | price | Option expiration | options(1) | have not vested | vested | |
| (#) | ($) | date |
($) | (#) | ($) | |
| (b) | (c) | (d) | (e) | (f) | (g) | |
| Michael England | 100,000 200,000 |
$0.13 $0.10 |
July 24, 2020 January 24, 2022 |
Nil NIL |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
| Jonathan Gagne(2) | 100,000 200,000 |
$0.13 $0.10 |
July 24, 2020 January 24, 2022 |
Nil NIL |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
| Gerhard Jacob | 100,000 200,000 |
$0.13 $0.10 |
July 24, 2020 January 24, 2022 |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
| Michel Boily(3) | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
(1) This amount is calculated based on the difference between the market value of the securities underlying the options at the end of the most recently completed financial year, which was $0.085 (January 31, 2021) and the exercise or base price of the option.
(2) Jonathan Gagne was appointed as a director of the Company July 6, 2020.
(3) Michel Boily was a director of the Company from July 5, 2016 to April 6, 2020,
Incentive Plan Awards - Value Vested or Earned During The Year
The value vested or earned during the most recently completed financial year of incentive plan awards granted to Directors who are not Named Executive Officers are as follows:
| Name (a) |
Option-based awards – | Share-based awards – | Non-equity incentive plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value vested during the | Value vested during the | compensation – Value | |
| year(1) | year | earned during the year | |
| ($) | ($) | ($) | |
| (b) | (c) | (d) | |
| Michael England | 46,643 | Nil | Nil |
| Jonathan Gagne(2) | 12,704 | Nil | Nil |
| Gerhard Jacob | 12,704 | Nil | Nil |
| Michel Boily(3) | Nil | Nil | Nil |
(1) This amount is the dollar value that would have been realized computed by obtaining the difference between the market price of the underlying securities at exercise and the exercise or base price of the options under the option-based award on the vesting date.
(2) Jonathan Gagne was appointed as a director July 6, 2020.
(4) Michel Boily was a director of the Company from July 5, 2016 to April 6, 2020,
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SECURITIES AUTHORIZED FOR ISSUANCE UNDER EQUITY COMPENSATION PLANS
The only equity compensation plan that the Company has in place is its 2015 stock option plan (the “ Plan ”). The Plan was established to provide an incentive to qualified parties to increase their proprietary interest in the Company and thereby encourage their continuing association with the Company. The Plan is administered by the directors of the Company. The Plan provides that options will be issued pursuant to option agreements with directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Company or a subsidiary of the Company. The Plan provides that the number of Common Shares issuable under the Plan, together with all of the Company’s other previously established or proposed share compensation agreements, may not exceed 10% of the total number of issued and outstanding Common Shares at the date of grant. All options expire on a date not later than five years after the issuance of such option.
The following table sets forth securities of the Company that are authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans as at the end of the Company’s most recently completed fiscal year:
| Plan Category | Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights (a) |
Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights (b) |
Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a)) (c) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity compensation plans approved by securityholders |
9,275,000 | $0.07 | 3,383,203 |
| Equity compensation plans not approved by securityholders |
Nil | N/A | N/A |
| Total | 9,275,000 | $0.07 | 3,383,203 |
INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
No director, executive officer, employee or former director, executive officer or employee of the Company was indebted to the Company as at the date hereof or at any time during the most recently completed financial year of the Company. None of the proposed nominees for election as a director of the Company, or any associate of any director, executive officer or proposed nominee, was indebted to the Company as at the date hereof or at any time during the most recently completed financial year of the Company.
The Company has not provided any guarantees, support agreements, letters of credit or other similar arrangement or understanding for any indebtedness of any of the Company’s directors, executive officers, proposed nominees for election as a director, or associates of any of the foregoing individuals as at the date hereof or at any time during the most recently completed financial year of the Company.
INTEREST OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS
An “ informed person ” means: (a) a director or executive officer of the Company; (b) a director or executive officer of a person or company that is itself an informed person or subsidiary of the Company; (c) any person or company who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, voting securities of the company or who exercises control or direction over voting securities of the Company or a combination of both carrying more than 10% of the voting rights other than voting securities held by the person or company as underwriter in the course of a distribution; and (d) the Company itself, if and for so long as it has purchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired any of its shares.
Except as set out in the executive compensation and the compensation of directors section above, since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year, no informed person of the Company, nominee for director or any associate or affiliate of an informed person or nominee, had any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction, in any transaction or any proposed transaction which has materially affected or would materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
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APPOINTMENT OF AUDITOR
Management recommends that Shareholders vote to re-appoint Davidson & Company LLP, Chartered Accountants, of Suite 1200, 609 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, V7Y 1G8, as auditors for the Company and to authorize the directors to fix their remuneration. Davidson & Company LLP, Chartered Accountants were first appointed as auditors for the Company on December 1, 2009.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS
The Company has entered into a management services agreement dated April 1, 2011 (the " Agreement ") with England Communications Ltd. (the " Manager "), wherein the Manager provides management services as well as general office services and duties. The Manager is wholly owned by Michael England, the Company's former President, who remains a director of the Company. The updated Agreement states that the Company shall approximately $10,000 per month for the provision of all of the staff, of which $6,000 per month has been allocated for the Manager and $3,000 has been allocated for the Corporate Secretary. The Agreement may be terminated by either party on 90 days' notice.
There are no other management functions of the Company or any of its subsidiaries which are to any substantial degree performed other than by the directors or executive officers of the Company or its subsidiaries.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
General
National Instrument 58-101 Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices (“ NI 58-101 ”) requires issuers to disclose the corporate governance practices that they have adopted according to guidance provided pursuant to National Policy 58-201 Corporate Governance Guidelines (“ NP 58-201 ”).
The Board believes that good corporate governance improves corporate performance and benefits all Shareholders. The Canadian Securities Administrators (the “ CSA ”) have adopted NP 58-201, which provides non-prescriptive guidelines on corporate governance practices for reporting issuers. In addition, the CSA have implemented NI 58-101, which prescribes certain disclosure by reporting issuers of its corporate governance practices. This section sets out the Company’s approach to corporate governance and addresses the Company’s compliance with NI 58-101.
Board of Directors
Directors are considered to be independent if they have no direct or indirect material relationship with the Company. A “ material relationship ” is a relationship which could, in the view of the Company’s Board, be reasonably expected to interfere with the exercise of a director’s independent judgment.
The current independent members of the Board of Directors of the Company are Gerhard Jacob and Jonathan Gagné. The non-independent directors are Jean-Claude (J.C.) St-Amour, President and John Masters, the Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary of the Company. Mr. England is also considered non-independent, as he had served as the Company's CEO within the past three years.
The Board facilitates its independent supervision over management by choosing management who demonstrate a high level of integrity and ability and having strong independent Board members. The independent directors are, however, able to meet at any time without any of the non-independent directors being present. Further supervision is performed through the Audit Committee who may meet with the Company’s auditors without management being in attendance.
Directorships
The participation of the directors in other reporting issuers as at the date of this Management Circular is described in the following table:
| in the following table: | |
|---|---|
| Name of Director | Names of Other Reporting Issuers of which the Director is a Director |
| Michael B. England | Sky Gold Corp., BTU Metals Corp., Golden Lake Exploration Inc., Pegasus Resources Inc. and Rockland Resources Ltd. |
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| Name of Director | Names of Other Reporting Issuers of which the Director is a Director |
|---|---|
| Gerhard Jacob | None |
| John Masters | Sky Gold Corp. 79 Resources Ltd. and Sienna Resources Inc. |
| Jonathan Gagné | Vision Lithium Inc., Blue Moon Metals Inc. (formerly Blue Moon Zinc Corp.) and Vanstar Mining Resources Inc. |
| Jean-Claude (J.C.) St-Amour | Pelangio Exploration Inc. and Sky Gold Corp. |
Orientation and Continuing Education
When new directors are appointed, they receive orientation, commensurate with their previous experience, on the Company’s properties and on director responsibilities.
Board meetings may also include presentations by the Company’s management and employees to give the directors additional insight into the Company’s business. In addition, management of the Company makes itself available to discussions 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 views and experience.
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.
Other Board Committees
The Board has no committees other than the Audit Committee.
Assessments
The Board monitors the adequacy of information given to directors, communication between the Board and management, and the strategic direction and processes of the Board and committees.
Compensation
The Board is not compensated for acting as directors, except for being granted incentive stock options pursuant to the policies of the TSX-V and the Company’s stock option plan. The Board acts as a whole to determine and approve the final stock grants and compensation amounts.
AUDIT COMMITTEE AND RELATIONSHIP WITH AUDITOR
National Instrument 52-110 of the Canadian Securities Administrators (“ 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 (the “ Audit Committee ”) and its relationship with its independent auditors, as set forth in the following.
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Charter
The Company has adopted a charter (the “ Charter ”) of the Audit Committee of the Board, which is attached as Schedule “A” to this Information Circular.
Composition
The current members of the Audit Committee are Michael B. England, Gerhard Jacob and John Masters. Mr. Jacob is an independent member of the Audit Committee, and Messrs. England and Masters are not independent. All of the members of the Audit Committee are considered to be financially literate.
Relevant Education and Experience
-
Michael England - Mr. England is currently a director and/or officer of five (including Infinite Ore Corp.) reporting issuers, three of whom are listed on the TSX-V and two on the CSE, and all of whom are similar in industry and size to the Company. Mr. England has been a director and executive officer of numerous junior mining companies similar to the Company since 2001 and serves as a member of the audit committee on many of these companies. Mr. England is also the director and President of England Communications Ltd., a private company which offers management services to several reporting companies involved in mining exploration. As a result of these years of experience, Mr. England is very familiar with the breadth and complexity of issues that face the Company, and in particular, the accounting issues that may be raised by the financial statements of the Company.
-
Gerhard Jacob – Mr. Jacob is a seasoned professional in the mining and exploration industry with over 28 years experience in exploration, mine development and management of mining projects and has served as a director and technical advisor on several public companies. Mr. Jacob has developed an understanding of the accounting principles used by the Company to prepare the financial statements.
-
John Masters - Mr. Masters has been involved in the public markets since 2007 and currently holds several board, CFO and officer appointments with TSX-V and a CSE listed companies. In addition, Mr. Masters is VP of England Communications Ltd., a private management company for several TSX-V companies. John is financially literate and familiar with the preparation and review of financial statements of public companies.
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.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Audit Committee has adopted specific policies and procedures for the engagement of non - audit services as described in the Company’s Audit Committee Charter.
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 52110, in whole or in part, granted under Part 8 of NI 52-110.
External Auditor Service Fees
The Audit Committee has reviewed the nature and amount of the non - audited services provided by Davidson & Company LLP, Chartered Accountants, to the Company to ensure auditor independence. Fees incurred for audit and non - audit services in the last two fiscal years for audit fees are outlined in the following table:
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| Nature of Services | Fees Paid to Auditor in Year Ended January 31, 2021 |
Fees Paid to Auditor in Year Ended |
|---|---|---|
| January 31, 2020 | ||
| Audit Fees (1) |
$29,500.00 | $29,859.90 |
| Audit-Related Fees (2) |
Nil | Nil |
| Tax Fees (3) |
$10,000 | $10,250 |
| All Other Fees | Nil | Nil |
| Total | $39,500.00 | $40,109.90 |
-
(1) “ Audit Fees ” include fees necessary to perform the annual audit of the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Audit Fees include fees for review of tax provisions and for accounting consultations on matters reflected in the financial statements. Audit Fees also include audit or other attest services required by legislation or regulation, such as comfort letters, consents, reviews of securities filings and statutory audits.
-
(2) “ Audit-Related Fees ” include services that are traditionally performed by the auditor. These audit-related services include employee benefit audits, due diligence assistance, accounting consultations on proposed transactions, internal control reviews and audit or attest services not required by legislation or regulation.
-
(3) “ Tax Fees ” include fees for all tax services other than those included in “Audit Fees” and “Audit-Related Fees”. This category includes fees for tax compliance, tax planning and tax advice. Tax planning and tax advice includes assistance with tax audits and appeals, tax advice related to mergers and acquisitions, and requests for rulings or technical advice from tax authorities.
Exemption in Section 6.1 of NI 52-110
The Company is relying on the exemption in Section 6.1 of NI 52-110 from the requirement of Parts 3 (Composition of the Audit Committee) and 5 (Reporting Obligations).
PARTICULARS OF MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
APPROVAL OF STOCK OPTION PLAN
Confirmation of Stock Option Plan
The Company received shareholder approval at its last annual general meeting held on September 3, 2020, of a “rolling” stock option plan whereby a maximum of 10% of the issued Common Shares of the Company, from time to time, may be reserved for issuance pursuant to the exercise of options.
The TSX-V requires listed companies that have “rolling” stock option plans in place to receive shareholder approval of such plans on a yearly basis at the Company’s annual general meeting. Accordingly, Shareholders will be asked at the Meeting to ratify and approve the Plan.
The purpose of the Plan is to provide certain directors, officers and key employees of, and certain other persons who provide services to the Company and any subsidiaries with an opportunity to purchase Common Shares of the Company and benefit from any appreciation in the value of the Company’s Common Shares. This will provide an increased incentive for these individuals to contribute to the future success and prosperity of the Company, thus enhancing the value of the Common Shares for the benefit of all the Shareholders and increasing the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to attract and retain skilled and motivated individuals in the service of the Company.
The Plan provides for a floating maximum limit of 10% of the outstanding Common Shares, as permitted by the policies of the TSX-V. As at July 9, 2021, this represents 13,252,017 Common Shares available under the Plan, of which 8,900,000 are issued and 4,352,017 are reserved and available for issuance under the Plan.
Under the Plan, the option price must not be less than the exercise price permitted by the TSX-V. The current policies of the TSX-V state that the option price must not be less than the closing prices of the Common Shares listed on the TSX-V on the day immediately preceding the date of grant, less the applicable discount permitted by the policies of the TSX-V. An option must be exercised within a period of five years from the date of granting. Within this five year period, the Board may determine the limitation period during which an option may be exercised. Any amendment to the Plan requires the approval of the TSX-V and may require shareholder approval.
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The material terms of the Plan are as follows:
-
The term of any options granted under the Plan will be fixed by the Board at the time such options are granted, provided that options will not be permitted to exceed a term of ten years.
-
The exercise price of any options granted under the Plan will be determined by the Board, in its sole discretion, but shall not be less than the closing price of the Company’s Common Shares the day on which the directors grant such options, less any discount permitted by the TSX-V.
-
No vesting requirements will apply to options granted under the Plan other than as required by TSX-V policies.
-
All options will be non-assignable and non-transferable.
-
No more than (i) 5% of the issued Common Shares may be granted to any one individual in any 12-month period; and (ii) 2% of the issued Common Shares may be granted to a consultant, or an employee performing investor relations activities, in any 12-month period.
-
If the option holder ceases to be a director of the Company or ceases to be employed by the Company (other than by reason of death or disability), as the case may be, then the option granted shall expire on no later than the 90[th] day following the date that the option holder ceases to be a director or ceases to be employed by the Company, subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Plan. However, if the option holder is engaged in investor relations activities the options must expire within 30 days after the option holder ceases to be employed by the Company to provide investor relations activities, in accordance with the policies of the TSX-V.
-
Disinterested shareholder approval must be obtained for (i) any reduction in the exercise price of an outstanding option, if the option holder is an insider; (ii) any grant of options to insiders, within a 12-month period, exceeding 10% of the Company’s issued Common Shares; and (iii) any grant of options to any one individual, within a 12-month period, exceeding 5% of the Company’s issued Common Shares.
-
Options will be reclassified in the event of any consolidation, subdivision, conversion or exchange of the Company’s Common Shares.
The Plan is subject to annual TSX-V approval.
The full text of the Plan will be made available at the registered and records offices of the Company, Suite 700 – 401 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 5A1, until 4 p.m. on the business day immediately preceding the date of the Meeting. The Plan is also available on the Internet at www.sedar.com.
Shareholder Approval
Shareholders will be asked at the Meeting to approve with or without variation the following resolution:
“BE IT RESOLVED that the Company’s Stock Option Plan be and is hereby ratified and approved, and that in connection therewith a maximum of 10% of the issued and outstanding common shares at the time of each grant be approved for granting as options and that the board of directors be and are hereby authorized, without further shareholder approval, to make such changes to the Stock Option Plan as may be required or approved by regulatory authorities.”
Other Matters
As of the date of this Information Circular, management knows of no other matters to be acted upon at the Meeting. However, should any other matters properly come before the Meeting, the Common Shares represented by the Proxy solicited hereby will be voted on such matters in accordance with the best judgment of the persons voting the Common Shares represented by the Proxy.
Additional Information
Additional information relating to the Company is available on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.
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Financial information on the Company is provided in the Company’s comparative financial statements and management discussion and analysis of the most recently completed financial year ended January 31, 2020. Copies of the Company’s financial statements and management discussion and analysis may be obtained upon request from the Company to the attention of Attention: John Masters at Suite 1240 – 789 West Pender Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 1H2, Tel: 604-683-3995.
APPROVAL AND CERTIFICATION
The contents of this Information Circular have been approved and this mailing has been authorized by the Directors of the Company.
Where information contained in this Information Circular, rests specifically within the knowledge of a person other than the Company, the Company has relied upon information furnished by such person.
The foregoing contains no untrue statement of material fact and does not omit to state a material fact that is required to be stated or that is necessary to make a statement not misleading in the light of the circumstances in which it was made.
Dated at Vancouver, British Columbia, this 9[th] day of July 2021.
"Michael B. England"
Michael B. England Director
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SCHEDULE A
INFINITE ORE CORP. (the “ Company ”)
AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARTER
Purpose of the Committee
The purpose of the Audit Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of the Company is to provide an open avenue of communication between management, the Company’s independent auditors and the Board and to assist the Board in its oversight of:
-
(a) the integrity, adequacy and timeliness of the Company’s financial reporting and disclosure practices;
-
(b) the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements related to financial reporting; and
-
(c) the independence and performance of the Company’s independent auditors.
The Committee shall also perform any other activities consistent with this Charter, the Company’s Articles and governing laws as the Committee or Board deems necessary or appropriate.
The Committee shall consist of at least three directors. Members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Board and may be removed by the Board in its discretion. The members of the Committee shall elect a Chair from among their number. A majority of the members of the Committee must not be officers or employees of the Company or of an affiliate of the Company. The quorum for a meeting of the Committee is a majority of the members who are not officers or employees of the Company or of an affiliate of the Company. With the exception of the foregoing quorum requirement, the Committee may determine its own procedures.
The Committee’s role is one of oversight. Management is responsible for preparing the Company’s financial statements and other financial information and for the fair presentation of the information set forth in the financial statements in accordance with international financial reporting standards (“IFRS”). Management is also responsible for establishing internal controls and procedures and for maintaining the appropriate accounting and financial reporting principles and policies designed to assure compliance with accounting standards and all applicable laws and regulations.
The independent auditors’ responsibility is to audit the Company’s financial statements and provide their opinion, based on their audit conducted in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, that the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company in accordance with IFRS.
The Committee is responsible for recommending to the Board the independent auditors to be nominated for the purpose of auditing the Company’s financial statements, preparing or issuing an auditor’s report or performing other audit, review or attest services for the Company, and for reviewing and recommending the compensation of the independent auditors. The Committee is also directly responsible for the evaluation of and oversight of the work of the independent auditors. The independent auditors shall report directly to the Committee.
Authority and Responsibilities
In addition to the foregoing, in performing its oversight responsibilities the Committee shall:
- Monitor the adequacy of this Charter and recommend any proposed changes to the Board.
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Review the appointments of the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and any other key financial executives involved in the financial reporting process.
-
Review with management and the independent auditors the adequacy and effectiveness of the Company’s accounting and financial controls and the adequacy and timeliness of its financial reporting processes.
-
Review with management and the independent auditors the annual financial statements and related documents and review with management the unaudited quarterly financial statements and related documents, prior to filing or distribution, including matters required to be reviewed under applicable legal or regulatory requirements.
-
Where appropriate and prior to release, review with management any news releases that disclose annual or interim financial results or contain other significant financial information that has not previously been released to the public.
-
Review the Company’s financial reporting and accounting standards and principles and significant changes in such standards or principles or in their application, including key accounting decisions affecting the financial statements, alternatives thereto and the rationale for decisions made.
-
Review the quality and appropriateness of the accounting policies and the clarity of financial information and disclosure practices adopted by the Company, including consideration of the independent auditors’ judgment about the quality and appropriateness of the Company’s accounting policies. This review may include discussions with the independent auditors without the presence of management.
-
Review with management and the independent auditors significant related party transactions and potential conflicts of interest.
-
Pre-approve all non-audit services to be provided to the Company by the independent auditors.
-
Monitor the independence of the independent auditors by reviewing all relationships between the independent auditors and the Company and all non-audit work performed for the Company by the independent auditors.
-
Establish and review the Company’s procedures for the:
-
(a) receipt, retention and treatment of complaints regarding accounting, financial disclosure, internal controls or auditing matters; and
-
(b) confidential, anonymous submission by employees regarding questionable accounting, auditing and financial reporting and disclosure matters.
-
Conduct or authorize investigations into any matters that the Committee believes is within the scope of its responsibilities. The Committee has the authority to retain independent counsel, accountants or other advisors to assist it, as it considers necessary, to carry out its duties, and to set and pay the compensation of such advisors at the expense of the Company.
-
Perform such other functions and exercise such other powers as are prescribed form time to time for the audit committee of a reporting company in Parts 2 and 4 of Multilateral Instrument 52-110 of the Canadian Securities Administrators, the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and the Articles of the Company.
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