AI assistant
JZR Gold Inc. — Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement 2024
Dec 23, 2024
45718_rns_2024-12-23_a5b4283d-f4eb-4aeb-bea5-e2954db5879d.pdf
Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement
Open in viewerOpens in your device viewer
JZR GOLD INC.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL AND SPECIAL MEETING
AND
INFORMATION CIRCULAR
To be held on Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Dated: November 18, 2024
JZR GOLD INC.
Suite 404 – 1688 – 152nd Street
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada V4A 4N2
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON JANUARY 14, 2025
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual General and Special meeting (the “Meeting”) of JZR GOLD INC. (the “Company”) will be held at Suite 1100 – 1111 Melville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at 10:00 AM (Pacific Time) for the following purposes:
- to receive the audited financial statements of the Company for the financial year ended June 30, 2024, together with the auditor’s reports thereon;
- to fix number of directors at three (3) and to elect directors for the ensuing year;
- to appoint Baker Tilly WM LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as the Company’s auditor for the ensuing year, and to authorize the directors to fix the remuneration to be paid to the auditor;
- to consider and, if thought fit, pass an ordinary resolution of disinterested shareholders to confirm and approve the continuation of the equity incentive plan, as more particularly described in the attached management information circular in “Section 3 – The Business of the Meeting”; and
- to transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournments thereof.
The accompanying management information circular (the “Information Circular”) provides additional information relating to the matters to be dealt with at the Meeting and is deemed to form part of this Notice. Also accompanying this Notice are (i) Form of Proxy or Voting Instruction Form, and (ii) Financial Statement Request Form. Any adjournment of the Meeting will be held at a time and place to be specified at the Meeting.
Only shareholders of record at the close of business on November 15, 2024, will be entitled to receive notice of and vote at the Meeting. Shareholders are entitled to vote at the Meeting either in person or by proxy. Each common share (the “Common Shares”) is entitled to one vote.
Registered shareholders who are unable to attend the Meeting in person and who wish to ensure that their shares will be voted at the Meeting are requested to complete, date and sign the enclosed form of proxy, or another suitable form of proxy and deliver it in accordance with the instructions set out in the form of proxy and in the Information Circular.
Non-registered shareholders who plan to attend the Meeting must follow the instructions set out in the form of proxy or voting instruction form to ensure that their shares will be voted at the Meeting. If you hold your shares in a brokerage account, you are not a registered shareholder.
DATED at Vancouver, British Columbia, this 18th day of November, 2024.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Signed: “Rob Klenk”
ROBERT KLENK
Chief Executive Officer and Director
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CIRCULAR
The information contained in this Management Information Circular, unless otherwise indicated, is as of November 15, 2024.
This Management Information Circular is being mailed by the management of JZR GOLD INC. (the "Company" or "JZR") to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 15, 2024, which is the date that has been fixed by the directors of the Company as the record date (the "Record Date") to determine the shareholders who are entitled to receive notice of the meeting. The Company is mailing this Information Circular in connection with the solicitation of proxies by and on behalf of the Company for use at its annual general and special meeting (the "Meeting") of the shareholders that is to be held on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at 10:00AM (PST) at Suite 1100 – 1111 Melville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6E 3V6. The solicitation of proxies will be primarily by mail. Certain employees or directors of the Company may also solicit proxies by telephone or in person. The cost of solicitation will be borne by the Company.
The Company is not relying on the "Notice and Access" delivery procedures outlined in National Instrument 54-101 Communication with Beneficial Owners of Securities of a Reporting Issuer to distribute copies of proxy-related materials in connection with the Meeting by posting them on a website.
QUORUM
Under Jazz Articles, the quorum for the transaction of business at a Meeting of shareholders is two persons who are, or who represent by proxy, shareholders who, in the aggregate, hold at least 5% of the issued shares entitled to be voted at the meeting.
SECTION 1 - VOTING
WHO CAN VOTE?
If you are a registered shareholder of the Company as at November 15, 2024, you are entitled to notice of and to attend at the Meeting and cast a vote for each share registered in your name on all resolutions put before the Meeting. If the shares are registered in the name of a corporation, a duly authorized officer of the corporation may attend on its behalf, but documentation indicating such officer's authority should be presented at the Meeting. If you are a registered shareholder but do not wish to, or cannot, attend the Meeting in person you can appoint someone who will attend the Meeting and act as your proxyholder to vote in accordance with your instructions (see "Voting By Proxy" below). If your shares are registered in the name of a "nominee" (usually a bank, trust company, securities dealer, financial institution or other intermediary) you should refer to the section entitled "Non-Registered Shareholders" set out below.
It is important that your shares be represented at the Meeting regardless of the number of shares you hold. If you will not be attending the Meeting in person, we invite you to complete, date, sign and return your form of proxy as soon as possible so that your shares will be represented.
VOTING BY PROXY
If you do not come to the Meeting, you can still make your votes count by appointing someone who will be there to act as your proxyholder. You can either tell that person how you want to vote or you can let him or her decide for you. You can do this by completing a form of proxy.
In order to be valid, you must return the completed form of proxy to the Company's transfer agent, Odyssey Trust Company ("Odyssey") by email ([email protected]); facsimile to 1-800-517-4553 (toll free within Canada and the USA, or 416-263-9524 for international) or by mail to Odyssey Trust Company, Attn: Proxy Department, Suite 702, 67 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M5E 1J8, not later than 48 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, prior to the time fixed for the Meeting or any adjournments thereof.
1 | Page
You may also vote your proxy online. Please visit: https://vote.odysseytrust.com and click on LOGIN. You will require the CONTROL NUMBER printed with your address to the right on your proxy form. If you vote by internet, do not mail the proxy.
What Is A Proxy?
A form of proxy is a document that authorizes someone to attend the Meeting and cast your votes for you. We have enclosed a form of proxy with this Information Circular. You should use it to appoint a proxyholder, although you can also use any other legal form of proxy.
Appointing A Proxyholder
You can choose any individual to be your proxyholder. It is not necessary for the person whom you choose to be a shareholder. To make such an appointment, simply fill in the person's name in the blank space provided in the enclosed form of proxy. To vote your shares, your proxyholder must attend the Meeting. If you do not fill a name in the blank space in the enclosed form of proxy, the persons named in the form of proxy are appointed to act as your proxyholder (the "Management Proxyholders"). Those persons are directors, officers or other authorized representatives of the Company.
Instructing Your Proxy
You may indicate on your form of proxy how you wish your proxyholder to vote your shares. To do this, simply mark the appropriate boxes on the form of proxy. If you do this, your proxyholder must vote your shares in accordance with the instructions you have given.
If you do not give any instructions as to how to vote on a particular issue to be decided at the Meeting, your proxyholder can vote your shares as he or she thinks fit. If you have appointed the persons designated in the form of proxy as your proxyholder they will, unless you give contrary instructions, vote your shares IN FAVOUR of each of the items of business being considered at the Meeting. For more information about these matters, see "Section 3 - The Business of the Meeting".
The enclosed form of proxy gives the persons named on it the authority to use their discretion in voting on amendments or variations to matters identified in the Notice of Meeting. At the time of printing this Information Circular, the management of the Company is not aware of any other matter to be presented for action at the Meeting. If, however, other matters do properly come before the Meeting, the persons named on the enclosed form of proxy will vote on them in accordance with their best judgment, pursuant to the discretionary authority conferred by the form of proxy with respect to such matters.
Changing Your Mind
If you want to revoke your proxy after you have delivered it, you can do so at any time before it is used. You may do this by (a) attending the Meeting and voting in person; (b) signing a proxy bearing a later date; (c) signing a written statement which indicates, clearly, that you want to revoke your proxy and delivering this signed written statement to the Company at Suite 404 – 1688 – 152nd Street, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada V4A 4N2 or (d) in any other manner permitted by law.
Your proxy will only be revoked if a revocation is received by 10:00AM (PST) on the last business day before the day of the Meeting, or any adjournment thereof, or delivered to the person presiding at the Meeting before it (or any adjournment) commences. If you revoke your proxy and do not replace it with another that is deposited with us before the deadline, you can still vote your shares but to do so you must attend the Meeting in person. Only registered shareholders may revoke a proxy. If your shares are not registered in your own name and you wish to change your vote, you must arrange for your nominee to revoke your proxy on your behalf (see below under "Non-Registered Shareholders").
REGISTERED SHAREHOLDERS
Registered Shareholders may wish to vote by Proxy whether or not they are able to attend the Meeting in person. Registered Shareholders electing to submit a Proxy may do so by completing, dating and signing the enclosed form
2 | Page
of Proxy and returning it to the Company's transfer agent, Odyssey Trust Company by facsimile at 1-800-517-4553 or by mail to Attn: Proxy Department, Suite 702, 67 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M5E 1J8.
In all cases, the Proxy must be received at least 48 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) before the Meeting or the adjournment thereof at which the Proxy is to be used.
NON-REGISTERED SHAREHOLDERS
Only registered holders of common shares or the persons they appoint as their proxyholders are permitted to vote at the Meeting. In many cases, however, common shares beneficially owned by a holder (a "Non-Registered Holder") are registered either:
(a) in the name of an Intermediary (an "Intermediary") that the Non-Registered Holder deals with in respect of the shares. Intermediaries include banks, trust companies, securities dealers or brokers, and trustees or administrators of self-administered RRSPs, RRIFs, RESPs 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.
Non-Registered Holders who have not objected to their Intermediary disclosing certain ownership information about themselves to the Company are referred to as "NOBOs". Those Non-Registered Holders who have objected to their Intermediary disclosing ownership information about themselves to the Company are referred to as "OBOs".
Pursuant to NI 54-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators, the Company has distributed copies of proxy-related materials in connection with this Meeting (including this Information Circular) indirectly or directly to the NOBOs and to the Intermediaries for onward distribution to Non-Registered Holders. Intermediaries that receive the proxy-related materials are required to forward the proxy-related materials to Non-Registered Holders unless a Non-Registered Holder has waived the right to receive them. Intermediaries often use service companies to forward the proxy-related materials to Non-Registered Holders.
The Company will not be paying for Intermediaries to deliver to OBOs (who have not otherwise waived their right to receive proxy-related materials) copies of the proxy-related materials and related documents. Accordingly, an OBO will not receive copies of the proxy-related materials and related documents unless the OBO's Intermediary assumes the costs of delivery.
Generally, Non-Registered Holders who have not waived the right to receive proxy-related materials (including OBOs who have made the necessary arrangements with their Intermediary for the payment of delivery and receipt of such proxy-related materials) will be sent a voting instruction form which must be completed, signed and returned by the Non-Registered Holder in accordance with the Intermediary's directions on the voting instruction form. In some cases, such Non-Registered Holders will instead be given a proxy which has already been signed by the Intermediary (typically by a facsimile, stamped signature) which is restricted as to the number of Common Shares beneficially owned by the Non-Registered Holder but which is otherwise not completed. This form of proxy does not need to be signed by the Non-Registered Holder, but, to be used at the Meeting, needs to be properly completed and deposited with Computershare as described under "Voting By Proxy" above.
The purpose of these procedures is to permit Non-Registered Holders to direct the voting of the Common Shares that they beneficially own. Should a Non-Registered Holder wish to attend and vote at the Meeting in person (or have another person attend and vote on behalf of the Non-Registered Holder), the Non-Registered Holder should insert the Non-Registered Holder's (or such other person's) name in the blank space provided or, in the case of a voting instruction form, follow the corresponding instructions on the form.
Non-Registered Holders should carefully follow the instructions of their Intermediaries and their service companies, including instructions regarding when and where the voting instruction form or Proxy form is to be delivered.
Page
4 | Page
NOTICE TO SHAREHOLDERS IN THE UNITED STATES
The solicitation of proxies involves securities of an issuer located in Canada and is being effected in accordance with the corporate laws of Canada and securities laws of the provinces of Canada. The proxy solicitation rules under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, are not applicable to the Company or this solicitation, and this solicitation has been prepared in accordance with the disclosure requirements of the securities laws of the provinces of Canada. Shareholders should be aware that disclosure requirements under the securities laws of the provinces of Canada differ from the disclosure requirements under United States securities laws. The enforcement by Shareholders of civil liabilities under United States federal securities laws may be affected adversely by the fact that the Company is incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia), as amended (the "Act"), certain of its directors and its executive officers are residents of Canada and a substantial portion of its assets and the assets of such persons are located outside the United States. Shareholders may not be able to sue a foreign company or its officers or directors in a foreign court for violations of United States federal securities laws. It may be difficult to compel a foreign company and its officers and directors to subject themselves to a judgment by a United States court.
SECTION 2 - VOTING SHARES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS THEREOF
The Company is authorized to issue an unlimited number of common shares without par value. The Company's common shares ("Common Shares") are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") under stock symbol "JZR" and on the OTCQB under "JZRIF". The board of directors (the "Board") of the Company has fixed November 15, 2024, as the record date (the "Record Date") for the determination of persons entitled to receive notice of 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 at the close of business on the Record Date being November 15, 2024, 54,127,449 Common Shares were issued and outstanding. Each shareholder entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Meeting is entitled to one vote for each common share registered in his or her name at the close of business on November 15, 2024.
On a show of hands, every individual who is present and is entitled to vote as a shareholder or as a representative of one or more corporate shareholders will have one vote, and on a poll every shareholder present in person or represented by a Proxy and every person who is a representative of one or more corporate shareholders, will have one vote for each Common Share registered in that shareholder's name on the list of shareholders as at the Record Date, which is available for inspection during normal business hours at the Company's transfer agent and will be available at the Meeting.
To the knowledge of the directors and executive officers of the Company, no person or company beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, or exercises control or direction over, Common Shares carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to all outstanding Common Shares of the Company.
SECTION 3 - THE BUSINESS OF THE MEETING
A simple majority of affirmative votes cast at the Meeting is required to pass the 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.
1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements of the Company for the financial year ended June 30, 2024, will be placed before you at the Meeting. They have been mailed to the shareholders who have requested they receive a copy of same together with the Notice of Meeting and this Information Circular. These audited financial statements are available at www.sedarplus.ca.
No approval or other action needs to be taken at the Meeting in respect of these documents.
Pursuant to National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations and National Instrument 54-101 Communication with Beneficial Owners of Securities of a Reporting Issuer, both of the Canadian Securities Administrators, a person or corporation who in the future wishes to receive annual and interim financial statements from the Company must deliver a written request for such material to the Company. Shareholders who wish to receive annual and interim financial statements are encouraged to complete the appropriate section on the Financial Statement Request Form attached to this Information Circular and send it to the Company.
2. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Number of Directors
Under the Company's Articles and pursuant to the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia), the number of directors may be set by ordinary resolution but shall not be fewer than three. The Company currently has three (3) directors. All three (3) directors are being put forward by management of the Company for election at the Meeting.
The Company's management recommends that the shareholders vote in favour of the resolution setting the number of directors at three (3). Unless you give other instructions, the Management Proxyholders intend to vote FOR the resolution setting the number of directors at three (3).
Nominees for Election
Directors of the Company are elected for a term of one year. The term of office of each of the nominees proposed for election as a director will expire at the Meeting, and each of them, if elected, will serve until the close of the next annual general meeting, unless he or she resigns or otherwise vacates office before that time.
The following table sets out the names of management's nominees for election as directors of the Company; all offices in the Company each nominee now holds; each nominee's principal occupation, business or employment; the period of time during which each nominee has been a director of the Company; and the number of common shares, stock options and common share purchase warrants that are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, or over which control or direction is exercised, by each nominee as at Record Date.
Each of the nominees has agreed to stand for election and management of the Company is not aware of any intention of any of them not to do so. Management does not contemplate that any of the nominees will be unable to serve as a director but, if that should occur for any reason prior to the Meeting, the persons designated in the enclosed form of proxy reserve the right to vote for other nominees in their discretion.
| Name, position and place of residence(1) | Principal occupation for the past five years(1) | Director since | Number of shares(2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROBERT KLENK(3) | |||
| CEO and Director | |||
| British Columbia, Canada | Former investment advisor; | ||
| President and CEO of JZR Gold Inc. | February 15, 2016 | 2,102,961 | |
| RON TEWITZ(3) | |||
| Director | |||
| Alberta, Canada | President of Anvil Machine Ltd. | December 10, 2020 | 238,333 |
| GRAHAM CARTER(3) | |||
| Director | |||
| Alberta, Canada | Former professional engineer; COO of JZR Gold Inc. | December 12, 2023 | 1,000,000 |
Notes:
(1) Information as to the residency and principal occupation has been provided by the respective directors.
(2) Information as to shares beneficially owned, not being within our knowledge has been furnished by the respective person, has been extracted from the list of registered shareholders maintained by the Company's transfer agent, has been obtained from insider reports filed by respective person and available through the Internet at the Canadian System for Electronic Disclosure by Insiders (www.sedi.ca) or
5 | Page
has been obtained from early warning report and alternative monthly reports filed by the respective person and available through the Internet at the Canadian System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (www.sedarplus.ca).
(3) Member of the Audit Committee.
Biographies
Rob Klenk – President, CEO, Chairman and Director
Rob Klenk is currently CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of JZR Gold Inc. (formerly, Jazz Resources Inc.) After attending the University of Illinois-Chicago on a hockey scholarship, Mr. Klenk worked on the floor of the Chicago Board Options Exchange before he returned to British Columbia. After working in contract administration and inspection of large natural gas pipelines throughout British Columbia, he obtained a Masters of Business Administration specializing in Finance from the University of British Columbia. After a decade as an investment advisor for Merrill Lynch, CIBC Wood Gundy and branch manager for Canaccord, he stepped into his current role at JZR Gold Inc. in 2017.
Ron Tewitz – Director
Ron Tewitz is currently the President of Anvil Machine, an oilfield manufacturing company in Edmonton, Alberta, founded in 1969. Mr. Tewitz comes from a welding and machining background and through hands-on experience in various roles at Anvil, has worked into being President and owner of the company. Since 2006, Mr. Tewitz has safely and skillfully led Anvil Machine through the many challenges of the oil and gas industry in Alberta.
Graham Carter – Director, Chief Operating Officer
Graham Carter is currently the COO of JZR Gold Inc. He was formerly a professional engineer working in the oil and gas sector as a project manager. Mr. Carter has over 20 years of progressive technical and management experience in the oil and gas industry. Throughout his career he has worked in various roles including Business Development, Joint Venture, project management and progressively senior management positions with major oil and gas companies in Calgary, Alberta. With a background in engineering (P. Eng, University of Calgary, Mr. Carter has extensive experience in project planning, client/customer relationships and project management, managing small to large projects ($50,000,000).
CEASE TRADE ORDERS, BANKRUPTCIES, PENALTIES OR SANCTIONS
As at the date of this Information Circular, to the knowledge of the Company, no proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company (nor any of his or her personal holding companies) has been subject to:
(a) any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation or by a securities regulatory authority or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority; or
(b) any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable shareholder in deciding whether to vote for a proposed director.
No proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company is, or has been, within 10 years before the date of this Information Circular:
- a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any company (including the Company and any personal holding company of the proposed director) that, while that person was acting in that capacity:
(a) was subject to a cease trade order (including any management cease trade order which applied to directors or executive officers of a company, whether or not the person is named in the order) or an order similar to a cease trade order or an order that denied the relevant company access to
6 | Page
any exemption under securities legislation, that was in effect for a period of more than 30 consecutive days (an "Order"); or
(b) was subject to an Order that was issued after the proposed director ceased to be a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer; or
- a director or executive officer of any company (including the Company) and any personal holding company of the proposed director) that, while that person was acting in that capacity, or within a year of that person ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets.
No proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company has, within the ten years before the date of this Information Circular, become bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or become subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of the proposed director.
The Company's management recommends that the shareholders vote in favour of the election of the proposed nominees as directors of the Company for the ensuing year. Unless you give instructions otherwise, the Management Proxyholders intend to vote FOR the nominees named in this Information Circular.
3. APPOINTMENT OF AUDITOR
At the Meeting, Baker Tilly WM LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, located at 900 - 400 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 3B7, will be recommended by management and the Board for re-appointment as auditor of the Company at a remuneration to be fixed by the directors. See Section 5 – Audit Committee – External Service Fees. Baker Tilly has served as auditor of the Company since August 31, 2023. See Schedule “B” – Change of Auditor Reporting Package attached here.
The Company's management recommends that the shareholders vote in favour of the re-appointment of Baker Tilly WM LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as the Company's auditor for the ensuing year and grant the Board of Directors the authority to determine the remuneration to be paid to the auditor. Unless you give instructions otherwise, the Management Proxyholders intend to vote FOR the re-appointment of Baker Tilly WM LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, to act as the Company's auditor until the close of its next annual general meeting and also intend to vote FOR the proposed resolution to authorize the Board of Directors to fix the remuneration to be paid to the auditor.
4. CONTINUATION OF EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
The Company's current option plan (the "Equity Plan") is an equity incentive plan. In November 2021, the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") amended Policy 4.4 with respect to equity-based compensation to allow for a greater variety of security based compensation plans. The Equity Plan allows for "rolling" 10% plan for Options (as defined below) and a "fixed" 10% plan for Performance-Based Awards (as defined in the Equity Plan), as permitted under Exchange Policy 4.4.
The purpose of the Equity Plan is to promote the long-term success of the Company and the creation of shareholder value by: (i) encouraging the attraction and retention of Eligible Persons; (ii) encouraging such Eligible Persons to focus on critical long-term objectives; and (iii) promoting greater alignment of the interests of such Eligible Persons with the interests of the Company.
At the Meeting, shareholders will be asked to consider and, if thought advisable, pass an ordinary resolution approving the continuation of the Equity Plan. The following summary of the Equity Plan is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the Equity Plan as attached as Schedule “B” of the Information Circular dated November 11, 2022, and filed on sedar+ (www.sedarplus.ca) on November 22, 2022.
7 | Page
Description of the Equity Plan
All employees, consultants, consultant companies, officers, management company employees and directors (each a "Participant") are eligible to participate in the Equity Plan. Eligibility to participate does not confer upon any participant any right to receive any grant of an Award pursuant to the Equity Plan.
The Equity Plan allows the Board to grant an Award to eligible employees, directors, management and consultants for their contribution to the Company. An Award means any Option (including incentive stock option), Restricted Share Unit, Performance Share Unit or Deferred Share Unit (as these terms are defined in the Equity Plan).
The Equity Plan will be administered by the Board who has sole and complete authority, in its discretion, among other things, to: determine individuals eligible for Awards; make grants of Awards under the Equity Plan, including the time of Award grant, number of shares covered by an Award, the price, if any, to be paid by a Participant in connection with the purchase of Shares covered by Awards, establish the form(s) of Award Agreements and cancel, amend, adjust or otherwise change any Award under such circumstances as the Board may consider appropriate in accordance with the Equity Plan.
Subject to adjustment and any subsequent amendment to the Equity Plan, the aggregate number of Shares reserved for issuance pursuant to all Awards, other than Options, granted under the Equity Plan shall not exceed 2,950,000 Awards. The aggregate number of Shares reserved to be granted as Options is reserved at 10% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a "rolling basis". Each Award under the Equity Plan will be evidenced by an Award Agreement and the Awards are non-transferable.
Participation Limits
The Equity Plan provides that:
(a) unless the Company has obtained disinterested shareholder approval, the maximum aggregate number of Shares issuable to insiders under the Equity Plan, within any 12 month period, together with Shares reserved for issuance to insiders under all of the Company's other Security-Based Compensation Arrangements (as defined in the Equity Plan), shall not exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding Shares (calculated as at the date of any grant and in accordance with the policies of the Exchange (the "Exchange Policies"));
(b) unless the Company has obtained disinterested shareholder approval, the maximum aggregate number of Shares issuable to insiders under the Equity Plan, at any point in time, together with Shares reserved for issuance to insiders under all of the Company's other Security-Based Compensation Arrangements, shall not exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding Shares;
(c) unless the Company has obtained disinterested shareholder approval, the maximum aggregate number of Shares issuable to any participant (as defined in the Equity Plan) under the Equity Plan, within any 12 month period, together with Shares reserved for issuance to such participant (and to Companies wholly-owned by that participant) under all of the Company's other Security-Based Compensation Arrangements, shall not exceed 5% of the issued and outstanding Shares (calculated as at the date of any grant);
(d) the maximum aggregate number of Shares issuable to any one consultant (as defined in the Equity Plan) under the Equity Plan, within any 12 month period, together with Shares issuable to such consultant under all of the Company's other Security-Based Compensation Arrangements, shall not exceed 2% of the issued and outstanding Shares (calculated as at the date of any grant); and
(e) the maximum aggregate number of Shares issuable pursuant to grants of Options to all investor relation service providers performing investor relations activities under the Equity Plan, within any 12 month period, shall not in aggregate exceed 2% of the issued and outstanding Shares (calculated as at the date of any grant). For the avoidance of doubt, persons performing investor relations activities are only eligible to receive Options under the Equity Plan; they are not eligible to receive any Performance-Based Award or other type of securities based compensation under the Equity Plan.
8 | Page
9 | Page
Administration of the Equity Plan
The Equity Plan shall be administered by the Board and the Board has full authority to administer the Equity Plan, including the authority to interpret and construe any provision of the Equity Plan and to adopt, amend and rescind such rules and regulations for administering the Equity Plan as the Board may deem necessary in order to comply with the requirements of the Equity Plan.
Eligible Persons under the Equity Plan
When used in connection with the grant of Options, all officers, directors, employees, management company employees and consultants of the Company are eligible to participate in the Equity Plan. When used in connection with the grant of Performance-Based Awards, all officers, directors, employees, management company employees and consultants of the Company that do not perform investor relations activities are eligible to participate in the Equity Plan. The extent to which any such individual is entitled to receive a grant of an award pursuant to the Equity Plan will be determined in the sole and absolute discretion of the Board. Each person who receives a grant under the Equity Plan is referred to as a "Participant".
Types of Awards
Awards of Options, RSUs, PSUs and DSUs may be made under the Equity Plan, provided, however, that for so long as the Company is listed on NEX, it is only permitted to grant or issue Options. All of the awards described below are subject to the conditions, limitations, restrictions, exercise price, vesting, settlement and forfeiture provisions determined by the Board, in its sole discretion, subject to such limitations provided in the Equity Plan, and will generally be evidenced by an award agreement.
Options
An Option entitles a holder thereof to purchase a prescribed number of Shares at an exercise price determined by the Board at the time of the grant of the Option, provided that the exercise price of an Option granted under the Equity Plan shall not be less than the Discounted Market Price (as defined in the Exchange Policies), provided that if an Option is proposed to be granted by the Company after the Company has just been recalled for trading following a suspension or halt, the Company must wait at least ten trading days since the day on which trading in the Company's securities resumes before setting the exercise price for and granting the Option. Each Option shall, unless sooner terminated, expire on a date to be determined by the Board which will not exceed ten (10) years from the date of grant of the Option. The Board may, in its absolute discretion, upon granting Options under the Equity Plan, specify different time periods following the dates of granting the Options during which the Participant may exercise their Options to purchase Shares and may designate different exercise prices and numbers of Shares in respect of which each Participant may exercise Options during each respective time period. Subject to the discretion of the Board, the Options granted to a Participant under the Equity Plan shall vest as determined by the Board on the date of grant of such Options. If the Board does not specify a vesting schedule at the date of grant, then Options granted to persons, other than those conducting investor relations activities, shall vest fully on the date of grant, and in any event in accordance with the policies of the Exchange. Options issued to persons conducting investor relations activities must vest (and shall not otherwise be exercisable) in stages over a minimum of 12 months such that:
(a) no more than 1/4 of the Options vest no sooner than three months after the date of grant (the "Grant Date");
(b) no more than another 1/4 of the Options vest no sooner than six months after the Grant Date;
(c) no more than another 1/4 of the Options vest no sooner than nine months after the Grant Date; and
(d) the remainder of the Options vest no sooner than 12 months after the Grant Date.
If the award agreement for the grant of Options so provides, in the event of a change of control (as defined in the Equity Plan), all Options granted to a Participant that ceases to be an Eligible Person shall become fully vested and shall become exercisable by the Participant in accordance with the terms of such award agreement and the Equity Plan. No acceleration of the vesting of any Options shall be permitted without prior Exchange review and acceptance for Options issued to persons conducting investor relations activities.
Other than as may be set forth in the award agreement for the grant of Options, upon the death of a Participant, any Options granted to such Participant which, prior to the Participant's death, have not vested, will immediately terminate without payment, be forfeited and cancelled and shall be of no further force or effect; and the Participant or his or her estate, as the case may be, shall have no right, title or interest therein whatsoever. Any Options granted to such Participant which, prior to the Participant's death, had vested pursuant to the terms of the applicable Award Agreement will accrue to the Participant's estate in accordance with the Equity Plan and may be exercised by the Participant's estate within one year of the death of the Participant.
Where a Participant's relationship with the Company is terminated by the Company or a subsidiary for cause, all Options granted to the Participant under the Equity Plan will immediately terminate without payment, be forfeited and cancelled and shall be of no further force or effect as of the termination date.
Where a Participant's relationship with the Company terminates by reason of termination by the Company or a subsidiary without cause, by voluntary termination, voluntary resignation or due to retirement by the Participant, such that the Participant no longer qualifies as an eligible person, all Options granted to the Participant under the Equity Plan that have not vested will, unless the applicable award agreement provides otherwise and subject to the provisions below, immediately terminate without payment, be forfeited and cancelled and shall be of no further force or effect as of the termination date; provided, however, that any Options granted to such Participant which, prior to the Participant's termination without cause, voluntary termination, voluntary resignation or Retirement, had vested pursuant to the terms of the applicable award agreement will accrue to the Participant in accordance with the Equity Plan and shall be exercisable by such Participant for a period of 90 days following the date the Participant ceased to be an eligible person, or such longer period as may be provided for in the award agreement or as may be determined by the Board provided such period does not exceed 12 months after the termination date.
Where a Participant becomes afflicted by a disability, all Options granted to the Participant under the Equity Plan will continue to vest in accordance with the terms of such Options; provided, however, that no Options may be redeemed during a leave of absence. Where a Participant's relationship is terminated due to disability such that the Participant ceases to be an eligible person, all Options granted to the Participant under this Equity Plan that have not vested will, unless the applicable award agreement provides otherwise and subject to the provisions below, immediately terminate without payment, be forfeited and cancelled and shall be of no further force or effect as of the termination date; provided, however, that any Options granted to such Participant which, prior to the termination of the Participant's relationship with the Company due to disability, had vested pursuant to terms of the applicable award agreement, will accrue to the Participant in accordance with the Equity Plan and shall be exercisable by such Participant for a period of 90 days following the date the termination date, or such longer period as may be provided for in the award agreement or as may be determined by the Board.
Restricted Share Units
A RSU is a right awarded to a Participant, as compensation for employment or consulting services or services as a director or officer, to receive for no additional cash consideration, securities of the Company upon specified vesting criteria being satisfied, and subject to the terms and conditions of the Equity Plan and the applicable award agreement, and which may be paid in cash and/or Shares. The number of RSUs to be credited to each participant shall be determined by the Board in its sole discretion in accordance with the Equity Plan. All RSUs will vest and become payable by the issuance of Shares at the end of the restriction period if all applicable restrictions have lapsed, as such restrictions may be specified in the award agreement.
RSUs shall be subject to such restrictions as the Board, in its sole discretion, may establish in the applicable award agreement, which restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such time or times and on such terms, conditions and satisfaction of objectives as the Board may, in its discretion, determine at the time a RSU is granted. The Board shall determine any vesting terms applicable to the grant of RSUs, however, no RSUs may vest before the date that is one (1) year following the date of the award.
If the award agreement so provides, in the event of a change of control (as defined in the Equity Plan) and the Participant ceases to be an Eligible Person, all restrictions upon any RSUs held by such Participant shall lapse immediately and all such RSUs shall become fully vested in such Participant in accordance with the Equity Plan.
10 | Page
Other than as may be set forth in the applicable award agreement, upon the death of a Participant, any RSUs granted to such Participant which, prior to the Participant's death, have not vested, will be immediately and automatically forfeited and cancelled without further action and without any cost or payment, and the Participant or his or her estate, as the case may be, shall have no right, title or interest therein whatsoever. Any RSUs granted to such Participant which, prior to the Participant's death, had vested pursuant to the terms of the applicable award agreement will accrue to the Participant's estate in accordance with the Equity Plan.
Where a Participant's relationship with the Company is terminated by the Company or a subsidiary for cause, all RSUs granted to the Participant under this Equity Plan will immediately terminate without payment, be forfeited and cancelled and shall be of no further force or effect as of the termination date.
Where a Participant's relationship with the Company terminates by reason of termination by the Company or a subsidiary without cause, by voluntary termination, voluntary resignation or due to retirement by the Participant, all RSUs granted to the Participant under the Equity Plan that have not vested will, unless the applicable award agreement provides otherwise and subject to the provisions below, immediately terminate without payment, be forfeited and cancelled and shall be of no further force or effect as of the termination date and the Participant shall have no right, title or interest therein whatsoever; provided, however, that any RSUs granted to such Participant which, prior to the Participant's termination without cause, voluntary termination, voluntary resignation or retirement, had vested pursuant to the terms of the applicable award agreement will accrue to the Participant in accordance with the Equity Plan.
Where a Participant becomes afflicted by a disability, all RSUs granted to the Participant under the Equity Plan will continue to vest in accordance with the terms of such RSUs; provided, however, that no RSUs may be redeemed during a leave of absence. Where a Participant's relationship is terminated due to disability such that the Participant ceases to be an eligible person, all RSUs granted to the Participant under the Equity Plan that have not vested will, unless the applicable award agreement provides otherwise and subject to the provisions below, immediately terminate without payment, be forfeited and cancelled and shall be of no further force or effect as of the termination date and the Participant shall have no right, title or interest therein whatsoever; provided, however, that any RSUs granted to such Participant which, prior to the Participant's termination due to disability, had vested pursuant to terms of the applicable award agreement will accrue to the Participant in accordance with Equity Plan.
As soon as practicable after each vesting date of a RSU, the Company shall, at the sole discretion of the Board, either: (a) issue to the Participant from treasury the number of Shares equal to the number of RSUs that have vested; or (b) make a cash payment in an amount equal to the Market Unit Price (as defined in the Equity Plan) on the next trading day after the vesting date of the RSUs, net of applicable withholdings.
Performance Share Units
A PSU is a right awarded to a Participant, as compensation for employment or consulting services or services as a director or officer, to receive, for no additional cash consideration, securities of the Company upon specified performance and vesting criteria being satisfied, subject to the terms and conditions of the Equity Plan and the applicable award agreement, and which may be paid in cash and/or Shares. No PSUs may vest before the date that is one year following the date of the Award.
Subject to the provisions of the Equity Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Board may prescribe, the Board may, from time to time, grant awards of PSUs to eligible persons that do not perform investor relations activities. The number of PSUs to be awarded to any Participant shall be determined by the Board, in its sole discretion, in accordance with the Equity Plan. Each PSU shall, contingent upon the attainment of the performance criteria within the performance cycle, represent one Share.
The Board will select, settle and determine the performance criteria (including without limitation the attainment thereof), for purposes of the vesting of the PSUs, in its sole discretion. An award agreement may provide the Board with the right to revise the performance criteria and the award amounts if unforeseen events (including, without limitation, changes in capitalization, an equity restructuring, an acquisition or a divestiture) occur which have a substantial effect on the financial results and which in the sole judgment of the Board make the application of the performance criteria unfair unless a revision is made.
11 | Page
All PSUs will vest and become payable to the extent that the performance criteria set forth in the award agreement are satisfied in the performance cycle, the determination of which satisfaction shall be made by the Board on the determination date. No PSU may vest before the date that is one year following the date of the award.
If the award agreement so provides, in the event of a change of control (as defined in the Equity Plan) and the Participant ceases to be an Eligible Person, all PSUs granted to such Participant shall become fully vested in such Participant (without regard to the attainment of any performance criteria) and shall become payable to the Participant in accordance with the Equity Plan.
Other than as may be set forth in the applicable award agreement and below, upon the death of a Participant, all PSUs granted to the Participant which, prior to the Participant's death, have not vested, will immediately and automatically be forfeited and cancelled without further action and without any cost or payment, and the Participant or his or her estate, as the case may be, shall have no right, title or interest therein whatsoever; provided, however, the Board may determine, in its sole discretion, the number of the Participant's PSUs that will vest based on the extent to which the applicable performance criteria have been satisfied in that portion of the performance cycle that has lapsed.
Where a Participant's relationship with the Company is terminated by the Company or a subsidiary for cause, all PSUs granted to the Participant under the Equity Plan will immediately terminate without payment, be forfeited and cancelled and shall be of no further force or effect as of the termination date. Where a Participant's relationship with the Company terminates by reason of termination by the Company or a subsidiary without cause, by voluntary termination, voluntary resignation or due to retirement by the Participant, all PSUs granted to the Participant which have not vested will, unless the award agreement provides otherwise and subject to the provisions below, immediately terminate without payment, be forfeited and cancelled and shall be of no further force or effect as of the termination date, and the Participant shall have no right, title or interest therein whatsoever; provided, however, the Board may determine, in its sole discretion, the number of the Participant's PSUs that will vest based on the extent to which the applicable performance have been satisfied in that portion of the performance cycle that has lapsed.
Where a Participant becomes afflicted by a disability, all PSUs granted to the Participant under the Equity Plan will continue to vest in accordance with the terms of such PSUs; provided, however, that no PSUs may be redeemed during a leave of absence. Where a Participant's relationship is terminated due to disability such that the Participant ceases to be an eligible person, all PSUs granted to the Participant under the Equity Plan that have not vested will, unless the applicable award agreement provides otherwise and subject to the provisions below, immediately terminate without payment, be forfeited and cancelled and shall be of no further force or effect as of the termination date, and the Participant shall have no right, title or interest therein whatsoever; provided, however, that the Board may determine, in its sole discretion, the number of the Participant's PSUs that will vest based on the extent to which the applicable performance criteria have been satisfied in that portion of the performance cycle that has lapsed.
Payment to Participants in respect of vested PSUs shall be made after the determination date for the applicable award and in any case within ninety-five (95) days after the last day of the performance cycle to which such award relates. the Company shall, at the sole discretion of the Board, either: (a) issue to the Participant the number of Shares equal to the number of PSUs that have vested on the Determination Date; or (b) make a cash payment in an amount equal to the Market Unit Price (as defined in the Equity Plan) on the next trading day after the determination date of the PSUs that have vested, net of applicable withholdings.
Deferred Share Units
A DSU is a right granted to a Participant, as compensation for employment or consulting services or services as a director or officer, to receive, for no additional cash consideration, securities of the Company on a deferred basis upon specified vesting criteria being satisfied, subject to the terms and conditions of the Equity Plan and the applicable award agreement, and which may be paid in cash and/or Shares. DSUs may not be granted to any Participant performing investor relation activities.
12 | Page
Subject to the provisions of the Equity Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Board may prescribe, the Board may, from time to time, grant awards of DSUs to directors in lieu of fees (including annual Board retainers, chair fees, meeting attendance fees or any other fees payable to a director) or to other eligible persons as compensation for employment or consulting services. The number of DSUs to be credited to each Participant shall be determined by the Board in its sole discretion in accordance with the Equity Plan.
The number of DSUs shall be specified in the applicable award agreement. Each director may elect to receive any or all of his or her fees in DSUs under this Equity Plan. The number of DSUs shall be calculated by dividing the amount of Fees selected by a director by the Market Unit Price (as defined in the Equity Plan) on the grant date (or such other price as required under the Exchange Policies) which shall be the 10th business day following each financial quarter end. Any fractional DSU shall be rounded down and no payment or other adjustment will be made with respect to the fractional DSU.
No Deferred Share Units may vest before the date that is one year following the date of the award of the DSU.
Each participant shall be entitled to receive, after the effective date that the Participant ceases to be an eligible person for any reason, on a day designated by the Participant and communicated to the Company by the Participant in writing at least fifteen (15) days prior to the designated day (or such earlier date after the participant ceases to be an eligible person as the participant and the Company may agree, which date shall be no later than one year after the date upon which the participant ceases to be an eligible person) and if no such notice is given, then on the first anniversary of the effective date that the Participant ceases to be an eligible person, at the sole discretion of the Board, either: (a) that number of Shares equal to the number of vested DSUs credited to the participant's account, such Shares to be issued from treasury of the Company; or (b) a cash payment in an amount equal to the Market Unit Price on the next trading day after the Participant ceases to be an eligible person of the vested DSUs, net of applicable withholdings.
In the event that the value of a DSU would be determined with reference to a period commencing at a fiscal quarter-end of the Company and ending prior to the public disclosure of interim financial statements for the quarter (or annual financial statements in the case of the fourth quarter), the cash payment of the value of the DSUs will be made to the Participant with reference to the five (5) trading days immediately following the public disclosure of the interim financial statements for that quarter (or annual financial statements in the case of the fourth quarter).
Upon death of a Participant holding DSUs that have vested, the Participant's estate shall be entitled to receive, within 120 days after the Participant's death and at the sole discretion of the Board, a cash payment or Shares that would have otherwise been payable in accordance with the Equity Plan to the Participant upon such Participant ceasing to be an eligible person.
General Provisions of the Equity Plan
Non-Transferability
No Option or Performance-Based Award and no right under any such Option or Performance-Based Award shall be assignable, alienable, saleable, or transferable by a participant otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and only then if permitted by the Exchange Policies. No Option or Performance-Based Award and no right under any such Option or Performance-Based Award, may be pledged, alienated, attached, or otherwise encumbered, and any purported pledge, alienation, attachment, or encumbrance thereof shall be void and unenforceable against the Company.
Black-out Periods
In the event that the date provided for expiration, redemption or settlement of an award falls within a blackout period imposed by the Company pursuant to a trading policy as the result of the bona fide existence of undisclosed material information, the expiry date, redemption date or settlement date, as applicable, of the award shall automatically be extended to the date that is ten (10) business days following the date of expiry of the blackout period which shall occur promptly following general disclosure of the undisclosed material information. Notwithstanding the foregoing, there will be no extension of any award if the Company (or the Participant) is subject to a cease trade order (or similar order under applicable law. Deductions Whenever cash is to be paid in
13 | Page
respect of DSUs, RSUs or PSUs, the Company shall have the right to deduct from all cash payments made to a Participant any taxes required by law to be withheld with respect to such payments. The Company is authorized to withhold any payment due under any Award or under the Equity Plan until the Participant has paid or made arrangements for the payment of the amount of any withholding taxes due in respect of an Award, its exercise, or any payment under such Award or under this Equity Plan. At the sole discretion of the Board, a Participant may be permitted to satisfy the foregoing requirement by, all in accordance with the Exchange Policies by delivering an irrevocable direction to a securities broker approved by the Company to sell all or a portion of the Shares and deliver to the Company from the sales proceeds an amount sufficient to pay the required withholding taxes.
Amendments to the Equity Plan
The Board may at any time or from time to time, in its sole and absolute discretion and without the approval of Shareholders, amend, suspend, terminate or discontinue the Equity Plan and may amend the terms and conditions of any Options or Performance-Based Awards granted hereunder, subject to:
(i) any required disinterested shareholder approval to (A) reduce the exercise price of an Award issued to an insider or (B) extend the term of an Option granted to an insider, in either event in accordance with the policies of the Exchange;
(ii) any required approval of any applicable regulatory authority or the Exchange; and
(iii) any approval of Shareholders as required by the Exchange Policies or applicable law, provided that Shareholder approval shall not be required for the following amendments and the Board may make any changes which may include but are not limited to (except that the Exchange may require approval of the Shareholders for amendments pursuant to Sections C to G below):
A. amendments of a "housekeeping nature";
B. amendments for the purpose of curing any ambiguity, error or omission in the Equity Plan or to correct or supplement any provision of the Equity Plan that is inconsistent with any other provision of the Equity Plan;
C. amendments which are necessary to comply with applicable law or the requirements of the Exchange;
D. amendments respecting administration and eligibility for participation under the Equity Plan;
E. amendments to the terms and conditions on which Option or Performance-Based Awards may be or have been granted pursuant to the Equity Plan including amendments to the vesting provisions and terms of any Options or Performance-Based Awards;
F. with the exception of Options granted to persons performing investor relations activities, amendments which alter, extend or accelerate the terms of vesting applicable to any Options or Performance-Based Awards; and
G. changes to the termination provisions of an Option, Performance-Based Award or the Equity Plan which do not entail an extension beyond the original fixed term.
Term
The Equity Plan shall terminate automatically 10 years after the Effective Date and may be terminated on any earlier date as provided in the Equity Plan.
Obtaining a copy of the Equity Plan
A copy of the Equity Plan is attached to the Information Circular dated November 11, 2022, as Schedule “B” and is available for review at the registered offices of the Company located at Suite 404 – 1688 152nd Street, Surrey, British Columbia, V4A 4N2, during normal business hours up to and including the date of the Meeting. Accordingly at the Meeting, shareholders will be asked to consider, and if thought fit, approve the following ordinary resolution ratifying, approving and confirming the continuation of the Equity Plan:
14 | Page
"BE IT RESOLVED, AS AN ORDINARY RESOLUTION, THAT:
-
the Company's equity incentive plan, including approval of a 10% rolling plan for stock options and a fixed plan of 2,950,000 common shares for performance-based awards of restricted share units, performance share units and deferred share units, adopted by the board of directors of the Company effective as of October 25, 2022 (the "Equity Plan"), in the form attached as Schedule "B" to the management information circular of the Company dated November 11, 2022, be and is hereby confirmed, ratified and approved, and the Company has the ability to grant awards under the Equity Plan;
-
the board of directors (the "Board") of the Company is hereby authorized to make such amendments to the Equity Plan from time to time, as may be required by the applicable regulatory authorities, or as may be considered appropriate by the Board, in its sole discretion, provided always that such amendments be subject to the approval of the regulatory authorities, if applicable, and in certain cases, in accordance with the terms of the Equity Plan, the approval of the Shareholders; and
-
any one director or officer of the Company is hereby authorized and directed, acting for, in the name of and on behalf of the Company, to execute or cause to be executed, under the seal of the Company or otherwise and to deliver or to cause to be delivered, all such other deeds, documents, instruments and assurances and to do or cause to be done all such other acts as, in the opinion of such director or officer of the Company, may be necessary or desirable to carry out the terms of the foregoing resolutions."
Management and the Board of Directors of the Company believes the Equity Plan is in the best interests of the Company and is fair to the Company and its shareholders. The Company's management and the Board of Directors recommend that shareholders vote FOR the resolution approving the Equity Plan. Unless you provide instructions to the contrary, the Management Proxyholders intend to vote FOR the resolution to approve the Equity Plan.
5. OTHER BUSINESS
The Company will consider and transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof. Management of the Company knows of no other matters to come before the Meeting other than those referred to in the Notice of Meeting. Should any other matters properly come before the Meeting the common shares represented by the proxies solicited hereby will be voted on such matter in accordance with the best judgement of the persons voting by proxy.
SECTION 4 – EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
GENERAL
For the purpose of this Statement of Executive Compensation:
"Company" means JZR Gold Inc.;
"compensation securities" includes stock options, convertible securities, exchangeable securities and similar instruments including stock appreciation rights, deferred share units and restricted stock units granted or issued by the company or one of its subsidiaries for services provided or to be provided, directly or indirectly, to the company or any of its subsidiaries;
"external management company" includes a subsidiary, affiliate or associate of the external management company;
"NEO" or "named executive officer" means each of the following individuals:
(a) each individual who, in respect of the Company, during any part of the most recently completed financial year, served as chief executive officer ("CEO"), including an individual performing functions similar to a CEO;
15 | Page
(b) each individual who, in respect of the Company, during any part of the most recently completed financial year, served as chief financial officer ("CFO"), including an individual performing functions similar to a CFO;
(c) in respect of the Company and its subsidiaries, the most highly compensated executive officer other than the individuals identified in paragraphs (a) and (b) at the end of the most recently completed financial year ended June 30, 2024, whose total compensation was more than $150,000 for that financial year; and
(d) each individual who would be a named executive officer under paragraph (c) but for the fact that the individual was not an executive officer of the Company, and was not acting in a similar capacity, at the end of that financial year;
“plan” includes any plan, contract, authorization, or arrangement, whether or not set out in any formal document, where cash, compensation securities or any other property may be received, whether for one or more persons;
“underlying securities” means any securities issuable on conversion, exchange or exercise of compensation securities.
Based on the foregoing definitions, during the most recently completed financial year ended June 30, 2024, the Company had two (2) NEOs, namely Robert Klenk, CEO and Darren Battersby, CFO.
Director and NEO compensation, excluding options and compensation securities
The following table sets forth all compensation paid, payable, awarded, granted, given, or otherwise provided, directly or indirectly, by the Company or its subsidiary, to each NEO and director of the Company, in any capacity, including, for greater certainty, all plan and non-plan compensation, direct and indirect pay, remuneration, economic or financial award, reward, benefit, gift or perquisite paid, payable, awarded, granted, given or otherwise provided to the NEO or a director of the Company for services provided and for services to be provided, directly or indirectly, to the Company or its subsidiary.
| Table of compensation excluding compensation securities | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and position | Year Ended June 30 | Salary, consulting fee, retainer or commission ($) | Bonus ($) | Committee or meeting fees ($) | Value of perquisites ($) | Value of all other compensation ($) | Total compensation ($) |
| Robert Klenk | |||||||
| CEO, President, Director | 2024 | 180,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil | 22,140(1) | 202,140 |
| 2023 | 184,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil | 170,605(2) | 354,605 | |
| Darren Battersby | |||||||
| CFO | 2024 | 65,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil | 52,755(1) | 117,755 |
| 2023 | 30,500 | Nil | Nil | Nil | 94,150(2) | 124,650 | |
| Ron Tewitz | |||||||
| Director | 2024 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 20,154(1) | 20,154 |
| 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 7,582(2) | 7,582 | |
| Graham Carter(3) | |||||||
| Director | 2024 | 105,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil | 6,220(1) | 111,220 |
| 2023 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A(2) | N/A | |
| Kirk Fisher(4) | |||||||
| Former Director, former CFO | 2024 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil(1) | Nil |
| 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 34,120(2) | 34,120 |
NOTES:
(1) This amount represents the fair value of incentive stock options granted during the year ended June 30, 2024, and was estimated at the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model in accordance with the Company's accounting policies with the following assumptions: Expected life ranging from 5 to 10 years; Expected annual volatility ranging from 99% to 110%; Expected dividend yield 0%; Risk-free interest rates ranging from 1.11% to 3.64%. Please refer Note 8 of the Company's June 30, 2024, audited financial statements for more details. These values do not represent actual amounts received by the optionees as the gain, if any, will depend on the market value of the shares on the date that the stock option is exercised.
(2) This amount represents the fair value of incentive stock options granted during the year ended June 30, 2023, and was estimated at the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model in accordance with the Company's accounting policies with the following assumptions: Expected life 5 years; Expected annual volatility 99%; Expected dividend yield 0%; Risk-free interest rate 3.72%. These values do not represent actual amounts received by the optionees as the gain, if any, will depend on the market value of the shares on the date that the stock option is exercised.
16 | Page
(3) Mr. Carter was appointed to the board effective December 12, 2023.
(4) Mr. Fisher resigned from the board effective March 20, 2024.
Stock Options and Other Compensation Securities
The following table shows the compensation securities granted to the directors and NEOs during the financial year ended June 30, 2024:
| Compensation Securities | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and position | Type of compensation security | Number of compensation securities, number of underlying securities, and percentage of class | Date of issue or grant | Issue, conversion or exercise price ($) | Closing price of security or underlying security on date of grant ($) | Closing price of security or underlying security at year end ($) | Expiry date |
| Graham Carter COO | Stock options | 500,000 | April 14, 2024 | 0.15 | 0.20 | 0.18 | April 15, 2034 |
Notes:
(1) Mr. Klenk has 1,125,000 options as at June 30, 2024.
(2) Mr. Battersby has 300,000 options as at June 30, 2024.
(3) Mr. Tewitz has 250,000 options as at June 30, 2024.
(4) Mr. Carter has 500,000 options as at June 30, 2024.
Exercise of Compensation Securities by Directors and NEOs
There were no compensation securities exercised by a director or NEO during the most recently completed fiscal year of the Company ended June 30, 2024.
Other Provisions
The Equity Plan contains provisions governing the acceleration of the vesting of options in the event of a change of control of the Company or in the event of a take-over proposal.
Securities Authorized For Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
The following table sets out information with respect to all compensation plans under which equity securities are authorized for issuance as of the financial year ended June 30, 2024:
| Equity Compensation Plan Information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2,775,000 options | 0.48 | 1,988,328 Options |
| 2,950,000 Awards |
17 | Page
| Equity compensation plans not approved by securityholders | NIL | N/A | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 2,775,000 | 1,988,328 Options | |
| 2,950,000 Awards |
Employment, consulting and management agreements
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.
Termination and Change of Control Benefits
The Company does not have any plan or arrangement to pay or otherwise compensate any Named Executive Officer if his employment is terminated as a result of resignation, retirement, change of control, etc. or if his / her responsibilities change following a change of control.
Oversight and description of director and named executive officer compensation
Compensation of Directors
During the Company's most recently completed financial year, there were no standard compensation arrangements, or other arrangements in addition to or in lieu of standard arrangements, under which the directors of the Company were compensated for services in their capacity as directors (including any additional amounts payable for committee participation or special assignments), or for services as consultants or experts.
Pension disclosure
The Company does not have any pension, defined benefit, defined contribution or deferred compensation plans currently in place or proposed at this time.
SECTION 5 - AUDIT COMMITTEE
National Instrument 52-110 Audit Committees ("NI 52-110") requires the Company, as a venture issuer to disclose annually in its Information Circular certain information concerning the constitution of its audit committee and its relationship with its independent auditor, as set forth in the following:
AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARTER
The text of the Company's Audit Committee Charter is attached hereto as Schedule "A" to this Information Circular.
COMPOSITION OF AUDIT COMMITTEE
The current members of the Audit Committee are Robert Klenk (Chair), Ron Tewitz and Graham Carter.
NI 52-110 provides that 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, reasonably interfere with the exercise of the member's independent judgment.
There is one independent members (Ron Tewitz) and two non-independent members (Robert Klenk and Graham Carter) of the Audit Committee. A member of the Audit Committee is independent if the member has no direct or indirect material relationship with the Company. A material relationship means a relationship which could, in the opinion of the Company's Board, reasonably interfere with the exercise of the member's independent judgment. Mr. Klenk is considered not independent because of his position as CEO and President and Mr. Carter is non-independent due to his position as Chief Operating Officer.
18 | Page
NI 52-110 provides that an individual is “financially literate” if he or she has the ability to read and understand a set of financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Company's financial statements.
All members of the audit committee are considered to be financially literate. All of the Audit Committee members have the ability to read and understand financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Company's financial statements.
RELEVANT EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
All of the Audit Committee members are senior-level businesspeople with experience in financial matters; each has an understanding of accounting principles used by the Company to prepare financial statements and varied experience as to general application of such accounting principles, as well as the internal controls and procedures necessary for financial reporting, garnered from working in their individual fields of endeavour.
Each member also has an understanding of the mineral exploration and mining business in which the Company is engaged and has an appreciation of the financial issues and accounting principles that are relevant in assessing the Company's financial disclosures and internal control systems.
In addition, each of the members of the Audit Committee have knowledge of the role of an audit committee in the realm of reporting companies from their years of experience as directors or officers of public companies other than the Company. See Section 6 - Corporate Governance – Directorships in Other Public Companies.
Robert Klenk (Chair)
Mr. Klenk has extensive experience in the investment and finance fields. He holds an MBA in finance.
Ron Tewitz
Mr. Tewitz is the President of Anvil Machine, an oilfield manufacturing company in Edmonton, AB.
Graham Carter
Mr. Carter is a former professional engineer and has experience as a project manager in the oil and gas sector.
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 ended June 30, 2024, has the Company relied on the exemption in Section 2.4 of NI 52-110 – Audit Committees (De Minimis Non-audit Services), or an exemption from NI 52-110, in whole or in part, granted under Part 8 of NI 52-110.
As the Company is considered a “Venture Issuer” pursuant to relevant securities legislation, 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) of NI 52-110.
PRE-APPROVAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR NON-AUDIT SERVICES
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 attached as Schedule "A" to this Information Circular.
19 | Page
20 | Page
EXTERNAL AUDITOR SERVICE FEES
In the following table, “Audit Fees” are fees billed by the Company’s external auditors for services provided in auditing the Company’s annual financial statements for the subject year. “Audit-related Fees” are fees not included in audit fees that are billed by the auditors for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Company’s financial statements. “Tax Fees” are billed by the auditors for professional services rendered for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning. “All Other Fees” are fees billed by the auditors for products and services not included in the foregoing categories.
The fees paid by the Company to its auditors in each of the last two (2) financial years, by category, are as follows:
| Auditor | Financial Year Ending June 30 | Audit Fees^{(1)} | Audit-related Fees^{(2)} | Tax Fees^{(3)} | All Other Fees^{(4)} |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Tilly WM LLP^{(5)} | 2024 | 57,500 | Nil | 3,142 | 2,549 |
| Baker Tilly WM LLP^{(5)} | 2023 | 45,000 | Nil | 3,000 | Nil |
NOTES:
(1) The aggregate audit fees billed.
(2) The aggregate fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Company’s financial statements that are not included under the heading “Audit Fees”.
(3) The aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning.
(4) The aggregate fees billed for products and services other than as set out under the headings “Audit Fees”, “Audit Related Fees” and “Tax Fees”.
(5) Baker Tilly WM LLP has been the Company’s auditor since August 31, 2023.
SECTION 6 - CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
GENERAL
National Instrument 58-101 - Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices (“NI 58-101”) provides guidelines on corporate governance disclosure for venture issuers as set out in Form 58-101F2 and requires full and complete annual disclosure of a listed company’s systems of corporate governance with reference to National Policy 58-201 – Corporate Governance Guidelines (the “Guidelines”). Where a company’s corporate governance system differs from the Guidelines, each difference and the reason for the difference is required to be disclosed. The Company’s approach to corporate governance is provided below.
Corporate governance relates to the activities of the Board, the members of which are elected by and are accountable to the Shareholders, and takes into account the role of the individual members of management who are appointed by the Board and who are charged with the day-to-day management of the Company. The Board is committed to sound corporate governance practices that are both in the interest of its Shareholders and contribute to effective and efficient decision making. National Policy 58-201 - Corporate Governance Guidelines establishes corporate governance guidelines that apply to all public companies. The Company has reviewed its own corporate governance practices in light of these guidelines. In certain cases, the Company’s practices comply with the guidelines; however, the Board considers that some of the guidelines are not suitable for the Company at its current stage of development and therefore these guidelines have not been adopted. NI 58-101 mandates disclosure of corporate governance practices for Venture Issuers in Form 58-101F2, which disclosure is set out below.
COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
All of the proposed nominees for election as a director at the 2024 Annual General Meeting are current directors of the Company. Form 58-101F1 suggests that the board of directors of every listed company should be constituted with a majority of individuals who qualify as “independent” directors under NI 52-110, which provides that a director is independent if he or she has no direct or indirect “material relationship” with the Company.
"Material relationship" is defined as a relationship that could, in the view of the company's board of directors, be reasonably expected to interfere with the exercise of a director's independent judgment.
Of the proposed nominees, Rob Klenk, who also serves the Company as Chief Executive Officer and President is "inside" or a management director and, as such, is considered not to be "independent". Graham Carter, as Chief Operating Officer, is also not considered to be "independent".
Ron Tewitz is considered by the Board to be "independent", within the meaning of NI 52-110. In assessing Form 58-101F2 and making the foregoing determinations, the circumstances of each director have been examined in relation to a number of factors.
The Board regularly reviews executive compensation and the grant of stock options.
MANDATE OF THE BOARD
The Board is elected by and accountable to the shareholders of the Company. The mandate of the Board is to continually govern the Company and to protect and enhance the assets of the Company in the long-term best interests of the Shareholders. The Board will annually assess and approve a strategic plan which takes into account, among other things, the opportunities and the identification of the principal risks of the issuer's business, and ensuring the implementation of appropriate systems to manage these risks.
DIRECTORSHIPS IN OTHER PUBLIC COMPANIES
None of the board nominees are directors of other reporting issuers (or equivalent)
ORIENTATION AND CONTINUING EDUCATION
New directors are briefed on strategic plans, short, medium and long term corporate objectives, business risks and mitigation strategies, corporate governance guidelines and existing company policies. However, there is no formal orientation for new members of the Board, and this is considered to be appropriate, given the Company's size and current level of operations. However, if the growth of the Company's operations warrants it, it is likely that a formal orientation process will be implemented.
The skills and knowledge of the Board of Directors as a whole is such that no formal continuing education process is currently deemed required. The Board is comprised of individuals with varying backgrounds, who have, both collectively and individually, extensive experience in running and managing public companies. Board members are encouraged to communicate with management, auditors and technical consultants to keep themselves current with industry trends and developments and changes in legislation, with management's assistance. Board members have full access to the Company's records. Reference is made to the table under the heading "Election of Directors" for a description of the current principal occupations of the members of the Company's Board.
ETHICAL BUSINESS CONDUCT
The Board has determined that the fiduciary duties placed on individual directors by the Company's governing corporate legislation, 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 are sufficient to ensure that the Board operates independently of management and in the best interests of the Company. Furthermore, the Board promotes fair dealing with all its stakeholders and requires compliance with the laws of each jurisdiction in which the Company operates.
The Board of Directors is also required to comply with the conflict of interest provisions of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and relevant securities regulation in order to ensure that directors exercise independent judgment in considering transactions and agreements in respect of which a director or officer has a material interest. Any interested director is required to declare the nature and extent of his interest and is not entitled to vote on any matter that is the subject of the conflict of interest.
NOMINATION OF DIRECTORS
The Board as a whole determines new nominees to the Board, although a formal process has not been adopted. The nominees are generally the result of recruitment efforts by the individual Board members, including both
21 | Page
formal and informal discussions among Board members and the CEO. The current size of the Board is such that the entire Board takes responsibility for selecting new directors and assessing current directors. Proposed directors' credentials are reviewed and discussed amongst the members of the Board prior to the proposed director's nomination.
The Board monitors but does not formally assess the performance of individual Board members or committee members or their contributions. The Board does not, at present, have a formal process in place for assessing the effectiveness of the Board as a whole, its committees or individual directors, but will consider implementing one in the future should circumstances warrant. Based on the Company's size, its stage of development and the number of individuals on the Board, the Board considers a formal assessment process to be inappropriate at this time.
COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
The Company does not currently pay its directors any remuneration for acting as directors and the only compensation for acting as directors received by non-management directors is through the grant of incentive stock options. The quantity and quality of the Board compensation is reviewed on an annual basis. At present, the Board is satisfied that the current Board compensation arrangements adequately reflect the responsibilities and risks involved in being an effective director of the Company. The number of options to be granted to any director or officer is determined by the Board as a whole, thereby providing the independent directors with significant input into compensation decisions. Stock options to be granted to "management" directors are required, as a matter of board practice, to be reviewed and approved by the "non-management" directors. Given the current size and limited scope of operations of the Company, the Board does not believe that a formal compensation committee is required. At such time as, in the opinion of the Board, the size and activities of the Company and the number of management employees warrants it, the Board will consider it necessary to appoint a formal compensation committee. See Section 4 - Statement of Executive Compensation - Director and NEO Compensation.
COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Company has no other committee other than an Audit Committee.
ASSESSMENTS
The board has not, as yet, established procedures to formally review the contributions of individual directors. At this point, the directors believe that the board's current size facilitates informal discussion and evaluation of members' contributions within that framework.
SECTION 7 - OTHER INFORMATION
INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Since the beginning of the most recently completed financial year ended June 30, 2024, and as at the date of this Information Circular, no director, executive officer or employee or former director, executive officer or employee of the Company, nor any nominee for election as a director of the Company, nor any associate of any such person, was indebted to the Company for other than "routine indebtedness", as that term is defined by applicable securities legislation; nor was any indebtedness to another entity the subject of a guarantee, support agreement, letter of credit or other similar arrangement or understanding provided by the Company.
INTEREST OF CERTAIN PERSONS IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
Other than as set forth in this Information Circular, no person who has been a director or executive officer of the Company at any time since the beginning of the last financial year, ended June 30, 2024, nor any proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company, nor any associate or affiliate of any of the foregoing, has any material interest, directly or indirectly, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon other than the election of directors or the appointment of auditors.
22 | Page
23 | Page
INTEREST OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS
Applicable securities legislation defines “informed person” to mean any of the following: (a) a director or executive officer of a reporting issuer; (b) a director or officer of a person or company that is itself an informed person or subsidiary of a reporting issuer; (c) any person or company who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, voting securities of a reporting issuer or who exercises control or direction over voting securities of a reporting issuer or a combination of both carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to all outstanding voting securities of the reporting issuer other than voting securities held by the person or company as underwriter in the course of a distribution; and (d) a reporting issuer that has purchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired any of its securities, for so long as it holds any of its securities. Except as otherwise disclosed herein, no informed persons had (or has) any interest in any transaction with the Company since the commencement of our most recently completed financial year ended June 30, 2024, or in any proposed transaction, that has materially affected the Company or is likely to do so.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS
The management functions of the Company are not to any substantial degree performed by any person other than the executive officers and directors of the Company.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Financial information about the Company is included in the Company’s financial statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the financial year ended June 30, 2024, which have been electronically filed with regulators and are available through the Internet on the Canadian System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR+) at www.sedarplus.ca. Copies may be obtained without charge upon request to the Company at Suite 404 – 1688 – 152nd Street, Surrey, BC V4A 4N2. You may also access the Company’s public disclosure documents through the Internet on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
DIRECTOR APPROVAL
The contents of this Circular and the sending thereof to the shareholders have been approved by the Directors of the Company.
Dated at Vancouver, British Columbia, this 18th day of November, 2024.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD
Signed: “Robert Klenk”
Robert Klenk
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
SCHEDULE “A”
JAZZ RESOURCES INC.
(the “Company”)
AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARTER
(Dated for Reference December 20, 2005)
MANDATE
The primary function of the audit committee (the “Committee”) is to assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its financial oversight responsibilities by reviewing the financial reports and other financial information provided by the Company to regulatory authorities and shareholders, the Company’s systems of internal controls regarding finance and accounting and the Company’s auditing, accounting and financial reporting processes. The Committee’s primary duties and responsibilities are to:
- Serve as an independent and objective party to monitor the Company’s financial reporting and internal control system and review the Company’s financial statements.
- Review and appraise the performance of the Company’s external auditors (the “Auditor”).
- Provide an open avenue of communication among the Company’s auditors, the Management and the Board of Directors.
COMPOSITION
The Committee shall be comprised of at least three members. Each member must be a director of the Company. A majority of the members of the Committee shall not be officers or employees of the company or of an affiliate of the Company. At least one member of the Committee shall be financially literate. All members of the Committee who are not financially literate will work towards becoming financially literate to obtain a working familiarity with basic finance and accounting practices. For the purposes of this Audit Committee Charter, the term “financially literate” means the ability to read and understand a set of financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Company’s financial statements.
The members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Board of Directors at its first meeting following the annual shareholders’ meeting. Unless a Chair is elected by the full Board of Directors, the members of the Committee may designate a Chair by a majority vote of the full Committee membership. The Chair shall be financially literate.
MEETINGS
Meetings of the Committee shall be scheduled to take place at regular intervals and, in any event, not less frequently than quarterly. Unless all members are present and waive notice, or those absent waive notice before or after a meeting, the Chairman will give Committee members 24 hours’ advance notice of each
A - 2
meeting and the matters to be discussed at it. Notice may be given personally, by telephone, facsimile or e-mail.
The Auditor shall be given reasonable notice of, and be entitled to attend and speak at, each meeting of the Committee concerning the Company’s annual financial statements and, if the Committee feels it is necessary or appropriate, at any other meeting. On request by the Auditor, the Chair shall call a meeting of the Committee to consider any matter that the Auditor believes should be brought to the attention of the Committee, the Board of Directors or the shareholders of the Company.
At each meeting of the Committee, a quorum shall consist of a majority of members that are not officers or employees of the Company or of an affiliate of the Company. A member may participate in a meeting of the Committee in person or by telephone if all members participating in the meeting, whether in person or by telephone or other communications medium, are able to communicate with each other. A member may participate in a meeting of the Committee by a communications medium other than telephone if all members participating in the meeting, whether in person or by telephone or other communications medium, are able to communicate with each other and if all members who wish to participate in the meeting agree to such participation.
As part of its goal to foster open communication, the Committee may periodically meet separately with each of the Management and the Auditor to discuss any matters that the Committee or any of these groups believes would be appropriate to discuss privately. In addition, the Committee should meet with the Auditor and the Management annually to review the Company’s financial statements.
The Committee may invite to its meetings any director, any manager of the Company, and any other person whom it deems appropriate to consult in order to carry out its responsibilities. The Committee may also exclude from its meetings any person it deems appropriate to exclude in order to carry out its responsibilities.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
To fulfil its responsibilities and duties, the Committee shall:
Documents/Reports Review
(a) Review the Company’s financial statements, including any certification, report, opinion, or review rendered by the Auditor, MD&A and any annual and interim earnings press releases before the Company publicly discloses this information.
(b) Review and satisfy itself that adequate procedures are in place for the review of the Company’s public disclosure of financial information extracted or derived from its financial statements, other than disclosure described in the previous paragraph, and periodically assess the adequacy of those procedures.
External Auditors
(c) Be directly responsible for overseeing the work by the external auditor (including resolution of disagreements between the Management and the Auditor regarding financial reporting) engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or performing other audit or review services for the Company.
A - 3
(d) Require the Auditor to report directly to the Committee.
(e) Review, annually, the performance of the Auditor who shall be ultimately accountable to the Board of Directors and the Committee as representatives of the shareholders of the Company.
(f) Review and discuss with the Auditor any disclosed relationships or services that may impact the objectivity and independence of the Auditor.
(g) Take, or recommend that the Board of Directors take, appropriate action to oversee the independence of the Auditor.
(h) Recommend to the Board of Directors the external auditor to be nominated at the annual general meeting for appointment as the Auditor for the ensuing year and the compensation for the Auditor, or, if applicable, the replacement of the Auditor.
(i) Review and approve the Company’s hiring policies regarding partners, employees and former partners and employees of the Auditor and former independent external auditor of the Company.
(j) Be directly responsible for the oversight of the work by the Auditor (including resolution of disagreements between the Management and the Auditor regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work.
(k) Review with the Management and the Auditor the audit plan for the annual financial statements.
(l) Review and pre-approve all audit and audit-related services and the fees and other compensation related thereto, and any non-audit services provided by the Auditor. The pre-approval requirement is waived with respect to the provision of non-audit services if:
(i) the aggregate amount of all such non-audit services that were not pre-approved is reasonably expected to constitute not more than 5% of the total amount of fees paid by the Company and its subsidiary entities to the Auditor during the fiscal year in which the non-audit services are provided;
(ii) such services were not recognized by the Company at the time of the engagement to be non-audit services; and
(iii) such services are promptly brought to the attention of the Committee and approved, prior to the completion of the audit, by the Committee or by one or more members of the Committee to whom authority to grant such approvals has been delegated by the Committee.
The Committee may delegate to one or more independent members of the Committee the authority to pre-approve non-audit services in satisfaction of the pre-approval requirement set out in this section provided the pre-approval of non-audit services by any member to whom authority has been delegated must be presented to the Committee at its first scheduled meeting following such pre-approval.
Financial Reporting Processes
(m) In consultation with the Auditor, review with the Management the integrity of the Company’s financial reporting process, both internal and external.
A - 4
(n) Consider the Auditor’s judgments about the quality and appropriateness of the Company’s accounting principles as applied in its financial reporting.
(o) Consider and approve, if appropriate, changes to the Company’s auditing and accounting principles and practices as suggested by the Auditor and the Management.
(p) Review significant judgments made by the Management in the preparation of the financial statements and the view of the Auditor as to the appropriateness of such judgments.
(q) Following completion of the annual audit, review separately with the Management and the Auditor any significant difficulties encountered during the course of the audit, including any restrictions on the scope of work or access to required information.
(r) Review any significant disagreement among the Management and the Auditor in connection with the preparation of the financial statements.
(s) Review with the Auditor and the Management the extent to which changes and improvements in financial or accounting practices have been implemented.
(t) Discuss with the Auditor the Auditor’s perception of the Company’s financial and accounting personnel, any material recommendations which the Auditor may have, the level of cooperation which the Auditor received during the course of their review and the adequacy of their access to records, data and other requested information.
(u) Review any complaints or concerns about any questionable accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters.
(v) Establish procedures for:
(i) the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters; and
(ii) the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the Company of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.
Other
(w) Perform such other duties as may be assigned to it by the Board of Directors from time to time or as may be required by applicable regulatory authorities or legislation.
(x) Report regularly and on a timely basis to the Board of Directors on matters coming before the Committee.
(y) Review and reassess the adequacy of this Charter annually and recommend any proposed changes to the Board of Directors for approval.
AUTHORITY
The Committee is authorized to:
(a) to seek any information it requires from any employee of the Company in order to perform its duties;
A - 5
(b) to engage, at the Company’s expense, independent legal counsel or other professional advisors on any matter within the scope of the role and duties of the Committee under this Charter;
(c) to set and pay the compensation for any advisors engaged by the Committee; and
(d) to communicate directly with the internal and external auditors of the Company.
This Charter supersedes and replaces all prior charters and other terms of reference pertaining to the Committee.