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Quri-Mayu Developments Ltd. — Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement 2021
Dec 30, 2021
47676_rns_2021-12-29_ac5e4455-b6d2-4b18-b7fa-4727406170d0.PDF
Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement
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QURI-MAYU DEVELOPMENTS LTD.
1000-1285 West Pender Street Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 4B1 Tel: (604) 683-0343
INFORMATION CIRCULAR
(As at December 15, 2021, except as indicated)
Quri-Mayu Developments Ltd. (the " Company ") is providing this Information Circular (the " Information Circular ") and a form of proxy in connection with management’s solicitation of proxies for use at the annual general meeting (the " Meeting ") of the shareholders of the Company (the " Shareholders ") to be held on January 20, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time) and at any adjournments and postponements thereof. The Company will conduct its solicitation by mail and officers and employees of the Company may, without receiving special compensation, also telephone or make other personal contact. The Company will pay the cost of solicitation.
All dollar amounts referenced herein are expressed in Canadian Dollars unless otherwise stated.
APPOINTMENT OF PROXYHOLDER
The purpose of a proxy is to designate persons who will vote the proxy on a Shareholder’s behalf in accordance with the instructions given by the Shareholder in the proxy. The persons whose names are printed in the enclosed form of proxy are officers or directors of the Company (the " Management Proxyholders ").
A Shareholder has the right to appoint a person other than a Management Proxyholder, to represent the Shareholder at the Meeting by striking out the names of the Management Proxyholders and by inserting the desired person’s name in the blank space provided or by executing a proxy in a form similar to the enclosed form. A proxyholder need not be a Shareholder.
VOTING BY PROXY
Only registered Shareholders or duly appointed proxyholders are permitted to vote at the Meeting. Common shares of the Company (" Shares ") represented by a properly executed proxy will be voted or be withheld from voting on each matter referred to in the Notice of Meeting in accordance with the instructions of the Shareholder on any ballot that may be called for and if the Shareholder specifies a choice with respect to any matter to be acted upon, the Shares will be voted accordingly.
If a Shareholder does not specify a choice and the Shareholder has appointed one of the Management Proxyholders as proxyholder, the Management Proxyholder will vote in favour of the matters specified in the Notice of Meeting and in favour of all other matters proposed by management at the Meeting.
The enclosed form of proxy also gives discretionary authority to the person named therein as proxyholder with respect to amendments or variations to matters identified in the Notice of the
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Meeting and with respect to other matters which may properly come before the Meeting. At the date of this Information Circular, management of the Company knows of no such amendments, variations or other matters to come before the Meeting.
COMPLETION AND RETURN OF PROXY
Completed forms of proxy must be deposited at the office of the Company’s registrar and transfer agent, National Securities Administrators Ltd., 702-777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1S4, not later than 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on January 18, 2022, or no later than 48 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays) prior to the date on which the Meeting or any adjournment(s) thereof is held, unless the chairman of the Meeting elects to exercise his discretion to accept proxies received subsequently.
NON-REGISTERED HOLDERS
Only registered Shareholders or persons they appoint as their proxies are permitted to vote at the Meeting. Registered Shareholders are holders of the Company whose names appear on the Share register of the Company and are not held in the name of a brokerage firm, bank or trust company through which they purchased Shares. Whether or not you are able to attend the Meeting, Shareholders are requested to vote their proxy in accordance with the instructions on the proxy. Most Shareholders are "non-registered" Shareholders (" Non-Registered Shareholders ") because the Shares they own are not registered in their names but instead registered in the name of a nominee (a " Nominee ") such as a brokerage firm through which they purchased the Shares. The Company’s Shares beneficially owned by a Non-Registered Shareholder are registered either: (i) in the name of an intermediary (an " Intermediary ") that the Non-Registered Shareholder deals with in respect of their Shares of the Company (Intermediaries include, among others, banks, trust companies, securities dealers or brokers and trustees or administrators of self-administered RRSPs, RRIFs, RESPs and similar plans); or (ii) in the name of a clearing agency (such as The Canadian Depository for Securities Limited or The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation) of which the Intermediary is a participant.
There are two kinds of beneficial owners: those who object to their name being made known to the issuers of securities which they own (called " OBOs " for Objecting Beneficial Owners) and those who do not object (called " NOBOs " for Non-Objecting Beneficial Owners).
The Company is not sending the Meeting materials directly to NOBOs in connection with the Meeting, but rather has distributed copies of the Meeting materials to the Nominees for distribution to NOBOs. The Company does not intend to pay for Nominees to deliver the Meeting materials and Form 54-101F7 – Request for Voting Instructions Made by Intermediary to OBOs. As a result, OBOs will not receive the Meeting Materials unless their Nominee assumes the costs of delivery.
NOTICE-AND-ACCESS
The Company is not sending the Meeting materials to Shareholders using "notice-and-access", as defined under National Instrument 54-101 - Communication with Beneficial Owners of Securities of a Reporting Issuer.
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REVOCABILITY OF PROXY
In addition to revocation in any other manner permitted by law, a Shareholder, his or her attorney authorized in writing or, if the Shareholder is a corporation, a corporation under its corporate seal or by an officer or attorney thereof duly authorized, may revoke a proxy by instrument in writing, including a proxy bearing a later date. The instrument revoking the proxy must be deposited at the registered office of the Company, at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the date of the Meeting, or any adjournment thereof, or with the chairman of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting.
VOTING SECURITIES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS THEREOF
The Company is authorized to issue unlimited Shares without par value, of which 36,126,120 Shares are issued and outstanding as at the record date of December 15, 2021 (the " Record Date "). Persons who are registered Shareholders at the close of business on the Record Date will be entitled to receive notice of and vote at the Meeting and will be entitled to one vote for each Share held.
To the knowledge of the directors and executive officers of the Company, no person beneficially owns, controls or directs, directly or indirectly, voting securities of the Company carrying 10% or more of the voting rights attached to any class of voting securities of the Company, except the following:
| Name | No. of Shares Beneficially Owned, Controlled or Directed, Directly or Indirectly |
Percentage of Outstanding Shares(1) |
|---|---|---|
| Xmin Ventures Corp.(2) | 10,875,000 | 30.10% |
(1) Based on 36,126,120 Shares issued and outstanding as of December 15, 2021.
(2) Xmin Ventures Corp. is a private company controlled by George Nicholson, a former director of the Company.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND AUDITORS’ REPORT
The audited financial statements of the Company (the " Financial Statements ") for the years ended October 31, 2021 and 2020, and the auditors’ report thereon will be tabled before the Shareholders at the Meeting. The audited financial statements have been approved by the Audit Committee and the board of directors (the “ Board ”). The Financial Statements can also be found under the Company’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. No vote by the Shareholders is required to be taken with respect to the Financial Statements.
NUMBER OF DIRECTORS
The Board presently consists of four (4) directors to be elected annually. At the Meeting, it is proposed to keep the number of directors elected at four (4) directors to hold office until the next annual general meeting. Shareholder approval will be sought to fix the number of directors of the Company at four (4). In the absence of instructions to the contrary, the enclosed proxy will be voted to set the number of directors of the Company at four (4).
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ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
The directors of the Company are elected at each annual general meeting and hold office until the next annual general meeting or until their successors are appointed. In the absence of instructions to the contrary, the enclosed proxy will be voted FOR the nominees herein listed .
The Company has an audit committee (the " Audit Committee "). Members of this committee are set out below.
Management of the Company proposes to nominate each of the following persons for election as a director. Information concerning such persons, as furnished by the individual nominees, is as follows:
| Name, Province of Residence and Position |
Principal Occupation or employment and, if not a previously elected Director, occupation during the past 5 years |
Previous Service as a Director |
Number of Shares Beneficially Owned, Controlled or Directed, Directly or Indirectly(2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Smith(1) British Columbia, Canada CEO and Director |
Mr. Smith is a business owner and entrepreneur. He currently serves as a director of the Company as well as its CEO. |
September 10, 2019 |
1,000,000(3) |
| Braydon Hobbs British Columbia, Canada CFO and Director |
Mr. Hobbs is a Chartered Professional Accountant. Mr. Hobbs currently works as a Manager at BDO Canada LLP in the Audit & Assurance practice. Previously, Mr. Hobbs worked as the Director of Finance for Woodbridge Homes Ltd. in Vancouver, as a Manager in Assurance as well as in the Private Markets/Early Capital Markets division at Deloitte UK LLP. He currently services as a director the Company as well as its CFO. |
September 10, 2019 |
325,000 |
| Ronald Woo(1) British Columbia, Canada Director |
Mr. Woo is a mine engineer and entrepreneur. Mr. Woo currently serves as a director the Company and as Chief Operating Officer for Rover Metals Corp., a TSXV listed junior natural resource company. Previously, Mr. Woo served as Project Manager and Technical Services Manager with Ledcor Contractors Ltd. |
September 10, 2019 |
600,000(4) |
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| Name, Province of Residence and Position |
Principal Occupation or employment and, if not a previously elected Director, occupation during the past 5 years |
Previous Service as a Director |
Number of Shares Beneficially Owned, Controlled or Directed, Directly or Indirectly(2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant Carlson(1) British Columbia, Canada Director |
Mr. Carlson is a consultant specializing in mining with SRK Canada's Mining Division and the Chief Operating Officer of Gold Mountain Mining Corp. Previously, Mr. Carlson was the Chief Operating Officer of Bayshore Minerals Inc., a mineral exploration company. |
September 13, 2021 |
1,000 |
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(1) Member of the Audit Committee.
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(2) Shares beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, or over which control or direction is exercised, as at the Record Date, based upon information furnished to the Company by individual directors. Unless otherwise indicated, such Shares are held directly.
(3) These Shares are held by LFG Management Corp., a corporation owned and controlled by Kevin Smith.
- (4) 500,000 of these Shares are held by Ron Woo and Associates Ltd., a corporation owned and controlled by Ronald Woo.
No proposed director is to be elected under any arrangement or understanding between the proposed director and any other person or company, except the directors and executive officers of the Company acting solely in such capacity.
CEASE TRADE ORDERS, BANKRUPTCIES, PENALTIES AND SANCTIONS
To the knowledge of the Company, except as set out below in this Information Circular, no proposed director:
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(a) is, as at the date of the Information Circular, or has been, within 10 years before the date of the Information Circular, a director, chief executive officer (" CEO ") or chief financial officer (" CFO ") of any company (including the Company) that:
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(i) was the subject, while the proposed director was acting in the capacity as director, CEO or CFO of such company, of a cease trade or similar order or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation, that was in effect for a period of more than 30 consecutive days; or
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(ii) was subject to a cease trade or similar order or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation, that was in effect for a period of more than 30 consecutive days, that was issued after the proposed director ceased to be a director, CEO or CFO but which resulted from an event that occurred while the proposed director was acting in the capacity as director, CEO or CFO of such company; or
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(b) is, as at the date of this Information Circular, or has been within 10 years before the date of the Information Circular, a director or executive officer of any company (including the Company) that, while that person was acting in that capacity, or within a year of that person ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets; or
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(c) has, within the 10 years before the date of this Information Circular, become bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or become subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of the proposed director; or
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(d) has been subject to any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation or by a securities regulatory authority or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority; or
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(e) has been subject to any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable securityholder in deciding whether to vote for a proposed director.
STATEMENT OF EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Summary Compensation Table
The following disclosure sets forth the compensation paid, awarded, granted, given or otherwise provided to each named executive officer and director for the most recently completed financial year.
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" Named Executive Officer " (or " NEO ") means each of the following individuals:
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(a) the CEO;
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(b) the CFO;
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(c) the most highly compensated executive officer of the Company, including any of its subsidiaries, or the most highly compensated individual acting in a similar capacity, other than the CEO and CFO, at the end of the most recently completed financial year whose total compensation was more than $150,000 for that financial year; and
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(d) each individual who would be a NEO under paragraph (c) but for the fact that the individual was not an executive officer of the Company, and was not acting in a similar capacity.
For the financial year ending October 31, 2021, the Company had the following NEOs: Kevin Smith, CEO of the Company and Braydon Hobbs, CFO of the Company.
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Director and NEO Compensation, Excluding Compensation Securities
The following table sets out the compensation, excluding options and compensation securities, paid to the individuals who were NEOs and directors of the Company for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2020, and 2021.
| Name and Position |
Year | Salary, Consulting Fee, Retainer or Commission ($) |
Bonus ($) |
Committee or meeting fees ($) |
Value of perquisites ($) |
Value of all other compensation ($) |
Total Compensation ($) |
| Kevin Smith Chief Executive Officer and Director |
2021 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| 2020 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| Braydon Hobbs Chief Financial Officer and Director |
2021 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| 2020 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| Ronald Woo Director |
2021 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| 2020 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| Grant Carlson Director |
2021 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| 2020 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Director Compensation
The Company has not paid any compensation to its directors, for their service as directors, since its incorporation. Any compensation to be paid to the executive officers and directors of the Company after the date of Listing will be determined by the Board.
External Management Companies
Other than as disclosed below under "Employment, Consulting and Management Agreements", the Company has not entered into any agreement with any external management company that employs or retains one or more of the NEOs or directors and, other than as disclosed below, the Company has not entered into any understanding, arrangement or agreement with any external management company to provide executive management services to the Company, directly or indirectly, in respect of which any compensation was paid by the Company.
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Stock Options and Other Compensation Securities
The following table sets forth all compensation securities granted or issued to each NEO and director by the Company or one of its subsidiaries in the most recently completed financial year for services provided or to be provided, directly or indirectly, to the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
| Compensation Securities | Compensation Securities | 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 |
| Kevin Smith CEO and Director |
Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Braydon Hobbs CFO and Director |
Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Ronald Woo Director |
Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Grant Carlson Director |
Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Stock Option Plans and Other Incentive Plans
On November 18, 2021, the Board approved a stock option plan (the " Stock Option Plan ").
The purpose of the Stock Option Plan is to provide the Company with a share-related mechanism to attract, retain and motivate qualified directors, officers, employees and consultants, to reward those individuals from time to time for their contributions toward the long terms goals of the Company and to enable and encourage those individuals to acquire Shares as long term investments. The general terms and conditions of the Stock Option Plan are reflected in the disclosure below.
Key Terms Summary Administration The Stock Option Plan will be administered by the Board, or such director or other senior officer of the Company as may be designated as administrator by the Board. The Board or such committee may make, amend and repeal at any time, and from time to time, such regulations not inconsistent with the Stock Option Plan. Number of Shares The maximum number of Shares issuable under the Stock Option Plan shall
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not exceed 10% of the number of Shares issued and outstanding as of each date on which the Board grants the Option (the " Award Date ") with certain limits on grants to Optionees (as defined in the Stock Option Plan), Optionees who are Insiders (as defined in the Stock Option Plan), Eligible Employees (as defined in the Stock Option Plan) and Optionees conducting Investor Relations Activities (as defined in the Stock Option Plan) in accordance with the rules and policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the “ TSXV ”). The number of Shares underlying Options that have been cancelled, that have expired without being exercised in full, and that have been issued upon exercise of Options shall not reduce the number of Shares issuable under the Plan and shall again be available for issuance thereunder.
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Securities Each Option entitles the holder thereof (an " Option Holder ") to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price determined by the Board.
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Participation Any director, senior officer, management company, employee or consultant of the Company (including any subsidiary of the Company), as the Board may determine.
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Exercise Price The exercise price of an Option will be determined by the Board in its sole discretion, provided that the exercise price will not be less than the Discounted Market Price (as defined in the policies of the TSXV).
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Exercise Period The exercise period of an Option will be the period from and including the award date through to and including the expiry date that will be determined by the Board at the time of grant (the " Expiry Date "), provided that the Expiry Date of an Option will be no later than the fifth anniversary of the Award Date of the Option, provided that such date does not fall within a blackout period imposed by the Company, and any Options granted to any Optionee who is a Director, Eligible Employee, or other Optionee will expire within 12 months following the date that such Optionee ceases to be engaged in such role.
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Cessation of Subject to certain limitations, in the event that an Option Holder ceases to be Employment a director of the Company or ceases to be employed by the Company, other than by reason of death, the Expiry Date of the Option will be 90 days after the date of such termination, except as otherwise provided in any employment contract. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any employment contract, in no event shall such right be extended beyond the Option Period or one year from the date of termination.
In the event that an Option Holder should die while he or she is still director, senior officer, management company, employee or consultant of the Company, the Expiry Date will be 12 months from the date of death of the Option Holder.
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Acceleration If a third party makes a bona fide formal offer to the Company or its Events shareholders which would constitute an acceleration event, the Board may (i) permit the Option Holders to exercise their Options, as to all or any of such Options that have not previously been exercised (regardless of any vesting restrictions), but in no event later than the Expiry Date of the Option, so that the Option Holders may participate in such transaction; and (ii) require the
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acceleration of the time for the exercise of the Options and of the time for the fulfilment of any conditions or restrictions on such exercise.
Notwithstanding any other provision of the Stock Option Plan or the terms of any Option, if at any time when Options remains unexercised and the Company completes any transaction which constitutes an acceleration event, all outstanding unvested Options will automatically vest.
Any proposed acceleration of vesting provisions is subject to the policies and necessary approvals of the TSXV, if applicable.
Limitations
The maximum number of Shares which may be issued, within any one-year period, to Insiders under the Stock Option Plan, together with any other share-based compensation arrangements of the Company, will be 10% of the total number of Shares issued and outstanding. The total number of Options awarded to any one individual in any twelve-month period will not exceed 5% of the issued and outstanding Shares of the Company at the Award Date unless the Company has obtained disinterested shareholder approval as required by the TSXV.
The total number of Options awarded to any one consultant of the Company in any twelve-month period will not exceed 2% of the issued and outstanding Shares of the Company at the Award Date unless consent is obtained from the TSXV.
The total number of Options awarded to all persons retained by the Company to provide Investor Relations Activities will not exceed 2% of the issued and outstanding Shares of the Company, in any twelve-month period, calculated at the Award Date unless consent is obtained from the TSXV. Options granted to persons retained to provide Investor Relations Activities will vest in stages over not less than twelve months with no more than one quarter of the options vesting in any three-month period.
- Amendments
The Board may from time to time, subject to applicable law and to the prior approval, if required, of the shareholders, relevant stock exchanges or any other regulatory body having authority over the Company or the Stock Option Plan, suspend, terminate or discontinue the Stock Option Plan at any time, or amend or revise the terms of the Stock Option Plan or of any Option granted under the Stock Option Plan and the Option Agreement relating thereto, provided that no such amendment, revision, suspension, termination or discontinuance shall in any manner adversely affect any Option previously granted to an Optionee under the Stock Option Plan without the consent of that Optionee.
Employment, Consulting and Management Agreements
As of the date hereof, the Company does not have any contract, agreement, plan or arrangement that provides for payments to the Named Executive Officers at, following, or in connection with any termination (whether voluntary, involuntary or constructive), resignation, retirement, a change in control of the Company or a change in a director or Named Executive Officer's responsibilities .
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Oversight and Description of Director and NEO Compensation
The Board is responsible for determining, by way of discussions at Board meetings, the compensation to be paid to the Company's executive officers and directors. In assessing the compensation of its directors and executive officers, including the NEOs, the Company does not have in place any formal objectives, criteria or analysis; however, the performance of each individual is considered along with the Company's ability to pay compensation and its results of operation for the period.
Compensation payable to executive officers and directors will be approved by the full Board, on an annual basis. The Company has not established any specific performance criteria or goals to which total compensation or any significant element of total compensation to be paid to any NEO is dependent. NEOs' performance is reviewed in light of the Company's objectives from time to time and such officers' compensation is also compared to that of executive officers of companies of similar size and stage of development in the mineral exploration industry.
Future compensation to be awarded or paid to the Company's directors and/or executive officers, including NEOs, once the Company is expected to consist primarily of management fees or salary, stock options and bonuses. In the meantime, payments may be made from time to time to executive officers, including NEOs, or companies they control for the provision of consulting or management services. Such services will be paid for by the Company at competitive industry rates for work of a similar nature by reputable arm's length services providers. In addition, it is anticipated that the Board may award bonuses, in its sole discretion, to executive officers, including NEOs, from time to time. Any compensation paid to the Company's NEOs is dependent upon the Company's finances as well as the performance of each of the NEOs.
The Company does not have a compensation committee or any formal compensation policies at this time.
Pension Disclosure
The Company does not anticipate having any deferred compensation plan or pension plan that provide for payments or benefits at, following or in connection with retirement.
SECURITIES AUTHORIZED FOR ISSUANCE UNDER EQUITY COMPENSATION PLANS
The following table sets out equity compensation plan information as at the end of the financial year ended October 31, 2021. As of October 31, 2021 the Company did not have any equity compensation plans. On November 18, 2021 the Board approved a stock option plan.
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Equity Compensation Plan Information
| Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights |
Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights |
Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a)) (1) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan Category | (a) | (b) | (c) |
| Equity compensation plans approved by securityholders |
Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Equity compensation plans not approved by securityholders |
Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Total | Nil | Nil | Nil |
INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
As at the Record Date, there was no indebtedness outstanding of any current or former director, executive officer or employee of the Company or its subsidiaries which is owing to the Company or its subsidiaries, or ,which is owing to another entity which indebtedness is the subject of a guarantee, support agreement, letter of credit or other similar arrangement or understanding provided by the Company or its subsidiaries, entered into in connection with a purchase of securities or otherwise .
No individual who is, or at any time during the most recently completed financial year was, a director or executive officer of the Company, no proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company and no associate of such persons:
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(i) is or at any time since the beginning of the most recently completed financial year has been, indebted to the Company or its subsidiaries; or
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(ii) is indebted to another entity, which indebtedness is, or at any time since the beginning of the most recently completed financial year has been, the subject of a guarantee, support agreement, letter of credit or other similar arrangement or understanding provided by the Company or its subsidiaries,
in relation to a securities purchase program or other program.
INTEREST OF CERTAIN PERSONS IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
Except as set out herein, no person who has been a director or executive officer of the Company at any time since the beginning of the Company's last financial year, no proposed nominee of management of the Company for election as a director of the Company and no associate or affiliate of the foregoing persons, has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership or otherwise, in matters to be acted upon at the Meeting other than the election of directors or the appointment of auditors.
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INTEREST OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS
No informed person (as defined in National Instrument 51-102, Continuous Disclosure ) or proposed director of the Company and no associate or affiliate of the foregoing persons has or has had any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the commencement of the Company's most recently completed financial year or in any proposed transaction which in either such case has materially affected or would materially affect the Company or its subsidiaries.
APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS
At the Meeting, Shareholders will be asked to pass an ordinary resolution to appoint Adam Sung Kim Ltd., Chartered Professional Accountants, as auditors of the Company and to authorize the directors of the Company to fix the remuneration to be to be paid to the auditors. An ordinary resolution needs to be passed by a simple majority of the votes cast by the Shareholders present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting.
Management of the Company recommends that Shareholders vote for the appointment of Adam
Sung Kim Ltd., Chartered Professional Accountants, as the Company’s auditors and to authorize the directors of the Company to fix the remuneration to be paid to the auditors .
MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS
No management functions of the Company are performed to any substantial degree by a person other than the directors or executive officers of the Company.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
Under National Instrument 52-110 Audit Committees (“ NI 52-110 ”), a reporting issuer is required to provide disclosure annually with respect to its audit committee, including the text of its audit committee charter, information regarding the composition of the audit committee, and information regarding fees paid to its external auditor. The Company provides the following disclosure with respect to its audit committee (the “ Audit Committee ”).
Audit Committee Charter
The Board has adopted a written charter for the Audit Committee, a copy of which is attached as Schedule “A" hereto.
The mandate of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board in fulfilling its financial oversight obligations, including the responsibility: (1) to identify and monitor the management of the principal risks that could impact the financial reporting of the Company; (2) to monitor the integrity of our financial reporting process and our internal accounting controls regarding financial reporting and accounting compliance; (3) to oversee the qualifications and independences of our external auditor; (4) to oversee the work of our financial management and external auditor; and (5) to provide and open avenue of communication between the external auditors, the Board and management.
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Composition of Audit Committee
The members of the Audit Committee are Kevin Smith, Ronald Woo and Grant Carlson. The Audit Committee consists of three directors, two of whom are independent. Mr. Kevin Smith is not independent as he is the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and involved in the day-to-day operations of the Company. Each member of the Audit Committee is financially literate in accordance with NI 52-110 – Audit Committees (" NI 52-110 ").
For the purpose of NI 52-110, 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 issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the issuer's financial statements. All members of the Audit Committee have experience reviewing financial statements and dealing with related accounting and auditing issues.
Relevant Education and Experience
The education and experience of each member of the Audit Committee that is relevant to the performance of his or her responsibilities as an Audit Committee member and, in particular, any education or experience that would provide the member with:
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an understanding of the accounting principles used by the Company to prepare its financial statements;
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the ability to assess the general application of such accounting principles in connection with the accounting for estimates, accruals and reserves;
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experience preparing, auditing, analysing or evaluating financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Company's financial statements, or experience actively supervising one or more individuals engaged in such activities; and
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an understanding of internal controls and procedures for financial reporting,
The members of the Company's Audit Committee are as follows:
| Name of Member | Education | Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Smith | Mr. Smith has corporate experience in a variety of industries, including resources, finance, technology and real estate development. He is well-versed in reading, analyzing and assessing financial statements, business plans and projections and developing and implementing internal control processes. |
Mr. Smith is a business owner and entrepreneur. He currently serves as a director of the Company as well as its Chief Executive Officer. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer and a director of EVI Ventures Corp., and is a member of its audit committee. |
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| Name of Member | Education | Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Woo | Mr. Woo holds a Bachelors of Engineering and a Bachelors of Science (specializing in computer science) from McGill University, in April 2000 and December 2002, respectively. Mr. Woo became certified with Engineers and Geoscientist of British Columbia in July 2009. |
Mr. Woo is a mine engineer and entrepreneur. He currently serves as a director of the Company and as Chief Operating Officer for Rover Metals Corp., a TSXV listed junior natural resource company. Previously, Mr. Woo served as Project Manager and Technical Services Manager with Ledcor Contractors Ltd. |
| Grant Carlson | Mr. Carlson earned a Bachelors of Science degree (specializing in mining engineering) from the University of British Columbia, in 2007. |
Mr. Carlson is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Gold Mountain Mining Corp., a TSXV listed junior natural resource company. Mr. Carlson is a mining engineer with over 15 years experience. Mr. Carlson was previously a consultant with SRK and Mining Engineer with Taseko Mines Ltd. |
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.
Reliance on Certain Exemptions
Since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year, the Company has not relied on the exemptions in Sections 2.4, 6.1.1(4), 6.1.1(5), or 6.1.1(6) or Part 8 of NI 52-110. Section 2.4 (De Minimis NonAudit Services) provides an exemption from the requirement that the Audit Committee must pre-approve all nonaudit services to be provided by the auditor, where the total amount of fees related to the non-audit services are not expected to exceed 5% of the total fees payable to the auditor in the financial year in which the non-audit services were provided. Sections 6.1.1(4) (Circumstance Affecting the Business or Operations of the Venture Issuer), 6.1.1(5) (Events Outside Control of Member) and 6.1.1(6) (Death, Incapacity or Resignation) provide exemptions from the requirement that a majority of the members of the Company’s Audit Committee must not be executive officers, employees or control persons of the Company or of an affiliate of the Company. Part 8 (Exemptions) permits a company to apply to a securities regulatory authority or regulator for an exemption from the requirements of NI 52- 110 in whole or in part.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
Under its Charter, the Audit Committee is required to pre-approve all audit and non-audit services to be performed by the external auditor, together with approval of the engagement letter for all non-audit services and estimated fees thereof. The pre-approval process for non-audit services will also involve a consideration of the potential impact of such services on the independence of the external auditor.
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External Auditors Service Fees (By Category)
The aggregate fees billed by the Company's external auditors, Adam Sung Kim Ltd., Charter Professional Accountants, in each of the last two fiscal years for audit fees are as follows:
| Financial Year Ending |
Audit Fees(1) | Audit Related Fees(2) |
Tax Fees(3) | All Other Fees(4) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 31, 2021 | $11,134.20 | $2,530.50 | $7,589.82 | Nil |
| October 31, 2020 | $7,650 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
(1) "Audit fees" include aggregate fees billed by the Company’s external auditor in each of the last two fiscal years for audit fees.
(2) Audited Related Fees" include the aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for assurance and related services by the Company’s external auditor that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Company’s financial statements and are not reported under "Audit Fees" above.
(3) "Tax Fees" include the aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by the Company’s external auditor for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning.
(4) "All Other Fees" include the aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for products and services provided by the Company’s external auditor, other than "Audit fees", "Audit related fees" and "Tax fees" above.
Exemption in Section 6.1 of NI 52-110
The Company is relying on the exemption provided by Section 6.1 of NI 52-110, which provides that the Company is not required to comply with Part 3 (Composition of the Audit Committee) and Part 5 (Reporting Obligations) of NI 52-110.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DISCLOSURE
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 which are both in the interest of its Shareholders and contribute to effective and efficient decision making. A summary of the responsibilities and activities and the membership of each of the committees is set out below.
National Policy 58-201 – Corporate Governance Guidelines (" NP 58-201 ") establishes corporate governance guidelines which apply to all reporting 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. National Instrument 58-101 mandates disclosure of corporate governance practices which disclosure is set out below.
Mandate of the Board
In accordance with the mandate of the Board, the Board is responsible for overseeing the exercise of corporate powers and ensuring that the Company's business is managed to meet its corporate goals and objectives and that the long-term interests of the Shareholders are served. The Board is responsible for, among other things:
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(a) adopting a strategic plan for the Company and reviewing the plan in light of management's assessment of emerging trends, industry changes, the competitive environment, the Company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, risk issues, and key success factors for the achievement of Company's goals and objectives;
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(b) overseeing succession planning for management by developing a policy for the appointment, training and performance monitoring of senior management and personnel and developing, training and mentoring selected successors;
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(c) ensuring individual directors and the Board's committees are performing effectively;
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(d) in consultation with the Corporate Governance Committee, defining the criteria that all proposed candidates for election to the Board will possess and developing corporate goals and objectives that the Chief Executive Officer is responsible for meeting;
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(e) developing clear position descriptions for the Chair of the Board, the Chair of each committee and the Chief Executive Officer; and
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(f) ensuring that all new directors receive comprehensive orientation including education regarding the role of the Board and its committees, the expectations of individual directors and the nature and operation of the Company's business.
In accordance with the mandate of the Board, all Board members are expected to: (a) develop and maintain an understanding of the Company's operations, strategies and industry within which the Company operates; (b) develop and maintain an understanding of the regulatory, legislative, business, social and political environment within which the Company operates; (c) develop and maintain familiarity with the officers of the Company; (d) attend Board and, if applicable, committee meetings regularly; (e) read advance materials prior to Board or committee meetings; (f) participate fully and actively in the discussions of the Board and any committee to which the individual belongs; (g) if absent from a meeting, keep up-to-date on discussions missed; (h) devote the necessary time and attention to Company issues in order to make informed decisions; (i) if requested, participate on Board committees; (j) remain knowledgeable of the mandate of the Board and the mandate of the committee or committees of which the director is a member; and (k) participate in continuing director education.
The frequency of meetings of the Board and the nature of agenda items may change from year to year depending upon the activities of the Company. The Board intends to meet at least quarterly and at each meeting there is a review of the business of the Company.
The Board facilitates its exercise of independent supervision over the Company's management through frequent meetings of the Board being held to obtain an update on significant corporate activities and plans, both with and without members of the Company's management being in attendance.
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Independence of Members of Board
As of the date of this Circular, the Company's Board consists of four (4) directors, two (2) of whom are independent based upon the tests for independence set forth in NI 52-110. Ronald Woo and Grant Carlson are independent. Kevin Smith is not independent as he is Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Braydon Hobbs is not independent as he is the Chief Financial Officer of the Company.
Management Supervision by Board
The size of the Company is such that all the Company’s operations are conducted by a small management team which is also represented on the Board. The Board considers that management is effectively supervised by the independent directors on an informal basis as the independent directors are actively and regularly involved in reviewing and supervising the operations of the Company and have regular and full access to management. The independent directors are, however, able to meet at any time without any members of management including the nonindependent director being present. Further supervision is performed through the Audit Committee which is composed of a majority of independent directors who meet with the Company's auditors without management being in attendance. The independent directors exercise their responsibilities for independent oversight of management through their majority control of the Board.
Participation of Directors in Other Reporting Issuers
The following table sets out information regarding other directorships presently held by directors of the Company with other reporting issuers (or the equivalent) in Canada or any foreign jurisdiction:
| Name of Director | Name of Other Reporting Issuer | Exchange |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Smith | Gold Mountain Mining Corp. | TSXV |
| Polarity Minerals Corp.. | N/A | |
| Mucho Cobre Resources Ltd. | N/A | |
| EVI Ventures Corp. | N/A | |
| Evolution Global Financial Corp. | N/A | |
| Braydon Hobbs | Gold Mountain Mining Corp. | TSXV |
| Mucho Cobre Resources Ltd. | N/A | |
| Polarity Minerals Corp. | N/A | |
| Ronald Woo | Gold Mountain Mining Corp. | TSXV |
| Mucho Cobre Resources Ltd. | N/A | |
| Polarity Minerals Corp. | N/A | |
| Grant Carlson | Gold Mountain Mining Corp. | TSXV |
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Orientation and Continuing Education
Each new director of the Company is briefed about the nature of the Company's business, its corporate strategy and current issues within the Company. New directors are encouraged to review the Company's public disclosure record as filed on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com. Directors are also provided with access to management to better understand the operations of the Company, and to the Company's legal counsel to discuss their legal obligations as directors of the Company.
At present, the Company does not provide a formal orientation and education program for new directors. To the extent new directors are appointed to the Board, they will be encouraged to meet with management and inform themselves regarding management and the Company's affairs. The Company currently has no specific policy regarding continuing education for directors, however requests for education will be encouraged, and dealt with on an ad hoc basis.
Ethical Business Conduct
As part of its responsibility for the stewardship of the Company, the Board seeks to foster a culture of ethical conduct by requiring the Company to carry out its business in accordance with high business and moral standards and applicable legal and financial requirements. The Board has formalized this in its Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the " Code "), which was adopted by the Board on November 18, 2021.
The Company's CFO is responsible for communicating the Code to directors, officers and employees. Compliance with the Code is maintained primarily through the reporting process within the Company's organizational structure. The Audit Committee monitors overall compliance with the Code and the CFO reports any alleged breaches of the Code to the Audit Committee. The Company's CFO and Audit Committee Chair then reports to the Board at regular quarterly meetings of the Board on any issues or concerns that have been raised.
Nomination of Directors
The full Board is currently responsible for all matters related to director recruitment, orientation, compensation and continuing education and evaluations of the Board, its committees and its members including periodically assessing the skills present on the Board, making recommendations as to whether and how those skills ought to, or could be, enhanced, and implementing a process for the identification of suitable candidates for appointment to the Board. However, given its size, the Board has not yet adopted a formal process for identifying new candidates for nomination.
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Compensation of Directors and the CEO
The Board has not created or appointed a compensation committee given the Company’s current size and stage of development. All tasks related to developing and monitoring the Company’s approach to the compensation of the Company’s NEOs and directors are performed by the members of the Board. The compensation of the NEOs, directors and the Company’s employees or consultants, if any, is reviewed, recommended and approved by the Board without reference to any specific formula or criteria.
Board Committees
The Company has no committees other than the Audit Committee. For a copy of the Audit Committee Charter, see Schedule “A” attached hereto.
Assessments
At present, the Board does not have a formal process for assessing the effectiveness of the Board, the effectiveness of Board committees and whether individual directors are performing effectively. The Board is of the view that the Company's shareholders provide the most effective and objective assessment of the Board's performance.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information relating to the Company is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Shareholders may contact the Company at its office at 1000 – 1285 W. Pender Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6E 4B1, to request copies of the Company’s financial statements and the related Management’s Discussion and Analysis (the “ MD&A ”). Financial information is provided in the Company’s comparative annual financial statements and MD&A for its most recently completed financial year and in the financial statements and MD&A for subsequent financial periods, which are available at www.sedar.com. .
OTHER MATTERS
Other than the above, management of the Company knows of no other matters to come before the Meeting other than those referred to in the Notice of Meeting. However, if any other matters that are not known to management should properly come before the Meeting, the accompanying form of proxy confers discretionary authority upon the persons named therein to vote on such matters in accordance with their best judgment.
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APPROVAL OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The contents of this Information Circular have been approved, and the delivery of it to each Shareholder entitled thereto and to the appropriate regulatory agencies has been authorized, by the Board.
Dated at Vancouver, British Columbia as of this 15th day of December, 2021.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
QURI-MAYU DEVELOPMENTS LTD.
“Kevin Smith”
KEVIN SMITH
Director and Chief Executive Officer
Schedule “A”
Audit Committee Charter
[see below]
QURI-MAYU DEVELOPMENTS LTD.
(the “ Company ”)
AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARTER
Purpose of the Committee
The purpose of the audit committee (the “Audit Committee” ) of the directors of the Company (the “ Board ”) is to provide an open avenue of communication between management, the Company’s independent auditor and the Board and to assist the Board in its oversight of:
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the integrity, adequacy and timeliness of the Company’s financial reporting and disclosure practices;
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the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements related to financial reporting; and
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the independence and performance of the Company’s independent auditor.
The Audit Committee shall also perform any other activities consistent with this Charter, the Company’s articles and governing laws as the Audit Committee or Board deems necessary or appropriate.
The Audit Committee shall consist of at least three directors. Members of the Audit Committee shall be appointed by the Board and may be removed by the Board in its discretion. The members of the Audit Committee shall elect a Chairman from among their number. A majority of the members of the Audit Committee must not be officers or employees of the Company or of an affiliate of the Company. The quorum for a meeting of the Audit Committee is a majority of the members who are not officers or employees of the Company or of an affiliate of the Company. With the exception of the foregoing quorum requirement, the Audit Committee may determine its own procedures.
The Audit Committee’s role is one of oversight. Management is responsible for preparing the Company’s financial statements and other financial information and for the fair presentation of the information set forth in the financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“ IFRS ”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. Management is also responsible for establishing internal controls and procedures and for maintaining the appropriate accounting and financial reporting principles and policies designed to assure compliance with accounting standards and all applicable laws and regulations.
The independent auditor’s responsibility is to audit the Company’s financial statements and provide its opinion, based on its audit conducted in accordance with IFRS, that the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company in accordance with IFRS.
The Audit Committee is responsible for recommending to the Board the independent auditor to be nominated for the purpose of auditing the Company’s financial statements, preparing or issuing an auditor’s report or performing other audit, review or attest services for the Company, and for reviewing and recommending the compensation of the independent auditor. The Audit Committee is also directly responsible for the evaluation of and oversight of the work of the independent auditor. The independent auditor shall report directly to the Audit Committee.
Authority and Responsibilities
In addition to the foregoing, in performing its oversight responsibilities the Audit Committee shall:
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Monitor the adequacy of this Charter and recommend any proposed changes to the Board.
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Review the appointments of the Company’s CFO and CEO and any other key financial executives involved in the financial reporting process.
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Review with management and the independent auditor the adequacy and effectiveness of the Company’s accounting and financial controls and the adequacy and timeliness of its financial reporting processes.
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Review with management and the independent auditor the annual financial statements and related documents and review with management the unaudited quarterly financial statements and related documents, prior to filing or distribution, including matters required to be reviewed under applicable legal or regulatory requirements.
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Where appropriate and prior to release, review with management any news releases that disclose annual or interim financial results or contain other significant financial information that has not previously been released to the public.
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Review the Company’s financial reporting and accounting standards and principles and significant changes in such standards or principles or in their application, including key accounting decisions affecting the financial statements, alternatives thereto and the rationale for decisions made.
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Review the quality and appropriateness of the accounting policies and the clarity of financial information and disclosure practices adopted by the Company, including consideration of the independent auditor’s judgment about the quality and appropriateness of the Company’s accounting policies. This review may include discussions with the independent auditor without the presence of management.
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Review with management and the independent auditor significant related party transactions and potential conflicts of interest.
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Pre-approve all non-audit services to be provided to the Company by the independent auditor.
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Monitor the independence of the independent auditor by reviewing all relationships between the independent auditor and the Company and all non-audit work performed for the Company by the independent auditor.
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Establish and review the Company’s procedures for the:
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receipt, retention and treatment of complaints regarding accounting, financial disclosure,
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internal controls or auditing matters; and
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confidential, anonymous submission by employees regarding questionable accounting, auditing and financial reporting and disclosure matters.
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Conduct or authorize investigations into any matters that the Audit Committee believes is within the scope of its responsibilities. The Audit Committee has the authority to retain independent counsel, accountants or other advisors to assist it, as it considers necessary, to carry out its duties, and to set and pay the compensation of such advisors at the expense of the Company.
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Perform such other functions and exercise such other powers as are prescribed from time to time for the audit committee of a reporting company in Parts 2 and 4 of National Instrument 52-110 of the Canadian Securities Administrators, the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and the articles of the Company.