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Riverwalk Acquisition Corp. — Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement 2025
Apr 16, 2025
48312_rns_2025-04-15_d6dc0858-cbae-4b46-9841-7f2f414bc436.pdf
Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement
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NOTICE OF MEETING
AND
INFORMATION CIRCULAR
for the 2025 Annual General Meeting of the
Shareholders of
RIVERWALK ACQUISITION CORP.
Dated as of April 2, 2024
RIVERWALK ACQUISITION CORP.
1500-777 Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1S4
Tel: 604 909-4880
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual general meeting (the "Meeting") of the shareholders of Riverwalk Acquisition Corp. (the "Company") will be held at 15th Floor, 1111 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 2J3 on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 11:30 a.m. (PDT Time) for the following purposes:
- to receive the audited financial statements of the Company for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2024, together with the auditors' report thereon;
- to fix the number of directors at five (5) for the ensuing year;
- to elect directors for the ensuing year as described in the information circular accompanying this Notice;
- to re-appoint Baker Tilly WM LLP as the Company's auditors for the ensuing fiscal year at a remuneration to be fixed by the directors;
- to consider and, if thought fit, to pass an ordinary resolution, the full text of which is set forth in the information circular, approving the Company's 10% rolling stock option plan; and
- to transact such further or other business as may properly come before the Meeting and any adjournments thereof.
The specific details of the foregoing matters to be put before the Meeting are set forth in the information circular (the "Information Circular") accompanying this Notice. The audited consolidated financial statements and related MD&A for the Company for the financial year ended November 30, 2024 have already been mailed to those shareholders who have previously requested to receive them. Otherwise, they are available upon request to the Company or they can be found on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
The Board of Directors of the Company has by resolution fixed the close of business on April 2, 2025 as the record date for the Meeting, being the date for the determination of the registered holders of common shares of the Company entitled to notice of and to vote at the Meeting and any adjournment(s) thereof.
Proxies to be used at the Meeting must be deposited with the Company, c/o the Company's transfer agent, Endeavor Trust Corporation, 702-777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1S4 no later than 11:30 a.m. (Pacific Time) on May 5, 2025, 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. See also the form of proxy for instructions as to the use of telephone and internet voting.
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Non-registered shareholders who receive these materials through their broker or other intermediary are requested to follow the instructions for voting provided by their broker or intermediary, which may include the completion and delivery of a voting instruction form.
DATED at Vancouver, British Columbia, this 2nd day of April, 2025.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD
"Vincent Wong"
Vincent Wong
Chief Executive Officer and Director
RIVERWALK ACQUISITION CORP.
1500-777 Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1S4
Tel: 604 909-4880
INFORMATION CIRCULAR
(As at April 2, 2025, except as indicated)
Riverwalk Acquisition Corp. (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 Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 11:30 a.m. (PDT 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 Meeting and with respect to other matters which may properly come before the Meeting. At the
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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
Proxies to be used at the Meeting must be deposited with the Company, c/o the Company's transfer agent, Endeavor Trust Corporation, 702-777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1S4 no later than 11:30 a.m. (Pacific Time) on May 5, 2025, 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. See also the form of proxy for instructions as to the use of telephone and internet voting.
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 6,800,001 Shares are issued and outstanding as at the record date of April 2, 2025 (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) |
|---|---|---|
| Vincent Wong | 855,001 | 12.6% |
| Warren Jung | 1,200,000 (2) | 17.6% |
(1) Based on 6,800,001 issued and outstanding shares as of April 2, 2025.
(2) Common shares held in the name of Apate Solutions Inc.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND AUDITORS' REPORT
The audited financial statements of the Company (the "Financial Statements") for the year ended November 30, 2024, 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.plus.ca. No vote by the Shareholders is required to be taken with respect to the Financial Statements.
NUMBER OF DIRECTORS
The Board presently consists of five (5) directors to be elected annually. At the Meeting, it is proposed to keep the number of directors elected at five (5) 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 five (5). In the absence of instructions to the contrary, the enclosed proxy will be voted to set the number of directors of the Company at five (5).
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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 the Audit 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, Position and Residence | 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)} |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vincent Wong (1) | |||
| Chief Executive Officer, | |||
| Chairman, Corporate | |||
| Secretary and Director | |||
| British Columbia | Acting CEO, Kona Bay Technologies Inc. CEO, Immutable Holdings Inc. (formerly Bexar Ventures Inc.). CEO, ACME Lithium Inc. (formerly Hapuna Ventures Inc.). | February 25, 2021 | 855,001 |
| Warren Jung (1) | |||
| Director | |||
| British Columbia | Managing Partner, Wei C. Jung and Company CPA. | March 5, 2021 | 1,200,000 |
| Ryan Maarschalk | |||
| Director | |||
| British Columbia | President, Maarschalk Capital Inc. CFO, Allied Corp. CFO, Argent Diversified Holdings Inc. Advisor, Director & CFO, ESE Entertainment Inc. CFO, 1933 Industries Inc. | February 16, 2022 | 100,000 |
| Jeffrey Wilson | |||
| Director | |||
| British Columbia | President, CEO & Director, Precipitate Gold Corp. CEO & Director, Osprey Gold Development Ltd. CEO & Director, Exploits Discovery Corp. | February 16, 2022 | 100,000 |
| Robert Goehring (1) | |||
| Director | |||
| British Columbia | CEO, Catalyst Ventures Ltd. CEO, Rewardstream Solutions Inc. | March 5, 2021 | 100,000 |
(1) Member of the Audit Committee.
(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.
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.
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CEASE TRADE ORDERS, BANKRUPTCIES, PENALTIES AND SANCTIONS
Expect as disclosed herein, to the knowledge of the Company, no proposed director:
(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:
(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
(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
(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
(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
(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
(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 security holder in deciding whether to vote for a proposed director.
Evolving Gold Corp.
Mr. Jenkins served as CFO of Evolving Gold Corp. ("EVG"), a public company listed on the CSE, when EVG was the subject of a cease trade order by the BCSC from August 2, 2019 to November 5, 2019 due to the failure to file annual audited financial statements and related disclosure items. The cease trade order was lifted on November 5, 2019 after the audit had been completed and filed.
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STATEMENT OF EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
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.
"Named Executive Officer" (or "NEO") means each of the following individuals:
(a) the CEO;
(b) the CFO;
(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
(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 November 30, 2024, the Company had the following Named Executive Officers: Vincent Wong, CEO and Charles Jenkins, CFO.
Director and NEO Compensation, Excluding Compensation Securities
The following table of compensation, excluding options and compensation securities, provides a summary of the compensation paid by the Company to each NEO and director of the Company, current or former, for the completed financial years ended November 30, 2023 and 2024:
| Name and Position | Year | Salary, Consulting Fee, Retainer or Commission | Bonus | Committee or Meeting Fees | Value of Prerequisites | Value of All Other Compensation | Total Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vincent Wong (1) | |||||||
| CEO, Chairman, Corporate Secretary and Director | 2024 | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil |
| 2023 | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | |
| Charles Jenkins (2) | |||||||
| CFO | 2024 | $18,000 | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil |
| 2023 | $18,000 | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | |
| Warren Jung (3) | |||||||
| Director | 2024 | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil |
| 2023 | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil |
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| Name and Position | Year | Salary, Consulting Fee, Retainer or Commission | Bonus | Committee or Meeting Fees | Value of Prerequisites | Value of All Other Compensation | Total Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Maarschalk (4) | |||||||
| Director | 2024 | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil |
| 2023 | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | |
| Jeffrey Wilson (4) | |||||||
| Director | 2024 | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil |
| 2023 | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | |
| Robert Goehring (3) | |||||||
| Director | 2024 | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil |
| 2023 | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil | $nil |
(1) Vincent Wong was appointed a director on February 25, 2021, was appointed as CEO and Chairman on March 5, 2021 and was appointed Corporate Secretary on October 1, 2021.
(2) Charles Jenkins was appointed CFO on March 5, 2021.
(3) Warren Jung and Robert Goehring were appointed directors on March 5, 2021.
(4) Ryan Maarschalk and Jeffrey Wilson were appointed directors on February 16, 2022.
External Management Companies
As of the fiscal year ended November 30, 2024, 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, 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.
Stock Options and Other Compensation Securities
No compensation securities have been granted or issued by the Company to any NEO or director of the Company, current or former, for the financial year ended November 30, 2024, for services provided or to be provided, directly or indirectly, to the Company or any of its subsidiaries. During the fiscal year ended November 30, 2024, the NEOs and directors did not exercise any of the compensation securities.
Stock Option Plans and Other Incentive Plan
For information about the material terms of the Company’s stock option plan, please refer to the heading “Particulars of Other Matters to be Acted Upon – Approval of Stock Option Plan”.
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 NEOs 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 NEO’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.
Future compensation to be awarded or paid to the Company's directors and/or executive officers, including NEOs, 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 have a pension plan that provides for payments or benefits to the NEOs 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 November 30, 2024:
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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 |
(1) Options issued pursuant to the Company's Stock Option Plan (defined below). See Particulars of Other Matters to be Acted Upon – Approval of Stock Option Plan.
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, 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:
(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
(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 Obligations) 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 Baker Tilly WP LLP, as auditors of the Company and to authorize the directors of the Company to fix the remuneration 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 Baker Tilly WP LLP, 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 Audit Committee Charter sets out the Audit Committee's responsibilities and authority, procedures governing meetings, qualifications for membership and particulars governing the role of the chair of the Audit Committee. A copy of the Audit Committee Charter is attached as Schedule "A" hereto.
Composition of Audit Committee
As at the date of this Information Circular, the following individuals are the current members of the Audit Committee and will hold office until the next annual general meeting of shareholders of the Company:
| Vincent Wong (Chair) | Not-Independent^{(2)} | Financially Literate^{(1)} |
|---|---|---|
| Warren Jung | Independent^{(1)} | Financially Literate^{(1)} |
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| Robert Goehring | Independent^{(1)} | Financially Literate^{(1)} |
|---|---|---|
(1) For the purposes of the requirements established by NI 52-110 applicable to venture issuers.
(2) Vincent Wong is the current CEO, Chairman and Corporate Secretary of the Company and would not be considered independent under NI 52-110.
The members of the Audit Committee are appointed by the Board at its first meeting following the annual shareholders' meeting. Unless a chair is elected by the full Board, the members of the Audit Committee designate a chair by a majority vote of the full Audit Committee membership.
Relevant Education and Experience
The relevant education and/or experience of each member of the Audit Committee is as follows:
Vincent Wong
Mr. Wong is an entrepreneur and investor with 20 years' experience building and managing startup enterprises in the technology sector. His core competency over the last 20 years has been the monetization of digital assets, including running a profitable Internet company with multinational clients including a Fortune 1000 company. His career has spanned a wide range of executive-level positions in business development, marketing, information technology, strategy, and corporate development. He graduated from the University of British Columbia and holds an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.
He is an experienced director and executive officer of public companies in the technology sector. Mr. Wong was previously the CEO of Immutable Holdings Inc. (formerly Bexar Ventures Inc.), a technology company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange, Acting CEO of Kona Bay Technologies Inc., and a former director of ACME Lithium Inc. (formerly Hapuna Ventures Inc.).
Warren Jung
Mr. Jung, BSc, CPA, CA, has 22 years' experience in accounting and taxation with clients in a variety of sectors. He is currently Tax and Assurance Partner at Wei C. Jung and Company. Previously, Mr. Jung was with BDO (Sydney, Australia), and Price Waterhouse Coopers (Seattle, San Francisco). Mr. Jung holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia.
Robert Goehring
Mr. Goehring is a serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience founding and running private and public software and hardware companies in telecom, marketing tech, software-as-a-service and financial services. He is currently the chief executive officer of Think Technologies, a developer of artificial intelligence software solutions. He was previously a director at Immutable Holdings Inc. (formerly Bexar Ventures Inc.), a technology company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange.
Previously, he was CEO of RewardStream, a leader in referral and loyalty marketing (acquired by Buyapowa Ltd.). He was also the chief marketing officer of TIO Networks (acquired by PayPal) and the co-founder of Contigo Systems, an award-winning telematics company (acquired by Vecima Networks).
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Mr. Goehring has an MBA from Simon Fraser University in marketing and MIS, is an adviser to technology growth companies, and speaks on marketing technology trends. Mr. Goehring is also the founding director of the AI C-Council for the B.C. Technology Industry Association.
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
The Company has not relied on exemption any exemptions in NI 52-110, except for those in section 6.1 of NI 52-110, which exempts the Company from the requirements of Part 3 (Composition of the Audit Committee) and Part 5 (Reporting Obligations) of NI 52-110.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Audit Committee will have authority and responsibility for pre-approval of all non-audit services to be provided to the Company or its subsidiary entities by the external auditors or the external auditors of the Company's subsidiary entities, unless such pre-approval is otherwise appropriately delegated or if appropriate specific policies and procedures for the engagement of non-audit services have been adopted by the Audit Committee.
External Auditors Service Fees (By Category)
The following table sets out the aggregate fees billed by Baker Tilly WM LLP, the Company's external auditors, for the years ended November 30, 2023 and November 30, 2024:
| Financial Year Ending | Audit Fees^{(1)} | Audit Related Fees^{(2)} | Tax Fees^{(3)} | All Other Fees^{(4)} |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 30, 2024 | $9,750 | $nil | $1,250 | $nil |
| November 30, 2023 | $8,500 | $nil | $1,250 | $nil |
(1) "Audit Fees" include the aggregate fees billed in each financial year for audit fees.
(2) "Audit Related Fees" include the aggregate fees billed in each financial year for assurance and related services to the performance of the audit or review of the Company's financial statements not already disclosed under "Audit Fees".
(3) "Tax Fees" are the aggregate fees billed by the auditor for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning.
(4) "All Other Fees" include aggregate fees billed for products or services not already reported in the above table.
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.
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DISCLOSURE
The Company and the Board recognize the importance of corporate governance to the effective management of the Company and to the protection of its employees and Shareholders. The Company's approach to significant issues of corporate governance is designed with a view to ensuring that the business and affairs of the Company are effectively managed so as to enhance Shareholder value. The Board fulfills its mandate directly and through any of its subcommittees at regularly scheduled meetings or at meetings held as required. Frequency of meetings may be increased, and the nature of the agenda items may be changed depending upon the state of the Company's affairs and in light of opportunities or risks which the Company faces. The directors are kept informed of the Company's business and affairs at these meetings as well as through reports and discussions with management on matters within their particular areas of expertise.
National Instrument 58-101 Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices ("NI 58-101") establishes corporate governance guidelines to be used by issuers in developing their own corporate governance practices. The Board is committed to ensuring that the Company has an effective corporate governance system, which adds value and assists the Company in achieving its objectives.
Board of Directors
Of the directors of the Company, Warren Jung, Ryan Maarschalk, Jeffrey Wilson and Robert Goehring are independent for the purposes of NI 58-101. Vincent Wong is not independent for the purposes of NI 58-101 as he is an executive officer of the Company.
Directorships
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Vincent Wong | Riverwalk Acquisition Corp | TSXV |
| Ryan Maarschalk | Riverwalk Acquisition Corp. | TSXV |
| Jeffrey Wilson | Precipitate Gold Corp. | |
| Eureka Lithium Corp. | ||
| Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. | ||
| Riverwalk Acquisition Corp. | TSXV | |
| CSE | ||
| TSXV | ||
| TSXV | ||
| Robert Goehring | Railtown AI Technologies Inc. | |
| Riverwalk Acquisition Corp. | CNSX | |
| TSXV |
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Orientation and Continuing Education
The Company has not yet established a formal orientation or education procedure for newly incoming directors. Board members are encouraged to communicate with management and auditors, to keep themselves current with industry trends and developments, and to attend related industry seminars. Board members have full access to the Company's records.
Ethical Business Conduct
The Company has not adopted a written code of ethics. To date, given the Company's limited operations, the Board has found that the fiduciary duties placed on individual directors by the Company's governing corporate legislation and the common law and the obligations contained in corporate legislation regarding conflicts of interest have been sufficient to ensure that the Board operates independently of management and in the best interest of the Company.
Nomination of Directors
The 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.
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.
Other 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
The Board is responsible for ensuring that an appropriate system is in place to evaluate the effectiveness of the Board as a whole, the individual committees of the Board, and the individual members of the Board and such committees with a view of ensuring that they are fulfilling their respective responsibilities and duties. In connection with such evaluations, each director is required to provide his assessment of the effectiveness of the Board and each committee as well as the performance of the individual directors, annually. Such evaluations take into account the competencies and skills each director is expected to bring to his particular role on the Board or on a committee, as well as any other relevant factors.
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PARTICULARS OF OTHER MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
Approval of Stock Option Plan
The Board has approved the adoption of a form of 10% "rolling" stock option plan (the "Option Plan"), subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") and shareholder approval of the Option Plan.
The Option Plan incorporates certain requirements of Exchange Policy 2.4 – Capital Pool Companies and Exchange Policy 4.4 – Security Based Compensation which was amended on November 24, 2021. The information below should be read in conjunction with the Option Plan. Any definitions or capitalized terms used or referenced below have the same meaning attributed to them in the Option Plan which is attached to this Information Circular as Schedule “B” and will be accessible on the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.
Summary of the Option Plan
The Option Plan provides that the Board may from time to time, in its discretion, and in accordance with the Exchange requirements, grant to directors, officers and technical consultants to the Company and Eligible Charitable Organizations non-transferable stock options to purchase common shares, provided that the number of common shares reserved for issuance will not exceed 10% of the common shares of the Company issued and outstanding as at the date of grant of any stock option, and that the exercise period does not exceed 10 years from the date of grant.
The number of common shares issuable to any individual director or officer will not exceed five percent (5%) of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company as at the date of grant of the stock option.
The number of common shares issuable at any given time to all technical consultants in aggregate will not exceed two percent (2%) of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company as at the date of grant of any stock Option.
The number of common shares issuable at any given time to Eligible Charitable Organizations in aggregate will not exceed one percent (1%) of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company as at the date of grant of any stock option.
The term of a stock option must expire no later than 12 months after the optionee ceases to be a director, officer or technical consultant of the Company or of the Resulting Issuer, as the case may be, subject to any earlier expiry date of such stock option.
The Shareholders are being asked to consider and, if thought advisable, approve an ordinary resolution in the following form:
"UPON MOTION IT WAS RESOLVED THAT:
- the form of stock option plan, in the form attached to the Information Circular April 2, 2025 as Schedule “B”, is hereby approved, ratified and confirmed;
-
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any one officer or director of the Company is hereby authorized to execute and deliver all such documents and do all such acts and things as may be deemed advisable in such individual's discretion for the purpose of giving effect to this resolution."
The Board recommends that the Shareholders vote in favour of the ordinary resolution approving the Option Plan. Unless you give other instructions, the persons named in the enclosed form of proxy intend to vote FOR the approval of the Option Plan.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information relating to the Company is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Shareholders may contact the Company at its office at 1500-777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1S4, 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.sedarplus.ca.
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 this Notice. 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.
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 2nd day of April, 2025.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
RIVERWALK ACQUISITION CORP.
"Vincent Wong"
Vincent Wong
Chief Executive Officer and Director
Schedule “A”
AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARTER
Mandate
The primary function of the Audit Committee is to assist the Company’s board of directors (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. Consistent with this function, the Audit Committee will encourage continuous improvement of, and should foster adherence to, the Company’s policies, procedures and practices at all levels. The Audit 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.
- Provide an open avenue of communication among the Company’s auditors, financial and senior management and the Board of Directors.
Composition
The Audit Committee shall be comprised of three directors as determined by the Board of Directors, the majority of whom shall be free from any relationship that, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, would interfere with the exercise of his or her independent judgment as a member of the Audit Committee.
At least one member of the Audit Committee shall have accounting or related financial management expertise. All members of the Audit Committee that 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 definition of "financially literate" is the ability to read and understand a set of financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can presumably be expected to be raised by the Company’s financial statements.
The members of the Audit Committee shall be elected by the Board of Directors. Unless a Chair is elected by the full Board of Directors, the members of the Audit Committee may designate a Chair by a majority vote of the full Audit Committee membership.
Meetings
The Audit Committee shall meet a least twice annually, or more frequently as circumstances dictate. As part of its job to foster open communication, the Audit Committee will meet at least annually with the Chief Financial Officer and the external auditors in separate sessions.
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Responsibilities and Duties
To fulfill its responsibilities and duties, the Audit Committee shall:
Documents/Reports Review
(a) Review and update this Charter annually.
(b) Review the Company’s financial statements, MD&A and any annual and interim earnings, press releases before the Company publicly discloses this information and any reports or other financial information (including quarterly financial statements), which are submitted to any governmental body, or to the public, including any certification, report, opinion, or review rendered by the external auditors.
External Auditors
(a) Review annually, the performance of the external auditors who shall be ultimately accountable to the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee as representatives of the shareholders of the Company.
(b) Obtain annually, a formal written statement of external auditors setting forth all relationships between the external auditors and the Company, consistent with Independence Standards Board Standard 1.
(c) Review and discuss with the external auditors any disclosed relationships or services that may impact the objectivity and independence of the external auditors.
(d) Take, or recommend that the full Board of Directors take, appropriate action to oversee the independence of the external auditors.
(e) Recommend to the Board of Directors the selection and, where applicable, the replacement of the external auditors nominated annually for shareholder approval.
(f) At each meeting, consult with the external auditors, without the presence of management, about the quality of the Company’s accounting principles, internal controls and the completeness and accuracy of the Company’s financial statements.
(g) Review and approve the Company’s hiring policies regarding partners, employees and former partners and employees of the present and former external auditors of the Company.
(h) Review with management and the external auditors the audit plan for the year-end financial statements and intended template for such statements.
(i) 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 Company’s external auditors. The pre-approval requirement is waived with respect to the provision of non-audit services if:
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i. the aggregate amount of all such non-audit services provided to the Company constitutes not more than five percent of the total amount of revenues paid by the Company to its external auditors 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 Audit Committee by the Company and approved prior to the completion of the audit by the Audit Committee or by one or more members of the Audit Committee who are members of the Board of Directors to whom authority to grant such approvals has been delegated by the Audit Committee.
Provided the pre-approval of the non-audit services is presented to the Audit Committee’s first scheduled meeting following such approval such authority may be delegated by the Audit Committee to one or more independent members of the Audit Committee.
Financial Reporting Processes
(a) In consultation with the external auditors, review with management the integrity of the Company’s financial reporting process, both internal and external.
(b) Consider the external auditors’ judgments about the quality and appropriateness of the Company’s accounting principles as applied in its financial reporting.
(c) Consider and approve, if appropriate, changes to the Company’s auditing and accounting principles and practices as suggested by the external auditors and management.
(d) Review significant judgments made by management in the preparation of the financial statements and the view of the external auditors as to appropriateness of such judgments.
(e) Following completion of the annual audit, review separately with management and the external auditors any significant difficulties encountered during the course of the audit, including any restrictions on the scope of work or access to required information.
(f) Review any significant disagreement among management and the external auditors in connection with the preparation of the financial statements.
(g) Review with the external auditors and management the extent to which changes and improvements in financial or accounting practices have been implemented.
(h) Review any complaints or concerns about any questionable accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters.
(i) Review certification process.
(j) Establish a procedure for the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the Company of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.
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Other
Review any related-party transactions
Schedule "B"
STOCK OPTION PLAN
(see attached)
RIVERWALK ACQUISITION CORP.
(the "Company")
AMENDED AND RESTATED 2024 STOCK OPTION PLAN
- PURPOSE OF THE PLAN
The Company hereby establishes a stock option plan (the "Plan") for Eligible Persons (as defined below). The purpose of the Plan is to give to Eligible Persons, as additional compensation, the opportunity to participate in the success of the Company by granting to such individuals options, exercisable over periods of up to ten (10) years as determined by the board of directors of the Company, to buy shares of the Company at a price not less than: (a) prior to the closing of the IPO, $0.10; and (b) subsequent to the closing of the IPO, the Market Price prevailing on the date the option is granted less applicable discount, if any, permitted by the policies of the Exchanges and approved by the Board.
- DEFINITIONS
In this Plan, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
2.1 "Associate" means an "Associate" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.2 "Black-Out Period" means a period of time during which, pursuant to the policies of the Company, trading in Shares or Options is prohibited or restricted.
2.3 "Board" means the Board of Directors of the Company.
2.4 "Change of Control" means the acquisition by any person or by any person and all Joint Actors, whether directly or indirectly, of voting securities (as defined in the Securities Act) of the Company, which, when added to all other voting securities of the Company at the time held by such person or by such person and a Joint Actor, totals for the first time not less than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding voting securities of the Company or the votes attached to those securities are sufficient, if exercised, to elect a majority of the Board.
2.4 "Code" shall mean the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
2.5 "Company" means Riverwalk Acquisition Corp. and its successors.
2.6 "Completion of the Qualifying Transaction" means "Completion of the Qualifying Transaction" as defined in the TSXV Policy 2.4.
2.7 "Consultant" means a "Consultant" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.8 "Consultant Company" means a "Consultant Company" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.9 "Disability" means any disability with respect to an Optionee which the Board, in its sole and unfettered discretion, considers likely to prevent permanently the Optionee from:
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(a) being employed or engaged by the Company, its subsidiaries or another employer, in a position the same as or similar to that in which he was last employed or engaged by the Company or its subsidiaries; or
(b) acting as a director or senior officer of the Company or its subsidiaries.
2.10 "Discounted Market Price" of Shares means, if the Shares are listed only on the TSX Venture Exchange, the Market Price less the maximum discount permitted under the TSXV Policy applicable to incentive stock options.
2.11 "Disinterested Shareholder Approval" means approval by a majority of the votes attaching to shares voted at a meeting of shareholders of the Company, excluding the votes attaching to shares held by persons with an interest in the subject matter of the resolution, in accordance with TSXV Policies.
2.12 "Eligible Charitable Organization" means an "Eligible Charitable Organization" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.13 "Eligible Persons":
(a) prior to the Completion of the Qualifying Transaction, means a director or senior officer of the Company, and where permitted by Securities Laws, a technical consultant whose particular industry experience in relation to the business of the Vendors or the Target Company, as the case may be, is required to evaluate the proposed Qualifying Transaction, an Eligible Charitable Organization (as defined in the TSXV Policies), or a Company (as defined in the TSXV Policies), all of whose securities are owned by such director, senior officer, or technical consultant, and specifically excludes any person providing Investor Relations Activities, promotional or market-making services; or
(b) upon the Completion of the Qualifying Transaction, means a director, senior officer, Employee, Management Company Employee and a consultant of either or both of the Company or its subsidiaries, or an Eligible Charitable Organization.
2.14 "Employee" means an "Employee" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.15 "Exchanges" means the TSX Venture Exchange and, if applicable, any other stock exchange on which the Shares are listed.
2.16 "Exchange Hold Period" means "Exchange Hold Period" as defined in TSXV Policies.
2.17 "Expiry Date" means the date set by the Board under paragraph 3.1 of the Plan, as the last date on which an Option may be exercised. Prior to completion of the Qualifying Transaction, the Expiry Date must not be later than 12 months after the Optionee ceases to be a director, senior officer or technical consultant of the Company, or of the Resulting Issuer, as the case may be, subject to any earlier expiry date of such Option.
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2.18 "Expiry Time" means, in respect of an Option, 4:00pm Pacific Standard Time on the Expiry Date of such Option.
2.19 "Fair Market Value" shall mean, with respect to any property (including, without limitation, any Shares), the fair market value of such property determined by such methods or procedures as are established from time to time by the Board. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, the fair market value of a Share as of a given date will be the price at which the last recorded sale of a board lot of Shares took place on the Exchanges immediately preceding the Grant Date.
2.20 "Grant Date" means the date specified in an Option Agreement as the date on which an Option is granted.
2.21 "Incentive Stock Option" shall mean an Option granted to a U.S. Participant that is intended to qualify as an "incentive stock option" within the meaning of section 422 of the Code.
2.22 "IPO" means "IPO" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.23 "IPO Share" means "IPO Share" as defined in the TSXV Policy 2.4.
2.24 "Insider" means an "Insider" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.25 "Investor Relations Activities" means "Investor Relations Activities" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.26 "Investor Relations Service Provider" means "Investor Relations Service Provider" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.27 "Joint Actor" means a person "acting jointly or in concert" with another person as that phrase is interpreted in Multilateral Instrument 62-104 Take-Over Bids and Issuer Bids.
2.28 "Management Company Employee" means a "Management Company Employee" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.29 "Market Price" of Shares at any Grant Date means the last closing price per Share on the last day on which Shares were traded prior to the day on which the Company announces the grant of the Option or, if the grant is not announced, on the Grant Date, or if the Shares are not listed on any stock exchange, "Market Price" of Shares means the price per Share on the over-the-counter market determined by dividing the aggregate sale price of the Shares sold by the total number of such Shares so sold on the applicable market for the last day prior to the Grant Date.
2.30 "Nonqualified Stock Option" shall mean an Option granted to a U.S. Participant that is not an Incentive Stock Option.
2.31 "Option" means an option to purchase Shares granted pursuant to this Plan.
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2.32 "Option Agreement" means an agreement, in the form attached hereto as Schedule "A", whereby the Company grants to an Optionee an Option.
2.33 "Optionee" means each of the Eligible Persons granted an Option pursuant to this Plan and their heirs, executors and administrators.
2.34 "Option Price" means the price per Share specified in an Option Agreement, as adjusted from time to time in accordance with the provisions of section 5. In any case, prior to the closing of the IPO, the Option Price must be not less than $0.10.
2.35 "Option Shares" means the aggregate number of Shares which an Optionee may purchase under an Option.
2.36 "Plan" means this 2021 Stock Option Plan.
2.37 "Qualifying Transaction" means "Qualifying Transaction" as defined in the TSXV Policy 2.4.
2.38 "Resulting Issuer" means "Resulting Issuer" as defined in the TSXV Policy 2.4.
2.39 "Shares" means the common shares in the capital of the Company as constituted on the Grant Date provided that, in the event of any adjustment pursuant to section 5, "Shares" shall thereafter mean the shares or other property resulting from the events giving rise to the adjustment.
2.40 "Securities Act" means the Securities Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c.418, as amended, as at the date thereof.
2.41 "Securities Laws" means "Securities Laws" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.42 "Security Based Compensation" means "Security Based Compensation" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
2.43 "Target Company" means "Target Company" as defined in the TSXV Policy 2.4.
2.44 "10% Shareholder" shall mean a person who owns (taking into account the constructive ownership rules under section 424(d) of the Code) more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of shares of the Company (or of any parent or subsidiary of the Company within the meaning of section 424(e) and 424(f) of the Code).
2.45 "Tier 1 Issuer" means "Tier 1 Issuer" as defined in TSXV Policies.
2.46 "TSXV Policies" means the policies included in the TSX Venture Exchange Corporate Finance Manual and "TSXV Policy" means any one of them.
2.47 "Unissued Option Shares" means the number of Shares, at a particular time, which have been reserved for issuance upon the exercise of an Option but which have not been issued, as adjusted from time to time in accordance with the provisions of section 5, such adjustments to be cumulative.
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2.48 "U.S. Participant" shall mean an Optionee who is a U.S. citizen or a U.S. resident, in each case as defined in the Code.
2.49 "U.S. Securities Act" shall mean the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
2.50 "Vendors" means "Vendors" as defined in the TSXV Policy 2.4.
2.51 "Vested" means that an Option has become exercisable in respect of a number of Option Shares by the Optionee pursuant to the terms of the Option Agreement.
3. GRANT OF OPTIONS
3.1 Option Terms
Pursuant to paragraph 7.3 of the Plan, the Board shall have the authority to issue Options and set the terms of Options in accordance with the terms of the Plan and applicable policies of the Exchanges.
The Board may from time to time authorize the issue of Options to Eligible Persons.
Subject to the limitations in Paragraph 6.2(a) applicable to U.S. Participants and Paragraph 6.3(c) applicable to Incentive Stock Options, prior to the Completion of the Qualifying Transaction, the Option Price under each Option shall be not less than the greater of the IPO Share price and the Discounted Market Price; however, notwithstanding the foregoing, prior to the closing of the IPO, the Option Price must be not less than $0.10.
Subject to the limitations in Paragraph 6.2(a) applicable to U.S. Participants and Paragraph 6.3(c) applicable to Incentive Stock Options, upon the Completion of the Qualifying Transaction, the Option Price under each Option shall be not less than the Discounted Market Price on the Grant Date provided that if an Option is granted within 90 days of the distribution of Shares by the Company pursuant to a prospectus, the Option Price must be the greater of the Discounted Market Price and the per share price paid for Shares acquired under such distribution; however, notwithstanding the foregoing, prior to the closing of the IPO, the Option Price must be not less than $0.10. The 90 day period begins: (a) on the date a final receipt is issued for the prospectus, or, in the case of an initial public offering of Shares, on the date of listing of the Shares; or (ii) in the case of a prospectus that qualifies the distribution of Shares upon the exercise of special warrants, on the date of issuance of such special warrants.
The Expiry Date for each Option shall be set by the Board at the time of issue of the Option and shall not be more than ten (10) years after the Grant Date. Options shall not be assignable (or transferable) by the Optionee.
3.2 Previously Granted Options
In the event that on the date this Plan is implemented and effective (the "Effective Date") there are outstanding stock options (the "Pre-Existing Options") that were previously granted by the Company pursuant to any stock option plan in place prior to the Effective Date (a "Pre-Existing
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Plan"), all such Pre-Existing Options shall, effective as of the Effective Date, be governed by and subject to the terms of the Plan.
3.3 Limits on Shares Issuable on Exercise of Options
The maximum aggregate number of Shares that are issuable pursuant to Security Based Compensation granted or issued under the Plan and all of the Company's other previously established or proposed Security Based Compensation plans (to which the following limits apply under Exchange policies):
(a) to all Optionees as a group (including for greater certainty Insiders (as a group)) shall not exceed 10% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis at any point in time;
(b) to Insiders (as a group) in any 12-month period shall not exceed 10% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date, unless the Company has obtained the requisite disinterested shareholder approval pursuant to applicable Exchange policies;
(c) to any one Optionee (including, where permitted under applicable policies of the Exchanges, any companies that are wholly owned by such Optionee) in any 12-month period shall not exceed 5% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date, unless the Company has obtained the requisite disinterested shareholder approval pursuant to applicable Exchange policies.
(d) to any one Consultant in any 12-month period shall not exceed 2% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date;
(e) to Investor Relations Service Providers (as a group) in any 12-month period shall not exceed 2% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date, and Investor Relations Service Providers shall not be eligible to receive any Security Based Compensation other than Options if the Shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange at the time of any issuance or grant; and
(f) to Eligible Charitable Organizations (as a group) shall not exceed 1% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date.
3.4 Option Agreements
Each Option shall be confirmed by the execution of an Option Agreement. Each Optionee shall have the option to purchase from the Company the Option Shares at the time and in the manner set out in the Plan and in the Option Agreement applicable to that Optionee. In respect of Options granted to Employees, Consultants, Consultant Companies or Management Company Employees, the Company and the Optionee is representing herein and in the applicable Option Agreement that the Optionee is a bona fide Employee, Consultant, Consultant Company or Management Company Employee, as the case may be, of the Company or its subsidiary. The
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execution of an Option Agreement shall constitute conclusive evidence that it has been completed in compliance with this Plan. All Options shall be subject to any applicable resale restrictions pursuant to applicable securities laws. In addition, Options and Option Shares that are subject to the Exchange Hold Period pursuant to TSXV Policy 1.1 must be legended with the Exchange Hold Period commencing on the Grant Date, and the Option Agreement shall contain any applicable resale restriction or Exchange Hold Period.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Option may be granted by the Company pursuant to this Plan unless the Optionee first enters into a TSX Venture Exchange Form 2F – CPC Escrow Agreement agreeing to deposit the Option, and the Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of such CPC Stock Option, into escrow as described in TSX Venture Exchange Policy 2.4 – Capital Pool Companies.
4. EXERCISE OF OPTION
4.1 When Options May be Exercised
Subject to paragraphs 4.3, 4.4 and 6.2, including, without limitation: (i) any restriction (including vesting requirements) on the number or percentage of Option Shares which may be purchased by the Optionee during any particular time period; (ii) any restriction on the exercise of Options pursuant to the requirements of a Black-Out Period or any regulatory authority having jurisdiction; and (iii) termination of the Option in accordance with the terms of the Plan, the unexercised portion of an Option may be exercised by the Optionee in whole or in part at any time after the Grant Date up to the Expiry Time and shall not be exercisable thereafter. No Option may be exercised before Completion of the Qualifying Transaction unless the Optionee agrees in writing to deposit the Shares acquired upon exercise of such Option in escrow until the issuance of the Final Exchange Bulletin (as defined by TSXV Policy 2.4).
4.2 Manner of Exercise
The Option shall be exercisable by delivering to the Company written notice specifying the number of Option Shares in respect of which the Option is being exercised together with payment in full of the Option Price for each such Option Share by way of certified cheque, bank draft, money order or cash. Upon receipt of such notice and payment by the Company, there will be a binding contract for the issue of the Option Shares in respect of which the Option is exercised, upon and subject to the provisions of the Plan. Upon an Optionee exercising an Option and paying the Company the aggregate purchase price for the Option Shares in respect of which the Option has been exercised, the Company shall as soon as practicable issue and deliver a certificate representing the Shares so purchased.
4.3 Vesting of Option Shares
The Board, subject to the policies of the Exchanges, may determine and impose terms upon which each Option shall become Vested in respect of Option Shares. Unless otherwise specified by the Board at the time of granting an Option, and subject to the other limits on Option grants set out in paragraph 3.3 hereof, all Options granted under the Plan shall vest and become exercisable in full upon grant, except Options granted to Consultants performing Investor Relations Activities, which Options must vest in stages over twelve months with no more than one-quarter of the Options
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vesting in any three month period. There can be no acceleration of the vesting requirements applicable to Options granted to Consultants performing Investor Relations Activities without written approval of the applicable Exchanges. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that a Pre-Existing Plan imposed vesting requirements on a Pre-Existing Option, such vesting requirements must be satisfied before any such Pre-Existing Options shall become Vested.
4.4 Ceasing to be an Eligible Person and Death
If an Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person, his or her Option shall be exercisable as follows:
(a) Death or Disability
If an Optionee (or: (a) in the case of an Optionee that is not an individual, the person that controls such Optionee; or (b) in the case of an Optionee that is a Consultant Company, all of the individuals who provide services to the Company or its subsidiaries on behalf of such Consultant Company) shall die, any Option held by such Optionee at the date of death shall be exercisable in whole or in part only by the person or persons to whom the rights of the Optionee under the Option shall pass by the will of the Optionee or the laws of descent and distribution for a period ending on the earlier of: (a) one year after the date of death of the Optionee; and (b) the Expiry Time in respect of the Option, and then only to the extent that such Optionee was entitled to exercise the Option at the date of death of such Optionee.
If the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person, due to his or her Disability or, in the case of an Optionee that is a company, the Disability of the person who provides management or consulting services to the Company or to any entity controlled by the Company, any Option held by such Optionee at the date of Disability shall be exercisable in whole or in part for a period ending on the earlier of: (a) one year after the date of Disability of the Optionee; and (b) the Expiry Time in respect of the Option, and then only to the extent that such Optionee was entitled to exercise the Option at the date of Disability of such Optionee.
(b) Termination For Cause
If the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person as a result of "termination for cause" of such Optionee by the Company or its subsidiary (or in the case of an Optionee who is a Management Company Employee or Consultant, by the Optionee's employer), as that term is interpreted by the courts of the jurisdiction in which the Optionee is employed or engaged, any outstanding Option held by such Optionee on the date of such termination, whether in respect of Option Shares that are Vested or not, shall be cancelled as of that date.
(c) Early Retirement, Voluntary Resignation or Termination Other than For Cause
If the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person due to his or her retirement at the request of his or her employer earlier than the normal retirement date under the
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Company's retirement policy then in force, or due to his or her voluntary resignation, or to his or her termination by the Company or its subsidiary other than for cause (or, in the case of an Optionee who is a Management Company Employee or a Consultant, the termination of the company providing management or consultant services to the Company or its subsidiary), any outstanding Option then held by such Optionee shall be exercisable to acquire Vested Unissued Option Shares at any time up to:
(i) if the Company is a Capital Pool Company at the time the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person, the earlier of: (A) the Expiry Time; and (B) the date that is 90 days (or 30 days if the Optionee was engaged in Investor Relations Activities) after the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person; or
(ii) if the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person after Completion of the Qualifying Transaction, the later of: (A) 12 months after Completion of the Qualifying Transaction; and (B) 180 days after the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person.
(d) Spin-Out Transactions
If pursuant to the operation of sub-paragraph 5.3(c) an Optionee receives options (the "New Options") to purchase securities of another company (the "New Company") in respect of the Optionee's Options (the "Subject Options"), subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges, the New Options shall expire on the earlier of: (i) the Expiry Date of the Subject Options; (ii) if the Optionee does not become an Eligible Person in respect of the New Company, the date that the Subject Options expire pursuant to sub-section 4.4(a), (b) or (c), as applicable; (iii) if the Optionee becomes an Eligible Person in respect of the New Company, the date that the New Options expire pursuant to the terms of the New Company's stock option plan that correspond to sub-section 4.4(a), (b) or (c) hereof; and (iv) the date that is one (1) year after the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person in respect of the New Company or such shorter period as determined by the Board.
(e) Eligible Charitable Organizations
If the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person due to no longer being an Eligible Charitable Organization, the Options then held by that Optionee shall be exercisable to acquire Vested Unissued Option Shares at any time up to but not after the earlier of the Expiry Date and the date which is 90 days after the date the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person.
For purposes of this paragraph 4.4, the dates of death, Disability, termination, retirement, voluntary resignation, ceasing to be an Eligible Person and incapacity shall be interpreted to be without regard to any period of notice (statutory or otherwise) or whether the Optionee or his or her estate continues thereafter to receive any compensatory payments from the Company or is paid salary by the Company in lieu of notice of termination.
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For greater certainty, an Option that had not become Vested in respect of certain Unissued Option Shares at the time that the relevant event referred to in this paragraph 4.4 occurred, shall not be or become vested or exercisable in respect of such Unissued Option Shares and shall be cancelled.
Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Plan, Options granted prior to the Completion of the Qualifying Transaction to any Eligible Person who does not continue as a director, senior officer, technical consultant or employee of the Resulting Issuer have a maximum term of the later of 12 months after the Completion of the Qualifying Transaction and 90 days after such Eligible Person ceases to become a director, senior officer, technical consultant or employee of the Resulting Issuer.
4.5 Effect of a Take-Over Bid
If a bona fide offer (an "Offer") for Shares is made to the Optionee or to shareholders of the Company generally or to a class of shareholders which includes the Optionee, which Offer, if accepted in whole or in part, would result in the offeror becoming a control person of the Company, within the meaning of subsection 1(1) of the Securities Act, the Company shall, immediately upon receipt of notice of the Offer, notify each Optionee of full particulars of the Offer, whereupon (subject to the approval of the Exchanges) all Option Shares subject to such Option will become Vested and the Option may be exercised in whole or in part by the Optionee so as to permit the Optionee to tender the Option Shares received upon such exercise, pursuant to the Offer. However, if:
(a) the Offer is not completed within the time specified therein; or
(b) all of the Option Shares tendered by the Optionee pursuant to the Offer are not taken up or paid for by the offeror in respect thereof,
then, subject to the limitations in Paragraph 6.2(d) applicable to U.S. Participants, the Option Shares received upon such exercise, or in the case of sub-paragraph (b) above, the Option Shares that are not taken up and paid for, may be returned by the Optionee to the Company and reinstated as authorized but unissued Shares and with respect to such returned Option Shares, the Option shall be reinstated as if it had not been exercised and the terms upon which such Option Shares were to become Vested pursuant to paragraph 4.3 shall be reinstated. If any Option Shares are returned to the Company under this paragraph 4.5, the Company shall immediately refund the exercise price to the Optionee for such Option Shares.
4.6 Acceleration of Expiry Date
If at any time when an Option granted under the Plan remains unexercised with respect to any Unissued Option Shares, an Offer is made by an offeror, the Board may, upon notifying each Optionee of full particulars of the Offer, declare all Option Shares issuable upon the exercise of Options granted under the Plan, Vested, and declare that the Expiry Date for the exercise of all unexercised Options granted under the Plan is accelerated so that all Options will either be exercised or will expire prior to the date upon which Shares must be tendered pursuant to the
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Offer. The Board shall give each Optionee as much notice as possible of the acceleration of the Options under this paragraph, except that not less than 5 business days and not more than 35 days notice is required.
4.7 Compulsory Acquisition or Going Private Transaction
If and whenever, following a take-over bid or issuer bid, there shall be a compulsory acquisition of the Shares of the Company pursuant to Division 6 of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) or any successor or similar legislation, or any amalgamation, merger or arrangement in which securities acquired in a formal take-over bid may be voted under the conditions described in Section 8.2 of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions, then following the date upon which such compulsory acquisition, amalgamation, merger or arrangement is effective, an Optionee shall be entitled to receive, and shall accept, for the same exercise price, in lieu of the number of Shares to which such Optionee was theretofore entitled to purchase upon the exercise of his or her Options, the aggregate amount of cash, shares, other securities or other property which such Optionee would have been entitled to receive as a result of such bid if he or she had tendered such number of Shares to the take-over bid.
4.8 Effect of a Change of Control
If a Change of Control occurs, all Option Shares subject to each outstanding Option will become Vested, whereupon such Option may be exercised in whole or in part by the Optionee, subject to the approval of the Exchanges, if necessary.
4.9 Exclusion From Severance Allowance, Retirement Allowance or Termination Settlement
If the Optionee retires, resigns or is terminated from employment or engagement with the Company or any subsidiary of the Company (including, in the case of a Management Company Employee or Consultant, termination of the company providing such management or consulting services to the Company or its subsidiary), the loss or limitation, if any, pursuant to the Option Agreement with respect to the right to purchase Option Shares which were not Vested at that time or which, if Vested, were cancelled, shall not give rise to any right to damages and shall not be included in the calculation of nor form any part of any severance allowance, retiring allowance or termination settlement of any kind whatsoever in respect of such Optionee.
4.10 Shares Not Acquired
Any Unissued Option Shares not acquired by an Optionee under an Option which has expired may be made the subject of a further Option pursuant to the provisions of the Plan.
5. ADJUSTMENT OF OPTION PRICE AND NUMBER OF OPTION SHARES
5.1 Share Reorganization
Subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges (other than in the case of a Share subdivision or consolidation), whenever the Company issues Shares to all or substantially all holders of Shares by way of a stock dividend or other distribution, or subdivides all outstanding Shares into a greater
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number of Shares, or combines or consolidates all outstanding Shares into a lesser number of Shares (each of such events being herein called a "Share Reorganization") then effective immediately after the record date for such dividend or other distribution or the effective date of such subdivision, combination or consolidation, for each Option:
(a) the Option Price will be adjusted to a price per Share which is the product of:
(i) the Option Price in effect immediately before that effective date or record date; and
(ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is the total number of Shares outstanding on that effective date or record date before giving effect to the Share Reorganization, and the denominator of which is the total number of Shares that are or would be outstanding immediately after such effective date or record date after giving effect to the Share Reorganization; and
(b) the number of Unissued Option Shares will be adjusted by multiplying (i) the number of Unissued Option Shares immediately before such effective date or record date by (ii) a fraction which is the reciprocal of the fraction described in subsection 5.1 (a)(ii).
Any increase in the number of Unissued Option Shares as a result of the adjustment provisions provided in this paragraph 5.1 is subject to compliance with the limits set out in paragraph 3.2 and, if any increase in the number of Unissued Option Shares as a result of the adjustment provisions provided in this paragraph 5.1 would result in any limit set out in paragraph 3.2 being exceeded, then the Company may, if determined by the Board in its sole and unfettered discretion (subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges), make payment in cash to the Optionee in lieu of increasing the number of Unissued Option Shares in order to properly reflect any diminution in value of the Option Shares as a result of such Share Reorganization.
5.2 Special Distribution
Subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges, whenever the Company issues by way of a dividend or otherwise distributes to all or substantially all holders of Shares;
(a) shares of the Company, other than the Shares;
(b) evidences of indebtedness;
(c) any cash or other assets, excluding cash dividends (other than cash dividends which the Board has determined to be outside the normal course); or
(d) rights, options or warrants;
then to the extent that such dividend or distribution does not constitute a Share Reorganization (any of such non-excluded events being herein called a "Special Distribution"), and effective immediately after the record date at which holders of Shares are determined for purposes of the
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Special Distribution, for each Option the Option Price will be reduced, and the number of Unissued Option Shares will be correspondingly increased, by such amount, if any, as is determined by the Board in its sole and unfettered discretion to be appropriate in order to properly reflect any diminution in value of the Option Shares as a result of such Special Distribution.
Any increase in the number of Unissued Option Shares as a result of the adjustment provisions provided in this paragraph 5.2 is subject to compliance with the limits set out in paragraph 3.2 and, if any increase in the number of Unissued Option Shares as a result of the adjustment provisions provided in this paragraph 5.2 would result in any limit set out in paragraph 3.2 being exceeded, then the Company may, if determined by the Board in its sole and unfettered discretion (subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges), make payment in cash to the Optionee in lieu of increasing the number of Unissued Option Shares in order to properly reflect any diminution in value of the Option Shares as a result of such Special Distribution.
5.3 Corporate Organization
Subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges, whenever there is:
(a) a reclassification of outstanding Shares, a change of Shares into other shares or securities, or any other capital reorganization of the Company, other than as described in paragraphs 5.1 or 5.2;
(b) a consolidation, merger or amalgamation of the Company with or into another corporation resulting in a reclassification of outstanding Shares into other shares or securities or a change of Shares into other shares or securities;
(c) an arrangement or other transaction under which, among other things, the business or assets of the Company become, collectively, the business and assets of two or more companies with the same shareholder group upon the distribution to the Company's shareholders, or the exchange with the Company's shareholders, of securities of the Company, or securities of another company, or both; or
(d) a transaction whereby all or substantially all of the Company's undertaking and assets become the property of another corporation;
(any such event being herein called a "Corporate Reorganization") the Optionee will have an option to purchase (at the times, for the consideration, and subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Plan) and will accept on the exercise of such option, in lieu of the Unissued Option Shares which he would otherwise have been entitled to purchase, the kind and amount of shares or other securities or property that he would have been entitled to receive as a result of the Corporate Reorganization if, on the effective date thereof, he had been the holder of all Unissued Option Shares or if appropriate, as otherwise determined by the Board.
5.4 Determination of Option Price and Number of Unissued Option Shares
If any questions arise at any time with respect to the Option Price or number of Unissued Option Shares deliverable upon exercise of an Option following a Share Reorganization, Special
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Distribution or Corporate Reorganization, such questions shall be conclusively determined by the Company's auditor, or, if they decline to so act, any other firm of Chartered Accountants in Vancouver, British Columbia, that the Board may designate and who will have access to all appropriate records and such determination will be binding upon the Company and all Optionees.
5.5 Regulatory Approval
Any adjustment to the Option Price or the number of Unissued Option Shares purchasable under the Plan pursuant to the operation of any one of paragraphs 5.1, 5.2 or 5.3 is subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges and any other governmental authority having jurisdiction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, adjustments pursuant to paragraph 5.1 due to a Share subdivision or consolidation do not require prior TSX Venture Exchange approval.
6. OPTIONS GRANTED TO U.S. PARTICIPANTS
6.1 Maximum Number of Shares for Incentive Stock Options
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary (including, but not limited to, Paragraph 3.3), the number of Shares available for granting Incentive Stock Options under the Plan may not exceed 10% of the total number of Shares outstanding on a non-diluted basis as of the later of: (i) date this Plan is initially adopted by the Board of Directors or (ii) the date the Plan is approved (or re-approved) by the shareholders of the Company, subject to adjustment in accordance with Article 5.
6.2 Special Requirements for Incentive Stock Options and Nonqualified Stock Options
The stock option agreement relating to any Option granted to a U.S. Participant shall specify whether such Option is an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonqualified Stock Option. If no such specification is made, the Option will be (a) an Incentive Stock Option if all of the requirements under the Code are satisfied or (b) in all other cases, a Nonqualified Stock Option. In addition to the other provisions of this Plan (and notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary), the following limitations and requirements will apply to any Option granted to a U.S. Participant:
(a) The exercise price payable per Share upon exercise of an Option will not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of such Option;
(b) The Company may use its reasonable efforts to ensure that any adjustment with respect to the exercise price for and number of Shares subject to an Option (including, but not limited to, the adjustments contemplated under Section 5) granted to a U.S. Participant pursuant to this Plan will be made so as to comply with, and not create any adverse consequences under, sections 424 and 409A of the Code;
(c) With respect to the right of rescission provided in Paragraph 4.5, such right shall be limited so as to comply with, and not to create any adverse consequences under, section 409A or any other provision of the Code.
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6.3 Special Requirements for Incentive Stock Options
In addition to the other provisions of this Plan (and notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary), the following limitations and requirements will apply to an Incentive Stock Option:
(a) An Incentive Stock Option may be granted only to employees (including a director or senior officer who is also an employee) of the Company (or of any parent or subsidiary of the Company). For purposes of this Article 6, the term "employee" shall mean a person who is an employee for purposes of the Code and the terms "parent" and "subsidiary" shall have the meanings set forth in sections 424(e) and 424(f) of the Code;
(b) The Company will not grant Incentive Stock Options in which the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the date of grant) of the Shares with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by any U.S. Participant during any calendar year (under this Plan and all other plans of the Company and of any parent or subsidiary of the Company) exceeds US$100,000 or any limitation subsequently set forth in section 422(d) of the Code;
(c) The exercise price payable per Share upon exercise of an Incentive Stock Option will not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of such Incentive Stock Option; provided, however, that, in the case of the grant of an Incentive Stock Option to a U.S. Participant who, at the time such Incentive Stock Option is granted, is a 10% Shareholder, the exercise price payable per Share upon exercise of such Incentive Stock Option will be not less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of such Incentive Stock Option;
(d) An Incentive Stock Option will terminate and no longer be exercisable no later than ten years after the date of grant of such Incentive Stock Option; provided, however, that in the case of a grant of an Incentive Stock Option to a U.S. Participant who, at the time such Incentive Stock Option is granted, is a 10% Shareholder, such Incentive Stock Option will terminate and no longer be exercisable no later than five years after the date of grant of such Incentive Stock Option;
(e) If a U.S. Participant who has been granted Incentive Stock Options ceases to be employed by the Company (or by any parent or subsidiary of the Company) for any reason, whether voluntary or involuntary, other than death, permanent disability or cause, such Incentive Stock Option shall be exercisable by the U.S. Participant (to the extent such Incentive Stock Option was Vested on the date of cessation of employment) at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the date that is three months after the date of cessation of employment or (ii) the expiration of the term of such Incentive Stock Option. If a U.S. Participant who has been granted Incentive Stock Options ceases to be employed by the Company (or by any parent or subsidiary of the Company) because of the death or permanent disability of such U.S. Participant, such U.S. Participant's personal representatives or administrators, or any person or persons to whom such Incentive Stock Option is transferred by will or
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the applicable laws of descent and distribution, may exercise such Incentive Stock Option (to the extent such Incentive Stock Option was Vested on the date of death or permanent disability, as the case may be) at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the date that is one year after the date of death or permanent disability, as the case may be, or (ii) the expiration of the term of such Incentive Stock Option. If a U.S. Participant who has been granted Incentive Stock Options ceases to be employed by the Company (or by any parent or subsidiary of the Company) for cause, the right to exercise such Incentive Stock Option will terminate on the date of cessation of employment, unless otherwise determined by the directors. For purposes of this Article 6, the term "permanent disability" has the meaning assigned to that term in section 422(e)(3) of the Code;
(f) An Incentive Stock Option granted to a U.S. Participant may be exercised during such U.S. Participant's lifetime only by such U.S. Participant;
(g) An Incentive Stock Option granted to a U.S. Participant may not be transferred, assigned or pledged by such U.S. Participant, except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution; and
(h) No Incentive Stock Option will be granted more than ten years after the earlier of the date this Plan is adopted by the Board or the date this Plan is approved by the shareholders of the Company.
- MISCELLANEOUS
7.1 Right to Employment
Neither this Plan nor any of the provisions hereof shall confer upon any Optionee any right with respect to employment or continued employment with the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company to terminate such employment.
7.2 Necessary Approvals
The Plan shall be effective upon the approval of the Plan by the Board and the Exchange or any regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the securities of the Company and shall be ratified thereafter by the shareholders of the Company by way of an ordinary resolution at the next duly convened meeting of the shareholders of the Company. Disinterested shareholder approval (as required by the Exchanges) will be obtained for any reduction in the exercise price, or any extension of the term, of any Option granted under this Plan if the Optionee is an Insider of the Company at the time of the proposed amendment. In addition, any amendment to an Option (including any cancellation of an Option and subsequent grant of a new Option to the same Person within one year) that results in a benefit to an Insider of the Company at the time of amendment will be subject to disinterested shareholder approval (as required by the Exchanges). The obligation of the Company to sell and deliver Shares in accordance with the Plan is subject to the approval of the Exchanges and any governmental authority having jurisdiction. If any Shares cannot be issued to any Optionee for any reason, including, without limitation, the failure to obtain such approval, then
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the obligation of the Company to issue such Shares shall terminate and any Option Price paid by an Optionee to the Company shall be immediately refunded to the Optionee by the Company.
7.3 Administration of the Plan
The Board shall, without limitation, have full and final authority in their discretion, but subject to the express provisions of the Plan, to interpret the Plan, to prescribe, amend and rescind rules and regulations relating to the Plan and to make all other determinations deemed necessary or advisable in respect of the Plan. Except as set forth in paragraph 5.4, and subject to any required prior Exchange approval, the interpretation and construction of any provision of the Plan by the Board shall be final and conclusive. Administration of the Plan shall be the responsibility of the appropriate senior officers of the Company and all costs in respect thereof shall be paid by the Company.
7.4 Withholding Taxes
The exercise of each Option granted under the Plan is subject to the condition that if at any time the Company determines, in its discretion, that the satisfaction of withholding tax or other withholding liabilities is necessary or desirable in respect of such exercise, such exercise is not effective unless such withholding has been effected to the satisfaction of the Company. In such circumstances, the Company may require that the Optionee pay to the Company, in addition to and in the same manner as the exercise price for the Shares, such amount as the Company is obliged to remit to the relevant tax authority in respect of the exercise of the Option. Alternatively, the Company shall have the right in its discretion to satisfy any such liability for withholding or other required deduction amounts by retaining or acquiring any Shares acquired upon exercise of any Option, or retaining any amount payable, which would otherwise be issued or delivered, provided or paid to an Optionee by the Company, whether or not such amounts are payable under the Plan. For greater certainty, the application of this paragraph 6.4 to any exercise of an Option shall not conflict with the policies of the Exchanges that are in effect at the relevant time and the Company will obtain prior Exchange acceptance and/or shareholder approval of any application of this paragraph 6.4 if required pursuant to such policies.
7.5 Amendments to the Plan
The Board may from time to time, subject to applicable law and to the prior approval, if required, of the shareholders, the Exchanges or any other regulatory body having authority over the Company or the Plan, suspend, terminate or discontinue the Plan at any time, or amend or revise the terms of the Plan or of any Option granted under the 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 Plan without the consent of that Optionee.
7.6 Form of Notice
A notice given to the Company shall be in writing, signed by the Optionee and delivered to the head business office of the Company.
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7.7 No Representation or Warranty
The Company makes no representation or warranty as to the future market value of any Shares issued in accordance with the provisions of the Plan.
7.8 Compliance with Applicable Law
If any provision of the Plan or any Option Agreement contravenes any law or any order, policy, by-law or regulation of any regulatory body or Exchange having authority over the Company or the Plan, then such provision shall be deemed to be amended to the extent required to bring such provision into compliance therewith.
7.9 No Assignment
No Optionee may assign any of his or her rights under the Plan or any option granted thereunder.
7.10 Rights of Optionees
An Optionee shall have no rights whatsoever as a shareholder of the Company in respect of any of the Unissued Option Shares (including, without limitation, voting rights or any right to receive dividends, warrants or rights under any rights offering).
7.11 Conflict
In the event of any conflict between the provisions of this Plan and an Option Agreement, the provisions of this Plan shall govern.
7.12 Governing Law
The Plan and each Option Agreement issued pursuant to the Plan shall be governed by the laws of the province of British Columbia.
7.13 Time of Essence
Time is of the essence of this Plan and of each Option Agreement. No extension of time will be deemed to be or to operate as a waiver of the essentiality of time.
7.14 Entire Agreement
This Plan and the Option Agreement sets out the entire agreement between the Company and the Optionees relative to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements, undertakings and understandings, whether oral or written.
7.15 CPC Provisions
Until the Completion of the Qualifying Transaction, this Plan is subject to all the terms and conditions contained in TSXV Policy 2.4, and to the extent that this Plan is inconsistent with TSXV
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Policy 2.4, the terms and conditions of TSXV Policy 2.4 will govern. For further clarity, (i) no Options may be granted to any Optionee until the Completion of the Qualifying Transaction, unless the Optionee first enters into a TSXV Form 2F CPC Escrow Agreement agreeing to deposit the acquired Options into escrow, and (ii) no Options may be granted to any persons providing Investor Relations Activities until the Completion of the Qualifying Transaction.
Approved by the Board of Directors as of March 27, 2023.
SCHEDULE "A"
RIVERWALK ACQUISITION CORP.
STOCK OPTION PLAN - OPTION AGREEMENT
[The following legend is required if the Company is a Tier 2 Issuer or in respect of Options granted to Insiders or any Option granted to an Optionee with an Option Price that is lower than the Market Price: Without prior written approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and compliance with all applicable securities legislation, the securities represented by this agreement and any securities issued upon exercise thereof may not be sold, transferred, hypothecated or otherwise traded on or through the facilities of the TSX Venture Exchange or otherwise in Canada or to or for the benefit of a Canadian resident until $\bullet$ , $20\bullet$ [four months and one day after the date of grant].]
This Option Agreement is entered into between Riverwalk Acquisition Corp. (the "Company") and the Optionee named below pursuant to the Company's 2021 Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"), a copy of which is attached hereto, and confirms that:
- on $\bullet$ , 20 $\bullet$ (the "Grant Date");
- (the "Optionee");
- was granted the option (the "Option") to purchase $\bullet$ Common Shares (the "Option Shares") of the Company;
- for the price (the "Option Price") of $\$ 1$ per share; [For U.S. Participants, Option Price may not be less than Fair Market Value as of the Grant Date]
- which shall be exercisable immediately commencing on the Grant Date [OR set forth applicable vesting schedule];
- terminating on the $\bullet$ , 20 $\bullet$ (the "Expiry Date");
all on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in the Plan. For greater certainty, Option Shares continue to be exercisable until the termination or cancellation thereof as provided in this Option Agreement and the Plan.
The Optionee acknowledges that any Option Shares received by him upon exercise of the Option have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Blue Sky laws of any state (collectively, the "Securities Acts"). The Optionee acknowledges and understands that the Company is under no obligation to register, under the Securities Acts, the Option Shares received by him or to assist him in complying with any exemption from such registration if he should at a later date wish to dispose of the Option Shares. [Following to be included in Option Agreements with "U.S. Persons" - The Optionee acknowledges that the Option Shares shall bear a legend restricting the transferability thereof, such legend to be substantially in the following form:
"The shares represented by this certificate have not been registered or qualified under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended or state securities laws. The shares may not be offered
for sale, sold, pledged or otherwise disposed of unless so registered or qualified, unless an exemption exists or unless such disposition is not subject to U.S. federal or state securities laws, and the Company may require that the availability of any exemption or the inapplicability of such securities laws be established by an opinion of counsel, which opinion of counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company."]
To the extent that the Option is potentially subject to taxation under either Canada or the U.S. or both jurisdictions, the Optionee acknowledges that the Optionee has had adequate opportunity to obtain advice of independent tax counsel with respect to the tax treatment of the Option (including federal, state and provincial, as applicable). Furthermore, non-U.S. Optionees who are granted Options that are not subject to the restrictions applicable to U.S. Participants but who subsequently become subject to U.S. source income are strongly encouraged to seek advice of independent tax counsel to determine the applicability of U.S tax law to such Options.
By signing this Option Agreement, the Optionee acknowledges that the Optionee has read and understands the Plan and agrees to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Option Agreement.
Acknowledgement – Personal Information
The Optionee hereby acknowledges and consents to:
(a) the disclosure to the TSX Venture Exchange and all other regulatory authorities of all personal information of the undersigned obtained by the Company; and
(b) the collection, use and disclosure of such personal information by the TSX Venture Exchange and all other regulatory authorities in accordance with their requirements, including the provision to third party service providers, from time to time.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereto have executed this Option Agreement as of the ● day of ●, 20●.
RIVERWALK ACQUISITION CORP.
Signature
Per: Authorized Signatory
Print Name
Address
RIVERWALK ACQUISITION CORP.
EXERCISE NOTICE
To: The Administrator, Stock Option Plan
Riverwalk Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”)
The undersigned hereby irrevocably gives notice, pursuant to the Company’s Stock Option Plan (the “Plan”), of the exercise of the Option to acquire and hereby subscribe for ___ of the Shares, which are the subject of the Option Certificate attached hereto.
Calculation of total Exercise Price:
(i) number of Shares to be acquired on exercise: __ Shares
(ii) multiplied by the Exercise Price per Share: $ __
TOTAL EXERCISE PRICE, enclosed herewith: $ _____
The undersigned tenders herewith a certified cheque or bank draft in an amount equal to the total Exercise Price of the aforesaid Shares, as calculated above, and directs the Company to issue the share certificate evidencing said Shares in the name of the undersigned to be mailed to the undersigned at the following address:
DATED the __ day of ____, 20__.
Signature of Option Holder
Name of Option Holder (please print)