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Silver Wolf Exploration Ltd. — Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement 2025
May 2, 2025
43566_rns_2025-05-02_ec55ac6c-4d2c-40a4-af23-78d28a871b7c.pdf
Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement
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SILVER WOLF EXPLORATION
SWLF: TSX.V
Silver Wolf Exploration Ltd.
Suite 900-570 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6C 3P1
www.silverwolfexploration.com
T (604) 682 3701
F (604) 682 3600
NOTICE OF MEETING AND INFORMATION CIRCULAR
(Containing information as at April 24, 2025, unless otherwise specified)
FOR THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON
Thursday, May 29, 2025 at
10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time)
Suite 900 – 570 Granville Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6C 3P1
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
TAKE NOTICE that the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Shareholders of Silver Wolf Exploration Ltd. (hereinafter called the "Company") will be held at Suite 900 - 570 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 3P1, on Thursday, May 29, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) (the "Meeting") for the following purposes:
- to receive and consider the audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2024 and the report of the auditors thereon;
- to set the number of directors at five (5) and to elect directors for the ensuing year;
- to appoint Manning Elliott LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants as the Company's auditor for the ensuing year and to authorize the Directors to fix their remuneration;
- to ratify the 10% Rolling Stock Option Plan as described in the accompanying Information Circular; and
- to transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting.
Accompanying this Notice are an Information Circular and Form of Proxy.
A shareholder entitled to attend and vote at the Meeting is entitled to appoint a proxyholder to attend and vote in his stead. If you are unable to attend the Meeting, or any adjournment thereof in person, please read the Notes accompanying the Form of Proxy enclosed herewith and then complete and return the Proxy within the time set out in the Notes. The enclosed Form of Proxy is solicited by Management but, as set out in the Notes, you may amend it if you so desire by striking out the names listed therein and inserting in the space provided the name of the person you wish to represent you at the Meeting.
DATED this 24th day of April, 2025.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
"David Wolfin"
David Wolfin
Chief Executive Officer
SILVER WOLF EXPLORATION LTD.
Suite 900 – 570 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6C 3P1
Tel.: (604) 682-3701
INFORMATION CIRCULAR
AS AT AND DATED April 24, 2025
This Information Circular accompanies the Notice of the 2025 Annual General Meeting (the "Meeting") of shareholders (each a "Shareholder" and together the "Shareholders") of Silver Wolf Exploration Ltd. (hereinafter called the "Company") and is furnished in connection with a solicitation of proxies for use at that Meeting and at any adjournment thereof.
APPOINTMENT OF PROXYHOLDERS
AND COMPLETION AND REVOCATION OF PROXIES
The purpose of a proxy is to designate persons who will vote the proxy on a Shareholder's behalf in accordance with the instructions given by the Shareholder in the proxy. The persons named in the enclosed proxy (the "Management Designees") have been selected by the directors of the Company.
A Shareholder has the right to designate a person (who need not be a Shareholder), other than the Management Designees to represent the Shareholder at the Meeting. Such right may be exercised by inserting in the space provided for that purpose on the proxy the name of the person to be designated, and by deleting from the proxy the names of the Management Designees, or by completing another proper form of proxy and delivering the same to the transfer agent of the Company. Such Shareholder should notify the nominee of the appointment, obtain the nominee's consent to act as proxyholder and attend the Meeting, and provide instructions on how the Shareholder's Common Shares (defined below) are to be voted. The nominee should bring personal identification with them to the Meeting.
To be valid, the proxy must be dated and executed by the Shareholder or an attorney authorized in writing, with proof of such authorization attached (where an attorney executed the proxy). The proxy must then be delivered to the Company's registrar and transfer agent, Computershare Investor Services Inc., Proxy Department, 100 University Avenue, 8th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2Y1, or at the head office of the Company at Suite 900 – 570 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 3P1, at least 48 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, before the time of the Meeting or any adjournment thereof. Proxies received after that time may be accepted by the Chairman of the Meeting in the Chairman's discretion, but the Chairman is under no obligation to accept late proxies.
Any registered Shareholder who has returned a proxy may revoke it at any time before it has been exercised. A proxy may be revoked by a registered Shareholder personally attending the Meeting and voting their Common Shares. A Shareholder may also revoke their proxy in respect of any matter upon which a vote has not already been cast by depositing an instrument in writing, including a proxy bearing a later date executed by the registered Shareholder or by their authorized attorney in writing, or, if the Shareholder is a corporation, under its corporate seal by an officer or attorney thereof duly authorized, either at the office of the Company's registrar and transfer agent at the foregoing address or the head office of the Company at the foregoing address, at any time up to and including the last business day
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preceding the date of the Meeting, or any adjournment thereof at which the proxy is to be used, or by depositing the instrument in writing with the Chairman of such Meeting, or any adjournment thereof. Only registered Shareholders have the right to revoke a proxy. Non-registered Shareholders who wish to change their vote must, at least seven days before the Meeting, arrange for their respective nominees to revoke the proxy on their behalf.
PERSONS OR COMPANIES MAKING THE SOLICITATION
THE ENCLOSED PROXY IS BEING SOLICITED BY MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY
Although it is expected that the solicitation of proxies will be primarily by mail, proxies may also be solicited by electronic delivery where requested by the Shareholders, as well as personally or by telephone by directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Company. Arrangements will also be made with clearing agencies, brokerage houses and other financial intermediaries to forward proxy solicitation material to the beneficial owners of common shares of the Company ("Common Shares") pursuant to the requirements of National Instrument 54-101 - Communication with Beneficial Owners of Securities of a Reporting Issuer ("National Instrument 54-101").
The Canadian securities regulators have adopted new rules under National Instrument 54-101 which permit the use of notice-and-access for proxy solicitation, instead of the traditional physical delivery of material. This new process provides the option to post meeting related materials, including management information circulars, as well as annual financial statements, and related Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") on a website in addition to SEDAR. Under notice-and-access, such meeting related materials will be available for viewing for up to one (1) year from the date of posting, and a paper copy of the material can be requested at any time during this period. The Company is not relying on the notice-and-access provisions of National Instrument 54-101 to send proxy related materials to registered Shareholders or beneficial owners of Common Shares in connection with the Meeting.
The Company may reimburse Shareholders' nominees or agents (including brokers holding Common Shares on behalf of clients) for the cost incurred in obtaining from their principals' authorization to execute forms of proxy. No solicitation will be made by specifically engaged employees or soliciting agents. The cost of solicitation will be borne by the Company. Unless otherwise stated, the information contained in this Information Circular is given as at April 24, 2025.
VOTING OF PROXIES
Each Shareholder may instruct their proxyholder how to vote their Common Shares by completing the blanks on the proxy. All Common Shares represented at the Meeting by properly executed proxies will be voted or withheld from voting when a poll is required or requested and, where a choice with respect to any matter to be acted upon has been specified in the form of proxy, the Common Shares represented by the proxy will be voted in accordance with such specification. In the absence of any such specification as to voting on the proxy, the Management Designees, if named as proxyholder, will vote in favour of the matters set out therein.
The enclosed proxy confers discretionary authority upon the Management Designees, or other person named as proxyholder, with respect to amendments to or variations of matters identified in the Notice of Meeting and any other matters which may properly come before the Meeting. As of the date hereof, the Company is not aware of any amendments to, variations of or other matters which may come before the
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Meeting. If other matters properly come before the Meeting, then the Management Designees intend to vote in a manner which in their judgment is in the best interests of the Company.
In order to approve a motion proposed at the Meeting, a majority of greater than 50% of the votes cast will be required (an "ordinary resolution"), unless the motion requires a "special resolution" in which case a majority of 66 2/3% of the votes cast will be required.
VOTING SHARES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS THEREOF
The Company is authorized to issue unlimited Common Shares without par value. There is one class of shares only. As at the date hereof there are 46,010,621 Common Shares issued and outstanding. At an Annual General Meeting of the Company, on a show of hands, every Shareholder present in person and entitled to vote and every proxy holder duly appointed by a holder of a share who would have been entitled to vote shall have one vote and on a poll, every Shareholder present in person or represented by proxy shall have one vote for each share of which such Shareholder is the registered holder.
To the knowledge of the directors and senior officers of the Company, no person or company beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, or exercises control or direction over, voting securities carrying more than 10% of the outstanding voting rights of the Company other than:
| Name | Number of Voting Securities | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| David Wolfin | 11,546,410 | 25.1% |
The Articles of the Company provide that a quorum for the transaction of business at the Meeting is two (2) Shareholders, or one or more proxyholders representing two Shareholders, or one Shareholder and a proxyholder representing another Shareholder.
The directors have determined that all Shareholders of record as of April 24, 2025 will be entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Meeting. Those Shareholders so desiring may be represented by proxy at the Meeting.
BENEFICIAL HOLDERS
Only registered Shareholders or duly appointed proxy-holders are permitted to vote at the Meeting. Most Shareholders of the Company are "non-registered" or "beneficial" Shareholders because the Common Shares they own are not registered in their names, but are instead registered in the name of the brokerage firm, bank or trust company through which they purchased the Common Shares. More particularly, a person is not a registered Shareholder in respect of Common Shares which are held on behalf of that person (the "Beneficial Holder") but which are registered either: (a) in the name of an intermediary (an "Intermediary") that the Beneficial Holder deals with in respect of the Common Shares (Intermediaries include, among others, banks, trust companies, securities dealers or brokers and trustees or administrators of self-administered RRSP's, RRIF's, RESPs and similar plans); or (b) in the name of a clearing agency (such as The Canadian Depository for Securities Limited ("CDS")) of which the Intermediary is a participant. In accordance with the requirements of National Instrument 54-101, the Company has distributed copies of the Notice of Meeting, this Information Circular and the Proxy (collectively, the "Meeting Materials") directly, and to the clearing agencies and Intermediaries for onward distribution to Beneficial Holders. If you are a non-registered owner, and the issuer or its agent has sent these materials directly to you, your name and address and information
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about your holdings of securities, have been obtained in accordance with applicable securities regulatory requirements from the Intermediary holding on your behalf.
Intermediaries are required to forward the Meeting Materials to Beneficial Holders unless a Beneficial Holder has waived the right to receive them. Very often, Intermediaries will use service companies to forward the Meeting Materials to Beneficial Holders. Generally, Beneficial Holders who have not waived the right to receive Meeting Materials will either:
(a) be given a form of proxy which has already been signed by the Intermediary (typically by a facsimile, stamped signature), which is restricted as to the number of Common Shares beneficially owned by the Beneficial Holder but which is otherwise not completed. Because the Intermediary has already signed the form of proxy, this form of proxy is not required to be signed by the Beneficial Holder when submitting the proxy. In this case, the Beneficial Holder who wishes to submit a proxy should otherwise properly complete the form of proxy and deposit it with the Company's transfer agent as provided above; or
(b) more typically, be given a voting instruction form which is not signed by the Intermediary, and which, when properly completed and signed by the Beneficial Holder and returned to the Intermediary or its service company, will constitute voting instructions (often called a "proxy authorization form") which the Intermediary must follow. Typically, the proxy authorization form will consist of a one-page pre-printed form. Sometimes, instead of the one-page pre-printed form, the proxy authorization form will consist of a regular printed proxy form accompanied by a page of instructions which contains a removable label containing a bar-code and other information. In order for the form of proxy to validly constitute a proxy authorization form, the Beneficial Holder must remove the label from the instructions and affix it to the form of proxy, properly complete and sign the form of proxy and return it to the Intermediary or its service company in accordance with the instructions of the Intermediary or its service company.
In either case, the purpose of this procedure is to permit Beneficial Holders to direct the voting of the Common Shares which they beneficially own. Should a Beneficial Holder who receives one of the above forms wish to vote at the Meeting in person, the Beneficial Holder should strike out the names of the Management Proxy-holders named in the form and insert the Beneficial Holder's name in the blank space provided. Beneficial Holders should carefully follow the instructions of their Intermediary, including those regarding when and where the proxy or proxy authorization form is to be delivered.
PARTICULARS OF MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE COMPANY'S DIRECTORS, THE ONLY MATTERS TO BE PLACED BEFORE THE MEETING ARE THOSE REFERRED TO IN THE NOTICE OF MEETING ACCOMPANYING THIS INFORMATION CIRCULAR. HOWEVER, SHOULD ANY OTHER MATTERS PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE MEETING, THE COMMON SHARES REPRESENTED BY THE PROXY SOLICITED HEREBY WILL BE VOTED ON SUCH MATTERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BEST JUDGMENT OF THE PERSONS VOTING THE COMMON SHARES REPRESENTED BY THE PROXY.
Additional detail regarding each of the matters to be acted upon at the Meeting is set forth below.
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I. Financial Statements
The audited financial statements of the company for the year ended December 31, 2024 (the “Financial Statements”), together with the Auditors’ Report thereon, will be presented to the Shareholders at the Meeting. Shareholders should note that in accordance with the rules of National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations (“NI 51-102”), Shareholders will no longer automatically receive copies of financial statements unless a card (in the form enclosed herewith) has been completed and returned as instructed. Copies of all previously issued annual and quarterly financial statements and related MD&A are available to the public on the SEDAR+ website under the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company’s website at www.silverwolfexploration.com. Hard copies of the Audited Annual Financial statements and MD&A will be available to Shareholders free of charge upon request.
II. Election of Directors
Each director of the Company is elected annually and holds office until the next Annual General Meeting of the Shareholders unless that person ceases to be a director before then. It is proposed that the number of directors for the ensuing year be set at five (5), subject to such increases as may be permitted by the Articles of the Company. At the Meeting, the Shareholders will be asked to consider and, if thought fit, approve an ordinary resolution setting the number of directors to be elected at the Meeting at five (5).
It is proposed that the persons named below will be nominated at the Meeting. Each director elected will hold office until the next Annual General Meeting of the Company or until his successor is duly elected or appointed pursuant to the Articles of the Company unless his office is earlier vacated in accordance with the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) or the Company’s Articles.
It is the intention of the Management designees, if named as proxy, to vote for the election of the said persons to the Company’s board of directors (the "Board of Directors"), unless the Shareholder has specified in its proxy that its Common Shares are to be withheld from voting on the election of directors.
The Management nominees for the Board of Directors and information concerning them as furnished by the individual nominees are as follows:
| Name, Present Office Held and Province or State of Residency | Director Since | Number of Common Shares Beneficially Owned, Directly or Indirectly, or over which Control or Direction is Exercised at the Date of this Information Circular^{(2)} | Principal Occupation and if not at present an elected director, occupation during the past five (5) years^{(3)} |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Latta | |||
| British Columbia, Canada | |||
| President and Director | Sept. 17, 2020 | 1,074,805 (Directly) | VP Technical Services of Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. |
| Peter Schriber^{(1)} | |||
| Switzerland | |||
| Director | June 20, 2017 | 700,000 (Directly) | Self-employed; previously a director of several other reporting issuers |
| Stephen Williams^{(1)} | |||
| British Columbia, Canada | |||
| Director | Sept. 28, 2020 | 250,000 (Directly) | VP Corporate Development of another reporting issuer, and previously a director of a Canadian brokerage firm |
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| Name, Present Office Held and Province or State of Residency | Director Since | Number of Common Shares Beneficially Owned, Directly or Indirectly, or over which Control or Direction is Exercised at the Date of this Information Circular(2) | Principal Occupation and if not at present an elected director, occupation during the past five (5) years(3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Wolfin(1) | |||
| British Columbia, Canada | |||
| Chair, CEO and Director | June 22, 1990 | 852,020 (Directly) | |
| 10,694,390 (Indirectly)(4) | Chairman and CEO of the Company, and senior officer and director of another reporting issuer | ||
| Honza Catchpole | |||
| Spain | |||
| Director | July 5, 2022 | 65,000 | Self employed Geologist |
(1) Members of the Audit Committee.
(2) The number of Common Shares beneficially owned, or controlled or directed, directly or indirectly by the above nominees for directors, is based on the information obtained from The System for Electronic Disclosure by Insiders ("SEDI").
(3) The information is not within the knowledge of the Management of the Company and has been furnished by the respective nominees.
(4) Mr. Wolfin holds 7,174,500 Common Shares through Intermark Capital Corporation. Intermark Capital Corporation holds over 10% of the Company's issued Common Shares as of the date hereof.
Peter Latta, Stephen Williams, and David Wolfin are residents of Canada, Peter Schriber is a resident of Switzerland and Honza Catchpole is a resident of Spain. The Company has an Audit Committee, and Peter Schriber, Stephen Williams, and David Wolfin are current members of the Audit Committee.
Corporate Cease Trade Orders or Bankruptcies
To the knowledge of the Company, no director or proposed director of the Company is, or within the ten years prior to the date of this Circular has been, a director or executive officer of any company, including the Company, that while that person was acting in that capacity.
(a) was the subject of a cease trade order or similar order or an order that denied the company access to any exemption under securities legislation for a period of more than 30 consecutive days; or
(b) was subject to an event that resulted, after the director ceased to be a director or executive officer of the company being the subject of a cease trade order or similar order or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation, for a period of more than 30 consecutive days; or
(c) within a year of that person ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets.
Individual Bankruptcies
To the knowledge of the Company, no director or proposed director of the Company has, within the ten years prior to the date of this Circular, become bankrupt or made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or been subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or
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compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of that individual.
Penalties or Sanctions
To the knowledge of the Company, no proposed director of the Company has been subject to any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation or by a securities regulatory authority or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority, or has been subject to any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable securityholder in deciding whether to vote for a proposed director.
III. Appointment of Auditors
Management proposes the appointment of Manning Elliott LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as Auditors of the Company for the ensuing year and that the directors be authorized to fix their remuneration. Manning Elliott LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, have been the Company's Auditors since February 7, 2013.
In the absence of instructions to the contrary the Common Shares represented by proxy will be voted in favour of a resolution to appoint Manning Elliott, LLP, as Auditors of the Company for the ensuing year, at a remuneration to be fixed by the Board of Directors, unless the Shareholder has specified in the Shareholder's proxy that the Shareholder's Common Shares are to be withheld from voting on the appointment of auditors.
IV. Ratification of Incentive Stock Option Plan
At last year's Annual General and Special Meeting, the Shareholders approved a new 10% rolling stock option plan (the "Stock Option Plan" or "Plan") authorizing the issuance of incentive stock options to Eligible Persons (defined below) for up to an aggregate of 10% of the issued Common Shares from time to time. The TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V") policies require the re-approval of the Stock Option Plan by the Company's Shareholders (as defined below) on an annual basis. There are currently 46,010,621 Common Shares issued and outstanding, therefore the current 10% threshold is 4,601,062 shares under the Stock Option Plan. The Company has made minor and administrative amendments to the Plan since it was approved in 2024.
Incentive stock options under the Stock Option Plan may be granted by the Board of Directors to eligible persons, who are directors, officers or consultants of the Company or its subsidiaries (if any), or who are employees of a company providing management services to the Company, or who are eligible charitable organizations (the "Eligible Persons"). Stock options may be granted under the Stock Option Plan with a maximum exercise period of up to ten (10) years, as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company.
The Stock Option Plan limits the number of stock options which may be granted to any one individual to not more than 5% of the total issued Common Shares in any 12-month period (unless otherwise approved by the disinterested Shareholders of the Company), and not more than 10% of the total issued Common Shares to all insiders at any time or granted over any 12-month period. The number of options granted to any one consultant or person employed to provide investor relations activities in any 12-month period must not exceed 2% of the total issued Common Shares. Any stock options granted under the Stock Option
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Plan will not be subject to any vesting schedule, unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors or required by the policies of the TSX-V.
Options under the Stock Option Plan may be granted at an exercise price which is at or above the current discounted market price (as defined under the policies of the TSX-V) on the date of the grant. In the event of the death or permanent disability of an optionee, any option granted to such optionee will be exercisable upon the earlier of 365 days from the date of death or permanent disability, or the expiry date of the option. In the event of the resignation of an optionee, or the termination or removal of an optionee without just cause, any option granted to such optionee will be exercisable for a period of 90 days thereafter. In the event of termination for cause, any option granted to such optionee will be cancelled as at the date of termination.
In the event the expiry date of an option falls on a date during any “black-out trading period”, where insiders are prohibited from trading due to any unannounced material information, that has been self-imposed by the Company, the expiry date of the option will be extended to the 10th business day following the date that the self-imposed black-out trading period is lifted by the Company.
The Stock Option Plan contains a “net exercise option” for option grants, excluding options held by any Eligible Person who is providing investor relations activities. Under the “Net exercise option”, in consideration of the issuance of any Common Shares which are vested and exercisable, the optionee will receive Common Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (A) the product of the number of options being exercised multiplied by the difference between the 5-trading day volume weighted average price (“VWAP”) of the underlying listed Common Shares and the option price of the subject options; by (B) the VWAP of the underlying listed Common Shares.
For example, under the net exercise option, if an Eligible Person holds an option to purchase 100 listed Common Shares, exercisable at a price of $1.00 per share and the VWAP of the listed Common Shares is $1.50, then the Eligible Person would not pay the Company any cash, and instead of receiving 100 listed Common Shares would only receive 33 listed Common Shares (fractional Common Shares being in effect rounded down to the nearest lower whole Common Share) calculated as follows:
$$
\frac{100 \times ($1.50 - $1.00)}{\$1.50} = 33 \text{ shares}
$$
All options exercised pursuant to the net exercise option will be considered exercised in full for all purposes under the Stock Option Plan.
A copy of the plan will be made available at the Company’s head office located at Suite 900 – 570 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 3P1, until 4:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on the business day immediately preceding the date of the Meeting.
The Stock Option Plan must be approved by a majority of the Shareholders entitled to vote present in person or by proxy at the Meeting, and be accepted for filing by the TSX-V.
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Shareholders will be asked at the Meeting to approve with or without variation the following ordinary resolution:
“WHEREAS the Board of Directors has re-approved the Company’s form of stock option (the “Stock Option Plan”) as described in the Company’s management information circular for the Meeting dated April 24, 2025 (the “Circular”);
NOW BE IT RESOLVED that:
- The Stock Option Plan is hereby ratified, confirmed and approved, subject to the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange, and the grant of options thereunder is approved;
- The number of Common Shares reserved for issuance under the Stock Option Plan will be no more than 10% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Shares at the time of any stock option grant;
- The Board of Directors be authorized to make any changes to the Stock Option Plan as may be required or permitted by the TSX Venture Exchange, subject to the terms of the Plan and acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange;
- Any one director or officer of the Company be and is hereby authorized and directed to do all such acts and things and to execute and deliver, all such deeds, documents, instruments and assurances as in his opinion may be necessary or desirable to give effect to the foregoing resolutions; and
- The directors be authorized in their sole discretion not to proceed with the Stock Option Plan, or to terminate the Stock Option Plan, without further approval from the shareholders.”
The Stock Option Plan is subject to TSX-V acceptance.
The Board of Directors has concluded that the Stock Option Plan is in the best interests of the Company and its Shareholders. Accordingly, the Board of Directors unanimously recommends that the Shareholders approve the Stock Option Plan, by voting FOR this resolution at the Meeting.
Proxies received in favour of management will be voted FOR the Stock Option Plan unless the Shareholder has specified in the proxy that his or her common shares are to be voted against such resolution. Where no choice is specified by a Shareholder, the proxy will confer discretionary authority and will be voted FOR the Stock Option Plan Resolution ratifying, confirming and approving the adoption of the Stock Option Plan.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
(For the Financial Year Ended December 31, 2024)
For purposes of this Information Circular, “named executive officer” of the Company means an individual who, at any time during the year, was:
(a) each individual who, in respect of the Company, during any part of the most recently completed financial year, served as the Company’s chief executive officer (“CEO”), including an individual performing functions similar to a CEO;
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(b) each individual who, in respect of the Company, during any part of the most recently completed financial year, served as the Company's chief financial officer ("CFO"), including an individual performing functions similar to a CFO;
(c) in respect of the Company and its subsidiaries, the most highly compensated executive officer, other than individuals identified in paragraphs (a) and (b) above at the end of the most recently completed financial year whose total compensation was more than $150,000 for that financial year; and
(d) each individual who would be a named executive officer under paragraph (c) but for the fact that the individual was neither an executive officer of the Company, nor acting in a similar capacity, at the end of the most recently completed financial year;
(each a “Named Executive Officer” or “NEO”).
Based on the foregoing definition, during the last completed fiscal year of the Company, there were three (3) NEOs, namely, its President, Peter Latta, its CEO, David Wolfin, and its CFO, Nathan Harte.
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
The Company does not have a formal compensation program, but retains the discretion to pay base salaries, incentive bonuses, and incentive stock options to the NEOs, based upon the recommendations of the Board of Directors. The Company and its Board recognize the need to provide a compensation package that will attract and retain qualified and experienced executives, as well as align the compensation level of each executive to that executive's level of responsibility. The objectives of base salary (if and when the Company determines to pay same) are to recognize market pay and acknowledge the competencies and skills of individuals. The objectives of incentive bonuses in the form of cash payments (if and when the Company determines to pay same) are designed to add a variable component of compensation, based on corporate and individual performances for executive officers and employees. No base salary or incentive bonuses were paid to executive officers and employees during the most recently completed fiscal year. The objectives of stock options (if and when the Company determines to grant same) are to reward achievement of long-term financial and operating performance and focus on key activities and achievements critical to the ongoing success of the Company. Implementation of a new incentive stock option plan and amendments to the existing stock option plan are the responsibility of the Company's Board of Directors.
The Company has no other forms of compensation, although payments may be made from time to time to individuals or companies they control for the provision of consulting services. Such consulting services are paid for by the Company at competitive industry rates for work of a similar nature by reputable arm's length services providers. The process for determining executive compensation relies solely on the Board of Directors, without any formal objectives criteria and analysis. The Board of Directors does not have a pre-determined compensation plan. The Company does not engage in benchmarking practices and the process for determining executive compensation is at the discretion of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors has not engaged the services of independent compensation consultants to assist it by making recommendations to the Board of Directors with respect to director and executive officer compensation.
Actual compensation will vary based on the executive's experience in the mining industry and the performance of the executive relative to the achievement of goals and the price of the Company's securities.
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In performing its duties, the Board of Directors has considered the implications of risks associated with the Company's compensation policies and practices. At its early stage of development and considering its current compensation policies, the Company has no compensation policies or practices that would encourage an executive officer or other individual to take inappropriate or excessive risks. An NEO or director is permitted for his or her own benefit and at his or her own financial risk, to purchase financial instruments, including, for greater certainty, prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars or units or exchange funds, that are designed to hedge or offset a decrease in the market value of equity securities granted as compensation or held, directly or indirectly, by the NEO or director.
Option-Based Awards
As noted above under, "Particulars of Matters to be Acted upon – IV. Ratification of Incentive Stock Option Plan", the Company maintains a 10% rolling stock option plan.
Director and Named Executive Officer Compensation
Director and NEO Compensation, excluding Compensation Securities
The following table provides a summary of compensation paid, payable, awarded, granted, given, or otherwise provided, directly or indirectly, by the Company or a subsidiary of the Company to each NEO and director of the Company during the last two financial years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2024:
| Name and Principal Position | Year | Salary, Consulting Fee, Retainer of Commission ($) | Bonus ($) | Committee or Meeting Fees ($) | Value of Perquisites ($) | Value of all Other Compensation ($) | Total Compensation ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Wolfin | 2024 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Chair, CEO and Director | 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Peter Latta | 2024 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| President and Director | 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Nathan Harte | 2024 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| CFO | 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Peter Schriber | 2024 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Director | 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Stephen Williams | 2024 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Director | 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Honza Catchpole | 2024 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Director | 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Stock Options and Other Compensation Securities
There were no stock options, or other share-based awards granted to the Named Executive Officers to purchase or acquire securities of the Company in the most recently completed financial year, or the prior financial year.
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No compensation security has been re-priced, cancelled and replaced, had its term extended, or otherwise been materially modified, in the most recently completed financial year, or the prior financial year.
There are no restrictions or conditions for converting, exercising or exchanging the compensation securities.
Exercise of Compensation Securities by Directors and NEOs
No stock options were exercised during the year ended December 31, 2024 by Named Executive Officers.
Termination and Change of Control Benefits
The Company has no employment, consulting, or other agreements with its NEOs which provide for termination or change of control benefits.
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
The following table sets forth certain information pertaining to the Company's equity compensation plan as at the end of the most recently completed financial year:
| Plan Category | Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options (a) | Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options (b) | Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under the Stock Option Plan (excluding securities reflected in column (a)) (c) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Option Plan - approved by security holders | 4,594,000 | $0.18 | 4,601,062 |
| Stock Option Plan – not approved by security holders (before this Meeting) | Nil | N/A | Nil |
| Total: | 4,594,000 | 4,601,062 |
MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS
Management functions of the Company are not, to any degree, performed by a person or persons other than the directors or executive officers of the Company.
INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS AND SENIOR OFFICERS
None of the directors or senior officers of the Company, no proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company, and no associates or affiliates of any of them, is or has been indebted to the Company or its subsidiaries at any time since the beginning of the Company's last completed financial year.
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INTEREST OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS
No Informed Persons (as such term is defined in NI 51-102) of the Company, no proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company and no associate or affiliate of any of the foregoing, has any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the commencement of the Company's last financial year or in any proposed transaction, which, in either case, has materially affected or will materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than as disclosed under the heading "Particulars of Matters to be Acted Upon".
INTEREST OF CERTAIN PERSONS IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
None of the directors or senior officers of the Company, no management nominee for election as a director of the Company, none of the persons who have been directors or senior officers of the Company since the commencement of the Company's last completed financial year and no associate or affiliate of any of the foregoing has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon at the Meeting other than as disclosed under the heading "Particulars of Matters to be Acted Upon".
AUDIT COMMITTEE
Under National Instrument 52-110 – Audit Committees ("NI 52-110") reporting issuers in those jurisdictions which have adopted NI 52-110 are required to provide disclosure with respect to its audit committee including the text of the audit committee's charter, composition of the committee, and the fees paid to the external auditor. Accordingly, the Company provides the following disclosure with respect to its audit committee:
Audit Committee Charter
1. Purpose of the Committee
1.1 The purpose of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in its oversight of the integrity of the Company's financial statements and other relevant public disclosures, the Company's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements relating to financial reporting, the external auditors' qualifications and independence and the performance of the internal audit function and the external auditors.
2. Members of the Audit Committee
2.1 As a "venture issuer", as defined under NI 52-110, a majority of the members should be "financially literate" as defined under NI 52-110, having sufficient accounting or related financial management expertise to read and understand a set of financial statements, including the related notes, that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Company's financial statements.
2.2 The Audit Committee shall consist of no less than three Directors.
2.3 As a "venture issuer", subject to certain exceptions under NI 52-110, a majority of the members of the Audit Committee must also not be executive officers, employees, or control persons of the Company or an affiliate of the Company.
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3. Relationship with External Auditors
3.1 The external auditors are the independent representatives of the Shareholders, but the external auditors are also accountable to the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee.
3.2 The external auditors must be able to complete their audit procedures and reviews with professional independence, free from any undue interference from the management or directors.
3.3 The Audit Committee must direct and ensure that the management fully co-operates with the external auditors in the course of carrying out their professional duties.
3.4 The Audit Committee will have direct communications access at all times with the external auditors.
4. Non-Audit Services
4.1 The external auditors are prohibited from providing any non-audit services to the Company, without the express written consent of the Audit Committee. In determining whether the external auditors will be granted permission to provide non-audit services to the Company, the Audit Committee must consider that the benefits to the Company from the provision of such services, outweighs the risk of any compromise to or loss of the independence of the external auditors in carrying out their auditing mandate.
4.2 Notwithstanding section 4.1, the external auditors are prohibited at all times from carrying out any of the following services, while they are appointed the external auditors of the Company:
(i) acting as an agent of the Company for the sale of all or substantially all of the undertaking of the Company; and
(ii) performing any non-audit consulting work for any director or senior officer of the Company in their personal capacity, but not as a director, officer or insider of any other entity not associated or related to the Company.
5. Appointment of Auditors
5.1 The external auditors will be appointed each year by the Shareholders of the Company at the annual general meeting of the Shareholders.
5.2 The Audit Committee will nominate the external auditors for appointment, such nomination to be approved by the Board of Directors.
6. Evaluation of Auditors
6.1 The Audit Committee will review the performance of the external auditors on at least an annual basis, and notify the Board of Directors and the external auditors in writing of any concerns in regards to the performance of the external auditors, or the accounting or auditing methods, procedures, standards, or principles applied by the external auditors, or any other accounting or auditing issues which come to the attention of the Audit Committee.
7. Remuneration of the Auditors
7.1 The remuneration of the external auditors will be determined by the Board of Directors, upon the annual authorization of the Shareholders at each general meeting of the Shareholders.
7.2 The remuneration of the external auditors will be determined based on the time required to complete the audit and preparation of the audited financial statements, and the difficulty of the
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audit and performance of the standard auditing procedures under generally accepted auditing standards and generally accepted accounting principles of Canada.
8. Termination of the Auditors
8.1 The Audit Committee has the power to terminate the services of the external auditors, with or without the approval of the Board of Directors, acting reasonably.
9. Funding of Auditing and Consulting Services
9.1 Auditing expenses will be funded by the Company. The auditors must not perform any other consulting services for the Company, which could impair or interfere with their role as the independent auditors of the Company.
10. Role and Responsibilities of the Internal Auditor
10.1 At this time, due to the Company's size and limited financial resources, the CEO and CFO of the Company shall be responsible for implementing internal controls and performing the role as the internal auditor to ensure that such controls are adequate.
11. Oversight of Internal Controls
11.1 The Audit Committee will have the oversight responsibility for ensuring that the internal controls are implemented and monitors, and that such internal controls are effective.
12. Continuous Disclosure Requirements
12.1 At this time, due to the Company's size and limited financial resources, the Secretary of the Company is responsible for ensuring that the Company's continuous reporting requirements are met and in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.
13. Other Auditing Matters
13.1 The Audit Committee may meet with the Auditors independently of the management of the Company at any time, acting reasonably.
13.2 The Auditors are authorized and directed to respond to all enquiries from the Audit Committee in a thorough and timely fashion, without reporting these enquiries or actions to the Board of Directors or the management of the Company.
14. Annual Review
14.1 The Audit Committee Charter will be reviewed annually by the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee to assess the adequacy of this Charter.
15. Independent Advisers
15.1 The Audit Committee shall have the power to retain legal, accounting or other advisors to assist the Committee.
Composition of Audit Committee
Following the election of directors pursuant to this Information Circular, the following will be members of the Audit Committee:
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| Name | Independent^{(1)} | Financially Literate^{(2)} | Education and/or Experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Williams | Yes | Yes | Professional Engineer, MBA and the VP Corporate Development of a reporting issuer and a previous director of a Canadian brokerage firm. |
| Peter Schriber | Yes | Yes | Extensive experience in merchant and commercial banking, specializing in corporate finance as well as acting as Director and VP for a Canadian brokerage firm. |
| David Wolfin | No | Yes | Over 30 years experience in mining and finance, CEO of the Company, and senior officer and director of another reporting issuer |
(1) A member of an audit committee is independent if the member has no direct or indirect material relationship with the Company, which could, in the view of the Board of Directors, reasonably interfere with the exercise of a member’s independent judgment.
(2) An individual is financially literate if he has the ability to read and understand a set of financial statements that present a breadth of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Company’s financial statements.
Audit Committee Oversight
At no time since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year was a recommendation of the Audit Committee to nominate or compensate an external auditor not adopted by the Board of Directors.
Reliance on Certain Exemptions
At no time since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year has the Company relied on the exemption in Section 2.4 of NI 52-110 (De Minimis Non-Audit Services), or an exemption from NI 52-110, in whole or in part, granted under Part 8 of NI 52-110.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Audit Committee is authorized by the Board of Directors to review the performance of the Company’s external auditors and approve in advance provision of services other than auditing and to consider the independence of the external auditors, including a review of the range of services provided in the context of all consulting services bought by the Company. The Audit Committee is authorized to approve in writing any non-audit services or additional work which the Chairman of the Audit Committee deems is necessary, and the Chairman will notify the other members of the Audit Committee of such non-audit or additional work and the reasons for such non-audit work for the Committee’s consideration, and if thought fit, approval in writing.
External Auditor Service Fees
The fees billed by the Company’s external auditors in each of the last two fiscal years for audit and non-audit related services provided to the Company or its subsidiaries (if any) are as follows:
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| Financial Year Ending December 31 | Audit Fees | Audit Related Fees | Tax Fees^{(1)} | All Other Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $48,080 | Nil | $1,300 | Nil |
| 2023 | $49,500 | Nil | $4,750 | Nil |
(1) Tax fees include the preparation of the Company and its subsidiary’s annual tax returns.
Exemption
The Company has relied upon the exemption provided by section 6.1 of NI 52-110, which exempts a venture issuer from the requirement to comply with the restrictions on the composition of its Audit Committee and the disclosure requirements of its Audit Committee in an annual information form as prescribed by NI 52-110. The Company is a “venture issuer” as that term is defined under NI 52-110.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
General
The Board of Directors believes that good corporate governance improves corporate performance and benefits all Shareholders. National Policy 58-201 - Corporate Governance Guidelines provides non-prescriptive guidelines on corporate governance practices for reporting issuers such as the Company. In addition, National Instrument 58-101 - Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices (“NI 58-101”) prescribes certain disclosure by the Company of its corporate governance practices. This disclosure is presented below.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors exercises its independent supervision over the Company’s management through frequent meetings of the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors will be comprised of five (5) directors, three (3) of whom, Peter Schriber, Honza Catchpole, and Stephen Williams, are independent for the purposes of NI 58-101. David Wolfin and Peter Latta are not independent since they serve as CEO and President of the Company, respectively.
Directorships
A director of the Company is also a director of another reporting issuer, as follows:
| Director | Other Reporting Issuers |
|---|---|
| David Wolfin | Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. |
Orientation and Continuing Education
New Board of Directors members receive an orientation package which includes reports on operations and results, and public disclosure filings by the Company. Board meetings are sometimes held at the Company’s offices and, from time to time, are combined with presentations by the Company’s management to give the directors additional insight into the Company’s business. In addition, management of the Company makes itself available for discussion with all Board of Directors members.
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Ethical Business Conduct
The Board of Directors has found that the fiduciary duties placed on individual directors by the Company’s governing corporate legislation and the common law and the restrictions placed by applicable corporate legislation on an individual director’s participation in decisions of the Board of Directors in which the director has an interest have been sufficient to ensure that the Board of Directors operates independently of management and in the best interests of the Company.
Nomination of Directors
The Board of Directors considers its size each year when it considers the number of directors to recommend to the Shareholders for election at the annual meeting of Shareholders, taking into account the number required to carry out the Board of Directors’ duties effectively and to maintain a diversity of view and experience.
The Board of Directors does not have a Compensation Committee or a Nominating Committee, and these functions are currently performed by the Board of Directors as a whole.
Compensation
The Company currently pays no cash compensation to its directors and believes this is appropriate at the Company’s current stage of development and levels of activity.
Assessments
Due to the minimal size of the Company’s board of directors, no formal policy has been established to monitor the effectiveness of the directors, the Board of Directors and its committees.
OTHER MATTERS
MANAGEMENT KNOWS OF NO OTHER MATTERS TO COME BEFORE THE MEETING OTHER THAN THOSE REFERRED TO IN THE NOTICE OF MEETING. HOWEVER, SHOULD ANY OTHER MATTERS PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE MEETING, THE COMMON SHARES REPRESENTED BY THE PROXY SOLICITED HEREBY WILL BE VOTED ON SUCH MATTERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BEST JUDGMENT OF THE PERSONS VOTING THE COMMON SHARES REPRESENTED BY THE PROXY.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information relating to the Company is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Shareholders may contact the Company at Suite 900 - 570 Granville Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6C 3P1 to request copies of the Company’s financial statements and MD&A of financial results. Financial information is provided in the Company’s comparative financial statements and MD&A for its most recently completed financial year.
BOARD APPROVAL
The contents of this Information Circular have been approved and its distribution has been authorized by the Board of Directors of the Company.
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Where information contained in this Information Circular, rests specifically within the knowledge of a person other than the Company, the Company has relied upon information furnished by such person.
By Order of the Board of Directors
SILVER WOLF EXPLORATION LTD.
"David Wolfin"
David Wolfin,
Chief Executive Officer