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Smartset Services Inc. — Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement 2024
Sep 23, 2024
47645_rns_2024-09-23_95ec2888-48f5-4c03-b659-53e638d0920d.pdf
Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement
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SMARTSET SERVICES INC. Royal Centre, 1055 West Georgia St. Suite 1500, PO Box 11117 Vancouver, BC V6E 4N7
INFORMATION CIRCULAR
(containing information as at September 16, 2024)
For the Annual General Meeting
to be held on October 18, 2024
This Management Information Circular is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by management of Smartset Services Inc. (“Smartset” or the “Company”) for use at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (the “Meeting”) of Smartset Services Inc. to be held at 26, 2365 Abbeyglen Way, Kamloops, BC, V1S 1Y3 on Friday, October 18, 2024 at 10:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time and any adjournment thereof, for the purposes set forth in the attached Notice of Annual General Meeting. Except where otherwise indicated, the information contained herein is stated as of September 16, 2024.
In this Information Circular, references to the “Company”, “we” and “our” refer to Smartset Services Inc. “Common Shares” means common shares without par value in the capital of the Company. “Registered Shareholders” means shareholders whose names appear on the records of the Company as the registered holders of Common Shares. “NonRegistered Shareholders” or “Beneficial Shareholders” means shareholders who do not hold Common Shares in their own name. “Shareholders” means, collectively, Registered Shareholders and Non-Registered Shareholders or Beneficial Shareholders. “Intermediaries” refers to brokers, investment firms, clearing houses and similar entities that own securities on behalf of Beneficial Shareholders.
SOLICITATION OF PROXIES
The solicitation proxies for the Meeting will be primarily by mail; however, proxies may be solicited personally or by telephone by the directors, officers and employees of the Company. The cost of solicitation will be borne by the Company.
The Company intends to hold the Meeting in person. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to mitigate risk to the health and safety of our communities and Shareholders, the Company requests that Shareholders not attend the Meeting in person. The Company encourages Shareholders to instead vote their Common shares in advance of the Meeting via mail, facsimile or online. No management presentation will be made at the Meeting.
The Company will also be holding a viewing-only portion of the Meeting electronically. Shareholders will not be able to vote if they are only viewing the Meeting electronically and therefore the Company strongly advises that any Shareholder who wishes to vote at the Meeting vote in advance of the Meeting and in any event at least 48 hours in advance of the Meeting or any postponement or adjournment thereof. Shareholders are reminded that only Shareholders and duly appointed proxyholders will be permitted to attend the Meeting by electronic means. If any Shareholder does wish to attend the Meeting in person or by electronic means, please contact Randy Clifford at (778) 362-3037 or by email at [email protected] in order for arrangements to be made that comply with all recommendations, regulations and orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic in respect of attending the Meeting in person or to pre-register with the Company to attend the Meeting online on a viewing-only basis and receive the necessary Meeting login details. The Meeting can accommodate no more than two Shareholders in person. No Shareholder who is experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, including fever, cough or difficulty breathing will be permitted to attend the Meeting in person. The Company may take additional precautionary measures in relation to the Meeting as necessary in response to further developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic and shall comply with all applicable recommendations, regulations and orders related thereto. In the event it is not possible or advisable to hold the Meeting in person, the Company will announce alternative arrangements for the Meeting as promptly as practicable, which may include holding the Meeting entirely by electronic means.
APPOINTMENT AND REVOCATION OF PROXIES
The persons named in the accompanying form of proxy are Directors and/or Officers of the Company. A SHAREHOLDER HAS THE RIGHT TO APPOINT A PERSON (WHO NEED NOT BE A SHAREHOLDER) TO ATTEND AND ACT FOR HIM ON HIS BEHALF AT THE MEETING OTHER THAN THE PERSONS NAMED IN THE ENCLOSED INSTRUMENT OF PROXY. TO EXERCISE THIS RIGHT, A SHAREHOLDER SHALL STRIKE OUT THE NAMES OF THE PERSONS NAMED IN THE INSTRUMENT OF PROXY AND INSERT THE NAME OF HIS NOMINEE IN THE BLANK SPACE PROVIDED, OR COMPLETE ANOTHER INSTRUMENT OF PROXY. A PROXY WILL NOT BE VALID UNLESS IT IS DEPOSITED WITH THE COMPANY'S REGISTRAR AND TRANSFER AGENT,
COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR SERVICES INC., 8[TH] FLOOR, 100 UNIVERSITY AVENUE, TORONTO, ONTARIO, M5J 2Y1, ON OR BEFORE 10:00 A.M., PACIFIC DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2024, OR, IN THE EVENT OF AN ADJOURNMENT, NOT LESS THAN 48 HOURS (EXCLUDING SATURDAY, SUNDAY AND HOLIDAYS) BEFORE THE TIME OF THE ADJOURNED MEETING.
The instrument of proxy must be signed by the Shareholder or by his attorney in writing, or, if the Shareholder is a Company, it must either be under its common seal or signed by a duly authorized officer.
A Shareholder who has given a proxy may revoke it at any time before it is exercised. In addition to revocation in any other manner permitted by law, a proxy may be revoked by an instrument in writing executed by the Shareholder or by his attorney authorized in writing, or, if the Shareholder is a corporation, it must either be under its common seal, or signed by a duly authorized officer and deposited at the Company's Registrar and transfer agent (“ Transfer Agent ”), Computershare Investor Services Inc., 8[th] floor,100 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2Y1 (“ Computershare ”), at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the day of the Meeting, or any adjournment of it, at which the proxy is to be used, or to the Chairperson of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting or any adjournment of it. A revocation of a proxy does not affect any matter on which a vote has been taken prior to the revocation.
These security holder materials are being sent to both Registered and Non-Registered Shareholders of the securities. If you are a Non-Registered Shareholder, and the Company or its Transfer Agent, Computershare, has sent these materials directly to you, your name and address and information about your holdings of securities, have been obtained in accordance with applicable securities regulatory requirements from the Intermediary holding on your behalf.
By choosing to send these materials to you directly, the Company (and not the Intermediary holding on your behalf) has assumed responsibility for (i) delivering these materials to you, and (ii) executing your proper voting instructions. Please return your voting instructions as specified in the request for voting instructions.
If you are a Non-Registered Shareholder, and these materials have been sent to you by the Intermediary holding on your behalf, you will be required to provide proper voting instructions to the Intermediary who will, in turn, provide voting instructions to the Company or its Transfer Agent, Computershare. The Company and Computershare cannot accept voting instructions directly from such Non-Registered Shareholders. Each Intermediary has its own procedure for sending material to Non-Registered Shareholders and for Non-Registered Shareholders to provide instructions to the intermediaries to vote their Common Shares. Non-Registered Shareholders should carefully follow the instructions provided to them by the Intermediary that is holding their Common Shares. In addition, Non-Registered Shareholders that received these materials from an Intermediary attending the Meeting will not be recognized as shareholders or entitled to vote at the Meeting unless they have been appointed as a proxy holder by the Intermediary that is holding their Common Shares. The Intermediary’s instructions will advise how to effect that appointment. All references to Shareholders in this Information Circular and the accompanying Instrument of Proxy are to Registered Shareholders of record, unless specifically stated otherwise.
VOTING OF COMMON SHARES AND EXERCISE OF DISCRETION OF PROXIES
On any poll, the persons named in the enclosed instrument of proxy will vote the Common Shares in respect of which they are appointed. Where directions are given by the Shareholder in respect of voting for or against any resolution, the proxy holder will do so in accordance with such direction.
IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY INSTRUCTION IN THE PROXY, IT IS INTENDED THAT SUCH COMMON SHARES WILL BE VOTED IN FAVOUR OF THE MOTIONS PROPOSED TO BE MADE AT THE MEETING AS STATED UNDER THE HEADINGS IN THIS INFORMATION CIRCULAR. The instrument of proxy enclosed, when properly signed, confers discretionary authority with respect to amendments or variations to the matters which may properly be brought before the Meeting. At the time of printing this Information Circular, the Management of the Company is not aware that any such amendments, variations or other matters are to be presented for action at the Meeting. However, if any other matters which are not now known to the Management should properly come before the Meeting, the proxies hereby solicited will be voted on such matters in accordance with the best judgment of the nominee.
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 not less than 66-2/3% of the votes cast will be required. In the event that a motion proposed at the Meeting requires disinterested Shareholder approval, Common Shares held by Shareholders of the Company who are also "insiders", as such term is defined under applicable securities laws, will be excluded from the count of votes cast on such motion.
ADVICE TO BENEFICIAL SHAREHOLDERS
The information set forth in this section is of significant importance to many Shareholders, as a substantial number of the Shareholders do not hold their Common Shares in their own name. Shareholders holding their
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Common Shares through their brokers, intermediaries, trustees or other parties, or otherwise not holding their Common Shares in their own name (referred to in this Information Circular as "Beneficial Shareholders") should note that only proxies deposited by Shareholders appearing on the records maintained by the Company's transfer agent as registered holders of Common Shares will be recognized and acted upon at the Meeting. If Common Shares are listed in an account statement provided to a Beneficial Shareholder by a broker, those Common Shares, in all likelihood, will NOT be registered in the Shareholder's name. Such Common Shares will more likely be registered under the name of the Shareholder's broker or an agent of that broker. In Canada, the vast majority of such Common Shares are registered under the name of CDS & Co., the registration name for The Canadian Depository for Securities Limited, which acts as nominee for many Canadian brokerage firms. Common Shares held by brokers (or their agents or nominees) on behalf of a broker's client can only be voted (for or against resolutions) at the direction of the Beneficial Shareholder. Without specific instructions, brokers and their agents and nominees are prohibited from voting Common Shares for the broker's clients. Therefore, each Beneficial Shareholder should ensure that voting instructions are communicated to the appropriate party well in advance of the Meeting.
Regulatory polices require brokers and other intermediaries to seek voting instructions from Beneficial Shareholders in advance of shareholder meetings. The various brokers and other intermediaries have their own mailing procedures and provide their own return instructions to clients, which should be carefully followed by the Beneficial Shareholders in order to ensure that their Common Shares are voted at the Meeting. The form requesting such voting instructions (a " VIF ") supplied to the Beneficial Shareholder by its broker (or the agent of the broker) is substantially similar to the Proxy provided directly to the Registered Shareholders by the Company, however, its purpose is limited to instructing the Registered Shareholder (i.e., the broker or agent of the broker) how to vote on behalf of the Beneficial Shareholder.
Most brokers now delegate responsibility for obtaining instructions from clients to Broadridge Investor Communications (" Broadridge ") in Canada. Broadridge typically prepares a machine-readable VIF, mails those forms to Beneficial Shareholders and asks Beneficial Shareholders to return the VIFs to Broadridge (by way of mail, the Internet or telephone). Broadridge then tabulates the results of all instructions received and provides appropriate instructions respecting the voting of Common Shares to be represented at the Meeting. A Beneficial Shareholder cannot use a VIF to vote Common Shares directly at the Meeting. The VIF must be returned to Broadridge (or instructions respecting the voting of Common Shares must otherwise be communicated to Broadridge) or other third party in accordance with the instructions on the VIF well in advance of the Meeting in order to have the Common Shares voted. If you have any questions respecting the voting of Common Shares held through a broker or other Intermediary, please contact that broker or other Intermediary for assistance.
Although a Beneficial Shareholder may not be recognized directly at a Meeting for the purposes of voting Common Shares registered in the name of their broker, a Beneficial Shareholder may attend the Meeting as Proxyholder for the Registered Shareholder and vote the Common Shares in that capacity if the Company receives a properly completed proxy from the Intermediary. Beneficial Shareholders wishing to attend the Meeting and indirectly vote their Common Shares as Proxyholder for the Registered Shareholder, should enter their own names in the blank space on the VIF provided to them and return it in accordance with the instructions provided by such party on the VIF.
These security holder materials are being sent to both Registered Shareholders and Non-Registered Shareholders. If you are a Non-Registered Shareholder and the Company or the Transfer Agent has sent these materials directly to you, your name and address and information about your holdings of securities have been obtained in accordance with applicable securities regulatory requirements from the intermediary holding on your behalf. In this event, by choosing to send these materials to you directly, the Company (and not the intermediary holding on your behalf) has assumed responsibility for (i) delivering these materials to you; and (ii) executing your proper voting instructions. Please return your voting instructions as specified in the request for voting instructions.
There are two kinds of Beneficial Shareholders, those who object to their name being made known to the issuers of securities which they own (“ OBO s” for Objecting Beneficial Owners) and those who do not object to the issuers of the securities they own knowing who they are (“ NOBOs ” for Non-Objecting Beneficial Owners). Pursuant to National Instrument 54-101 (“ NI 54-101 ”) issuers can obtain a list of their NOBOs from intermediaries for distribution of proxy related materials directly to NOBOs.
This year, the Company has decided to take advantage of those provisions of NI 54-101 that permit it to directly deliver proxy-related materials to its NOBOs. As a result, NOBOs can expect to receive a scannable VIF from our Transfer Agent, Computershare. These VIFs are to be completed and returned to Computershare in the envelope provided or by facsimile. In addition, Computershare provides both telephone voting and internet voting as described on the VIF itself which contains complete instructions. Computershare will tabulate the results of the VIFs received from NOBOs and will provide appropriate instructions at the Meeting with respect to the Common Shares represented by the VIFs they receive.
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In accordance with the Provisions of NI 54-101, the Company has elected not to pay for mailing to OBO’s. As a result, OBO’s will only receive paper copies of proxy-related materials if the OBO’s intermediary assumes the costs of delivery.
RECORD DATE AND QUORUM
The board of directors (the “ Board ”) of the Company has fixed the record date for the Meeting as the close of business on September 16, 2024 (the “ Record Date ”). Shareholders of record as at the Record Date are entitled to receive notice of the Meeting and to vote their Common Shares at the Meeting, except to the extent that any such Shareholder transfers any Common Shares after the Record Date and the transferee of those Common Shares establishes that the transferee owns the Common Shares and demands, not less than ten (10) days before the Meeting, that the transferee’s name be included in the list of Shareholders entitled to vote at the Meeting, in which case, only such transferee shall be entitled to vote such Common Shares at the Meeting.
Under the Company’s Articles, the quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of Shareholders is two (2) persons who are, or represent by proxy, Shareholders holding, in the aggregate, at least five percent (5%) of the Common Shares entitled to be voted at the meeting.
VOTING COMMON SHARES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS THEREOF
The authorized capital of the Company consists of an unlimited number of Common Shares and an unlimited number of preferred shares having attached thereto the special rights and restrictions as set forth in the Articles of the Company. On the Record Date, there were 15,800,000 Common Shares issued and outstanding, each share carrying the right to one vote. No Preferred shares have been issued. The Company has no other classes of voting shares.
To the knowledge of the Directors and Senior Officers of the Company, as of the Record Date, there are no persons or corporations that beneficially own, or control or direct, directly or indirectly, common shares carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to all outstanding common shares of the Company, except those shown in the table below:
| Name of Shareholder | Number of Common Shares | Percentage of Issued and Outstanding |
|---|---|---|
| Jim Sekora | 1,630,500 | 10.32% |
| Josh Gerstein | 1,600,000 | 10.13% |
| Avondale Road Capital Corp.(1) | 1,600,000 | 10.13% |
| Total | 4,830,500 | 30.58% |
(1) Avondale Road Capital Corp. is a corporation controlled by Andrew Kiguel
The information above is not within the knowledge of the management of the Company and has been furnished by the respective nominees accordingly.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended March 31, 2024 (the " Financial Statements "), together with the Auditors' Report thereon, will be presented to Shareholders at the Meeting. The Financial Statements, the Auditor’s Report thereon together with Management Discussion and Analysis (“ MD&A ”) for the financial year ended March 31, 2024 are currently available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Notice of Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, Information Circular, Request for Financial Statements (NI 51-102) and form of Proxy are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, from the Company’s Registrar and Transfer Agent, Computershare at 8[th] floor, 100 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2Y1, or from the Company’s head office located at 2500 - 700 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V7Y 1B3.
REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
National Instrument 51-102 “Continuous Disclosure Obligations” sets out the procedures for a Shareholder to receive financial statements. If you wish to receive financial statements, you may use the enclosed form or provide instructions in any other written format. Registered Shareholders must also provide written instructions in order to receive the financial statements.
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
The persons named in the enclosed instrument of proxy intend to vote in favour of a resolution fixing the number of Directors to be elected at four (4). Although Management is nominating four individuals to stand for election, subject to compliance with the Company’s Articles of Incorporation (see “ Advance Notice Provisions ” below), the names of further nominees for Directors may be put forth at the Meeting.
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Each Director of the Company is elected annually and holds office until the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders, or until his successor is duly elected, or until his resignation as a Director.
In the absence of express instructions to the contrary, the Common Shares represented by proxy will be voted for the nominees herein listed. Management does not contemplate that any of the nominees will be unable to serve as a Director.
ADVANCE NOTICE PROVISIONS
The Company's Articles of Incorporation include advance notice provisions (the " Advance Notice Provisions ”), which provide, among other things, a provision that requires advance notice be given to the Company in circumstances where nomination of persons for election to the Board are made by Shareholders of the Company. The Advance Notice Provisions set a deadline by which Shareholders must submit nominations (a " Notice ") for the election of directors to the Company prior to any annual or special meeting of Shareholders. The Advance Notice Provisions also set forth the information that a Shareholder must include in the Notice to the Company, and establish the form in which the Shareholder must submit the Notice for that notice to be in proper written form.
In the case of an annual meeting of Shareholders, a Notice must be provided to the Company not less than 30 days and not more than 65 days prior to the date of the annual meeting. However, in the event that the annual meeting is to be held on a date that is less than 50 days after the date on which the first public announcement of the date of the annual meeting was made, a Notice must be provided to the Company not later than the close of business on the 10th day following such public announcement.
As of the date of this Information Circular, the Company has not received notice of a nomination in compliance with the Advance Notice Provisions.
INFORMATION CONCERNING NOMINEES SUBMITTED BY MANAGEMENT
The following table sets out the names of the persons proposed to be nominated by management of the Company for election as a Director, the province and country in which each person is ordinarily resident, the positions and offices which each presently holds with the Company, the date for which each person became a Director of the Company, the respective principal occupations or employment during the past five years and the number of Common Shares of the Company which each beneficially owns, or controls or directs, directly or indirectly, as of the date of this Information Circular. Each of the four (4) nominees are currently Directors of the Company
Name, Province and Country of Ordinary Residence(1) |
Principal Occupation(1) | Date First Became a Director |
Number of Common Shares Beneficially Owned, Directly or Indirectly(1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Randy Clifford(2) CEO, CFO, Corporate Secretary & Director British Columbia, Canada |
Independent Businessman | September 14, 2018 | 1,500,000 |
| Josh Gerstein(2) Director Ontario, Canada |
Independent Businessman | May 31, 2023 | 1,600,000 |
| Jim Sekora(2) Director Alberta, Canada |
Independent Businessman | May 31, 2023 | 1,630,500 |
| Andrew Kiguel Director Ontario, Canada |
Independent Businessman | May 31, 2023 | 1,600,000(3) |
(1) The information as to province and country of ordinary residence, principal occupation, business or employment and Common Shares beneficially owned or controlled is not within the knowledge of the management of the Company and has been furnished by the respective nominees.
(2) Denotes member of the Audit Committee.
(3) These shares are held by Avondale Road Capital Corp., a corporation controlled by Andrew Kiguel
Other than as specified below, no proposed director of the Company is, or has been, within the 10 years prior to the date of this Information Circular:
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(a) a director or executive officer of any company that 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, while that person was acting in that capacity;
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(b) a director or executive officer of any company that 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 act in that capacity and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in that capacity;
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(c) a director or executive officer of any 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;
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(d) 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 director or officer; or
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(e) has been subject to any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation or by any 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 or self-regulatory authority that would be likely to be considered important to a reasonable investor making an investment decision.
All of the nominees are ordinarily resident in Canada.
The Company does not currently have an Executive Committee of the Board.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
In accordance with the provisions of applicable securities legislation, the Company had one (1) "Named Executive Officer" during the financial year ended March 31, 2024, namely, Randy Clifford, CEO, CFO and Corporate Secretary.
Definitions: For the purpose of this Information Circular:
"CEO" means an individual who acted as chief executive officer of the company, or acted in a similar capacity, for any part of the most recently completed financial year;
"CFO" means an individual who acted as chief financial officer of the company, or acted in a similar capacity, for any part of the most recently completed financial year;
"closing market price" means the price at which the company’s security was last sold, on the applicable date,
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(a) in the security’s principal marketplace in Canada; or
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(b) if the security is not listed or quoted on a marketplace in Canada, in the security’s principal marketplace;
“ equity incentive plan ” means an incentive plan, or portion of an incentive plan, under which awards are granted and that falls within the scope of IFRS 2 Share-based Payment.
“ external management company ” includes a subsidiary, affiliate or associate of the external management company.
“ grant date ” means a date determined for financial statement reporting purposes under IFRS 2 Share-based Payment .
"incentive plan" means any plan providing compensation that depends on achieving certain performance goals or similar conditions within a specified period;
"incentive plan award" means compensation awarded, earned, paid, or payable under an incentive plan;
"NEO" or "named executive officer" means each of the following individuals:
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(a) a CEO;
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(b) a CFO;
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(c) each of the three most highly compensated executive officers, or the three most highly compensated individuals 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, individually, more than $150,000, as determined in accordance with subsection 1.3(6), for that financial year; and
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(d) each individual who would be an NEO 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 that financial year;
"NI 52-107" means National Instrument 52-107 " Acceptable Accounting Principles, Auditing Standards and Reporting Currency ";
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"non-equity incentive plan" means an incentive plan or portion of an incentive plan that is not an equity incentive plan;
" option-based award " means an award under an equity incentive plan of options, including, for greater certainty, share options, share appreciation rights, and similar instruments that have option-like features;
"share-based award" means an award under an equity incentive plan of equity-based instruments that do not have option-like features, including, for greater certainty, common shares, restricted shares, restricted share units, deferred share units, phantom shares, phantom share units, common share equivalent units, and stock.
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Discussion
The Board has not appointed a compensation committee so the responsibilities relating to executive and director compensation, including reviewing and recommending director compensation, overseeing the Company’s base compensation structure and equity-based compensation program, recommending compensation of the Company’s officers and employees, and evaluating the performance of officers generally and in light of annual goals and objectives, is performed by the Board as a whole.
The Board also assumes responsibility for reviewing and monitoring the long-range compensation strategy for the senior management of the Company. The Board reviews the compensation of senior management on an as required basis taking into account compensation paid by other issuers of similar size and activity.
In accordance with the policies of the Exchange, until the Company has completed its Qualifying Transaction, it is prohibited from paying any remuneration, including salaries, consulting fees, management fees, bonuses, or similar fees to NEOs. The Company has granted incentive options to its NEO and its Directors after considering: (i) the experience of the Company’s Directors in making option grants to NEOs by other Capital Pool Companies and (ii) the amount and terms of outstanding options and the number of options remaining available to management and the Board of Directors. Until the Company has completed its Qualifying Transaction, specific performance targets are not built into the compensation structure.
The Board has not conducted a formal evaluation of the implications of the risks associated with the Company’s compensation policies. Risk management is a consideration of the Board when implementing its compensation policies and the Board do not believe that the Company’s compensation policies result in unnecessary or inappropriate risk taking including risks that are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.
Option Based Awards
During the year ended March 31, 2024, the Company had in effect a stock option plan (the " Stock Option Plan ") in order to provide effective incentives to directors, officers and senior management personnel and consultants of the Company and to enable the Company to attract and retain experienced and qualified individuals in those positions by permitting such individuals to directly participate in an increase in per share value created for the Shareholders. The Company currently has no equity compensation plans other than the Stock Option Plan. The Company anticipates that, particularly following completion of its Qualifying Transaction, the Stock Option Plan will be an important part of the Company’s long-term incentive strategy for its executive officers. The Stock Option Plan is intended to reinforce commitment to long-term growth in profitability and Shareholder value. The size of stock option grants to officers is dependent on each officer’s level of responsibility, authority and importance to the Company and the degree to which such executive officer’s long term contribution to the Company will be key to its long-term success. Previous grants of stock options will be taken into account by the Board when considering new grants.
Use of Financial Instruments
The Company does not have a policy that would prohibit a Named Executive Officer or director from purchasing financial instruments, including prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars or units of exchange funds, that are designed to hedge or offset a decrease in market value of equity securities granted as compensation or held, directly or indirectly, by the Named Executive Officer or director. However, management is not aware of any Named Executive or director purchasing such an instrument.
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Summary Compensation Table
The following table sets out the compensation paid to NEOs during the fiscal years ended March 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 in which they were acting in the capacity of a NEO:
| Name and principal position |
Year | Salary | Grant date fair value of share- based awards ($) |
Grant date fair value of option- based awards ($)(1) |
Non-equity incentive plan compensation ($) |
Non-equity incentive plan compensation ($) |
Pensi on value ($) |
All other compensation ($) |
Total compen sation ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual incentiv e plans (f1) |
Long-term incentive plans (f2) |
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| Randy Clifford CEO, CFO & Corporate Secretary |
2024 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| 2022 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
(1) Determined using the Black-Scholes-Merton method.
Incentive Plan Awards – Value Vested or Earned During the Year
Outstanding Share-Based Awards and Option-Based Awards
The following table sets forth particulars of all outstanding share-based and option-based awards granted to the Named Executive Officers and which were outstanding at March 31, 2024:
| Name Randy Clifford CEO, CFO & Corporate Secretary |
Option-based Awards | Option-based Awards | Share-based Awards | Share-based Awards | Share-based Awards | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of securities underlying unexercised options (#) |
Option exercise price ($) |
Option expiration date |
Value of unexercised in-the- money- options ($)(1) |
Number of shares or units of shares that have not vested (#) |
Market or payout value of share-based awards that have not vested ($) |
Market or payout value of share-based awards not paid out or distributed ($) |
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| 597,500 | $0.10 | November 13, 2028 & August 15, 2033 |
Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
(1) For options outstanding at the most recently completed financial year and in-the-money on that date, based on the difference between the closing market price of the Common Shares on the Exchange on March 31, 2024 and the exercise price of the option.
Incentive Plan Awards – Value Vested or Earned During the Year
The following table sets forth particulars of the value vested or earned during the year ended March 31, 2024 in respect of incentive awards to the Named Executive Officer:
| Name | Option-based awards– Value vested during the year ($)(1) |
Share-based awards– Value vested during the year ($) |
Non-equity incentive plan compensation–Value earned during the year ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Randy Clifford CEO, CFO & Corporate Secretary |
195,000 | Nil | Nil |
(1) For options that became vested during the most recently completed financial year and were in-the-money on their vesting date, based on the difference between the closing market price of the Common Shares on the Exchange on the vesting date and the exercise price of the option.
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Narrative Discussion
The grant of stock options to NEOs pursuant to the Company’s Stock Option Plan is discussed above under the heading “Compensation Discussion and Analysis – Option Based Awards.”
As at March 31, 2024, NEOs held 597,500 of the 1,580,000 issued and outstanding stock options. During the year ended March 31, 2024, the Company granted 195,000 stock options to NEOs.
Pension Plan Benefits
No pension, retirement or deferred compensation plans, including defined contribution plans, have been instituted by the Company and none are proposed at this time.
Termination and Change of Control Benefits
During the year ended March 31, 2024, the Company did not have any contracts, agreements, plans or arrangements in place with any NEO that provides for payment following or in connection with any termination, resignation, retirement, a change of control of the Company or a change in an NEO's responsibilities.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS
Management functions of the Company are not, to any substantial degree, performed by a person or persons other than the Directors or Senior Officers of the Company.
COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS
The only arrangement under which directors who are not executive officers are compensated by the Company and its subsidiaries for their services in their capacity as directors is that each director is eligible under the Company’s Stock Option Plan to receive grants of stock options, at the discretion of the Board.
During the year ended March 31, 2024, no directors were paid fees in respect of their role as a director to the Company.
Director Compensation Table
The following table sets forth particulars of all compensation paid to directors who were not executive officers during the years ended March 31, 2024 and 2023:
| Name | Year | Fees earned ($) |
Share- based awards ($) |
Option- based awards(1) ($) |
Non-equity incentive plan compensation ($) |
Pension value ($) |
All other compensation ($) |
Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Gerstein | 2024 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| 2023 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Jim Sekora | 2024 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| 2023 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Andrew Kiguel | 2024 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| 2023 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Leonidas Karabelas | 2024 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| Tyson King | 2024 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
(1) Deemed fair value of options granted during the fiscal year, based on the Black-Scholes-Merton method.
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Incentive Plan Awards – Value Vested or Earned During the Year
Outstanding Share-Based Awards and Option-Based Awards
The following table sets forth particulars of all outstanding share-based and option-based awards granted to the directors and which were outstanding at March 31, 2024:
| Option-based Awards | Option-based Awards | Share-based Awards | Share-based Awards | Share-based Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Number of securities underlying unexercised options (#) |
Option exercise price ($) |
Option expiration date |
Value of unexercised in-the- money- options ($)(1) |
Number of shares or units of shares that have not vested (#) |
Market or payout value of share-based awards that have not vested ($) |
Market or payout value of share-based awards not paid out or distributed ($) |
| Josh Gerstein |
327,500 | $0.10 | August 15, 2033 |
Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Jim Sekora |
327,500 | $0.10 | August 15, 2033 |
Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Andrew Kiguel |
327,500 | $0.10 | August 15, 2033 |
Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
(1) For options outstanding at the most recently completed financial year and in-the-money on that date, based on the difference between the closing market price of the Common Shares on the Exchange on March 31, 2024, and the exercise price of the option.
Incentive Plan Awards – Value Vested or Earned During the Year
The following table sets forth particulars of the value vested or earned during the year ended March 31, 2024 in respect of incentive awards to the Named Executive Officer:
| Name | Option-based awards– Value vested during the year ($)(1) |
Share-based awards– Value vested during the year ($) |
Non-equity incentive plan compensation–Value earned during the year ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Randy Clifford | 195,000 | Nil | Nil |
(1) For options that became vested during the most recently completed financial year and were in-the-money on their vesting date, based on the difference between the closing market price of the Common Shares on the Exchange on the vesting date and the exercise price of the option.
Narrative Discussion
As at March 31, 2024, Directors who were not NEOs held 982,500 of the 1,580,000 issued and outstanding stock options. During the year ended March 31, 2024, the Company granted nil stock options to Directors who were not NEOs.
SECURITIES AUTHORIZED FOR ISSUANCE UNDER EQUITY COMPENSATION PLANS
The following table sets forth information with respect to all compensation plans under which equity securities are authorized for issuance as of March 31, 2024:
| Equity Compensation Plan Information as of March 31, 2024 |
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)) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan Category | (a) | (b) | (c) |
| Equity compensation plans approved by security holders |
Nil | $Nil | Nil |
| Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders(1) |
1,580,000 | $0.10 | Nil |
| TOTAL | 1,580,000 | $0.10 | Nil |
(1) Represents the Company’s Stock Option Plan. As discussed under the heading “Particulars of Other Matters to be Acted On” below, the Company’s Stock Option Plan will be submitted to Shareholders for approval at the Meeting.
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INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS AND SENIOR OFFICERS
Other than "routine indebtedness" as defined in applicable securities legislation, since the beginning of the last fiscal year of the Company, none of the executive officers, directors or employees, any former executive officers, directors or employees of the Company, or any proposed nominee for election as a Director, or any affiliate or associate of any of the foregoing, is or has been indebted to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or has been indebted to any other entity where that indebtedness was the subject of a guarantee, support agreement, letter of credit or other similar arrangement or understanding provided by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
INTEREST OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS
Except as disclosed herein or above, since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year, no informed person (a director, officer, employee, or holder of 10% or more Common Shares) or nominee for election as a director of the Company or any associate or affiliate of any informed person or proposed director had any interest in any transaction which has materially affected or would materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
National Instrument 52-110 of the CSA (“ NI 52-110 ”) requires the Company, as a venture issuer, to disclose annually in its information circular certain information concerning the constitution of its audit committee and its relationship with its independent auditor, as set forth in the following.
Audit Committee Disclosure
Pursuant to Section 224(1) of the British Columbia Business Corporations Act and NI 52-110 the Company is required to have an audit committee comprised of not less than three directors, a majority of whom are not officers, control persons or employees of the Company or an affiliate of the Company. NI 52-110 requires the Company as a venture issuer, to disclose annually in its information circular certain information concerning the makeup of its audit committee and its relationship with its independent auditor.
The primary function of the audit committee (“ Committee ”) is to assist the Board in fulfilling its financial oversight responsibilities by: (i) reviewing the financial reports and other financial information provided by the Company to regulatory authorities and Shareholders; (ii) reviewing the systems for internal corporate controls which have been established by the Board and management; and (iii) overseeing the Company’s financial reporting processes generally. In meeting these responsibilities, the Committee monitors the financial reporting process and internal control system; reviews and appraises the work of external auditors and provides an avenue of communication between the external auditors, senior management and the Board. The Committee is also mandated to review and approve all material related party transactions.
Composition of the Audit Committee
The Audit Committee is comprised of the following members: (i) Randy Clifford; (ii) Josh Gerstein and (iii) Jim Sekora. Each member of the Committee is considered to be financially literate as defined by NI 52-110 in that he has the ability to read and understand a set of financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can presumably be expected to be raised by the Company’s financial statements.
The members of the Committee are elected 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 Committee designate a chair by a majority vote of the full Committee membership.
Relevant Education and Experience
John Randolph Clifford – Not Independent - Mr. Clifford has over thirty years of corporate management and consulting experience with numerous public and private companies as a CEO and CFO. Mr. Clifford has been directly responsible for preparation for the financial reporting with most of these companies.
Josh Gerstein – Independent - Mr. Gerstein has a Master of Business Administration and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Arts in statistics from the University of Western Ontario. Mr. Gerstein also has extensive experience as a director and officer of private and public companies.
Jim Sekora – Independent – Mr. Sekora has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calgary. Mr. Sekora has been a Chartered Accountant since 1986 and has over 30 years of public and private business experience.
All of the members of the Audit Committee are “financially literate” as that term is defined in NI 52-110.
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The Audit Committee’s Charter
The Company has adopted a Charter of the Audit Committee of the Board, a copy of which is annexed hereto as Schedule “A”.
Audit Committee Oversight
Since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year, the Board has not failed to adopt a recommendation of the Committee to nominate or compensate an external auditor.
Reliance on Certain Exemptions
Since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year, the Company has not relied on the exemptions contained in sections 2.4, 6.1.1(4), 6.1.1(5), 6.1.1(6) or 8 of the Instrument. Section 2.4 provides an exemption from the requirement that the audit committee must pre-approve all non-audit services to be provided by the auditor, where the total amount of fees related to the non-audit services are not expected to exceed 5% of the total fees payable to the auditor in the fiscal year in which the non-audit services were provided. Sections 6.1.1(4), 6.1.1(5) and 6.1.1(6) provide exemptions from audit committee composition requirements applicable to venture issuers in certain circumstances. Section 8 permits a company to apply to a securities regulatory authority for an exemption from the requirements of NI 52-110, in whole or in part.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Committee has not adopted specific policies and procedures for the engagement of non-audit services. Subject to the requirements of NI 52-110, the engagement of non-audit services is considered by the Board, and where applicable the Committee, on a case-by-case basis.
External Auditor Service Fees
In the following table, “audit fees” are fees billed by the Company’s external auditor for services provided in auditing the Company’s annual financial statements for the subject year. “Audit-related fees” are fees not included in audit fees that are billed by the auditor for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Company’s financial statements. “Tax fees” are fees billed by the auditor for professional services rendered for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning. “All other fees” are fees billed by the auditor for products and services not included in the foregoing categories.
The fees paid by the Company to its auditor in each of the last three fiscal years, by category, are as follows:
| Financial Year Ending |
Audit Fees | Audit Related Fees | Tax Fees | All Other Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $10,144 | Nil | $945 | Nil |
| 2023 | $10,241 | Nil | $945 | Nil |
| 2022 | $ 8,400 | Nil | $840 | Nil |
Exemption
The Company is relying on the exemption provided by section 6.1 of NI 52-110 which provides that the Company, as a venture issuer, is not required to comply with Part 3 (Composition of the Audit Committee) and Part 5 (Reporting Obligations) of NI 52-110.
APPOINTMENT AND REMUNERATION OF AUDITORS
The persons named in the enclosed Instrument of Proxy will vote for the re-appointment of Saturna Group Chartered Professional Accountants LLP as auditors for the Company, to hold office until the next Annual Meeting of the Shareholders, at a remuneration to be fixed by the Board, and the persons named in the enclosed Proxy intend to vote in favour of such re-appointment. Saturna Group Chartered Professional Accountants LLP has been the auditor of the company since February 26, 2018.
PARTICULARS OF OTHER MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
APPROVAL OF ROLLING STOCK OPTION PLAN
The Company has implemented a 10% rolling Stock Option Plan. Under the policies of the Exchange, a rolling stock option plan, such as the Company’s must be approved by Shareholders on a yearly basis.
On November 24, 2021, the Exchange adopted a new policy, Policy 4.4 Security Based Compensation (the “ New Policy 4.4 ”) governing security-based compensation. The changes to the policy relate to, among other things, the expansion of the policy to cover a number of types of security based compensation in addition to stock options. Subject to approval by shareholders, a number of amendments have been made to the Stock Option Plan in accordance with
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the New Policy 4.4. These changes include amendments allowing optionees to exercise options on a “cashless exercise” or “net exercise” basis, as now expressly permitted by the New Policy 4.4.
Accordingly, at the Meeting, Shareholders will be asked to pass an Ordinary Resolution approving the Company’s Stock Option Plan, as amended in accordance with the New Policy 4.4 (the “ Amended Plan ”). A summary of the material provisions of the Amended Plan are as follows:
-
the Amended Plan reserves, for issue pursuant to stock options, a maximum number of Common Shares equal to 10% of the outstanding Common Shares of the Company from time to time;
-
an optionee must either be a director, senior officer, employee, management company employee or consultant of the Company at the time the stock option is granted in order to be eligible;
-
in accordance with Exchange Policy 2.4 Capital Pool Companies , the Amended Plan now provides that for as long as the Company remains a Capital Pool Company (as defined by the Exchange), no stock options may be granted to any eligible person under the Amended Plan, unless such person has entered into an escrow agreement agreeing to deposit the stock options and any Common Shares issuable thereunder into escrow;
-
the maximum aggregate number of Common Shares issuable pursuant to all security-based compensation (including stock options) granted to any one person in any 12-month period may not exceed 5% of the outstanding Common Shares at the time of grant without Disinterested Shareholder Approval (as defined in the Amended Plan);
-
the maximum aggregate number of Common Shares issuable pursuant to all security-based compensation (including stock options) granted to any one Consultant (as defined by the Exchange) in any 12-month period may not exceed 2% of the outstanding Common Shares at the time of grant;
-
as long as the Company remains a Capital Pool Company (as defined by the Exchange), the Company shall not grant any stock options to Investor Relations Service Provider (as defined by the Exchange). If the Company completes a Qualifying Transaction (as defined by the Exchange) and is no longer a Capital Pool Company, the maximum aggregate number of stock options granted to all Investor Relations Service Providers in any 12-month period may not exceed 2% of the outstanding Common Shares at the time of grant;
-
Investor Relations Service Providers (as defined by the Exchange) may not receive any compensation involving the issuance or potential issuance of Common Shares, other than stock options;
-
the aggregate number of Common Shares reserved for issue to insiders must not exceed 10% of the issued Common Shares at any point in time without Disinterested Shareholder Approval;
-
the aggregate number of Common Shares issuable pursuant to all security based compensation (including stock options) granted to insiders (as a group) in a 12-month period must not exceed 10% of the issued Common Shares, calculated at the time of grant, without Disinterested Shareholder Approval;
-
in accordance with the New Policy 4.4, the Amended Plan now provides that no stock options may be granted under the Amended Plan until the requisite yearly shareholder approval of the Amended Plan has been obtained;
-
the exercise price per common share for a stock option shall be determined by the Board and may not be less than the Discounted Market Price (as determined pursuant to the policies of the Exchange), subject to a minimum exercise price of $0.10;
-
stock options may have a term not exceeding ten years;
-
stock options issued to Investor Relations Service Providers (as defined by the Exchange) must vest such that: (i) no more than ¼ of the stock options vest no sooner than three months after the stock options were granted; (ii) no more than another ¼ of the stock options vest no sooner than six months after the stock options were granted; (iii) no more than another ¼ of the stock options vest no sooner than nine months after the stock options were granted; and (iv) the remainder of the stock options vest no sooner than 12 months after the stock options were granted;
-
other than in the case of (i) death, (ii) termination for cause, or (iii) as a result of prevention by order of a regulatory authority with appropriate jurisdiction, stock options will cease to be exercisable no later than the earlier of the Expiry Date (as defined in the Amended Plan) and 90 days after the optionee ceases to be a Director, Officer, Employee, Consultant, or Management Company Employee (each as defined in Amended
13
Plan) or for a “reasonable period” (not exceeding 12-months) after the optionee ceases to serve in such capacity, as determined by the Board ;
-
stock options are non-assignable and non-transferable;
-
the Amended Plan now contains a “cashless exercise” provision and a “net exercise” provision. The “cashless exercise” provision provides a mechanism for a brokerage firm to facilitate the exercise of a stock option by loaning funds to the optionee. The “net exercise” provision allows for a method of stock option exercise under which the optionee does not make any payment to the issuer for the exercise of their stock options and receives, on exercise, a number of shares equal to the value (current market price less the exercise price) of the stock option valued at the current market price. Pursuant to the New Policy 4.4, the current market price must be the 5-day volume weighted average trading price prior to stock option exercise. The “net exercise” provision is not available for use by Investor Relations Service Providers (as defined by the Exchange);
-
the Amended Plan contains provisions for adjustment (subject to prior Exchange acceptance, if applicable) in the number of Common Shares or other property issuable on exercise of stock options in the event of a share consolidation, split, reclassification or other relevant change in the Common Shares, or an stock dividend, arrangement, amalgamation, merger or combination, or other relevant change in the Company’s corporate structure, or any other relevant change in the Company’s capitalization; and
-
Disinterested Shareholder Approval will be obtained for (i) any reduction in the exercise price of, or extension to the term of, a stock option if the optionee is an insider of the Company at the time of the proposed amendment, (ii) for any amendment resulting in a benefit to an insider of the Company, and (iii) for any increase to the limits prescribed by the Amended Plan, including any grant that would result in such limits being exceeded, and for any other type of compensation granted through the issuance of Common Shares.
A copy of the Amended Plan is available on request from the Company.
The text of the resolution to be passed is as follows. In order to be passed, a majority of the votes cast at the Meeting or in person or by proxy must be voted in favour of the resolution. Management recommends and, unless otherwise directed, the persons named in the enclosed Proxy intend to vote FOR such resolution :
“ BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Company’s rolling Stock Option Plan ,as amendended be and is hereby ratified, confirmed and approved with such additional provisions and amendments, provided that such are not inconsistent with the Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, as the directors of the Company may deem necessary or advisable .”
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Corporate governance relates to the activities of the Board, the members of which are elected by and are accountable to the Shareholders, and takes into account the role of the individual members of management who are appointed by the Board and charged with the day to day management of the Company. The Canadian Securities Administrators (“ CSA ”) have adopted National Policy 58-201 Corporate Governance Guidelines, which provides non prescriptive guidelines on corporate governance practices for reporting issuers such as the Company. In addition, the CSA have implemented National Instrument 58-101 Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices, which prescribes certain disclosure by the Company of its corporate governance practices. This disclosure is presented below.
Board of Directors
The composition of the Board currently consists of four (4) members, and it is proposed that at the Meeting the Shareholders will approve this board of directors consisting of Randy Clifford, Josh Gerstein, Jim Sekora and Andrew Kiguel.
The Board consists of a majority of individuals who qualify as independent directors. For this purpose, a director is independent if he or she has no direct or indirect “material relationship” with the Company. A “material relationship” is a relationship which could, in the view of the Board, be reasonably expected to interfere with the exercise of the director’s independent judgment. Of the proposed nominees, one director, Randy Clifford, CEO, CFO and Corporate Secretary, is considered not independent.
14
Other Reporting Issuers
The following table sets forth the directors of the Company who are currently directors and/or officers of other reporting issuers:
| Name of Director | Name of Reporting Issuer |
|---|---|
| John Randolph Clifford | ICWHY Capital Ventures Inc. |
| Josh Gerstein | ICWHY Capital Ventures Inc. |
| Jim Sekora | ICWHY Capital Ventures Inc. |
| Andrew Kiguel | Iocaste Ventures Inc. Realbotix Corp. Tribe Property Technologies Inc. |
Orientation and Continuing Education
Orientation of new members of the Board is conducted informally by management and members of the Board. The Company has not adopted formal policies respecting continuing education for Board members.
Ethical Business Conduct
The Board has not adopted a formal code of business conduct and ethics. The Board is of the view that the fiduciary duties placed on individual directors by the Company’s governing legislation and common law together with corporate statutory restrictions on an individual director’s participation in Board decisions in which the director has an interest are sufficient to ensure that the Board operates independently of management and in the best interests of the Company.
Nomination of Directors
The Board considers its size each year when it considers the number of directors to recommend to the Shareholders for election at the annual meeting. The Board takes in to account the number of directors required to carry out the Board’s duties effectively and to maintain diversity of views and experience.
The Board has not established a nominating committee and this function is currently performed by the Board as a whole.
Compensation
The Board has not established a formal compensation committee. Rather the independent Board members are responsible for reviewing and determining the adequacy and form of compensation paid to the Company’s executives and key employees. The independent Board members evaluate the performance of the CEO and other senior management measured against the Company’s business goals and industry compensation levels.
Board Committees
The Board has no committees other than the audit committee.
Assessments
The Board annually, and at such other times as it deems appropriate, reviews the performance and effectiveness of the Board, the directors and its committees to determine whether changes in size, personnel or responsibilities are warranted. To assist in its review, the Board conducts informal surveys of its directors and receives reports from each committee respecting its own effectiveness. As part of the assessments, the Board or the individual committee may review their respective mandate or charter and conduct reviews of applicable corporate policies.
OTHER MATTERS
The Management of the Company knows of no other matters to come before the Meeting other than those referred to in the Notice of Meeting. Should any other matters properly come before the Meeting; the Common Shares represented by the Proxy solicited hereby will be voted on such matters in accordance with the best judgment of the persons voting by proxy.
15
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information relating to the Company is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Copies of the Company's financial statements and MD&A may be obtained without charge upon request from the Company's registered and records office Royal Centre, 1500 West Georgia Street, Suite 1500, PO Box 11117, Vancouver, BC, V6E 4N7. Financial information on the Company is provided in its audited financial statements and Management Discussion & Analysis for the year ended March 31, 2024.
DIRECTOR APPROVAL
The contents of this Information Circular and the sending thereof to the Shareholders have been approved by the Board.
DATED at Kamloops, BC, this 16[th] day of September, 2024.
Signed “John Randolph Clifford”
John Randolph Clifford CEO, CFO, Corporate Secretary & Director
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SCHEDULE "A"
SMARTSET SERVICES INC.
(the “Corporation”)
AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARTER
( for Venture Issuers )
A. PURPOSE
The overall purpose of the Audit Committee (the “ Committee ”) is to ensure that the Corporation’s management has designed and implemented an effective system of internal financial controls to review and report on the integrity of the consolidated financial statements and related financial disclosure of the Corporation and to review the Corporation’s compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements as they relate to financial statements, taxation matters and disclosure of financial information.
B. COMPOSITION, PROCEDURES AND ORGANIZATION
-
The Committee shall consist of at least three members of the Board of Directors (the “ Board ”), and a majority of the members of the Committee must be individuals who are not executive officers, employees or control persons of the Corporation, except in the circumstances permitted under National Instrument 52-110.
-
The Board, at its organizational meeting held in conjunction with each annual general meeting of the shareholders, shall appoint the members of the Committee for the ensuing year. The Board may at any time remove or replace any member of the Committee and may fill any vacancy in the Committee.
-
Unless the Board shall have appointed a chair of the Committee, the members of the Committee shall elect a chair and a secretary from among their number.
-
The quorum for meetings shall be a majority of the members of the Committee, present in person or by telephone or other telecommunication device that permits all persons participating in the meeting to speak and to hear each other.
-
The Committee shall have access to such officers and employees of the Corporation and to the Corporation’s external auditors, and to such information respecting the Corporation, as it considers to be necessary or advisable in order to perform its duties and responsibilities.
-
Meetings of the Committee shall be conducted as follows:
-
(a) the Committee shall meet at least four times annually at such times and at such locations as may be requested by the chair of the Committee. The external auditors or any member of the Committee may request a meeting of the Committee;
-
(b) the external auditors shall receive notice of and have the right to attend all meetings of the Committee; and
-
(c) management representatives may be invited to attend all meetings except private sessions with the external auditors.
-
The internal auditors and the external auditors shall have a direct line of communication to the Committee through its chair and may bypass management if deemed necessary. The Committee, through its chair, may contact directly any employee in the Corporation as it deems necessary, and any employee may bring before the Committee any matter involving questionable, illegal or improper financial practices or transactions.
C. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
-
The overall duties and responsibilities of the Committee shall be as follows:
-
(a) to assist the Board in the discharge of its responsibilities relating to the Corporation’s accounting principles, reporting practices and intern.al controls and its approval of the Corporation’s annual and quarterly consolidated financial statements and related financial disclosure;
-
(b) to establish and maintain a direct line of communication with the Corporation’s internal and external auditors and assess their performance;
-
(c) to ensure that the management of the Corporation has designed, implemented and is maintaining an effective system of internal financial controls; and
-
(d) to report regularly to the Board on the fulfilment of its duties and responsibilities.
-
The duties and responsibilities of the Committee as they relate to the external auditors shall be as follows:
17
-
(a) to recommend to the Board a firm of external auditors to be engaged by the Corporation, and to verify the independence of such external auditors;
-
(b) to review and approve the fee, scope and timing of the audit and other related services rendered by the external auditors;
-
(c) review the audit plan of the external auditors prior to the commencement of the audit;
-
(d) to review with the external auditors, upon completion of their audit:
-
(i) contents of their report;
-
(ii) scope and quality of the audit work performed;
-
(iii) adequacy of the Corporation’s financial and auditing personnel;
-
(iv) co-operation received from the Corporation’s personnel during the audit;
-
(v) internal resources used;
-
(vi) significant transactions outside of the normal business of the Corporation;
-
(vii) significant proposed adjustments and recommendations for improving internal accounting controls, accounting principles or management systems; and
-
(viii) the non-audit services provided by the external auditors;
-
-
(e) to discuss with the external auditors the quality and not just the acceptability of the Corporation’s accounting principles; and
-
(f) to implement structures and procedures to ensure that the Committee meets the external auditors on a regular basis in the absence of management.
-
The duties and responsibilities of the Committee as they relate to the Corporation’s internal auditors are to:
-
(a) periodically review the internal audit function with respect to the organization, staffing and effectiveness of the internal audit department;
-
(b) review and approve the interna1 audit plan; and
-
(c) review significant internal audit findings and recommendations, and management’s response thereto.
-
The duties and responsibilities of the Committee as they relate to the internal control procedures of the Corporation are to:
-
(a) review the appropriateness and effectiveness of the Corporation’s policies and business practices which impact on the financial integrity of the Corporation, including those relating to internal auditing, insurance, accounting, information services and systems and financial controls, management reporting and risk management;
-
(b) review compliance under ,the Corporation’s business conduct and ethics policies and to periodically review these policies and recommend to the Board changes which the Committee may deem appropriate;
-
(c) review any unresolved issues between management and the external auditors that could affect the financial reporting or internal controls of the Corporation; and
-
(d) periodically review the Corporation’s financial and auditing procedures and the extent to which recommendations made by the internal audit staff or by the external auditors have been implemented.
-
The Committee is also charged with the responsibility to:
-
(a) review the Corporation’s quarterly statements of’ earnings, including the impact of unusual items and changes in accounting principles and estimates and report to the Board with respect thereto;
-
(b) review and approve the financial sections of:
-
(i) the annual report to Shareholders;
-
(ii) the annual information form, if required;
-
(iii) annual and interim MD&A;
-
(iv) prospectuses;
-
(v) news releases discussing financial results of the Corporation; and
-
18
- (vi) other public reports of a financial nature requiring approval by the Board, and report to the Board with respect thereto; ·
-
(c) review regulatory filings and decisions as they relate to the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements;
-
(d) review the appropriateness of the policies and procedures used in the preparation of the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements and other required disclosure documents, and consider recommendations for any material change to such policies;
-
(e) review and report on the integrity of the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements;
-
(f) review the minutes of any audit committee meeting of subsidiary companies;
-
(g) review with management, the external auditors and, if necessary, with legal counsel, any litigation, claim or other contingency, including tax assessments that could have a material effect upon the financial position or operating results of the Corporation and the manner in which such matters have been disclosed in the consolidated financial statements;
-
(h) review the Corporation’s compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements as they relate to financial statements, tax matters and disclosure of financial information; and
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(i) develop a calendar of activities to be undertaken by the Committee for each ensuing year and to submit the calendar in the appropriate format to the Board of Directors following each annual general meeting of Shareholders.
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The Committee shall have the authority:
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(a) to engage independent counsel and other advisors as it determines necessary to carry out its duties,
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(b) to set and pay the compensation for any advisors employed by the Committee; and
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(c) to communicate directly with the internal and external auditors.
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