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T2 Metals Corp. — AGM Information 2020
Nov 13, 2020
43309_rns_2020-11-12_f17d35d4-70b9-41ed-89a6-2706b8cc32a6.pdf
AGM Information
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NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CIRCULAR
FOR THE
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2020 10:00 A.M. (PACIFIC) SUITE 1305, 1090 WEST GEORGIA STREET VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
COVID-19
In light of ongoing concerns related to the spread of COVID-19, and in order to mitigate the potential risks to the health and safety associated with COVID-19, shareholders are strongly encouraged to vote on the matters before the Meeting by proxy rather than attend the meeting in person. Shareholders wishing to attend the Meeting in person must call the Company at 1.604.685.9316 at least 48 hours prior to the date of the Meeting for further instructions.
AGUILA AMERICAN GOLD LIMITED
#1305 - 1090 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC, V6E 3V7
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL OF SHAREHOLDERS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual General Meeting (the "Meeting") of the Shareholders of Aguila American Gold Limited (hereinafter called the "Company") will be held at Suite 1305, 1090 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, on Wednesday, the 9 th day of December, 2020, at 10:00 AM (Pacific), for the following purposes:
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- To receive the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company for the fiscal years ended April 30, 2020 and 2019, together with the report of the auditor therein;
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- To fix the number of directors at four (4);
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- To elect directors;
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- To appoint DeVisser Gray LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as the auditor of the Company for the ensuing year at a remuneration to be fixed by the directors;
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- To consider and, if thought fit, to pass an ordinary resolution to ratify and approve the Company's incentive stock option plan, as more particularly described in the accompanying Management Information Circular; and
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- To transact such further or other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof.
Accompanying this Notice is a Management Information Circular, a form of Proxy and a Request Form for Annual and Interim Financial Statements. The accompanying Management Information Circular provides information relating to the matters to be addressed at the Meeting and is incorporated into this Notice.
To be valid, the accompanying form of Proxy, duly completed, dated and signed, must arrive at the office of the Registrar and Transfer Agent of the Company, Computershare Investor Services Inc., not less than 48 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) before the time for holding the Meeting or delivered to the Chairman of the Meeting on the day of but prior to the commencement of the Meeting.
If you are a non-registered shareholder of the Company and received this Notice of Meeting and accompanying materials through a broker, a financial institution, a participant, a trustee or administrator of a self-administered retirement savings plan, retirement income fund, education savings plan or other similar self-administered savings or investment plan registered under the Income Tax Act (Canada), or a nominee of any of the foregoing that holds your security on your behalf (the "Intermediary"), please complete and return the materials in accordance with the instructions provided to you by your Intermediary.
COVID-19 GUIDANCE: In light of ongoing concerns related to the spread of COVID-19, and in order to mitigate the potential risks to the health and safety associated with COVID-19, shareholders are strongly encouraged to vote on the matters before the Meeting by proxy rather than attend the meeting in person.
DATED at Vancouver, British Columbia, this 3 rd day of November, 2020.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD
"Nick DeMare"
Nick DeMare, CFO & Corporate Secretary
AGUILA AMERICAN GOLD LIMITED
#1305 - 1090 West Georgia Street Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 3V7
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CIRCULAR
(Containing information as at November 3, 2020, unless otherwise stated)
SOLICITATION OF PROXIES
This management information circular ("Information Circular") is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the management of Aguila American Gold Limited (the "Company") for use at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company (and any adjournment thereof) to be held on December 9, 2020 (the "Meeting") at the time and place and for the purposes set forth in the accompanying Notice of Annual General Meeting. While it is expected that the solicitation will be primarily by mail, proxies may be solicited personally or by telephone by the directors, officers and regular employees of the Company at nominal cost. All costs of solicitation by management will be borne by the Company.
The contents and the sending of this Information Circular have been approved by the directors of the Company.
COVID-19
In view of the current COVID‐19 outbreak, the Company asks that, in considering whether to attend the Meeting in person, shareholders follow the instructions of the Public Health Agency of Canada at https://www.canada.ca/en/publichealth/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/guidance-documents.html. Shareholders are encouraged not to attend the Meeting in person if experiencing any of the described COVID‐19 symptoms of fever, cough or difficulty breathing. The Company may take additional precautionary measures in relation to the Meeting in response to further developments in the COVID‐19 outbreak. As always, the Company encourages shareholders to vote prior to the Meeting. Shareholders are encouraged to vote on the matters before the meeting by proxy. Shareholders wishing to attend the Meeting in person must call the Company at 1.604.685.9316 at least 48 hours prior to the date of the Meeting for further instructions.
APPOINTMENT OF PROXYHOLDER
The individuals named in the accompanying form of proxy are directors and/or officers ("Management's Nominees") of the Company. A SHAREHOLDER WISHING TO APPOINT SOME OTHER PERSON (WHO NEED NOT BE A SHAREHOLDER) TO REPRESENT HIM AT THE MEETING HAS THE RIGHT TO DO SO, EITHER BY STRIKING OUT THE NAMES OF THOSE PERSONS NAMED IN THE ACCOMPANYING FORM OF PROXY AND INSERTING THE DESIRED PERSON'S NAME IN THE BLANK SPACE PROVIDED IN THE FORM OF PROXY OR BY COMPLETING ANOTHER FORM OF PROXY. A proxy will not be valid unless the completed form of proxy is received by Computershare Investor Services Inc. (the "Transfer Agent"), Proxy Department, 9th Floor, 100 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2Y1, not less than 48 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) before the time for holding the Meeting, or any adjournment thereof. Proxies delivered after that time will not be accepted.
REVOCATION OF PROXIES
A shareholder who has given a proxy may revoke it by an instrument in writing executed by the shareholder or by his attorney duly authorized in writing or, where the shareholder is a company, by a duly authorized officer or attorney of the company, and delivered to the head office of the Company located at Suite 1305, 1090 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 3V7 (Attention: Corporate Secretary), at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the day of the Meeting, or if adjourned, any reconvening thereof, or to the Chairman of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting or, if adjourned, any reconvening thereof or in any other manner provided by law. A revocation of a proxy does not affect any matter on which a vote has been taken prior to the revocation.
INFORMATION FOR NON-REGISTERED SHAREHOLDERS
Only registered shareholders or duly appointed proxyholders are permitted to vote at the Meeting. Most shareholders of the Company are "non-registered" shareholders because the common shares of the Company ("Common Shares") they own are not registered in their names but are instead registered in the names of a brokerage firm, bank or other intermediary or in the name of a clearing agency. Shareholders who do not hold their Common Shares in their own name (referred to herein as "Beneficial Shareholders") should note that only registered shareholders may vote at the Meeting. If Common Shares are listed in an account statement provided to a shareholder by a broker, then in almost all cases those Common Shares will not be registered in such shareholder's name on the records of the Company. 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 shares are registered under the name of CDS & Co. (the registration name for CDS Clearing and Depository Services Inc., which company 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 shares for the brokers' clients. Therefore, each Beneficial Shareholder should ensure that voting instructions are communicated to the appropriate person well in advance of the Meeting.
Existing regulatory policy requires brokers and other intermediaries to seek voting instructions from Beneficial Shareholders in advance of shareholders' 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 Beneficial Shareholders in order to ensure that their Common Shares are voted at the Meeting. Often the form of proxy supplied to a Beneficial Shareholder by its broker is identical to the form of proxy provided by the Company to the registered shareholders. 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. The majority of brokers now delegate responsibility for obtaining instructions from clients to Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. ("Broadridge"). Broadridge typically prepares a machine-readable voting instruction form, mails those forms to the Beneficial Shareholders and asks Beneficial Shareholders to return the forms to Broadridge, or otherwise communicate voting instructions to Broadridge (by way of the internet or telephone, for example). 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 who receives a Broadridge voting instruction form cannot use that form to vote Common Shares directly at the Meeting. The voting instruction form must be returned to Broadridge (or instructions respecting the voting of Common Shares must be communicated to Broadridge) well in advance of the Meeting in order to have the Common Shares voted.
This Information Circular and accompanying materials are being sent to both registered shareholders and Beneficial Shareholders. Beneficial Shareholders fall into two categories – those who object to their identity being known to the issuers of securities which they own ("OBOs") and those who do not object to their identity being made known to the issuers of the securities they own ("NOBOs"). Subject to the provision of National Instrument 54-101 – Communication with Beneficial Owners of Securities of a Reporting Issuer ("NI 54-101") issuers may request and obtain a list of their NOBOs from intermediaries via their transfer agents. Pursuant to NI 54-101, issuers may obtain and use the NOBO list for distribution of proxy-related materials directly (not via Broadridge) to such NOBOs. If you are a Beneficial Shareholder, and the Company or its agent has sent these materials directly to you, your name, address and information about your holdings of Common Shares have been obtained in accordance with applicable securities regulatory requirements from the intermediary holding the Common Shares on your behalf.
The Company's OBOs can expect to be contacted by Broadridge or their brokers or their broker's agents as set out above.
Although Beneficial Shareholders may not be recognized directly at the Meeting for the purposes of voting Common Shares registered in the name of his broker, a Beneficial Shareholder may attend the Meeting as proxyholder for the registered shareholder and vote the Common Shares in that capacity. Beneficial Shareholders who wish 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 proxy provided to them and return the same to their broker (or the broker's agent) in accordance with the instructions provided by such broker.
All references to shareholders in this Information Circular and the accompanying form of Proxy and Notice of Annual General Meeting are to shareholders of record unless specifically stated otherwise.
VOTING OF PROXIES
The shares represented by a properly executed proxy in favour of Management's Nominees as proxyholders in the accompanying form of proxy will:
- (a) be voted or withheld from voting in accordance with the instructions of the person appointing the proxyholder on any ballot that may be taken; and
- (b) where a choice with respect to any matter to be acted upon has been specified in the form of proxy, be voted in accordance with the specification made in such proxy.
ON A POLL, SUCH SHARES WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED BY MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY FOR EACH MATTER FOR WHICH NO CHOICE HAS BEEN SPECIFIED, OR WHERE BOTH CHOICES HAVE BEEN SPECIFIED, BY THE SHAREHOLDER.
The enclosed form of proxy when properly completed and delivered and not revoked confers discretionary authority upon the person appointed proxy thereunder to vote with respect to amendments or variations of matters identified in the Notice of Meeting, and with respect to other matters which may properly come before the Meeting. If any amendments or variations to matters identified in the Notice of Meeting are properly brought before the Meeting or any further or other business is properly brought before the Meeting, it is the intention of the persons designated in the enclosed form of proxy to vote in accordance with their best judgment on such matters or business. At the time of the printing of this Information Circular, the management of the Company knows of no such amendment, variation or other matter that may be presented to the Meeting.
INTEREST OF CERTAIN PERSONS OR COMPANIES IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
Except as disclosed herein, no person who has been a director or executive officer of the Company at any time since the beginning of the last financial year, nor any proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company, nor any associate or affiliate of any of the foregoing, has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon other than the election of directors or the appointment of auditors. Directors and senior officers may, however, be interested in the general authorization granted to the directors with respect to stock options to insiders as detailed herein.
VOTING SECURITIES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF VOTING SECURITIES
The authorized capital of the Company consists of an unlimited number of Common Shares without par value. As at November 3, 2020 (the "Record Date"), the Company had 20,201,541 Common Shares issued and outstanding.
Only shareholders of record at the close of business on the Record Date who either personally attend the Meeting or who have completed and delivered a form of proxy in the manner and subject to the provisions described above shall be entitled to vote or to have their shares voted at the Meeting.
On a show of hands, every individual who is present and is entitled to vote as a shareholder or as a representative of one or more corporate shareholders will have one vote, and on a poll every shareholder present in person or represented by a proxy and every person who is a representative of one or more corporate shareholders, will have one vote for each Common Share registered in that shareholder's name on the list of shareholders as at the Record Date, which is available for inspection during normal business hours at the Transfer Agent and will be available at the Meeting. Shareholders represented by proxy holders are not entitled to vote on a show of hands.
To the knowledge of the directors and senior officers of the Company, no persons or companies beneficially own, directly or indirectly, or exercise control or direction over, shares carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to all outstanding shares of the Company as of the close of business on November 3, 2020.
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
The board of directors (the "Board") presently consists of four directors and it is proposed that four directors be elected for the ensuing year.
The term of office of each of the present directors expires at the Meeting. The persons named below will be presented for election at the Meeting as management's nominees and the persons named by management as proxyholders in the accompanying form of proxy intend to vote for the election of these nominees. Management does not contemplate that any of these nominees will be unable to serve as a director. Each director elected will hold office until the next annual general meeting of the Company or until his successor is elected or appointed, unless his office is earlier vacated in accordance with the Articles of the Company or the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the "BCBCA").
The following table and notes thereto set out the name of each of management's nominees for election as a director, the province and country in which he is ordinarily resident, all offices of the Company now held by him, his principal occupation, the period of time he has been a director of the Company, and the number of shares of the Company beneficially owned by him, directly or indirectly, or over which he exercises control or direction, as at the date hereof.
| Name, Position and Province andCountry of Residence(1) | Principal Occupation and, ifnot at present an elected Director,Occupation during the past five years(1) | Director Since | No. of Sharesbeneficiallyheld(2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARK SAXONChief Executive Officer andDirector(Resident ofVictoria,Australia) | Professional Geologist.Mr. Saxon servedon the board of Mawson Gold Limitedfrom March 2005 to March 2020and ofLeading Edge Materials Corp. fromFebruary 2012 to May 2020. Mr. Saxon,with over 23 years of experience workingas a professional geologist, is a graduateofthe University of Melbourne in 1991 witha First Class Bachelor of Science (Hons)in Geology. In 2006, Mr. Saxon achieved aGraduate Diploma of Applied Finance andInvestment through the Financial ServicesInstitute of Australia (FINSIA). He is amember ofthe Australasian Institute ofMining and Metallurgy and the AustralianInstitute of Geoscientists. | July 20,2020 | 1,108,000 |
| NICK DEMARE(3)Chief Financial Officer,Corporate SecretaryandDirector(Resident of British Columbia,Canada) | Chartered Professional Accountant;President and principal of ChaseManagement Ltd.,a private consultingfirm, since 1991. | January 21,2003 | 1,939,580(4) |
| Name, Position and Province andCountry of Residence(1) | Principal Occupation and, ifnot at present an elected Director,Occupation during the past five years(1) | Director Since | No. of Sharesbeneficiallyheld(2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DUŠAN BERKA(3)Director(Resident of British Columbia,Canada) | Professional Engineer. Mr. Berkacurrently serves on theboard of severalpublic companies including EloroResources Ltd., Gaia Metals Corp.(formerly 92 Resources Corp.), King'sBay Resources Corp., MegastarDevelopment Corp., Prospera Energy Inc.and Straightup Resources Inc. | February 11,2011 | 254,500(5) |
| BLAIR WAY(3)Director(Resident of Brisbane,Australia) | Project Development Professional.Mr.Way served as President, CEO anddirector of Leading Edge Materials Corp.from September 2013 to January 2019.Prior to Leading Edge Mr.Way was CEOof Strike Graphite and CEO ofAguilaAmerican Gold. Prior to that he heldexecutive positions with TSX listedVentana Gold and Oceanagold. Mr. Wayholds a Science (Geology) from AcadiaUniversity in Nova Scotia, Canada, anMBA from the University of Queensland,Australia, and is a Fellow of theAustralasian Institute of Mining andMetallurgy. | September 19,2012 | 245,000(6) |
NOTES:
- (1) The information as to province or state and country of residence and principal occupation, not being within the knowledge of the Company, has been furnished by the respective directors individually.
- (2) The information as to shares beneficially owned or over which a director exercises control or direction, not being within the knowledge of the Company, has been furnished by the respective directors individually.
- (3) Denotes member of Audit Committee.
- (4) Includes 747,900 and 60,200 shares held by DNG Capital Corp. and Chase Management Ltd., respectively, private corporations wholly-owned by Mr. DeMare; and 200,000 shares held by 888 Capital Corp., a private corporation 50% owned by Mr. DeMare.
- (5) Held through Duster Capital Corp., a private corporation owned by Mr. Berka.
- (6) Held through Ironbark Enterprises Inc., a private corporation owned by Mr. Way.
Corporate Cease Trade Orders or Bankruptcies
Other than as disclosed below, none of the proposed directors of the Company or any of their personal holding companies:
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(a) is, as at the date of this Information Circular, or has been, within ten years before the date of this Information Circular, a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any Company, including the Company, that:
- (i) was subject to a cease trade order 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 the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer; or
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(ii) was subject to a cease trade or similar order or an order that denied the 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 person ceased to be a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of the Company and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer; or
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(b) is as at the date of this Information Circular or has been within the 10 years before the date of this Information Circular, a director or executive officer of any Company, including the Company, that while that person was acting in that capacity, or within a year of that person ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets; or
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(c) has, within the 10 years before the date of this Information Circular, become bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or become subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangements or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of that person.
None of the proposed directors or any of their personal holding companies has been subject to:
- (a) any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation or by a securities regulatory authority or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority; or
- (b) any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable securityholder in deciding whether to vote for a proposed director.
STATEMENT OF EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The following disclosure regarding executive compensation is provided pursuant to National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure and in accordance with Form 51-102F6V for venture issuers.
General
For the purposes of this Management Proxy Circular, a "Named Executive Officer" (a "NEO") means the following persons:
- (a) each individual who, in respect of the company, during any part of the most recently completed financial year, served as chief executive officer ("CEO"), including an individual performing functions similar to a CEO;
- (b) each individual who, in respect of the company, during any part of the most recently completed financial year, served as chief financial officer ("CFO"), including an individual performing functions similar to a CFO;
- (c) in respect of the company and its subsidiaries, the most highly compensated executive officer other than the individuals identified in paragraphs (a) and (b) at the end of the most recently completed financial year whose total compensation was more than $150,000, as determined in accordance with subsection 1.3(5), for that financial year; and
(d) each individual who would be a named executive officer under paragraph (c) but for the fact that the individual was not an executive officer of the company, and was not acting in a similar capacity, at the end of that financial year.
During the financial years ended April 30, 2020 and 2019, the Company had one NEO, namely: Nick DeMare, interim CEO and CFO. On July 23, 2020 Mr. Mark Saxon was appointed as the CEO and a director of the Company.
Director and NEO Compensation, Excluding Options and Compensation Securities
The following table of compensation, excluding options and compensation securities, provides a summary of the compensation paid by the Company to each NEO and director of the Company, current and/or former, for the completed financial years ended April 30, 2020 and 2019. Options and compensation securities are disclosed under the heading "Stock Options and Other Compensation Securities and Instruments" below.
| Table of Compensation, Excluding Compensation Securities | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and position | Year(1) | Salary,consultingfee, retainer orcommission($)(2) | Bonus($)(2) | Committee ormeeting fees($)(2) | Value ofperquisites($)(2) | Value ofall othercompensation($)(2) | Totalcompensation($)(2) |
| Saxon(3)MarkCEO and Director | 20202019 | n/an/a | n/an/a | n/an/a | n/an/a | n/an/a | n/an/a |
| Nick DeMare(4)CFO, CorporateSecretary, Directorandformer interim CEO | 20202019 | 36,000(5)36,000(5) | -- | -- | -- | 15,800(5)17,300(5) | 51,80053,300 |
| Dušan BerkaDirector | 20202019 | 6,0006,000 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 6,0006,000 |
| Blair WayDirector | 20202019 | 6,0006,000 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 6,0006,000 |
NOTES:
(1) Financial years ended April 30.
(2) All amounts shown were paid in Canadian currency, the reporting currency of the Company.
- (3) On July 23, 2020 Mr. Saxon was appointed as CEO and a director of the Company.
- (4) Mr. DeMare served as the Company's interim CEO from February 7, 2017 to July 23, 2020.
- (5) Paid to Chase Management Ltd. ("Chase"), a private corporation owned by Mr. DeMare, of which $36,000 (2019 $36,000) was for Mr. DeMare's services and $15,800 (2019 - $17,300) was for accounting and administrative services provided by Chase personnel, excluding Mr. DeMare.
Stock Options and Other Compensation Securities and Instruments
The following table of compensation securities provides a summary of all compensation securities granted or issued by the Company to each NEO and director of the Company, current and former, for the financial year ended April 30, 2020, for services provided or to be provided, directly or indirectly, to the Company or any of its subsidiaries:
| Compensation Securities | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Type ofcompensationsecurity | Number ofcompensationsecurities,number ofunderlyingsecurities | Date ofissue orgrant | Issue,conversionor exerciseprice($) | Closing priceof security orunderlyingsecurity ondate of grant($) | Closing priceof security orunderlyingsecurity atyear end($) | Expiry Date |
| Mark Saxon | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Nick DeMare | OptionsOptions | 114,000(1)60,000(2) | Jul. 23/19Jul. 23/19 | $0.23$0.23 | $0.23$0.23 | $0.14$0.14 | Jul. 23/23Jul. 23/23 |
| Dušan Berka | Options | 60,000(3) | Jul. 23/19 | $0.23 | $0.23 | $0.14 | Jul. 23/23 |
| Blair Way | Options | 60,000(4) | Jul. 23/19 | $0.23 | $0.23 | $0.14 | Jul. 23/23 |
NOTES:
(1) Granted to DNG Capital Corp., a private company owned by Mr. DeMare.
(2) Granted to Chase Management Ltd., a private company owned by Mr. DeMare.
(3) Granted to Duster Capital Corp., a private company owned by Mr. Berka.
(4) Granted to Ironbark Enterprises Inc., a private company owned by Mr. Way.
The following table provides a summary of each exercise of compensation securities by each NEO and director of the Company, current and former, for the financial year ended April 30, 2020:
| Exercise of Compensation Securities | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Type ofcompensationsecurity | Number ofunderlyingsecuritiesexercised | Exerciseprice persecurity($) | Date ofexercise | Closingpricepersecurityon date ofexercise($) | Differencebetweenexerciseprice andclosingprice ondateof exercise($) | Total valueon exercisedate($) |
| Mark Saxon | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Nick DeMare | OptionsOptions | 114,000(1)60,000(2) | $0.23$0.23 | Jul. 30/2019Dec. 16/2019 | $0.18$0.175 | -- | -- |
| Dušan Berka | Options | 60,000(3) | $0.23 | Jul.30/2019 | $0.18 | - | - |
| Blair Way | Options | 60,000(4) | $0.23 | Jul. 30/2019 | $0.18 | - | - |
NOTES:
(1) Exercised by DNG Capital Corp., a private company owned by Mr. DeMare.
(2) Exercised by Chase Management Ltd., a private company owned by Mr. DeMare.
(3) Exercised by Duster Capital Corp., a private company owned by Mr. Berka.
(4) Exercised by Ironbark Enterprises Inc., a private company owned by Mr. Way.
Stock Option Plans and Other Incentive Plans
The Company has no other incentive plans other than its stock option plan (the "Option Plan"). The purpose of the Option Plan is to provide the Company with a share related mechanism to enable the Company to attract, retain and motivate qualified directors, officers, employees and other service providers, to reward directors, officers, employees and other service providers for their contribution toward the long term goals of the Company and to enable and encourage such individuals to acquire shares of the Company as long term investments.
For a description of the Option Plan, see "Particulars of Other Matters to be Acted Upon – Ratification of Stock Option Plan".
Employment, Consulting and Management Agreements
No management functions of the Company are, to any substantial degree, performed by a person or company other than the directors or NEOs of the Company.
Oversight and Description of Director and NEO Compensation
Compensation, Philosophy and Objectives
The Board meets to discuss and determine management compensation, without reference to formal objectives, criteria or analysis. The general objectives of the Company's compensation strategy are to (a) compensate management in a manner that encourages and rewards a high level of performance and outstanding results with a view to increasing longterm shareholder value; (b) align management's interests with the long-term interests of shareholders; and (c) ensure that the total compensation package is designed in a manner that takes into account the constraints that the Company is under by virtue of the fact that it is a junior mineral exploration company without a history of earnings.
The Board, as a whole, ensures that total compensation paid to all Named Executive Officers (or NEOs), as hereinafter defined, is fair and reasonable. The Board as a whole recommends levels of executive compensation that are competitive, motivating and commensurate with the time spent by executive officers in meeting their obligations. While the Board does not have direct experience related to executive compensation, the Board relies on their experience as officers and directors.
Analysis of Elements
Base salary is used to provide the NEOs a set amount of money during the year with the expectation that each NEO will perform his responsibilities to the best of his ability and in the best interests of the Company.
The Company considers the granting of incentive stock options to be a significant component of executive compensation as it allows the Company to reward each NEO's efforts to increase value for shareholders without requiring the Company to use cash from its treasury. Stock options are generally awarded to executive officers at the commencement of employment and periodically thereafter. The terms and conditions of the Company's stock option grants, including vesting provisions and exercise prices, are governed by the terms of the Company's Option Plan. A description of the significant terms of the Option Plan is found under the heading "Stock Option Plans and Other Incentive Plans".
The Company does not determine executive compensation based on the share price performance. Overall the salaries or consulting fees payable to the NEOs, in particular to the Company's CEO, have had a minor upward trend in order to provide competitive levels of compensation necessary to attract and maintain executive talent.
The Board has considered the implications of the risks associated with the Company's compensation practices. The Board acknowledges that the Company, as a junior natural resource company, does not presently generate any revenues, and that all management compensation to date has been derived solely from cash in the Company's treasury, acquired by way of equity financings to date, and the grant of incentive stock options to directors, management, contractors and employees. Salary compensation to the NEOs is provided for under verbal understandings or written consulting agreements with the NEOs or management companies under their control. Upon the occurrence of certain events, the Company's early termination of these contracts may also trigger additional balloon payments, which could adversely impact the Company's working capital.
Option-Based Awards
The Company has no long-term incentive plans other than the Option Plan. The Company's directors, employees, officers and certain consultants are entitled to participate in the Option Plan. The Option Plan is designed to encourage share ownership and entrepreneurship on the part of the senior management and other employees. The Board believes that the Option Plan aligns the interests of the NEOs and the Board with shareholders by linking a component of executive compensation to the longer term performance of the Company's common shares.
Options are granted by the Board. In monitoring or adjusting the option allotments, the Board takes into account its own observations on individual performance (where possible) and its assessment of individual contribution to shareholder value, previous option grants and the objectives set for the NEOs and the Board. The scale of options is generally commensurate to the appropriate level of base compensation for each level of responsibility.
In addition to determining the number of options to be granted pursuant to the methodology outlined above, the Board also makes the following determinations:
- parties who are entitled to participate in the Option Plan;
- the exercise price for each stock option granted, subject to the provision that the exercise price cannot be lower than the prescribed discount permitted by the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") from the market price on the date of grant;
- the date on which each option is granted;
- the vesting period, if any, for each stock option;
- the other material terms and conditions of each stock option grant; and
- any re-pricing or amendment to a stock option grant.
The Board makes these determinations subject to and in accordance with the provisions of the Option Plan. The Board reviews and approves grants of options on an annual basis and periodically during a financial year.
There is no restriction on NEOs or Directors regarding the purchase of financial instruments, including prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars or units or 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 NEO or Director for the financial year ended April 30, 2020.
No NEO or Director, directly or indirectly, purchased any financial instruments or employed a strategy to hedge or offset a decrease in market value of equity securities granted as compensation or held.
Termination and Change of Control Benefits
The Company does not have any plan contract, agreement or plan or arrangement that provides for payments to a NEO at, following or in connection with any termination (whether voluntary, involuntary or constructive), resignation, a change in control of the Company or a change in the NEO's responsibilities.
Pension Plan Benefits
The Company does not have any form of pension plan that provides for payments or benefits to the NEOs at, following, or in connection with retirement. The Company does not have any form of deferred compensation plan.
SECURITIES AUTHORIZED FOR ISSUANCE UNDER EQUITY COMPENSATION PLANS
The following table provides information regarding compensation plans under which securities of the Company are authorized for issuance to directors, officers, employees and consultants in effect as of the end of the Company's most recently completed fiscal year end:
| Plan Category | Column (a)Number of Securities to beIssued Upon Exercise ofOutstanding Options,Warrants and Rights | Column (b)Weighted-Average ExercisePrice of Outstanding Options,Warrants and Rights | Column (c)Number of SecuritiesRemaining Available forFuture Issuance Under EquityCompensation Plans(Excluding Securities Reflectedin Column (a)) (1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity CompensationPlans Approved BySecurityholders | - | N/A | 323,899 |
| Equity CompensationPlans Not Approved BySecurityholders | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total | - | N/A | 323,899 |
NOTE:
(1) Based upon the Company having 3,238,985 common shares issued and outstanding as at April 30, 2020. The Company currently has in place a "rolling" stock option plan whereby the maximum number of common shares that may be reserved for issuance pursuant to the such plan will not exceed 10% of the issued shares of the Company at the time of the stock option grant. See "Particulars of Other Matters to be Acted Upon – Ratification of Stock Option Plan" for further particulars of the stock option plan.
INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
As of November 3, 2020, the date of this Information Circular, no director, executive officer, employee, proposed management nominee for election as a director of the Company, nor any associate of any such director, executive officer, or proposed management nominee of the Company, or any former director, executive officer or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, was indebted to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or indebted to another entity where such 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
Other than as set out below and elsewhere in this Information Circular, none of the proposed directors, directors or executive officers of the Company, a director or executive officer of a person or company that is itself an informed person (as defined in National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations) or subsidiary of the Company, nor any person or company who beneficially owns, or controls or directs, directly or indirectly, Common Shares or a combination of both, carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to the outstanding Common Shares nor an associate or affiliate of any of the foregoing persons has since May 1, 2019 (being the commencement of the Company's last completed financial year) any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transactions which materially affected or would materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
APPOINTMENT OF AUDITOR
Unless such authority is withheld, the persons named in the accompanying proxy intend to vote for the appointment of DeVisser Gray LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as auditors of the Company and to authorize the directors to fix their remuneration.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS
Management functions of the Company are substantially performed by directors or senior officers (or private companies controlled by them, either directly or indirectly) of the Company and not, to any substantial degree, by any other person with whom the Company has contracted.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
Under National Instrument 52-110 – Audit Committees ("NI 52-110"), companies are required to provide disclosure with respect to their audit committee, including the text of the audit committee's charter, the composition of the audit committee and the fees paid to the external auditor.
Audit Committee Charter
The Company has adopted a Charter of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, the text of which is set out in the attached Schedule "A" to this Information Circular.
Composition of the Audit Committee
The following are the members of the Audit Committee:
| Name | Independent (1) | Financially Literate |
|---|---|---|
| Nick DeMare | N | Y |
| Dušan Berka | Y | Y |
| Blair Way | Y | Y |
(1) As defined in NI 52-110.
The Company is relying on the exemption provided under Section 6.1 of NI 52-110.
Relevant Education and Experience
Nick DeMare is a Chartered Professional Accountant and has been the President of Chase Management Ltd. since 1991. Chase is a private company which provides accounting, management, securities regulatory compliance and corporate secretarial services to companies listed on the Toronto and Venture Exchanges and their predecessors. He also serves as an officer and/or director of a number of public companies listed on the Toronto and Venture Exchanges. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia and is a member in good standing with the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia.
Dušan Berka has over 40 years of international business experience, including an extensive experience in the financing, marketing and administration of public companies, having served as a director and officer of various public companies for 35 years.
Blair Way is a seasoned resource professional with a career spanning over 25 years that has encompassed exploration, development, and mining construction throughout Australia, Asia, Canada, the United States and Europe. Mr. Way has been successful in building and managing teams that have commissioned mines into production. Mr. Way holds a Bachelor of Science (Geology) degree as well as a Masters of Business Administration.
As such, each member of the audit committee has acquired knowledge and understanding of the financial issues and accounting principles that are relevant in assessing this Company's financial disclosures and internal control systems.
Audit Committee Oversight
At no time since the commencement of the Company's most recently completed financial year was a recommendation of the Audit Committee to nominate or compensate an external auditor not adopted by the Board.
Reliance on Certain Exemptions
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), the exemptions in Subsection 6.1.1(4) (Circumstances Affecting the Business or Operations of the Venture Issuer), Subsection 6.1.1(5) (Events Outside Control of Member), Subsection 6.1.1(6) (Death, Incapacity or Resignation) 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 has adopted specific policies and procedures for the engagement of non-audit services as described in the attached Schedule "A" under the heading "External Auditors" in the Audit Committee Charter.
External Auditor Service Fees (By Category)
The aggregate fees billed by the Company's external auditors in each of the last two financial years for audit fees are as follows:
| Financial Year Ending | Audit Fees(1) | Audit Related Fees(2) | Tax Fees(3) | All Other Fees(4) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 30, 2020 | $7,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| April 30, 2019 | $7,500 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
NOTES:
- (1) The aggregate audit fees billed.
- (2) The aggregate fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or the review of the Company's financial statements are not included under the heading of "Audit Fees".
- (3) The aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning, as well as the preparation of corporate income tax returns.
- (4) The aggregate fees billed for products and services other than as set out under the headings "Audit Fees", "Audit Related Fees" and "Tax Fees".
Exemption
The Company is currently a "Venture Issuer", as defined in Section 1.1 of NI 52-110. Accordingly, in providing the disclosure contained under this section titled "Audit Committee", the Company is relying upon the exemption in Section 6.1 of NI 52-110 (which is available to all Venture Issuers).
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRACTICE
National Instrument 58-101, Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices ("NI 58-101") requires issuers to disclose their governance practices in accordance with that instrument. The Company is a "venture issuer" within the meaning of NI 58-101.
The Board has adopted certain corporate governance policies to reflect the Company's commitment to good corporate governance, and to comply with NI 58-101, Form 58-101F2 - Corporate Governance Disclosure (Venture Issuers) and National Policy 58-201 - Corporate Governance Guidelines. The Board periodically reviews these policies and proposes modifications to the Board for consideration as appropriate. The Company considers good corporate governance to be central to the effective and efficient management and operation of the Company, and the Board is directly responsible for developing the Company's approach to corporate governance issues. A discussion of the Company's governance practices within the context of NI 58-101 is set out below:
Statement of Corporate Governance Practices
Corporate governance relates to the activities of the board of directors of the Company (the "Board"), the members of which are elected by and are accountable to the shareholders, and takes into account the role of the individual members of management who are appointed by the Board and who are charged with the day-to-day management of the Company. The Board is committed to sound corporate governance practices which are both in the interest of its shareholders and contribute to effective and efficient decision making. National Policy 58-201 Corporate Governance Guidelines establishes corporate governance guidelines which apply to all public companies. The Company has reviewed its own corporate governance practices in light of these guidelines. In certain cases, the Company's practices comply with the guidelines, however, the Board considers that some of the guidelines are not suitable for the Company at its current stage of development and therefore these guidelines have not been adopted. National Instrument 58-101 Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices mandates disclosure of corporate governance practices for Venture Issuers in Form 58-101F2, which disclosure is set out below.
Board of Directors
The Company currently has two independent directors, namely: Messrs. Dušan Berka and Blair Way. The Company has two directors who are not independent because they are executive officers of the Company, namely: Mr. Mark Saxon, President and CEO and Mr. Nick DeMare, CFO and Corporate Secretary.
The Board facilitates the exercise of independent supervision over management through various Board meetings held throughout the year. At present, the Board does not have any formal committees other than its Audit Committee. When necessary, the Board will strike a special committee of independent directors to deal with matters requiring independence. The composition of the Board is such that the independent directors have significant experience in business affairs. As a result, these Board members are able to provide significant and valuable independent supervision over management.
Directorships
As of the date of this information circular, certain directors of the Company are also serving as directors of other reporting issuers, details of which are as follows:
| Mark Saxon: | Medallion Resources Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Nick DeMare: | American Helium Inc.,Cliffmont Resources Ltd.,EastWest Petroleum Corp.,Hannan Metals Ltd.,Hansa Resources Limited,Kingsmen Resources Ltd.,MawsonGold Limited,Mirasol Resources Ltd., Rochester Resources Ltd.,RockshieldAcquisition Corp., Rockshield Capital Corp., Rockshield Opportunities Corp.,Salazar Resources Limited andTinka Resources Limited |
| Dušan Berka: | Eloro Resources Ltd., King's Bay Resources Corp., Gaia Metals Corp.(formerly 92Resources Corp.),Megastar Development Corp., Prospera Energy Inc. andStraightup Resources Inc. |
| Blair Way: | None |
Orientation and Continuing Education
The CEO and/or the CFO are responsible for providing an orientation for new directors. Director orientation and ongoing training will include presentations by senior management to familiarize directors with the Company's strategic plans, its significant financial, accounting and risk management issues, its compliance programs, its principal officers and its internal and independent auditors.
Ethical Business Conduct
The Company does not have a written code of ethical business conduct for its directors, officers and employees. Each director, officer and employee is expected to comply with relevant corporate and securities laws and, where applicable, the terms of their employment agreements.
Nomination of Directors
When a Board vacancy occurs or is contemplated, any director may make recommendations to the Board as to qualified individuals for nomination to the Board.
In identifying new candidates, the directors will take into account the mix of director characteristics and diverse experiences, perspectives and skills appropriate for the Company at that time.
Compensation
Mr. Mark Saxon receives a monthly compensation of $7,000 in his capacity as CEO of the Company since July 23, 2020. Mr. DeMare receives a monthly compensation of $3,000 in his capacity as CFO of the Company.
From time to time, the independent directors of the Board will review the compensation payable to the CEO and CFO. Compensation for Board members is determined by the Board as a whole and in accordance with industry norms and with reference to each individual director's level of involvement with the Company.
Other Board Committees
The Board has no standing committees other than the audit committee. The Board is satisfied that in view of the size and composition of the Board, it is more efficient and cost effective for the full board to perform the duties that would be required by standing committees, other than the audit committee.
Assessments
The Board does not conduct any formal evaluation of the performance and effectiveness of the members of the Board, the Board as a whole or any committee of the Board. These matters are dealt with on a case by case basis at the Board level.
PARTICULARS OF OTHER MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
Ratification of Stock Option Plan
In October 2003 the Company established a 10% rolling stock option plan (the "Option Plan"), as amended in Octoboer 2014, whereby the maximum number of common shares that may be reserved for issuance pursuant to such plan will not exceed 10% of the issued shares of the Company at the time of the stock option grant. The Option Plan has been ratified and approved by the Shareholders at the Company's annual meetings since 2014. In accordance with the policies of the Exchange, a rolling plan requires the approval of the shareholders of the Company on an annual basis.
The purpose of the Option Plan is to provide the Company with a share related mechanism to enable the Company to attract, retain and motivate qualified directors, officers, employees and other service providers, to reward directors, officers, employees and other service providers for their contribution toward the long term goals of the Company and to enable and encourage such individuals to acquire shares of the Company as long term investments.
The following information is intended to be a brief description of the Option Plan and is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the Option Plan which is available for review by any Shareholder up until the day preceding the Meeting at the Company's head office at Suite 1305, 1090 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, and will be available at the Meeting:
(a) To be eligible for the issuance of a stock option under the Option Plan an optionee must either be a director, employee (including an officer) or consultant of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or a company owned by an employee, director or consultant at the time the option is granted. Options may be granted only to an individual or to a company that is owned by individuals eligible for an option grant.
- (b) The options granted pursuant to the Option Plan will be exercisable at a price which is not lower than the market value of the Company's Shares at the time the option is granted less any applicable discounts permitted by the applicable regulatory authorities. "Market Value" will be the closing trading price of the Company's Shares on the Exchange or such other stock exchange upon which the common shares are listed on the trading day immediately preceding the date of the grant of the option.
- (c) Options granted under the Option Plan will be granted for a term not to exceed ten years from the date of their grant. All options will terminate on the earlier of the expiry of their term and the date of termination of an option holder's employment, engagement or position with the Company if terminated for just cause or on other bases as set out in the Option Plan, otherwise 90 days following termination of employment or cessation of the option holder's position with the Company.
- (d) The Company's Board may, at their discretion, impose vesting provisions on Options granted under the Option Plan. Notwithstanding any vesting schedule to which Options are subject, Options shall cease to vest immediately if the employment or engagement of an Option Holder as an Employee or Consultant or the position of an Option Holder as a director or officer of the Company or a Subsidiary is terminated for any reason whatsoever. In which case, the Option Holder may only exercise such number of Options that are vested as at the date of termination of such Option Holder's employment, engagement or appointment as a director or officer.
- (e) Options will also be non-assignable and non-transferable; provided that they will be exercisable by an option holder's legal heirs or personal representatives, subject to the expiry date of such option, for up to 12 months following the death or termination of an option holder due to disability, and up to 12 months following the death of an option holder terminated for disability within the previous 12 months.
- (f) The number of common shares of the Company reserved for issuance to any one person on a yearly basis cannot exceed 5% of the number of issued and outstanding common shares of the Company at the time of the grant of options, unless the Company has obtained disinterested shareholder approval as required by the Exchange. The aggregate number of options granted to employees or consultants engaged in investor relations activities must not exceed 2% of the outstanding issue in any 12 month period and such options must vest in stages over 12 months with no more than 25% of the options vesting in any three month period.
- (g) In the event that the expiration date of Options granted under the Option Plan falls in a period during which the Company has imposed a restriction on its directors, officers, employees and consultants from trading in securities of the Company, the expiry date of such Options will be extended for a period of time ending on the tenth business day after the expiry of the Black-Out to provide such Option Holders with an extension to the right to exercise such Options, so long as the expiry date does not exceed ten years from the date of grant of such Options.
- (h) If a material alteration in the capital structure of the Company occurs as a result of a consolidation, subdivision, conversion, exchange, reclassification or otherwise, the Board shall make adjustments to the Option Plan and to the options then outstanding under it as the Board determines to be appropriate and equitable under the circumstances, unless the Board determines that it is not practicable or feasible to do so, in which event the options granted under the Option Plan will terminate as set forth above.
- (i) The Board may amend the terms of the Option Plan or the terms and conditions of any option thereafter to be granted, subject to approval of any stock exchange on which the Company is listed, provided that where such amendment relates to an existing option and it would materially decrease the rights or benefits accruing to an option holder or materially increase the obligations of an option holder, then, unless otherwise excepted out by a provision of the Option Plan, the Board must also obtain the written consent of the option holder in question to such amendment. If at the time the exercise price of an option is reduced the option holder is an insider of the Company, the insider must not exercise the option at the reduced exercise price until the reduction in exercise price has been approved by the disinterested shareholders of the Company.
The Exchange policies require that the Option Plan be approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the Meeting. Accordingly, the Company requests that the Shareholders pass the following resolution:
"RESOLVED, as an ordinary resolution, that:
-
- the stock option plan (the "Option Plan") of Aguila American Gold Limited (the "Company"), in the form ratified and approved by the Shareholders of the Company at the last annual general meeting held on January 24, 2019, with or without amendments that may be required to conform to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange or comply with rules and regulations of any other regulatory body having authority over the Company or the Option Plan, is hereby ratified, confirmed and approved;
-
- the Company is authorized to grant stock options pursuant and subject to the terms and conditions of the Option Plan entitling all of the optionholders in aggregate to purchase up to such number of common shares of the Company as is equal to 10% of the number of common shares of the Company issued and outstanding on the applicable grant date; and
-
- any one of the directors or officers of the Company be authorized and directed to perform all such acts, deeds and things and execute, under the seal of the Company or otherwise, all such documents and other writings, including treasury orders, stock exchange and securities commission forms, as may be required to give effect to the true intent of this resolution."
An ordinary resolution is a resolution passed by a majority of at least 50% of the votes cast by those Shareholders, who being entitled to do so, vote in person or by proxy in respect of that resolution at the Meeting.
Management of the Company recommends that the shareholders vote in favour of the Ratification of Stock Option Plan Resolution. It is the intention of persons named in the enclosed form of proxy, if not expressly directed otherwise in such form of proxy, to vote such proxy FOR the Stock Option Plan Resolution.
ANY OTHER MATTERS
Management of the Company knows of no matters to come before the Meeting other than those referred to in the Notice of Meeting accompanying this Information Circular. However, if any other matters properly come before the Meeting, it is the intention of the persons named in the form of proxy accompanying this Information Circular to vote the same in accordance with their best judgment of such matters.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information regarding the Company and its business activities is available on the Company's profile on SEDAR website located at www.sedar.com. The Company's financial information is provided in the Company's audited comparative financial statements and related management discussion and analysis for its most recently completed financial year and may be viewed on the SEDAR website at the website noted above. Shareholders of the Company may request copies of the Company's financial statements and related management discussion and analysis by contacting the Company at: Aguila American Gold Limited, #1305 – 1090 W. Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, V6E 3V7, Tel: (604) 685-9316, Fax: (604) 683-1585.
Schedule "A"
AGUILA AMERICAN GOLD LIMITED
CHARTER OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mandate
The primary function of the audit committee (the "Committee") is to assist the board of directors in fulfilling its financial oversight responsibilities by reviewing the financial reports and other financial information provided by the Corporation to regulatory authorities and shareholders, the Corporation's systems of internal controls regarding finance and accounting and the Corporation's auditing, accounting and financial reporting processes. The Committee's primary duties and responsibilities are to:
- Serve as an independent and objective party to monitor the Corporation's financial reporting and internal control system and review the Corporation's financial statements.
- Review and appraise the performance of the Corporation's external auditors.
- Provide an open avenue of communication among the Corporation's auditors, financial and senior management and the Board of Directors.
Composition
The Committee shall be comprised of three directors as determined by the Board of Directors, the majority of whom shall be free from any relationship that, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, would interfere with the exercise of his independent judgment as a member of the Committee. At least one member of the Committee shall have accounting or related financial management expertise. All members of the Committee that are not financially literate will work towards becoming financially literate to obtain a working familiarity with basic finance and accounting practices. For the purposes of the Audit Committee Charter, the definition of "financially literate" is the ability to read and understand a set of financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can presumably be expected to be raised by the Corporation's financial statements.
The members of the Committee shall be elected by the Board of Directors at its first meeting following the annual shareholders' meeting. Unless a Chair is elected by the full Board of Directors, the members of the Committee may designate a Chair by a majority vote of the full Committee membership.
Meetings
The Committee shall meet a least twice annually, or more frequently as circumstances dictate. As part of its job to foster open communication, the Committee will meet at least annually with the Chief Financial Officer and the external auditors in separate sessions.
Responsibilities and Duties
To fulfill its responsibilities and duties, the Committee shall:
Documents/Reports Review
- (a) Review and update the Charter annually.
- (b) Review the Corporation's financial statements, MD&A and any annual and interim earnings, press releases before the Corporation publicly discloses this information and any reports or other financial information (including quarterly financial statements), which are submitted to any governmental body, or to the public, including any certification, report, opinion, or review rendered by the external auditors.
External Auditors
- (a) Review annually, the performance of the external auditors who shall be ultimately accountable to the Board of Directors and the Committee as representatives of the shareholders of the Corporation.
- (b) Recommend to the Board of Directors the selection and, where applicable, the replacement of the external auditors nominated annually for shareholder approval.
- (c) Review with management and the external auditors the audit plan for the year-end financial statements and intended template for such statements.
- (d) Review and pre-approve all audit and audit-related services and the fees and other compensation related thereto, and any non-audit services, provided by the Corporation's external auditors.
Provided the pre-approval of the non-audit services is presented to the Committee's first scheduled meeting following such approval such authority may be delegated by the Committee to one or more independent members of the Committee.
Financial Reporting Processes
- (a) In consultation with the external auditors, review with management the integrity of the Corporation's financial reporting process, both internal and external.
- (b) Consider the external auditors' judgments about the quality and appropriateness of the Corporation's accounting principles as applied in its financial reporting.
- (c) Consider and approve, if appropriate, changes to the Corporation's auditing and accounting principles and practices as suggested by the external auditors and management.
- (d) Following completion of the annual audit, review separately with management and the external auditors any significant difficulties encountered during the course of the audit, including any restrictions on the scope of work or access to required information.
- (e) Review any significant disagreement among management and the external auditors in connection with the preparation of the financial statements.
- (f) Review with the external auditors and management the extent to which changes and improvements in financial or accounting practices have been implemented.
- (g) Review any complaints or concerns about any questionable accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters.
- (h) Review certification process.
- (i) Establish a procedure for the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the Corporation of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.
Other
Review any related-party transactions.