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Triple One Metals Inc. — AGM Information 2021
Aug 4, 2021
47910_rns_2021-08-03_dd86ac75-cde9-4532-a34e-71b958e5ea13.pdf
AGM Information
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MLK GOLD LTD.
Annual General Meeting to be held on August 31, 2021
Notice of Annual General Meeting and Information Circular
July 27, 2021
MLK GOLD LTD. 59 Payzant Drive, Windsor, N.S., B0N 2T0
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an annual general meeting (the “ Meeting ”) of the shareholders of MLK Gold Ltd. (the “ Company ”) will be held virtually on Tuesday, August 31, 2021 at 11:00 am. At the Meeting, the shareholders will receive the financial statements for the year ended November 30, 2020, together with the auditor’s report thereon, and consider resolutions to:
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elect directors for the ensuing year;
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appoint Manning Elliott LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as auditor of the Company for the ensuing year and authorize the directors to determine the remuneration to be paid;
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ratify and amend the Company’s stock option plan; and
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transact such other business as may properly be put before the Meeting.
In light of the ongoing public health concerns related to COVID-19, and based on government recommendations to avoid large gatherings, the Company will not be permitting attendance in person. Shareholders are urged to vote on the matters before the Meeting by proxy and to listen to the Meeting online. Registered shareholders or proxyholders representing registered shareholders participating in the Meeting virtually will be considered to be present in person at the Meeting for the purposes of determining quorum. Non-registered shareholders who have not duly appointed themselves as a proxyholder will be able to attend the Meeting as a guest, but will not be able to vote at the Meeting.
All shareholders are entitled to attend and vote at the Meeting in person or by proxy. The Board of Directors (the “ Board ”) requests that all shareholders who will not be attending the Meeting in person read, date and sign the accompanying proxy and deliver it to Computershare Investor Services Inc. (“ Computershare ”). If a shareholder does not deliver a proxy to Computershare, Attention: Proxy Department, 100 University Avenue, 8th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2Y1, by 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver, British Columbia time) on Friday, August 27, 2021 (or before 48 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays before any adjournment of the meeting at which the proxy is to be used) then the shareholder will not be entitled to vote at the Meeting by proxy.
Only shareholders of record at the close of business on July 27, 2021 will be entitled to vote at the Meeting.
Shareholders will have two options to access the Meeting, being via teleconference or through the Zoom application, which requires internet connectivity. Registered shareholders wishing to vote in person and any shareholders wishing to view materials that may be presented by the Company’s management will need to utilize the Zoom application but any shareholder may listen to the Meeting via teleconference. Registered shareholders participating via teleconference will not be able to vote in person at the Meeting as the Company’s scrutineer must take steps to verify the identity of registered shareholders using the video features.
In order to dial into the Meeting, shareholders will phone 1 778 907 2071 and enter the Meeting ID and Password noted below.
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In order to access the Meeting through Zoom, shareholders will need to download the application onto their computer or smartphone and then once the application is loaded, enter the Meeting ID and Password below or open the following link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84728664850?pwd=T3VMMkp4NjNjZFVPQk43NzJUS0FLQT09 . Shareholders will have the option through the application to join the video and audio or simply view and listen.
Meeting ID: 847 2866 4850
Password: 364207
An information circular and a form of proxy accompany this notice.
DATED at Vancouver, British Columbia, the 27th day of July, 2021.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
(signed) “Paul Smith”
Paul Smith President and Chief Executive Officer
MLK GOLD LTD.
59 Payzant Drive, Windsor, N.S., B0N 2T0
INFORMATION CIRCULAR
(as at July 27, 2021 except as otherwise indicated)
SOLICITATION OF PROXIES
This information circular (the “ Circular ”) is provided in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Management of Pac Roots Cannabis Corp. (the “ Company ”). The form of proxy which accompanies this Circular (the “ Proxy ”) is for use at the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held on Tuesday, August 31, 2021 (the “ Meeting ”), at the time and place set out in the accompanying notice of Meeting (the “ Notice of Meeting ”). The Company will bear the cost of this solicitation. The solicitation will be made by mail but may also be made by telephone.
VIRTUAL MEETING
This year to mitigate risks the health and safety of the Company’s shareholders, employees and other stakeholders, the Company will be holding its meeting in a virtual only format. Shareholders will have an equal opportunity to participate at the Meeting online regardless of geographic location. Registered shareholders and proxyholders will be able to attend the virtual meeting and vote. Nonregistered shareholders who have not duly appointed themselves as proxyholder will be able to attend the virtual Meeting as a guest, but will not be able to vote at the Meeting. This is because the Company and its transfer agent, do not have a record of the non-registered shareholders, and, as a result, will have no knowledge of their shareholdings or entitlement to vote unless they appoint themselves as proxyholder. Please see “Appointment and Revocation of Proxy” below.
The Meeting will be held via the Zoom meeting platform. In order to access the Meeting, shareholders will have two options, being via teleconference or through the Zoom application, which requires internet connectivity. Registered shareholders wishing to vote in person and any shareholders wishing to view materials that may be presented by the Company’s management will need to utilize the Zoom application but any shareholder may listen to the Meeting via teleconference. Registered shareholders participating via teleconference will not be able to vote in person at the Meeting as the Company’s scrutineer must take steps to verify the identity of registered shareholders using the video features.
In order to dial into the Meeting, shareholders will phone 1 778 907 2071 and enter the Meeting ID and Password noted below.
In order to access the Meeting through Zoom, shareholders will need to download the application onto their computer or smartphone and then once the application is loaded, enter the Meeting ID and Password below or open the following link: = https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84728664850?pwd T3VMMkp4NjNjZFVPQk43NzJUS0FLQT09
Shareholders will have the option through the application to join the video and audio or simply view and listen.
Meeting ID: 847 2866 4850
Password: 364207
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It is the shareholders responsibility to ensure connectivity during the meeting and the Company encourages its shareholders to allow sufficient time to log in to the Meeting before it begins.
APPOINTMENT AND REVOCATION OF PROXY
The persons named in the Proxy are directors and/or officers of the Company . A registered shareholder who wishes to appoint some other person to serve as their representative at the Meeting may do so by striking out the printed names and inserting the desired person’s name in the blank space provided. The completed Proxy should be delivered to Computershare Investor Services Inc. (“ Computershare ”) by 10:00 a.m. (local time in Edmonton, Alberta) on Friday, August 27, 201, or before 48 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) before any adjournment of the Meeting at which the Proxy is to be used.
The Proxy may be revoked by:
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(a) signing a proxy with a later date and delivering it at the time and place noted above;
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(b) signing and dating a written notice of revocation and delivering it to Olympia Trust Company, or by transmitting a revocation by telephonic or electronic means, to Olympia Trust Company, 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 delivering a written notice of revocation and delivering it to the Chairman of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting or adjournment of it; or
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(c) attending the Meeting or any adjournment of the Meeting virtually and registering with the scrutineer as a shareholder present in person.
Provisions Relating to Voting of Proxies
The shares represented by Proxy in the form provided to shareholders will be voted or withheld from voting by the designated holder in accordance with the direction of the registered shareholder appointing him. If there is no direction by the registered shareholder, those shares will be voted for all proposals set out in the Proxy and for the election of directors and the appointment of the auditors as set out in this Circular. The Proxy gives the person named in it the discretion to vote as such person sees fit on any amendments or variations to matters identified in the Notice of Meeting, or any other matters which may properly come before the Meeting. At the time of printing of this Circular, the management of the Company (the “ Management ”) knows of no other matters which may come before the Meeting other than those referred to in the Notice of Meeting.
Advice to Beneficial Holders of Common Shares
The information set forth in this section is of significant importance to many shareholders, as a substantial number of shareholders do not hold common shares in their own name. Shareholders who hold their common shares through their brokers, intermediaries, trustees or other persons, or who otherwise do not hold their common shares in their own name (referred to herein as “ Beneficial Shareholders ”) should note that only proxies deposited by shareholders who appear on the records maintained by the Company’s registrar and 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, then those common shares will, in all likelihood, 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 shares are registered
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under the name of CDS & Co. (the registration name for CDS Clearing and Depository Services Inc., which acts as nominee for many Canadian brokerage firms). In the United States, the vast majority of such common shares are registered under the name of Cede & Co., the registration name for The Depository Trust Company, which acts as nominee for many United States brokerage firms. Common shares held by brokers (or their agents or nominees) on behalf of a broker’s client can only be voted or withheld at the direction of the Beneficial Shareholder. Without specific instructions, brokers and their agents and nominees are prohibited from voting shares for the broker’s 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 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 Beneficial Shareholders in order to ensure that their common shares are voted at the Meeting. The form of instrument of proxy supplied to a Beneficial Shareholder by its broker (or the agent of the broker) is substantially similar to the instrument of proxy provided directly to 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. The vast majority of brokers now delegate responsibility for obtaining instructions from clients to Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc. (“ Broadridge ”) in Canada. Broadridge typically prepares a machine-readable voting instruction form (“ VIF ”), mails those forms to Beneficial Shareholders and asks Beneficial Shareholders to return the VIFs 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 shares to be represented at the Meeting. A Beneficial Shareholder who receives a Broadridge VIF cannot use that form to vote common shares directly at the Meeting. The VIFs must be returned to Broadridge (or instructions respecting the voting of common shares must otherwise be communicated to Broadridge) 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.
The Notice of Meeting, Circular, Proxy and VIF, as applicable, are being provided 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 which they own (“ NOBOs ”). Subject to the provisions 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 directly or via their transfer agent and may obtain and use the NOBO list for the 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.
Pursuant to the provisions of NI 54-101, the Company is providing the Notice of Meeting, Circular and Proxy or VIF, as applicable, to both registered owners of the securities and non-registered owners of the securities. If you are a non-registered owner, and the Company or its 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. By choosing to send these materials to you directly, the Company (and not the intermediary holding common shares 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 VIF.
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As a result, if you are a non-registered owner of the securities, you can expect to receive a scannable VIF from Olympia Trust Company. Please complete and return the VIF to Olympia Trust Company in the envelope provided or by facsimile. In addition, internet voting instructions can be found on the VIF. Olympia Trust Company will tabulate the results of the VIFs received from the Company’s NOBOs and will provide appropriate instructions at the Meeting with respect to the common shares represented by the VIFs they receive.
The Company’s OBOs can expect to be contacted by Broadridge or their brokers or their broker’s agents as set out above. The Company does not intend to pay for intermediaries to deliver the Notice of Meeting, Circular and VIF to OBOs and accordingly, if the OBO’s intermediary does not assume the costs of delivery of those documents in the event that the OBO wishes to receive them, the OBO may not receive the documentation.
Although a Beneficial Shareholder 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. NI 54-101 allows a Beneficial Shareholder who is a NOBO to submit to the Company or an applicable intermediary any document in writing that requests that the NOBO or a nominee of the NOBO be appointed as proxyholder. If such a request is received, the Company or an intermediary, as applicable, must arrange, without expenses to the NOBO, to appoint such NOBO or its nominee as a proxyholder and to deposit that proxy within the time specified in this Circular, provided that the Company or the intermediary receives such written instructions from the NOBO at least one business day prior to the time by which proxies are to be submitted at the Meeting, with the result that such a written request must be received by 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on the day which is at least three business days prior to the Meeting. A Beneficial Shareholder who wishes to attend the Meeting and to vote their common shares as proxyholder for the registered shareholder, should enter their own name in the blank space on the VIF or such other document in writing that requests that the NOBO or a nominee of the NOBO be appointed as proxyholder 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 the Notice of Meeting, Circular and the accompanying Proxy are to registered shareholders of the Company as set forth on the list of registered shareholders of the Company as maintained by the registrar and transfer agent of the Company, Olympia Trust Company, unless specifically stated otherwise.
Financial Statements
The audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended November 30, 2020, together with the auditor’s report on those statements and Management Discussion and Analysis, will be presented to the shareholders at the Meeting.
VOTING SECURITIES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF VOTING SECURITIES
As at the date of the accompanying Notice of Meeting, the Company’s authorized capital consists of an unlimited number of common shares of which 12,021,945common shares are issued and outstanding. All common shares in the capital of the Company carry the right to one vote.
Shareholders registered as at July 27, 2021, are entitled to attend and vote at the Meeting. Shareholders who wish to be represented by proxy at the Meeting must, to entitle the person appointed by the Proxy to attend and vote, deliver their Proxies at the place and within the time set forth in the notes to the Proxy.
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To the knowledge of the directors and executive officers of the Company, as of the date of this Circular, no persons beneficially own, directly or indirectly, or exercise control or direction over, 10% or more of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company.
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
The directors of the Company are elected annually and hold office until the next annual general meeting of the shareholders or until their successors are elected or appointed. The Management of the Company proposes to nominate the persons listed below for election as directors of the Company to serve until their successors are elected or appointed. In the absence of instructions to the contrary, Proxies given pursuant to the solicitation by the Management will be voted for the nominees listed in this Circular. Management does not contemplate that any of the nominees will be unable to serve as a director. The number of directors of the Company has been set at four.
The following table sets out the names of the nominees for election as directors, the offices they hold within the Company, their occupations, the length of time they have served as directors of the Company, and the number of shares of the Company which each beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, or over which control or direction is exercised, as of the date of this Circular.
| Name, province or state and country of residence and position, if any, held in the Company |
Principal occupation during the past five years |
Served as director of the Company since |
Number of common shares of the Company beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, or controlled or directed at present(1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Smith, Kings County, Nova Scotia, President, CEO and Director(1) |
President and CEO of Pac Roots from May 2012 to April 2020 and of Mountain Lake since June 2018 |
June 7, 2018 | 1,490,416 |
| William Fleming, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Secretary and Director |
President of Mernova Medicinal Inc., a private cannabis cultivation company in Nova Scotia from 2014 to Present |
June 7, 2018 | 3,003,100 |
| Patrick Elliott, Tsawwassen, British Columbia, Director(1) |
Chief Executive Officer, President and Director of Pac Roots Cannabis Corp. (CSE: PACR) since May 2020; Chief Executive Officer and President of the Forte Minerals Inc., a private copper company. since September 2017; Vice President Corporate Development and Strategy of GlobeTrotters Resource Group Inc. since February 2017; Vice President Finance and Director of Ecovatec Solutions from September 2015 to June 2018); |
July 30, 2021 | 1,714,285 |
| Kiley Sampson, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Director(1) |
CEO of Halthorn Marine Group, a private marine firm, from September 2015 to Present |
May 14, 2020 | Nil |
Notes:
(1) The information as to common shares beneficially owned or controlled has been provided by the nominees themselves.
(2) A member or proposed member of the audit committee.
No proposed director is being elected under any arrangement or understanding between the proposed director and any other person or company.
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Corporate Cease Trade Orders or Bankruptcies
Except as described below, no director or proposed director of the Company is, or within the ten years prior to the date of this Circular, has been a director or executive officer of any company, including the Company, that while that person was acting in that capacity:
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(a) was the subject of a cease trade order or similar order or an order that denied the company access to any exemption under securities legislation for a period of more than 30 consecutive days; or
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(b) was subject to an event that resulted, after the director ceased to be a director or executive officer of the company being the subject of a cease trade order or similar order or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation, for a period of more than 30 consecutive days; or
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(c) within a year of that person ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets.
Mr. Fleming and Mr. Smith were directors of Pac Roots Cannabis Corp. (“Pac Roots”) when it was subject to the following orders ceasing all trading in Pac Root’s securities:
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(a) an order of the British Columbia Securities Commission dated April 13, 2015 in connection with a failure to file a comparative financial statement for its financial year ended November 30, 2014 and MD&A for the period ended November 30, 2014, which order was revoked on June 17, 2015;
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(b) an order of the Executive Director of the British Columbia Securities Commission dated November 4, 2015 in connection with a failure to file an interim financial report for the financial period ended August 31, 2015 and MD&A for the period ended August 31, 2015, which order was revoked on December 4, 2015; and
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(c) an order of the British Columbia Securities Commission dated April 7, 2016 and an order of the Ontario Securities Commission dated April 11, 2016 in connection with a failure to file audited annual financial statements and MD&A for the financial year ended November 30, 2015 and certification of the foregoing filings, which orders were revoked on June 28, 2017.
In connection with the above, the Pac Roots shares were suspended from trading by the CSE on April 12, 2016 and reinstated on August 10, 2017.
Individual Bankruptcies
No director or proposed director of the Company has, within the ten years prior to the date of this Circular, become bankrupt or made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or been subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of that individual.
Penalties or Sanctions
Other than disclosed herein, no director or proposed director has, within the ten years prior to the date of this Circular, been subject to any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation or by a securities regulatory authority, has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority or has been subject to any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body that
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would be likely to be considered important to a reasonable security holder making a decision about whether to vote for the proposed director.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Named Executive Officers
During the financial year ended November 30, 2020, the Company had two Named Executive Officer (“ NEOs ”) Paul K. Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer (“ CEO ”) and Abbey Abdiye, former Chief Financial Officer (“ CFO ”).
“Named Executive Officer” means: (a) each CEO, (b) each CFO, (c) each of the three most highly compensated executive officers of the company, including any of its subsidiaries, 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 $150,000; and (d) each individual who would be a NEO under (c) above but for the fact that the individual was neither an executive officer of the Company, nor acting in a similar capacity, at the end of that financial year.
Director and Named Executive Officer Compensation
The following table (presented in accordance with National Instrument Form 51-102F6V, is a summary compensation (excluding compensation securities) paid, payable, awarded, granted, given or otherwise provided, directly or indirectly, to the directors and NEOs for each of the Company’s two most recently completed financial years.
Table of compensation excluding compensation securities
| Table of compensation excluding compensation securities | Table of compensation excluding compensation securities | Table of compensation excluding compensation securities | Table of compensation excluding compensation securities | Table of compensation excluding compensation securities | Table of compensation excluding compensation securities | Table of compensation excluding compensation securities | Table of compensation excluding compensation securities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and position (2) |
Financial year ended November 30, 2020 |
Salary, consulting fee, retainer or commission ($) |
Bonus ($) |
Committee or meeting fees ($) |
Value of perquisites ($) |
Value of all other compensation ($) |
Total compensation ($) |
| Paul Smith, President, CEO and Director |
2020 | 18,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 18,000 |
| William Fleming, CFO, Corporate Secretary and Director |
2020 | 18,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 18,000 |
| Abbey Abdiye, former CFO, Corporate Secretary and Director(1) |
2020 | 18,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 18,000 |
| Kiley Sampson, Director(1) |
2020 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Notes:
(1) Abbey Abdiye and Kiley Samspon were appointed as directors on May 14, 2020. Mr. Abdiye resigned as a director and as Chief Financial Officer on November 15, 2020. Mr. Smith was appointed as interim Chief Financial Officer on November 15, 2020. Subsequent to the year ended November 30, 2020, Mr. Fleming was apponted as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary on May 5, 2021. (2) Subsequent to the year ended November 20, 2020, the Company appointed Patrick Elliott as a director on July 30, 2021.
External Management Companies
None of the NEOs or directors of the Company have been retained or employed by an external management company which has entered into an understanding, arrangement or agreement with the Issuer to provide executive management services to the Issuer, directly or indirectly.
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Stock Options and Other Compensation Securities
No compensation securities were granted or issued to any NEO or director by the Issuer or its subsidiaries in the years ended November 30, 2019 or November 30, 2020, for services provided or to be provided, directly or indirectly to the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries.
No compensation securities were held by the NEOs and directors as at the Issuer’s financial years ended November 30, 2019 or November 30, 2020.
No compensation securities were exercised by any directors or NEOs during the financial years ended November, 2019 and November 30, 2020.
No compensation securities held by NEOs or directors were re-priced, cancelled and replaced, had their term extended, or otherwise materially modified during the financial years ended November 30, 2019 or November 30, 2020.
There are no restrictions or conditions currently in place for converting, exercising or exchanging the compensation securities.
Stock option plans and other incentive plans
The Board may, in accordance with its Stock Option Plan, from time to time, in its discretion, and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the CSE, grant to directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Issuer non-transferable- Options to purchase Common Shares for a period of up to ten years from the date of the grant.
The Stock Option Plan was approved by Shareholders on August 8, 2019. The Stock Option Plan does not require annual approval or ratification The purpose of the Stock Option Plan is to assist the Company in attracting, retaining and motivating directors, officers, employees and consultants (together "service providers") of the Company and of its affiliates and to closely align the personal interests of such service providers with the interests of the Issuer and its shareholders.
The Stock Option Plan provides that the aggregate number of securities reserved for issuance will be 10% of the number of the Common Shares of the Company issued and outstanding from time to time.
The Stock Option Plan is administered by the Board of the Company, which has full and final authority with respect to the granting of all options thereunder.
Employment, consulting and management agreements
The Company has not entered into any agreements or arrangements under which compensation is provided to any NEOs or directors or any persons providing services typically provided by a director or NEO.
The Company does not have any contracts, agreements, plans or arrangements that provides for payments to a director or NEO at, following or in connection with any termination (whether voluntary, involuntary or constructive), resignation, retirement, a change in control of the Issuer or a change in an NEO’s responsibilities.
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Oversight and Description of Director and Named Executive Officer Compensation
The objective of the Company’s compensation program is to compensate the executive officers for their services to the Company at a level that is both in line with the Company’s fiscal resources and competitive with companies at a similar stage of development.
The Company compensates its executive officers based on their skill, qualifications, experience level, level of responsibility involved in their position, the existing stage of development of the Company, the Company’s resources, industry practice and regulatory guidelines regarding executive compensation levels.
The Board has implemented three levels of compensation to align the interests of the executive officers with those of the Shareholders. First, executive officers may be paid a monthly consulting fee or salary. Second, the Board may award executive officers long term incentives in the form of stock options. Finally, the Board may award cash or share bonuses for exceptional performance that results in a significant increase in shareholder value. The Company does not provide pension or other benefits to the executive officers. The Company does not have pre-existing performance criteria or objectives. All significant elements of compensation awarded to, earned by, paid or payable to NEOs are determined by the Company on a subjective basis. The Company has not used any peer group to determine compensation for its directors and NEO.
The Board has the responsibility to administer compensation policies related to executive management of the Company, including option-based awards. The Board has approved the Stock Option Plan pursuant to which the Board has granted stock options to executive officers. The Stock Option Plan provides compensation to participants and an additional incentive to work toward long-term company performance. The Stock Option Plan has been and will be used to provide share purchase options which are granted in consideration of the level of responsibility of the executive as well as his or her impact and/or contribution to the longer-term operating performance of the Company. In determining the number of options to be granted to the executive officers, the Board takes into account the number of options, if any, previously granted to each executive officer and the exercise price of any outstanding options to ensure that such grants are in accordance with the policies of the Exchange, and closely align the interests of the executive officers with the interests of shareholders.
Compensation for the most recently completed financial year should not be considered an indicator of expected compensation levels in future periods. All compensation is subject to and dependent on the Company’s financial resources and prospects.
Pension Disclosure
The Company does not have any pension or retirement plan which is applicable to the NEOs or directors. The Company has not provided compensation, monetary or otherwise, to any person who now or previously has acted as an NEO of the Company, in connection with or related to the retirement, termination or resignation of such person, and the Company has provided no compensation to any such person as a result of a change of control of the Company.
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EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
The following table sets out those securities of the Company which have been authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans, as at the end of the most recently completed financial year, being November 30:
| Plan Category | Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights (a) |
Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights (b) |
Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a)) (c) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity compensation plans approved by the securityholders |
Nil | N/A | 1,202,195 |
| Equity compensation plans not approved by the securityholders |
Nil | N/A | Nil |
| Total | Nil | N/A | 1,202,195 |
INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
None of the current or former directors, executive officers, employees of the Company, the proposed nominees for election to the Board, or their respective associates or affiliates, are or have been indebted to the Company since the beginning of the most recently completed financial year of the Company.
INTEREST OF CERTAIN PERSONS OR COMPANIES IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
No director or executive officer of the Company or any proposed nominee of Management of the Company for election as a director of the Company, nor any associate or affiliate of the foregoing persons, has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, since the beginning of the Company’s last financial year in matters to be acted upon at the Meeting, other than the election of directors, the appointment of auditors and the confirmation of the Stock Option Plan.
INTEREST OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS
None of the persons who were directors or executive officers of the Company or a subsidiary at any time during the Company’s last completed financial year, the proposed nominees for election to the Board, any person or company who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, or who exercises control or direction over (or a combination of both) more than 10% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company, nor the associates or affiliates of those persons, has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any transaction or proposed transaction which has materially affected or would materially affect the Company.
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APPOINTMENT OF AUDITOR
Auditor
Management intends to nominate Manning Elliott LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, for reappointment as auditor of the Company. Forms of proxies given pursuant to this solicitation will, on any poll, be voted as directed and, if there is no direction, for the re-appointment of Manning Elliott LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as the auditor of the Company to hold office for the ensuing year with remuneration to be fixed by the directors.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS
Other than as disclosed elsewhere in this Circular, 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.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Company is required to have an audit committee (the “ 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.
The Audit Committee over sees the accounting and financial reporting practices and procedures of the Company and the audits of the Company’s financial statements. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: (i) overseeing the quality, integrity and appropriateness of the internal controls and accounting procedures of the Company, including reviewing the Company’s procedures for internal control with the Company’s auditors and chief financial officer; (ii) reviewing and assessing the quality and integrity of the Company’s internal and external reporting processes, its annual and quarterly financial statements and related management discussion and analysis, and all other material continuous disclosure documents; (iii) establishing separate reviews with management and external auditors of significant changes in procedures or financial and accounting practices, difficulties encountered during auditing, and significant judgments made in management's preparation of financial statements; (iv) monitoring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements related to financial reporting; (v) reviewing and preapproving the engagement of the auditor of the Company and independent audit fees; and (vi) assessing the Company’s accounting policies, and considering, approving, and monitoring significant changes in accounting principles and practices recommended by management and the auditor.
Audit Committee Charter
The text of the Audit Committee’s charter is attached as Schedule “A” to this Circular.
Composition of Audit Committee and Independence
The members of the Audit Committee are Patrick Elliott, Paul Smith and Kiley Sampson, of which Patrick Elliott and Kiley Sampson are considered independent pursuant to NI 52-110 and Paul Smith is considered not independent as a result of his role as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. All members of the Audit Committee are considered to be financially literate.
A member of the audit committee is independent if the member has no direct or indirect material relationship with the Company. A material relationship means a relationship which could, in the view of the Board, reasonably interfere with the exercise of a member’s independent judgment.
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A member of the audit committee is considered financially literate if he or she has the ability to read and understand a set of financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Company.
Relevant Education and Experience
The education and experience of each member of the Audit Committee relevant to the performance of his responsibilities as an Audit Committee member and, in particular, any education or experience that would provide the member with:
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(a) an understanding of the accounting principles used by the Company to prepare its financial statements;
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(b) the ability to assess the general application of such accounting principles in connection with the accounting for estimates, accruals and reserves;
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(c) experience preparing, auditing, analyzing or evaluating financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Company’s financial statements, or experience actively supervising one or more persons engaged in such activities; and
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(d) an understanding of internal controls and procedures for financial reporting, are as follows:
Paul K. Smith : Mr. Smith, B.Sc., M.Sc., is a geologist with over 40 years of experience in mineral exploration.
Kiley Sampson. Mr. Sampson has been a professional engineer in the Marine, and Oil and Gas industries for the past 30 years. For the past 15 years he has been the owner/operator of his own business, supplying expertise on both construction and conversion of sea-going vessels. Mr. Sampson holds a Marine Engineering Diploma from the Canadian Coast Guard College.
Patrick Elliott . Mr. Elliott is an economic geologist with a BSc. in Geology from the University of Western Ontario, a MSc. in Mineral Economics and an MBA from Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia. He is currently the President/CEO of Phenome One Corp, a leading cannabis genetics company & Lexore Capital Corp., a resource and cannabis investment company, both private entities. Mr. Elliott specializes in economic resource project evaluation, financial modelling, CAPEX estimation, and mining finance.
Each of the members of the audit committee have experience in dealing with financial statements, accounting issues, internal controls and other matters but this is their first time serving on an audit committee of a public company. The audit committee will be assisted by its Chief Financial Officer and its auditors.
Audit Committee Oversight
Since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year, the Audit Committee of the Company has not made any recommendations to nominate or compensate an external auditor which were not adopted by the Board.
Reliance on Certain Exemptions
Since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year, the Company has not relied on:
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(d) the exemption in section 2.4 (De Minimis Non-audit Services) of NI 52-110; or
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(e) an exemption from NI 52-110, in whole or in part, granted under Part 8 (Exemptions).
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Audit Committee has not adopted any specific policies and procedures for the engagement of non-audit services.
Audit Fees
The fees billed by the Company’s external auditors in each of the last two financial years for audit and nonaudit related services provided to the Company or its subsidiaries (if any) are as follows:
| Nature of Services | Fees Paid to Auditor in Year Ended November 30, 2020 |
Fees Paid to Auditor in Year Ended November 30, 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| Audit Fees(1) | 17,500. | 17,500 |
| Audit Related Fees(2) | Nil | Nil |
| Tax Fees(3) | Nil | Nil |
| All other Fees(4) | Nil | 4,0000 |
| Total | 17,500 | 21,500 |
(1) “Audit Fees” include fees necessary to perform the annual audit and quarterly reviews of the Issuer’s consolidated financial statements. Audit Fees include fees for review of tax provisions and for accounting consultations on matters reflected in the financial statements. Audit Fees also include audit or other attest services required by legislation or regulation, such as comfort letters, consents, reviews of securities filings and statutory audits.
(2) “Audit-Related Fees” include services that are traditionally performed by the auditor. These audit-related services include employee benefit audits, due diligence assistance, accounting consultations on proposed transactions, internal control reviews and audit or attest services not required by legislation or regulation.
(3) “Tax Fees” include fees for all tax services other than those included in “Audit Fees” and “Audit-Related Fees”. This category includes fees for tax compliance, tax planning and tax advice. Tax planning and tax advice includes assistance with tax audits and appeals, tax advice related to mergers and acquisitions, and requests for rulings or technical advice from tax authorities.
(4) “All Other Fees” includes all other non-audit services”.
Exemption in Section 6.1
The Company is a “venture issuer” as defined in NI 52-110 and is relying on the exemption in section 6.1 of NI 52-110 relating to Parts 3 ( Composition of Audit Committee ) and 5 ( Reporting Obligations ).
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DISCLOSURE
National Policy 58-201 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 such guidelines have not been adopted. National Instrument 58-101 mandates disclosure of corporate governance practices which disclosure is set out below.
Corporate governance relates to the activities of the Board, the members of which are elected by and are accountable to the shareholders of the Company. Corporate governance also takes into account the role of the individual members of management appointed by the Board 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.
Composition of the Board
The Board facilitates its exercise of independent supervision over management by ensuring that the Board is composed of a majority of independent directors. Directors are considered to be independent if they have 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 a director’s independent judgment. The Board has three directors, two of which are considered to be independent. Mr. Sampson and Elliott are considered to be independent directors for the purposes of NI 58-101 and Mr. Smith and Mr. Fleming are not considered to be independent due to their relationship to the Company as senior officers.
The Board of the Company facilitates its exercise of supervision over Company's management through frequent meetings of the Board.
Mandate of the Board
The Board has responsibility for the stewardship of the Company including responsibility for strategic planning, identification of the principal risks of the Company’s business and implementation of appropriate systems to manage these risks, succession planning (including appointing, training and monitoring senior management), communications with investors and the financial community and the integrity of the Company’s internal control and management information systems.
The Board sets long term goals and objectives for the Company and formulates the plans and strategies necessary to achieve those objectives and to supervise senior management in their implementation. The Board delegates the responsibility for managing the day-to-day affairs of the Company to senior management but retains a supervisory role in respect of, and ultimate responsibility for, all matters relating to the Company and its business. The Board is responsible for protecting shareholders’ interests and ensuring that the incentives of the shareholders and of management are aligned.
As part of its ongoing review of business operations, the Board reviews, as frequently as required, the principal risks inherent in the Company’s business including financial risks, through periodic reports from management of such risks, and assesses the systems established to manage those risks. Directly and through the Audit Committee, the Board also assesses the integrity of internal control over financial reporting and management information systems.
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In addition to those matters that must, by law, be approved by the Board, the Board is required to approve any material dispositions, acquisitions and investments outside the ordinary course of business, long-term strategy, and organizational development plans. Management of the Company is authorized to act without board approval, on all ordinary course matters relating to the Company’s business.
The Board also monitors the Company’s compliance with timely disclosure obligations and reviews material disclosure documents prior to distribution. The Board is responsible for selecting the President and appointing senior management and for monitoring their performance
Directorships
The following is a list of each director of the Company who is also a director of other reporting issuers (or equivalent) in a Canadian or foreign jurisdiction as of the date of this information circular:
| Name of director William Fleming Patrick Elliott |
Other reporting issuer |
|---|---|
| Speakeasy Cannabis Club Ltd. Pac Roots Cannabis Corp. Element 29 Resources Corp |
Position Descriptions
The Board has not developed written position descriptions for the chair or the chair of any board committees or for the CEO. Given the size of the Company’s infrastructure and the existence of only a small number of officers, the Board does not feel that it is necessary at this time to formalize position descriptions in order to delineate their respective responsibilities.
Orientation and Continuing Education
When new directors are appointed, they receive orientation, commensurate with their previous experience, on the Company’s properties, business and industry and on the responsibilities of directors. New directors also receive historical public information about the Company and the mandates of the committees of the Board. Board meetings may also include presentations by the Company’s management and employees to give the directors additional insight into the Company’s business. In addition, new directors are encouraged to visit and meet with management on a regular basis and to pursue continuing education opportunities where appropriate.
Ethical Business Conduct
The Board has found that the fiduciary duties placed on individual directors by the Company's governing corporate legislation and the common law and the restrictions placed by applicable corporate legislation on an individual director's participation in decisions of the Board in which the director has an interest have been sufficient to ensure that the Board operates independently of management and in the best interests of the Company. Further, the Company's auditor has full and unrestricted access to the Audit Committee at all times to discuss the audit of the Company's financial statements and any related findings as to the integrity of the financial reporting process.
Under applicable corporate legislation, a director is required to act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interest of the Company and exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances, and disclose to the board the nature and extent of any interest of the director in any material contract or material transaction, whether made or proposed, if the
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director is a party to the contract or transaction is a director or officer (or an individual acting in a similar capacity) of a party to the contract or voting on the contract or transaction, unless the contract or transaction (i) relates primarily to their remuneration as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company or an affiliate of the Company, (ii) is for indemnity or insurance for the benefit of the director in connection with the Company, or (iii) is with an affiliate of the Company. If the director abstains from voting after disclosure of their interest, the directors approve the contract or transaction and the contract or transaction was reasonable and fair to the Company at the time it was entered into, the contract or transaction is not invalid, and the director is not accountable to the Company for any profit realized from the contract or transaction. Otherwise, the director must have acted honestly and in good faith, the contract or transaction must have been reasonable and fair to the Company and the contract or transaction be approved by the shareholders by a special resolution after receiving full disclosure of its terms in order for the director to avoid such liability or the contract or transaction being invalid.
Nomination of Directors
The Board will consider its size each year when it considers the number of directors to recommend to the shareholders of the Company for election at the annual meeting of shareholders, taking into account the number required to carry out the Board's duties effectively and to maintain a diversity of views and experience.
The Board does not have a nominating committee, and these functions are currently performed by the Board as a whole. The Board is responsible for identifying individuals qualified to become new Board members and recommending to the Board new director nominees for the next annual meeting of the shareholders.
New nominees must have a track record in general business management, special expertise in an area of strategic interest to the Company, the ability to devote the time required, show support for the Company's mission and strategic objectives, and a willingness to serve.
Compensation
The quantity and quality of the Board compensation is reviewed on an annual basis. At present, the Board is satisfied that the current compensation arrangements adequately reflect the responsibilities and risks involved in being an effective director of the Company. As well, the number of options to be granted is determined by the Board as a whole, which allows any independent directors to have input into compensation decisions. At this time, the Company does not believe its size and limited scope of operations requires a formal compensation committee.
Assessments
The Board annually reviews its own performance and effectiveness as well as the effectiveness and performance of its committees. Effectiveness is subjectively measured by comparing actual corporate results with stated objectives. The contributions of individual directors are informally monitored by other Board members, bearing to mind the business strengths of the individual and the purpose of originally nominating the individual to the Board.
The Board monitors the adequacy of information given to directors, communication between Board and Management and the strategic direction and processes of the Board and its committees.
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The Board believes its corporate governance practices are appropriate and effective for the Company, given its size and operations. The Company’s corporate governance practices allow the Company to operate efficiently, with checks and balances that control and monitor Management and corporate functions without excessive administration burden.
Other Board Committees
At the present time, the only standing committee is the Audit Committee. The written charter of the Audit Committee, as required by NI 52-110, is contained in Schedule “A” to this Circular.
PARTICULARS OF MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
Ratification of Stock Option Plan
Shareholders are being asked to confirm approval of the Stock Option Plan which was initially approved and adopted by the shareholders of the Company as of August 8, 2019. There have been no changes to the Stock Option Plan since it was adopted by the Company.
The following information is intended as a brief description of the Stock Option Plan and is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the Stock Option Plan, which will be available for review at the Meeting.
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The maximum number of shares that may be issued upon the exercise of stock options granted under the Stock Option Plan shall not exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company at the time of grant, the exercise price of which, as determined by the board of directors in its sole discretion, shall not be less than the closing price of the Company’s shares traded through the facilities of the Exchange prior to the announcement of the option grant, or, if the shares are no longer listed for trading on the Exchange, then such other exchange or quotation system on which the shares are listed or quoted for trading.
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The board of directors shall not grant options to any one person in any one-year period which will, when exercised, exceed 5% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company or to any one consultant or to those persons employed by the Company who perform investor relations services which will, when exercised, exceed 2% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company.
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Upon expiry of an option, or in the event an option is otherwise terminated for any reason, the number of shares in respect of the expired or terminated option shall again be available for the purposes of the Stock Option Plan. All options granted under the Stock Option Plan may not have an expiry date exceeding ten years from the date on which the board of directors grant and announce the granting of the option.
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If the option holder ceases to be a director of the Company or ceases to be employed by the Company (other than by reason of death), or ceases to be a consultant of the Company as the case may be, then the option granted shall expire on no later than the 90th day following the date that the option holder ceases to be a director, ceases to be employed by the Company or ceases to be a consultant of the Company, subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Stock Option Plan.
Accordingly, at the Meeting, the shareholders will be asked to pass the following resolution:
“ IT IS RESOLVED THAT the Stock Option Plan is hereby ratified and approved. ”
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General Matters
It is not known whether any other matters will come before the Meeting other than those set forth above and in the Notice of Meeting, but if any other matters do arise, the person named in the Proxy intends to vote on any poll, in accordance with his or her best judgement, exercising discretionary authority with respect to amendments or variations of matters set forth in the Notice of Meeting and other matters which may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment of the Meeting.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information relating to the Company may be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Financial information about the Company is provided in the Company’s audited annual financial statements for the financial year ended November 30, 2020, which are available on the Company’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Additional financial information concerning the Company may be obtained by any securityholder of the Company free of charge by contacting the Company at 657 7290311.
BOARD APPROVAL
The contents of this Circular have been approved and its mailing authorized by the directors of the Company.
DATED at Windsor, Nova Scotia, the 27th day of July, 2021.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
(signed) “Paul Smith”
Paul Smith
President and Chief Executive Officer
MLK GOLD LTD.
Schedule “A” Audit Committee Charter
1. Purpose of the Committee
1.1 The purpose of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board in its oversight of the integrity of the Issuer’s financial statements and other relevant public disclosures, the Issuer’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements relating to financial reporting, the external auditors’ qualifications and independence and the performance of the internal audit function and the external auditors.
2. Members of the Audit Committee
2.1 At least one member must be “financially literate” as defined under NI 52-110, having sufficient accounting or related financial management expertise to read and understand a set of financial statements, including the related notes, that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Issuer’s financial statements.
2.2 The Audit Committee shall consist of no less than three Directors.
2.3. At least one member of the Audit Committee must be “independent” as defined under NI 52-110, while the Issuer is in the developmental stage of its business.
3. Relationship with External Auditors
3.1 The external auditors are the independent representatives of the shareholders, but the external auditors are also accountable to the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee.
3.2 The external auditors must be able to complete their audit procedures and reviews with professional independence, free from any undue interference from the management or directors.
3.3 The Audit Committee must direct and ensure that the management fully co-operates with the external auditors in the course of carrying out their professional duties.
- 3.4 The Audit Committee will have direct communications access at all times with the external auditors.
4. Non-Audit Services
4.1 The external auditors are prohibited from providing any non-audit services to the Issuer, without the express written consent of the Audit Committee. In determining whether the external auditors will be granted permission to provide non-audit services to the Issuer, the Audit Committee must consider that the benefits to the Issuer from the provision of such services, outweighs the risk of any compromise to or loss of the independence of the external auditors in carrying out their auditing mandate.
4.2 Notwithstanding section 4.1, the external auditors are prohibited at all times from carrying out any of the following services, while they are appointed the external auditors of the Issuer:
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(i) acting as an agent of the Issuer for the sale of all or substantially all of the undertaking of the Issuer; and
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(ii) performing any non-audit consulting work for any director or senior officer of the Issuer in their personal capacity, but not as a director, officer or insider of any other entity not associated or related to the Issuer.
5. Appointment of Auditors
5.1 The external auditors will be appointed each year by the shareholders of the Issuer at the annual general meeting of the shareholders.
5.2 The Audit Committee will nominate the external auditors for appointment, such nomination to be approved by the Board of Directors.
6. Evaluation of Auditors
6.1 The Audit Committee will review the performance of the external auditors on at least an annual basis and notify the Board and the external auditors in writing of any concerns in regards to the performance of the external auditors, or the accounting or auditing methods, procedures, standards, or principles applied by the external auditors, or any other accounting or auditing issues which come to the attention of the Audit Committee.
7. Remuneration of the Auditors
7.1 The remuneration of the external auditors will be determined by the Board of Directors, upon the annual authorization of the shareholders at each general meeting of the shareholders.
7.2 The remuneration of the external auditors will be determined based on the time required to complete the audit and preparation of the audited financial statements, and the difficulty of the audit and performance of the standard auditing procedures under generally accepted auditing standards and generally accepted accounting principles of Canada.
8. Termination of the Auditors
8.1 The Audit Committee has the power to terminate the services of the external auditors, with or without the approval of the Board of Directors, acting reasonably.
9. Funding of Auditing and Consulting Services
9.1 Auditing expenses will be funded by the Issuer. The auditors must not perform any other consulting services for the Issuer, which could impair or interfere with their role as the independent auditors of the Issuer.
10. Role and Responsibilities of the Internal Auditor
10.1 At this time, due to the Issuer’s size and limited financial resources, the Issuer’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer are responsible for implementing internal controls and performing the role as the internal auditor to ensure that such controls are adequate.
11. Oversight of Internal Controls
11.1 The Audit Committee will have the oversight responsibility for ensuring that the internal controls are implemented and monitored, and that such internal controls are effective.
12. Continuous Disclosure Requirements
12.1 At this time, due to the Issuer’s size and limited financial resources, the Issuer’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer are responsible for ensuring that the Issuer’s continuous reporting requirements are met and in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.
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13. Other Auditing Matters
13.1 The Audit Committee may meet with the Auditors independently of the management of the Issuer at any time, acting reasonably.
13.2 The Auditors are authorized and directed to respond to all enquiries from the Audit Committee in a thorough and timely fashion, without reporting these enquiries or actions to the Board of Directors or the management of the Issuer.
14. Annual Review
14.1 The Audit Committee Charter will be reviewed annually by the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee to assess the adequacy of this Charter.
15. Independent Advisers
15.1 The Audit Committee shall have the power to retain legal, accounting or other advisors to assist the Committee.