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Vendetta Mining Corp. — Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement 2024
Oct 9, 2024
46616_rns_2024-10-09_57ed4372-2180-4080-bdf8-1ce6a39a3a50.pdf
Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement
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VENDETTA MINING CORP.
INFORMATION CIRCULAR
FOR THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2024
This information is given as of Monday, September 30, 2024 unless otherwise noted.
SOLICITATION OF PROXIES
This Information Circular is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the management ("Management") of Vendetta Mining Corp. (the "Company") for use at the Annual General Meeting (the "Meeting") of the shareholders of the Company, to be held on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at the time and location and for the purposes set forth in the accompanying Notice of Meeting and at any adjournment thereof.
All dollar amounts referenced herein are Canadian Dollars unless otherwise specified.
PERSONS OR COMPANIES MAKING THE SOLICITATION
The enclosed form of Proxy is solicited by Management. Solicitations will be made by mail and possibly supplemented by telephone or other personal contact to be made without special compensation by regular officers and employees of the Company. The Company may reimburse shareholders’ nominees or agents (including brokers holding shares on behalf of clients) for the cost incurred in obtaining authorization from their principals to execute the Proxy. No solicitation will be made by specifically engaged employees or soliciting agents. The cost of solicitation will be borne by the Company. None of the directors of the Company have advised that they intend to oppose any action intended to be taken by Management as set forth in this Information Circular.
APPOINTMENT AND REVOCATION OF PROXIES
The persons named in the accompanying form of Proxy are directors or officers of the Company. A shareholder has the right to appoint a person to attend and act for him on his behalf at the Meeting other than the persons named in the enclosed form of Proxy. To exercise this right, a shareholder shall strike out the names of the persons named in the Proxy and insert the name of his nominee in the blank space provided, or complete by executing a proxy in a form similar to the enclosed form of Proxy. The completed Proxy should be deposited with the Company’s Registrar and Transfer Agent, TSX Trust Company, 301 - 100 Adelaide Street West , Toronto, Ontario, M5H 4H1, at least 48 hours before the time of the Meeting or any adjournment thereof, excluding Saturdays and holidays, unless the chairman of the Meeting elects to exercise his discretion to accept proxies received subsequently.
The Proxy must be dated and be signed by the shareholder or by his attorney in writing, or if the shareholder is a corporation, it must either be under its common seal or signed by a duly authorized officer.
In addition to revocation in any other manner permitted by law, a shareholder may revoke a Proxy either by (a) signing a Proxy bearing a later date and depositing it at the place and within the time aforesaid, or (b) signing and dating a written notice of revocation (in the same manner as the Proxy is required to be executed as set out in the notes to the Proxy) and either depositing it at the place and within the time aforesaid or with the Chairman of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting or on
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the day of any adjournment thereof, or (c) registering with the scrutineer at the Meeting as a shareholder present in person, whereupon such Proxy shall be deemed to have been revoked.
NON-REGISTERED HOLDERS OF COMPANY’S SHARES
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 they own are not registered in their names but are instead registered in the name of the brokerage firm, bank or trust company through which they purchased the Common shares. More particularly, a person is not a Registered Shareholder in respect of Common shares which are held on behalf of that person (the "Non-Registered Holder") but which are registered either: (a) in the name of an intermediary (an "Intermediary") that the Non-Registered Holder deals with in respect of the Common shares (Intermediaries include, among others, banks, trust companies, securities dealers or brokers and trustees or administrators of self-administered RRSPs, RRIFs, RESPs and similar plans); or (b) in the name of a clearing agency of which the Intermediary is a participant. In Canada, the vast majority of such shares are registered under the name of CDS & Co. (the registration for the Canadian Depository for Securities, which company acts as nominee for many Canadian brokerage firms).
Non-Registered Holders who have not objected to their Intermediary disclosing certain ownership information about themselves to the Company are referred to as "NOBOs". Those Non-Registered Holders who have objected to their Intermediary disclosing ownership information about themselves to the Company are referred to as "OBOs".
In accordance with the requirements of National Instrument 54-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators, the Company has elected to send the Notice of Meeting, this Information Circular and the Proxy (collectively, the "Meeting Materials") directly to the NOBOs. The Intermediaries (or their service companies) are responsible for forwarding the Meeting Materials to each OBO, unless the OBO has waived the right to receive them. The Company does not intend to pay for Intermediaries to deliver the Meeting Materials to OBOs. As a result, OBOs will not receive the Meeting Materials unless the Intermediary assumes the costs of delivery.
Meeting Materials sent to Non-Registered Holders who have not waived the right to receive Meeting Materials are accompanied by a request for voting instructions (a "VIF"). This form is instead of a proxy. By returning the VIF in accordance with the instructions noted on it a Non-Registered Holder is able to instruct the Registered Shareholder how to vote on behalf of the Non-Registered Shareholder. VIFs, whether provided by the Company or by an Intermediary, should be completed and returned in accordance with the specific instructions noted on the VIF.
In either case, the purpose of this procedure is to permit Non-Registered Holders to direct the voting of the Common shares which they beneficially own. Should a Non-Registered Holder who receives a VIF wish to attend the Meeting or have someone else attend on his/her behalf, the Non-Registered Holder may request a legal proxy as set forth in the VIF, which will grant the Non-Registered Holder or his/her nominee the right to attend and vote at the Meeting. Non-Registered Holders should carefully follow the instructions set out in the VIF including those regarding when and where the VIF is to be delivered.
All references to shareholders in this Information Circular and the accompanying form of Proxy and Notice of Meeting are to registered shareholders unless specifically stated otherwise.
VOTING OF SHARES AND EXERCISE OF DISCRETION OF PROXIES
On any poll, the persons named in the enclosed form of Proxy will vote the shares in respect of which they are appointed and, where directions are given by the shareholder in respect of voting for or against any resolution will do so in accordance with such direction.
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In the absence of any direction in the Proxy, it is intended that such shares will be voted in favour of the motions proposed to be made at the Meeting as stated under the headings in this Information Circular. The form of Proxy enclosed, when properly signed, confers discretionary authority with respect to amendments or variations to any matters, which may properly be brought before the Meeting. At the time of printing of this Information Circular, Management of the Company is not aware that any such amendments, variations or other matters are to be presented for action at the Meeting. However, if any other matters, which are not now known to the Management, should properly come before the Meeting, the Proxies hereby solicited will be exercised on such matters in accordance with the best judgment of the nominee.
INTEREST OF CERTAIN PERSONS IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
Other than as disclosed elsewhere in this Information Circular, none of the directors or senior officers of the Company, no proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company, none of the persons who have been directors or senior officers of the Company since the commencement of the Company’s last completed financial year and no associate or affiliate of any of the foregoing persons has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon at the Meeting, save and except for those matters pertaining to the interests of individuals who are eligible participants under the Stock Option Plan (as defined herein) in the approval of the Stock Option Plan, as more particularly set out under "Particulars of Matters to be Acted Upon – Approval of Stock Option Plan".
VOTING SHARES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS THEREOF
The Company is authorized to issue an unlimited number of Common shares without par value. On September 30, 2024, the record date of the Meeting, 323,189,058 Common shares were issued and outstanding, each share carrying the right to one vote. At a general meeting of the Company, on a show of hands, every shareholder present in person shall have one vote and, on a poll, every shareholder shall have one vote for each share of which he is the holder.
Only shareholders of record on the close of business on the September 30, 2024, who either personally attend the Meeting or who complete and deliver a Proxy in the manner and subject to the provisions set out under the heading "Appointment and Revocation of Proxies" will be entitled to have his or her shares voted at the Meeting or any adjournment thereof.
To the knowledge of the directors and senior officers of the Company, no person beneficially owns, controls or directs, directly or indirectly, voting securities of the Company carrying 10% or more of the voting rights attached to any class of voting securities of the Company as of September 30, 2024, except as set out below:
| Shareholder Name | Number of Shares Held |
Percentage of Issued Shares |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore J&Y Investment Pte Ltd. | 62,843,005(1) | 19.44%(2) |
(1) These Common shares are held through Singapore J&Y Investment Pte Ltd., a company controlled by Jiang Li, Jianjun Li and Jiayi Li.
(2) Based on 323,189,058 Common shares issued and outstanding, on an undiluted basis, as of September 30, 2024.
The above information was provided by management of the Company and the Company’s registrar and transfer agent as of September 30, 2024.
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STATEMENT OF EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
General
For the purpose of this Statement of Executive Compensation:
" compensation securities " includes stock options, convertible securities, exchangeable securities and similar instruments including stock appreciation rights, deferred share units and restricted stock units granted or issued by the Company or one of its subsidiaries (if any) for services provided or to be provided, directly or indirectly to the Company or any of its subsidiaries (if any);
" NEO " or " named executive officer " means:
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(a) each individual who served as chief executive officer (" CEO ") of the Company, or who performed functions similar to a CEO, during any part of the most recently completed financial year,
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(b) each individual who served as chief financial officer (" CFO ") of the Company, or who performed functions similar to a CFO, during any part of the most recently completed financial year,
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(c) the most highly compensated executive officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (if any) other than individuals identified in paragraphs (a) and (b) at the end of the most recently completed financial year whose total compensation was more than $150,000, as determined in accordance with subsection 1.3(5) of Form 51-102F6V, for that financial year, and
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(d) each individual who would be an NEO under paragraph (c) but for the fact that the individual was neither an executive officer of the Company or its subsidiaries (if any), nor acting in a similar capacity, at the end of that financial year;
" plan " includes any plan, contract, authorization or arrangement, whether or not set out in any formal document, where cash, compensation securities or any other property may be received, whether for one or more persons; and
" underlying securities " means any securities issuable on conversion, exchange or exercise of compensation securities.
Director and Named Executive Officer Compensation, Excluding Compensation Securities
The following table sets forth all direct and indirect compensation paid, payable, awarded, granted, given or otherwise provided, directly or indirectly, by the Company or any subsidiary thereof to each NEO and each director of the Company, in any capacity, including, for greater certainty, all plan and non-plan compensation, direct and indirect pay, remuneration, economic or financial award, reward, benefit, gift or perquisite paid, payable, awarded, granted, given or otherwise provided to the NEO or director for services provided and for services to be provided, directly or indirectly, to the Company or any subsidiary thereof for each of the two most recently completed financial years of the Company, other than stock options and other compensation securities:
| 5 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and **Position ** |
**Year ** | Salary, Consulting Fee, Retainer or Commission ($) |
Bonus ($) |
Committee or Meeting Fees ($) |
Value of Perquisites(1) ($) |
Value of All Other Compensation ($) |
Total Compensation ($) |
| Michael J. Williams CEO, President and Director |
2024 2023 |
159,000(2) 331,250(2) |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
159,000 331,250 |
| Alastair Brownlow CFO |
2024 2023 |
48,000(3) 46,500(3) |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
48,000 46,500 |
| Peter Voulgaris Director |
2024 2023 |
180,000(4) 330,000(5) |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
180,000 330,000 |
| David J. Baker Director |
2024 2023 |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
| Doug Flegg Director |
2024 2023 |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
| Jiang Li(6) Former Director |
2024 2023 |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
(1) "Perquisites" include perquisites provided to an NEO or director that are not generally available to all employees and that, in aggregate, are: (a) $15,000, if the NEO or director’s total salary for the financial year is $150,000 or less, (b) 10% of the NEO or director’s salary for the financial year if the NEO or director’s total salary for the financial year is greater than $150,000 but less than $500,000, or (c) $50,000 if the NEO or director’s total salary for the financial year is $500,000 or greater.
(2) Includes all amounts paid to or accrued to Octavian Capital Corp, a company wholly owned by Michael J. Williams.
(3) Includes all amounts paid to Red Fern Consulting Ltd., a company of which Alastair Brownlow is an associate.
(4) Includes fees paid or accrued to Ladon Capital Corp, a company of which Peter Voulgaris is a principal.
(5) Includes fees of $150,000 paid or accrued to Elysium Mining Ltd., a company wholly owned by Peter Voulgaris and $180,000 paid or accrued to Ladon Capital Corp, a company of which Peter Voulgaris is a principal.
(6) Mr. Li. ceased to be a director on April 25, 2024.
Stock Options and Other Compensation Securities
For the most recently completed financial year ended May 31, 2024, there were no compensation securities granted or issued to Company directors and NEOs for services provided or to be provided, directly or indirectly, to the Company.
Exercise of Stock Options
No compensation securities were exercised by a Company director or NEO during the Company’s most recently completed financial year ended May 31, 2024.
Stock Option Plans and Other Incentive Plans
The Company's stock option plan (the "Plan") is a "rolling" stock option plan, whereby the Company is authorized to grant stock options of up to 10% of its issued and outstanding shares, from time to time. The underlying purpose of the Plan is to attract and motivate directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company and to advance the interests of the Company by affording such persons with the opportunity to acquire an equity interest in the Company through rights granted under the Plan to purchase shares of the Company. The plan was last approved by the shareholders of the Company on December 5, 2023.
A copy of the Plan is available for review on the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca and at the office of the Company at 1500 – 409 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 1T2 or at the registered offices of the Company, at 15[th] Floor, 1111 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British
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Columbia, V6E 2J3 during normal business hours up to and including the date of the Meeting. See "Particulars of Matters to be Acted Upon – Approval of Stock Option Plan".
There were no option-based awards outstanding to NEOs as at May 31, 2024.
External Management Companies
The Company has not engaged the services of an external management company to provide executive management services to the Company, directly or indirectly.
Employment, Consulting and Management Agreements
The Company has a services agreement with Octavian Capital Corp. whereby the Company will pay a monthly service fee of $13,250. Octavian Capital Corp. is controlled by Michael J. Williams, who is also a director of the Company. The Company is not party to any other formal, written employment, consulting or management agreements with any NEO or director.
Oversight and Description of Director and NEO Compensation
The Compensation/Corporate Governance Committee has the responsibility to administer the compensation policies related to the executive management of the Company, including option-based awards.
The Company’s compensation philosophy for executive officers follows three underlying principles:
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(a) to provide compensation packages that encourage and motivate performance;
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(b) to be competitive with other companies of similar size and scope of operations so as to attract and retain talented executives; and
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(c) to align the interests of its executive officers with the long-term interests of the Company and its shareholders through stock related programs.
When determining compensation policies and individual compensation levels for the Company’s executive officers, the Compensation/Corporate Governance Committee takes into consideration a variety of factors, including the overall financial and operating performance of the Company, and the Compensation/Corporate Governance Committee’s and the Board’s overall assessment of:
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(a) each executive officer’s individual performance and contribution towards meeting corporate objectives;
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each executive officer’s level of responsibility,
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(b) each executive officer’s level of responsibility, (c) each executive officer’s length of service; and
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(d) industry comparables.
As part of its executive compensation assessment, the Compensation/Corporate Governance Committee also compares its executive compensation packages against those awarded by a comparator group of companies that are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V") and comparable markets.
The Compensation/Corporate Governance Committee obtains executive compensation data from thirdparty providers of compensation data in the local Vancouver mineral exploration sector. The Compensation/Corporate Governance Committee intends to agree annually and on an as-needed basis, with input from management, on the specific work to be undertaken from time to time by external human resources consultants.
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The Compensation/Corporate Governance Committee has the responsibility to administer the compensation policies related to the executive management of the Company, including option-based awards.
The Compensation/Corporate Governance Committee is composed of David J. Baker (Chair), Doug Flegg and Michael J. Williams, of whom David J. Baker and Doug Flegg are "independent directors" as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws at the relevant times. See " Corporate Governance – Board of Directors".
Compensation Mix
In keeping with the Company’s philosophy to link senior executive compensation to corporate performance and to motivate senior executives to achieve exceptional levels of performance, the Company has adopted a model that includes both base salary or consulting fees and "at-risk" compensation, comprised of participation in the Plan, as described below. In addition, the Company may award performance bonuses based on executives meeting short-term performance milestones.
Base Salary - Fees
Base salary and consulting fee levels reflect the fixed component of pay that compensates executives for fulfilling their roles and responsibilities and assists in the attraction and retention of highly qualified executives. Base salaries are reviewed annually to ensure they reflect each respective executive’s performance and experience in fulfilling his or her role and to ensure executive retention. Currently base salaries and consulting fees are set at below industry standard levels to make more capital available for development of the Company’s assets. Compensation is made up with the provision of stock options (see below for description). Salary and consulting fee levels will be reviewed and revised as the Company grows.
Stock Option Plan (Stock Options)
Long-term incentives are performance-based grants of stock options. The awards are intended to align executive interests with those of shareholders by tying compensation to share performance and to assist in retention through vesting provisions. Grants of stock options are based on:
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(a) the executive’s performance;
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(b) the executive’s level of responsibility within the Company;
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(c) the number and exercise price of options previously issued to the executive;
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(d) the difference between the executive’s salary and that paid by comparable companies; and
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(e) the overall aggregate total compensation package provided to the executive. A Black-Scholes valuation is used to determine the value of any long-term options allocated.
The Compensation/Corporate Governance Committee makes recommendations to the Board concerning the Plan based on the above criteria. Options are typically granted on an annual basis in connection with the review of executives’ compensation packages. Options may also be granted to executives upon hire or promotion and as special recognition for extraordinary performance.
Chief Executive Officer Compensation
The components of Chief Executive Officer compensation are the same as those which apply to the other senior executive officers of the Company, namely base salary or consulting fees, long-term equity incentives and discretionary performance bonuses (which are subject to targets being achieved). The Compensation/Corporate Governance Committee presents its recommendations to the Board with respect to the Chief Executive Officer’s compensation. In setting the recommended salary or consulting fees of the Chief Executive Officer, the Compensation/Corporate Governance Committee takes into
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consideration the recommendations of independent consultants and the salaries or fees paid to other chief executive officers in the mineral exploration industry. In setting the salary or fees, performance bonus and long-term incentives for the Chief Executive Officer, the Compensation/Corporate Governance Committee evaluates the performance of the Chief Executive Officer in light of his impact on the achievement of the Company’s goals and objectives.
Termination and Change of Control Benefits
The Company has an agreement with Octavian Capital Corp, for the services of Michael J. Williams in his capacity as President, CEO, and Director whereby the Company will be obligated to pay Octavian Capital Corp. an amount equal to thirty months compensation on that date in the event of termination without cause or resignation with good cause. In the event of a change of control, if within twelve months following a change of control of the Company, Octavian Capital Corp.’s engagement is terminated by the Company without good cause or, Octavian Capital Corp. terminates its agreement with or without good cause at any time within twelve months after a change of control, in either case, it will receive as severance an amount equal to thirty months annual compensation as at that date.
Pension Plan Benefits
The Company does not have any pension, defined benefit, defined contribution or deferred compensation plans in place.
SECURITIES AUTHORIZED FOR ISSUANCE UNDER EQUITY COMPENSATION PLANS
As of the financial year ended May 31, 2024, the Plan was the only equity compensation plan under which securities were authorized for issuance. The following table sets forth information with respect to the Plan as at the year ended May 31, 2024.
| Plan category | Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options (a) |
Weighted- average exercise price of outstanding options (b) |
Number of securities remaining available for future issuance (excluding securities reflected in column (a))1 (c) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity compensation plans approved by securityholders |
Nil | n/a | Nil |
| Equity compensation plans not approved by securityholders |
n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Total | nil | n/a | nil |
INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS AND SENIOR OFFICERS
No individual who was, or at any time during the most recently completed financial year, or as of the record date, a director or executive officer of the Company, and no proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company and no associate of such persons:
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(i) is or at any time since the beginning of the most recently completed financial year has been, indebted to the Company or its subsidiaries; or
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(ii) whose indebtedness to another entity is, or at any time since the beginning of the most recently completed financial year has been, the subject of a guarantee, support agreement, letter of credit or other similar arrangement or understanding provided by the Company or its subsidiaries.
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INTEREST OF CERTAIN PERSONS IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
Except as set out herein, no person who has been a director or executive officer of the Company at any time since the beginning of the Company's last financial year, no proposed nominee of management of the Company for election as a director of the Company and no associate or affiliate of the foregoing persons, has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership or otherwise, in matters to be acted upon at the Meeting other than the election of directors or the appointment of auditors.
INTEREST OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS
To the knowledge of management of the Company, no informed person or nominee for election as a director of the Company, or any associate or affiliate of an informed person or proposed director, has or had any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year or in any proposed transaction which has materially affected or will materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than as set out herein.
The term "informed person" as defined in National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations means a director or executive officer of the Company, or any person or company who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, voting securities of the Company or who exercises control or direction over voting securities of the Company carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to all outstanding voting securities of the Company, other than voting securities held by the person or company as underwriter in the course of a distribution.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS
Management functions of the Company are generally performed by directors and senior officers of the Company and not, to any substantial degree, by any other person to whom the Company has contracted.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
Under National Instrument 52-110 - Audit Committees ("NI 52-110"), a reporting issuer is required to provide disclosure annually with respect to its audit committee, including the text of its audit committee charter, information regarding the composition of the audit committee, and information regarding fees paid to its external auditor. The Company provides the following disclosure with respect to its audit committee (the "Audit Committee"). In providing the following disclosure, the Company is relying on the exemption provided under NI 52-110, which allows for the short form disclosure of the audit committee procedures of venture issuers.
Audit Committee Charter
Mandate
The primary function of the audit committee (the "Committee") is to assist the board of directors (the "Board") in fulfilling its financial oversight responsibilities by reviewing the financial reports and other financial information provided by the Company to regulatory authorities and shareholders, the Company’s systems of internal controls regarding finance and accounting, and the Company’s auditing, accounting and financial reporting processes. Consistent with this function, the Committee will encourage continuous improvement of, and should foster adherence to, the Company’s policies, procedures and practices at all levels. The Committee’s primary duties and responsibilities are to:
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serve as an independent and objective party to monitor the Company’s financial reporting and internal control systems and review the Company’s financial statements;
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review and appraise the performance of the Company’s external auditors; and
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- provide an open avenue of communication among the Company’s auditors, financial and senior management and the Board.
Composition
The Committee is to be comprised of at least three directors as determined by the Board, the majority of whom are to be free from any relationship that, in the opinion of the Board, would reasonably interfere with the exercise of his or her independent judgment as a member of the Committee. At least one member of the Committee should have accounting or related financial management expertise. All members of the Committee that are not financially literate must work towards becoming financially literate by obtaining a working familiarity with basic finance and accounting practices. For the purposes of the Audit Committee’s Charter, the definition of "financially literate" is the ability to read and understand a set of financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can presumably be expected to be raised by the Company’s financial statements. The members of the Committee shall be elected by the Board at its first meeting following the annual shareholders’ meeting.
Meetings
The Committee shall meet at least four times annually, or as they see fit , 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
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(a) Review and update this Charter annually.
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(b) Review the Company’s financial statements, MD&A and any annual and interim earnings, press releases before the Company publicly discloses this information and any reports or other financial information (including quarterly financial statements), which are submitted to any governmental body, or to the public, including any certification, report, opinion, or review rendered by the external auditors.
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(c) Confirm that adequate procedures are in place for the review of the Company’s public disclosure of financial information extracted or derived from the Company’s financial statements.
External Auditors
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(a) Review annually, the performance of the external auditors who shall be ultimately accountable to the Board and the Committee as representatives of the shareholders of the Company.
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(b) Obtain annually, a formal written statement of the external auditors setting forth all relationships between the external auditors and the Company, consistent with the Independence Standards Board Standard 1.
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(c) Review and discuss with the external auditors any disclosed relationships or services that may impact the objectivity and independence of the external auditors.
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(d) Take, or recommend that the full Board, take appropriate action to oversee the independence of the external auditors.
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(e) Recommend to the Board the selection and compensation and, where applicable, the replacement of the external auditors nominated annually for shareholder approval.
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(f) At each yearly audit meeting, consult with the external auditors, without the presence of management, about the quality of the Company’s accounting principles, internal controls and the completeness and accuracy of the Company's financial statements.
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(g) Review and approve the Company’s hiring policies regarding partners, employees and former partners and employees of the present and former external auditors of the Company.
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(h) Review with management and the external auditors the audit plan for the year-end financial statements and intended template for such statements.
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(i) Review and pre-approve all audit and audit-related services and the fees and other compensation related thereto, and any non-audit services, provided by the Company’s external auditors. The pre-approval requirement is waived with respect to the provision of non-audit services if:
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(i) the aggregate amount of all such non-audit services provided to the Company constitutes not more than five percent of the total amount of fees paid by the Company to its external auditors during the fiscal year in which the non-audit services are provided;
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(ii) such services were not recognized by the Company at the time of the engagement to be non-audit services; and
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(iii) such services are promptly brought to the attention of the Committee by the Company and approved prior to the completion of the audit by the Committee or by one or more members of the Committee who are members of the Board to whom authority to grant such approvals has been delegated by the Committee. 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
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(a) In consultation with the external auditors, review with management the integrity of the Company’s financial reporting process, both internal and external.
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(b) Consider the external auditors’ judgments about the quality and appropriateness of the Company’s accounting principles as applied in its financial reporting.
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(c) Consider and approve, if appropriate, changes to the Company’s auditing and accounting principles and practices as suggested by the external auditors and management.
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(d) Review significant judgments made by management in the preparation of the financial statements and the view of the external auditors as to appropriateness of such judgments.
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(e) Following completion of the annual audit, review separately with management and the external auditors any significant difficulties encountered during the course of the audit, including any restrictions on the scope of work or access to required information.
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(f) Review any significant disagreement among management and the external auditors in connection with the preparation of the financial statements.
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(g) Review with the external auditors and management the extent to which changes and improvements in financial or accounting practices have been implemented.
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(h) Review any complaints or concerns about any questionable accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters.
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(i)
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Review certification process.
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(j) Establish a procedure for the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the Company of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.
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Other Review any related-party transactions.
Composition of the Audit Committee
The following are the members of the Committee:
| David J. Baker(Chair) | Independent(1) | Financiallyliterate(1) |
|---|---|---|
| DougFlegg | Independent(1) | Financiallyliterate(1) |
| Michael J. Williams | Not Independent(1) | Financiallyliterate(1) |
(1) As defined by NI 52-110.
Relevant Education and Experience
In addition to each member’s general business experience, the education and experience of each Audit Committee member that is relevant to the performance of his responsibilities as an Audit Committee member is as follows:
David J. Baker (Chair) - is a chartered accountant with over 20 years of mining financial management experience. With experience in all aspects of exploration, development, construction and operations, David is currently the principal of a financial management advisory firm. He has previously held senior positions with Turquoise Hill Resources, Ivanhoe Mines, Savage River and Pasminco and is currently engaged in the MBA program at the Sauder School of Business at UBC. Mr. Baker is also the Chairman of the Company’s Audit Committee.
Doug Flegg – holds an MBA, has worked in the investment business in several roles for over 20 years and is familiar with public company financial statements and the accounting principles used in reading and preparing financial statements.
Michael J. Williams – is an audit committee member of Full Metal Minerals Ltd. As an officer and director of various public companies, Mr. Williams has become familiar with public company financial statements and the accounting principles used in reading and preparing financial statements.
Audit Committee Oversight
At no time since the commencement of the Company’s most recent completed financial year was a recommendation of the 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) , 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 Committee has adopted specific policies and procedures for the engagement of non-audit services as described above under the heading "Audit Committee Charter - External Auditors".
External Auditor Service Fees (By Category)
The aggregate fees billed by the Company’s external auditors in each of the last two most recently completed fiscal years for audit fees are as follows:
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| 13 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Year Ending |
Audit Fees | Audit Related Fees(1) | Tax Fees(2) | All Other Fees(3) |
| 2024 2023 |
$28,000 $25,000 |
nil nil |
nil nil |
nil nil |
- (1) Fees charged for assurance and related services reasonably related to the performance of an audit, and not included under "Audit Fees".
(2) Fees charged for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning services.
- (3) Fees for services other than disclosed in any other column.
Exemption in Section 6.1 of NI 52-110
The Company is relying on the exemption in Section 6.1 of NI 52-110 from the requirement of Parts 3 (Composition of the Audit Committee) and 5 (Reporting Obligations) of NI 52-110.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Corporate governance relates to the activities of the Board, the members of which are elected by and are accountable to the shareholders, and takes into account the role of the individual members of management who are appointed by the Board and who are charged with the day-to-day management of the Company. National Policy 58-201 Corporate Governance Guidelines establishes corporate governance guidelines that apply to all public companies. These guidelines are not intended to be prescriptive but to be used by issuers in developing their own corporate governance practices. 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.
Pursuant to National Policy 58-101 Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices ("NP 58-101") the Company is required to disclose its corporate governance practices, as summarized below. The Board will continue to monitor such practices on an ongoing basis and when necessary implement such additional practices as it deems appropriate.
Board of Directors
The Board is currently composed of four directors, Messrs. Michael J. Williams, Peter Voulgaris, David J. Baker and Doug Flegg. All the proposed nominees are current directors of the Company.
NP 58-101 suggests that the board of directors of a public company should but are not required to be constituted with a majority of individuals who qualify as "independent" directors. An "independent" director is a director who is independent of management and is free from any interest and any business or other relationship which could, or could reasonably be perceived to materially interfere with the director’s ability to act with a view to the best interests of the Company, other than interests and relationships arising from shareholding. Of the proposed nominees of the Company, David J. Baker and Doug Flegg are considered by the Board to be "independent" within the meaning of NP 58-101. Michael J. Williams (CEO & President) and Peter Voulgaris who is a founder of one of the Company’s properties and receives a monthly fee are considered to be "non-independent".
The independent directors exercise their responsibilities for independent oversight of management and meet independently of management whenever deemed necessary.
Directorships
The following directors of the Company also serve as directors of other reporting issuers:
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| 14 | |
|---|---|
| Director | Other Reporting Issuer(s) |
| Michael J. Williams | Full Metal Minerals Ltd. Aftermath Silver Ltd. Vortex Metals Inc. |
| Doug Flegg | Satori Resources Inc. |
| Peter Voulgaris | Full Metal Minerals Ltd. |
Orientation and Continuing Education
Each new director is given an outline of the nature of the Company’s business, its corporate strategy, and current issues within the Company. New directors are also required to meet with management of the Company to discuss and better understand the Company’s business and are given the opportunity to meet with counsel to the Company to discuss their legal obligations as directors of the Company.
In addition, management of the Company takes steps to ensure that its directors and officers are continually updated as to the latest corporate and securities policies which may affect the directors, officers and committee members of the Company as a whole. The Company continually reviews the latest securities rules and policies and is on the mailing list of the TSX-V to receive updates to any of those policies. Any such changes or new requirements are then brought to the attention of the Company’s directors either by way of director or committee meetings or by direct communications from management to the directors.
Ethical Business Conduct
The Board has adopted a written Code of Ethical Conduct (the "Code") for its directors, officers and employees. As one measure to ensure compliance with the Code, the Board has also established a Whistleblower Policy which details complaint procedure for financial concerns. The full text of these standards is available free of charge to any person upon request to the Company by mail to: 1500 – 409 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 1T2 (Telephone: (604) 484-7855).
In addition, as some of the directors of the Company also serve as directors and officers of other companies engaged in similar business activities, the Board must comply with the conflict of interest provisions of the British Columbia Business Corporations Act , as well as the relevant securities regulatory instruments, in order to ensure that directors exercise independent judgment in considering transactions and agreements in respect of which a director or officer has a material interest. Any interested director would be required to declare the nature and extent of his interest and would not be entitled to vote at meetings of directors which evoke any such conflict.
Nomination of Directors
The Company’s management is continually in contact with individuals involved in the mining exploration industry and public sector resource issuers. From these sources the Company has made numerous contacts and in the event that the Company were in a position to nominate any new directors, such individuals would be brought to the attention of the Board. The Company conducts due diligence, reference and background checks on any suitable candidate. 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 and a willingness to serve.
Compensation and Corporate Governance Committee
The Compensation/Corporate Governance committee is responsible for reviewing all overall compensation strategy, objectives and policies; annually reviewing and assessing the performance of the
15
executive officers; recommending to the Board the compensation of the executive officers; reviewing executive appointments; and recommending the adequacy and form of directors' compensation.
Currently, the members are David J. Baker (Chair), Doug Flegg, and Michael J. Williams, of whom David J. Baker and Doug Flegg are independent directors.
Compensation of Directors
The Board of Directors have formed a Compensation/Corporate Governance Committee to monitor and review the salary and benefits of its executive officers, and the Company’s general compensation structure, policies and programs in consideration of industry standards and the Company’s financial situation. The Compensation/Corporate Governance Committee will also be responsible for determining the compensation of the directors who currently are not compensated in their capacity as directors but do receive stock options.
Other Board Committees
At present, the Company has an Audit Committee and a Compensation/Corporate Governance Committee. The Company has no present intention of creating any other committees, but may do so in the future should its Board become larger.
Assessments
Neither the Company nor the Board has determined formal means or methods to regularly assess the Board, its committees or the individual directors with respect to their effectiveness and contributions. Effectiveness is subjectively measured by comparing actual corporate results with stated objectives. The contributions of any individual director are informally monitored by the other Board members, having in mind the business strengths of the individual and the purpose of originally nominating the individual to the Board.
Nomination and Assessment
The Board determines new nominees to the Board, although a formal process has not been adopted. The nominees are generally the result of recruitment efforts by the Board members, including both formal and informal discussions among Board members and the President and Chief Executive Officer. The Board monitors but does not formally assess the performance of individual Board members or committee members or their contributions.
Expectations of Management
The Board expects management to operate the business of the Company in a manner that enhances shareholder value and is consistent with the highest level of integrity. Management is expected to execute the Company's business plan and to meet performance goals and objectives.
PARTICULARS OF MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
A. Number of Directors and Election of Directors
The Board presently consists of four (4) directors. At the Meeting, it is proposed to keep the number of directors elected at four (4) directors to hold office until the next annual general meeting. Shareholder approval will be sought to fix the number of directors of the Company at four (4). In the absence of instructions to the contrary, the enclosed proxy will be voted to set the number of directors of the Company at four (4).
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Each director of the Company is elected annually and holds office until the next Annual General Meeting of the shareholders unless that person ceases to be a director before then. In the absence of instructions to the contrary, the shares represented by Proxy will, on a poll, be voted for the nominees herein listed. Management does not contemplate that any of the nominees will be unable to serve as a director.
The following table sets out the names of the persons to be nominated for election as directors, the positions and offices which they presently hold with the Company, their respective principal occupations or employments during the past five years if such nominee is not presently an elected director 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 Information Circular:
| Name and Residence of Proposed Directors and Present Offices Held |
Date Elected or Appointed |
Principal Occupation or employment and, if not a previously elected Director, occupation during the past 5 years |
Number of Shares Held(1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael J. Williams(2)(3) West Vancouver, B.C. CEO, President and Director |
May 1, 2010 | President and CEO of Vendetta Mining Corp since December, 2009. |
6,866,833(4) |
| Peter Voulgaris Vancouver, BC Director |
Aug. 7, 2014 | Geologist & Engineer. Consultant with private consulting firm Elysium Mining Ltd. |
6,616,999(5) |
| David J. Baker(2)(3) Vancouver, BC Director |
Oct. 6, 2016 | Principal, David J. Baker Consulting | 180,000 |
| Doug Flegg(2)(3) Toronto, ON Director |
Oct. 6, 2016 | Principal, Cairn Merchant Partners | 455,000 |
-
(1) Information as to voting shares beneficially owned or controlled, not being within the knowledge of the Company, has been furnished by the respective nominees individually.
-
(2) Member of Audit Committee.
(3) Member of Compensation and Corporate Governance Committee.
(4) 3,368,833 shares held indirectly by Octavian Capital Corp (a Company 100% owned by Michael J. Williams).
- (5) 4,013,333 shares held indirectly by Elysium Mining Ltd. (a company controlled by Peter Voulgaris) and 747,000 held by Peter Voulgaris’ wife, Otgonsuren Ailuush.
The above information was provided by the directors and management of the Company.
Other than as set forth directly below, to the knowledge of management, no proposed director
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(a) is, at the date of this Information Circular, or has been, within 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,
-
(i) was the subject of a cease trade 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;
-
(ii) was the subject to an event that resulted, after the director or executive officer ceased to be a director or executive officer, in the company being the subject of a cease trade 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
17
-
(iii) 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
-
(b) has, within the 10 years before the date of this Information Circular, become bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or become subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of the proposed director.
In addition, no proposed director has been subject to any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation or by a securities regulatory authority or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority or has been subject to any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body or self-regulating authority that would likely be considered important to a reasonable securityholder in deciding whether to vote for a proposed director.
Mr. Michael J. Williams is Executive Chairman, Vice President and Director of Aftermath Silver Ltd, a BC registered company that is listed on the NEX Board of the TSX Venture Exchange. On October 6, 2015, Aftermath Silver Ltd. was subject to a cease trade order for failure to file financial statements. The cease trade order was lifted on August 18, 2017 by the British Columbia Securities Commission.
B. Appointment of Auditor
The persons named in the enclosed form of Proxy will vote for the reappointment of Davidson & Company LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as auditor of the Company for the ensuing year, until the close of the next annual general meeting of the members, at a remuneration to be fixed by the directors. Davidson & Company LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, was first appointed auditor of the Company on August 6, 2015.
C. Approval Of Stock Option Plan
The Board adopted the Company’s 10% "rolling" stock option plan (the "Stock Option Plan") on October 24, 2022. The Stock Option Plan incorporates certain requirements of Exchange Policy 4.4 – Security Based Compensation (" Policy 4.4 ") which was amended on November 24, 2021. The information below should be read in conjunction with the Stock Option Plan. Any definitions or capitalized terms used or referenced below have the same meaning attributed to them in the Stock Option Plan which is attached to this Information Circular as Schedule “A”.
The purpose of the Stock Option Plan is to give to Eligible Persons (as defined herein) additional compensation, the opportunity to participate in the success of the Company by granting to such individuals Stock Options, exercisable over periods of up to ten (10) years as determined by the Board, to buy shares of the Company at a price not less than the Market Price (as defined herein) prevailing on the date the Stock Option is granted less applicable discount, if any, permitted by the policies of the Exchange and approved by the Board. The general terms and conditions of the Stock Option Plan are reflected in the disclosure below.
| Key Terms | Summary |
|---|---|
| Administration | The Board shall, without limitation, have full and final authority in |
| their discretion, but subject to the express provisions of the Stock | |
| Option Plan, to interpret the Stock Option Plan, to prescribe, amend | |
| and rescind rules and regulations relating to the Stock Option Plan | |
| and to make all other determinations deemed necessary or advisable | |
| in respect of the Stock Option Plan. Except as set forth in certain | |
| sections of the Stock Option Plan and subject to any required prior |
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Key Terms Summary
Exchange approval, the interpretation and construction of any provision of the Stock Option Plan by the Board shall be final and conclusive. Administration of the Stock Option Plan shall be the responsibility of the appropriate officers of the Company and all costs in respect thereof shall be paid by the Company.
Number of Common The maximum aggregate number of Common shares that are Shares issuable pursuant to security-based compensation granted or issued under the Stock Option Plan and all of the Company's other previously established or proposed security-based compensation plans (to which the following limits apply under Exchange policies):
(a) to all Eligible Persons granted a Stock Option pursuant to the Stock Option Plan and their heirs, executors, and administrators ("Optionees") as a group (including for greater certainty Insiders (as a group) shall not exceed 10% of the total number of issued and outstanding Common shares on a non-diluted basis at any point in time;
(b) to Insiders (as a group) in any 12-month period shall not exceed 10% of the total number of issued and outstanding Common shares on a non-diluted basis on the date specified in an agreement whereby the Company grants an Optionee a Stock Option (an "Option Agreement") as the date on which a Stock Option is granted (the "Grant Date"), unless the Company has obtained the requisite disinterested shareholder approval pursuant to applicable Exchange policies;
(c) to any one Optionee (including, where permitted under applicable policies of the Exchanges, any companies that are wholly owned by such Optionee) in any 12-month period shall not exceed 5% of the total number of issued and outstanding Common shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date, unless the Company has obtained the requisite disinterested shareholder approval pursuant to applicable Exchange policies.
(d) to any one Consultant (as defined under the policies of the Exchange) in any 12-month period shall not exceed 2% of the total number of issued and outstanding Common shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date;
(e) to Investor Relations Service Providers (as defined under the policies of the Exchange) (as a group) in any 12-month period shall not exceed 2% of the total number of issued and outstanding Common shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date, and Investor Relations Service Providers shall not be eligible to receive any security- based compensation other than Stock Options if the Common shares are listed on the Exchange at the time of any issuance or grant; and
(f) to Eligible Charitable Organizations (as defined under the policies of the Exchange) (as a group) shall not exceed 1% of the total number of issued and outstanding Common shares on a non-
19
Key Terms Summary
| diluted basis on the Grant Date. | |
|---|---|
| Securities | Each Stock Option entitles the holder thereof to purchase one |
| Common share (subject to adjustment in certain circumstances) at an | |
| exercise price determined by the Board. | |
| Participation | Any directors, officers, Employees (as defined under the policies of |
| the Exchange), Management Company Employees (as defined under | |
| the policies of the Exchange), Consultants and Eligible Charitable | |
| Organizations (as defined under the policies of the Exchange) of the | |
| Company and its subsidiaries (collectively "Eligible Persons"). | |
| Stock Option Price | The price per Common share specified in an Option Agreement, |
| adjusted from time to time, (the "Option Price") under each Stock | |
| Option shall be not less than the Market Price on the Grant Date less | |
| the applicable discount permitted under the policies of the | |
| Exchanges or, if the Common shares are not listed on any Exchange, | |
| less 25%. | |
| Exercise Period | The exercise period of a Stock Option will be the period from and |
| including the Grant Date up to 4:00 p.m. (PST) on the expiry date | |
| that will be determined by the Board at the time of grant (the | |
| "Expiry Date"), provided that the Expiry Date of a Stock Option will | |
| be no later than the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date of the Stock | |
| Option. In the event that the Expiry Date of a Stock Option falls | |
| during, a trading blackout period imposed by the Company (the | |
| "Blackout Period"), the Expiry Date of such Stock Option shall | |
| automatically be extended to a date which is ten (10) trading days | |
| following the end of such Blackout Period (the "Extension Period"), | |
| subject to no cease trade order being in place under applicable | |
| securities laws; provided that if an additional Blackout Period is | |
| subsequently imposed by the Company during the Extension Period, | |
| then such Extension Period shall be deemed to commence following | |
| the end of such additional Blackout Period to enable the exercise of | |
| such Stock Option within ten (10) trading days following the end of | |
| the last imposed Blackout Period. |
Ceasing to be an If an Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person, his or her Option Eligible Person shall be exercisable as follows:
(a) Death or Disability
If the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person, due to his or her death or disability or, in the case of an Optionee that is a company, the death or disability of the person who provides management or consulting services to the Company or to any entity controlled by the Company, the Stock Option then held by the Optionee shall be exercisable to acquire the number of Common shares, at a particular time, which have been reserved for issuance upon the exercise of a Stock Option but which have not been issued, as adjusted from time to time ("Unissued Option Shares") that have become exercisable in respect of a number of Option Shares by the Optionee pursuant to the terms of the Option Agreement ("Vested") at any time up to but
20
Key Terms Summary
not after the earlier of:
(i) 365 days after the date of death or disability; and
- (ii) the Expiry Date;
(b) Termination For Cause
If the Optionee or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company (as defined under the policies of the Exchange), the Optionee’s employer, ceases to be an Eligible Person as a result of termination for cause as that term is interpreted by the courts of the jurisdiction in which the Optionee, or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company, of the Optionee’s employer, is employed or engaged; any outstanding Stock Option held by such Optionee on the date of such termination, whether in respect of Option Shares that are Vested or not, shall be cancelled as of that date.
(c) Early Retirement, Voluntary Resignation or Termination Other than For Cause
If the Optionee or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company, the Optionee’s employer, ceases to be an Eligible Person due to his or her retirement at the request of his or her employer earlier than the normal retirement date under the Company’s retirement policy then in force, or due to his or her termination by the Company other than for cause, or due to his or her voluntary resignation, the Stock Option then held by the Optionee shall be exercisable to acquire Vested Unissued Option Shares at any time up to but not after the earlier of the Expiry Date and the date which is 90 days (30 days if the Optionee was engaged in Investor Relations Activities) after the Optionee or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company, the Optionee’s employer, ceases to be an Eligible Person.
(d) Spin-Out Transactions
If pursuant to the operation of section 5.3(c) of the Stock Option Plan (in connection with a corporate reorganization) an Optionee receives options (the "New Options") to purchase securities of another company (the "New Company") in respect of the Optionee's Stock Options (the "Subject Options"), subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges, the New Options shall expire on the earlier of: (i) the Expiry Date of the Subject Options; (ii) if the Optionee does not become an Eligible Person in respect of the New Company, the date that the Subject Options expire pursuant to paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above, as applicable; (iii) if the Optionee becomes an Eligible Person in respect of the New Company, the date that the New Options expire pursuant to the terms of the New Company's stock option plan that correspond to section (a), (b) or (c) above; and (iv) the date that is one (1) year after the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person in respect of the New Company or such shorter
21
Key Terms Summary
period as determined by the Board.
(e) Eligible Charitable Organizations
If the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person due to no longer being an Eligible Charitable Organization, the Stock Options then held by that Optionee shall be exercisable to acquire Vested Unissued Option Shares at any time up to but not after the earlier of the Expiry Date and the date which is 90 days after the date the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may, in its sole discretion if it determines such is in the best interests of the Company and subject to the policies of the Exchanges, extend the early Expiry Date (as set out above in paragraphs (a) to (e)) of any Stock Option held by an Optionee who ceases to be an Eligible Person to a later date within a reasonable period, subject to such period not exceeding 12 months from the date the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person.
Vesting
Acceleration Events (Take-Over Bid and Change of Control)
The Board shall determine the terms upon which each Stock Option shall vest at the time of grant, subject to the policies of the Exchanges. Unless otherwise specified by the Board at the time of granting an Stock Option, all Stock Options shall vest and become exercisable in full upon grant, except Stock Options granted to Investor Relations Service Providers, which Stock Options must vest in stages over twelve months with no more than one-quarter of the Stock Options vesting in any three month period.
If at any time when a Stock Option granted under the Stock Option Plan remains unexercised with respect to any Unissued Option Shares, an Offer is made by an offeror, the Board may, upon notifying each Optionee of full particulars of the Offer and subject to the approval of the Exchanges with respect to Investor Relations Service Providers, declare all Option Shares issuable upon the exercise of Stock Options granted under the Stock Option Plan, Vested, and declare that the Expiry Date for the exercise of all unexercised Stock Options granted under the Stock Option Plan is accelerated so that all Stock Options will either be exercised or will expire prior to the date upon which Common shares must be tendered pursuant to the Offer.
If a Change of Control occurs, all Option Shares subject to each outstanding Stock Option will become Vested, whereupon such Stock Option may be exercised in whole or in part by the Optionee, subject to the approval of the Exchanges with respect to Investor Relations Service Providers or if otherwise necessary.
Amendments
The Board may from time to time, subject to applicable law and to the prior approval, if required, of the shareholders (or disinterested shareholders, if required), Exchanges or any other regulatory body having authority over the Company or the Stock Option Plan, suspend, terminate or discontinue the Stock Option Plan at any time, or amend or revise the terms of the Stock Option Plan or of any
22
Key Terms Summary
Stock Option granted under the Stock Option Plan and the Option Agreement relating thereto, provided that no such amendment, revision, suspension, termination or discontinuance shall in any manner adversely affect any Stock Option previously granted to an Optionee under the Stock Option Plan without the consent of that Optionee. Common Shares Not Any Unissued Option Shares not acquired by an Optionee under a Acquired Stock Option which has been settled in cash, cancelled, terminated, surrendered, forfeited or expired without being exercised may be made the subject of a further Stock Option pursuant to the provisions of the Stock Option Plan. Adjustments The Stock Option Plan provides for certain standard adjustments to the Option Price and the number of Unissued Option Shares in the event of a share reorganization, special dividend distribution or corporate reorganization. Any adjustment is subject to the prior approval of the Exchange, other than adjustments due to a share subdivision, combination or consolidation. Rights of Optionees An Optionee shall have no rights whatsoever as a shareholder of the Company in respect of any of the Unissued Option Shares (including, without limitation, voting rights or any right to receive dividends, warrants or rights under any rights offering). Previously Granted Stock Options which are outstanding under pre-existing stock option Stock Options plan(s) of the Company as of the effective date of the Stock Option Plan shall continue to be exercisable and shall be deemed to be governed by and be subject to the terms and conditions of the Stock Option Plan except to the extent that the terms of the Stock Option Plan are more restrictive than the terms of such pre-existing plan(s) under which such stock options were originally granted, in which case the applicable pre-existing plan(s) shall govern, provided that any stock options granted, issued or amended after November 23, 2021 must comply with TSX-V Policy 4.4 - Incentive Stock Options (as at November 24, 2021).
Shareholders will be asked at the Meeting to approve, with or without variation, the following ordinary resolution (the "Stock Option Plan Resolution"):
"BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
-
a) subject to TSX-V approval, the 10% "rolling" stock option plan of the Company (the "Stock Option Plan"), substantially in the form attached to the Information Circular of the Company dated September 30, 2024 as Schedule "A" is hereby approved and confirmed as the stock option plan of the Company;
-
b) the Board or any director or officer is authorized to make amendments to the Stock Option Plan from time to time as required or deemed necessary by the TSX-V or as the Board, or director or officer may, in its sole discretion, deem to be necessary, advisable or desirable, provided that such amendments will be subject to the approval of all applicable regulatory authorities; and
-
c) any director or officer of the Company is hereby authorized and directed, acting for, in the name of and on behalf of the Company, to execute or cause to be executed, and to deliver or cause to be
23
delivered, all such other deeds, documents, instruments and assurances and to do or cause to be done all such other acts as in the opinion of such director or officer of the Company may be necessary, advisable or desirable to carry out the terms of the foregoing resolutions"
The directors of the Company believe the passing of the foregoing ordinary resolution is in the best interests of the Company and recommend that Shareholders of the Company vote in favour of the resolution. In absence of instructions to the contrary, the persons named in the enclosed form of Proxy will vote for the Stock Option Plan Resolution.
OTHER MATTERS
Management knows of no other matters to come before the Meeting other than those referred to in the Notice of Meeting. Should any other matters properly come before the Meeting the shares represented by the Proxy solicited hereby will be voted on such matters in accordance with the best judgment of the persons voting by proxy.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information concerning the Company is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Shareholders wishing to obtain a copy of the Company’s financial statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis may contact the Company at Suite 1500 – 409 Granville Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6C 1T2, Telephone: (604) 484-7855.
Financial information is provided in the Company’s comparative financial statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis for its most recently completed financial period which are filed on SEDAR+.
DATED at Vancouver, British Columbia, 30th day of September, 2024.
APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
"Michael J. Williams"
President & CEO
Schedule “A”
Stock Option Plan
VENDETTA MINING CORP.
October 24[th] , 2022
10% ROLLING STOCK OPTION PLAN
1. PURPOSE OF THE PLAN
The Company hereby establishes a stock option plan for Directors, Officers, Employees, Management Company Employees, Consultants and Eligible Charitable Organizations (as such terms are defined below) of the Company and its subsidiaries (collectively " Eligible Persons "), to be known as the "Vendetta Mining Corp. Stock Option Plan" (the " Plan "). The purpose of the Plan is to give to Eligible Persons as additional compensation, the opportunity to participate in the success of the Company by granting to such individuals Options, exercisable over periods of up to ten (10) years as determined by the board of directors of the Company, to buy shares of the Company at a price not less than the Market Price prevailing on the date the Option is granted less applicable discount, if any, permitted by the policies of the Exchanges and approved by the Board.
2. DEFINITIONS
In this Plan, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
-
2.1 " Board " means the Board of Directors of the Company.
-
2.2 " Change of Control " means the occurrence of any one or more of the following events:
-
(i) a consolidation, reorganization, amalgamation, merger, acquisition or other business combination (or a plan of arrangement in connection with any of the foregoing), other than solely involving the Company and any one or more of its affiliates, with respect to which all or substantially all of the persons who were the beneficial owners of the Shares and other securities of the Company immediately prior to such consolidation, reorganization, amalgamation, merger, acquisition, business combination or plan of arrangement do not, following the completion of such consolidation, reorganization, amalgamation, merger, acquisition, business combination or plan of arrangement, beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the resulting voting rights (on a fully-diluted basis) of the Company or its successor;
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(ii) the sale, exchange or other disposition to a person other than an affiliate of the Company of all, or substantially all of the Company’s assets;
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(iii) a resolution is adopted to wind-up, dissolve or liquidate the Company;
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(iv) a change in the composition of the Board, which occurs at a single meeting of the shareholders of the Company or upon the execution of a shareholders’ resolution, such that individuals who are members of the Board immediately prior to such meeting or resolution cease to constitute a majority of the Board, without the Board, as constituted immediately prior to such meeting or resolution, having approved of such change; or
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(v) any person, entity or group of persons or entities acting jointly or in concert (an “ Acquiror ”) acquires or acquires control (including, without limitation, the right to vote or direct the voting) of Voting Securities of the Company which, when added to the Voting Securities owned of record or beneficially by the Acquiror or which the Acquiror has the right to vote or in respect of which the Acquiror has the right
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to direct the voting, would entitle the Acquiror and/or associates and/or affiliates of the Acquiror to cast or to direct the casting of 20% or more of the votes attached to all of the Company's outstanding Voting Securities which may be cast to elect directors of the Company or the successor Company (regardless of whether a meeting has been called to elect directors);
For the purposes of the foregoing, “ Voting Securities ” means Shares and any other shares entitled to vote for the election of directors and shall include any security, whether or not issued by the Company, which are not shares entitled to vote for the election of directors but are convertible into or exchangeable for shares which are entitled to vote for the election of directors including any options or rights to purchase such shares or securities;
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2.3
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" Company " means Vendetta Mineral Corp. and its successors.
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2.4
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" Consultant " means a "Consultant" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
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2.5 " Consultant Company " means a "Consultant Company" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
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2.6
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" Director " means a “Director” as defined in the TSXV Policies.
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2.7 " Disability " means any disability with respect to an Optionee which the Board, in its sole and unfettered discretion, considers likely to prevent permanently the Optionee from:
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a. being employed or engaged by the Company, its subsidiaries or another employer, in a position the same as or similar to that in which he was last employed or engaged by the Company or its subsidiaries; or
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b. acting as a director or officer of the Company or its subsidiaries.
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2.8 " Eligible Charitable Organization " means an "Eligible Charitable Organization" as defined in TSXV Policies.
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2.9
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" Eligible Persons " has the meaning given to that term in section 1 hereof.
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2.10
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" Employee " means an "Employee" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
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2.11 " Exchanges " means the TSX Venture Exchange and, if applicable, any other stock exchange on which the Shares are listed.
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2.12
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“ Exchange Hold Period ” means “Exchange Hold Period" as defined in TSXV Policies.
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2.13 " Expiry Date " means the date set by the Board under section 3.1 of the Plan, as the last date on which an Option may be exercised.
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2.14 " Grant Date " means the date specified in an Option Agreement as the date on which an Option is granted.
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2.15
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" Insider " means an "Insider" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
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2.16 " Investor Relations Activities " means "Investor Relations Activities" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
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2.17 “ Investor Relations Service Provider ” means "Investor Relations Service Provider" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
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2.18 " Joint Actor " means a person acting "jointly or in concert with" another person as that phrase is interpreted in National Instrument 62-104 – Take-Over Bids and Issuer Bids .
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2.19 " Management Company Employee " means a "Management Company Employee" as defined in the TSXV Policies.
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2.20 " Market Price " of Shares at any Grant Date means the market price per Share as determined by the Board, provided that if the Company is listed on an Exchange, such price shall not be less than the market price determined in accordance with the rules of such Exchange.
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2.21 "Officer" means an “Officer” as defined in the TSXV Policies.
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2.22 " Option " means an option to purchase Shares granted pursuant to, or governed by, this Plan and any pre-existing stock option plan of the Company.
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2.23 " Option Agreement " means an agreement, in the form attached hereto as Schedule "A", whereby the Company grants to an Optionee an Option.
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2.24 " Optionee " means each of the Eligible Persons granted an Option pursuant to this Plan and their heirs, executors and administrators.
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2.25 " Option Price " means the price per Share specified in an Option Agreement, adjusted from time to time in accordance with the provisions of section 5.
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2.26 " Option Shares " means the aggregate number of Shares which an Optionee may purchase under an Option.
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2.27 " Plan " means this Vendeta Stock Option Plan.
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2.28 " Securities Act " means the Securities Act (British Columbia), R.S.B.C. 1996, c.418, as amended, as at the date hereof.
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2.29 "Security Based Compensation" means “Security Based Compensation” as defined in the TSXV Policies.
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2.30 " Shares " means the common shares in the capital of the Company as constituted on the Grant Date provided that, in the event of any adjustment pursuant to section 5, "Shares" shall thereafter mean the shares or other property resulting from the events giving rise to the adjustment.
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2.31 " TSXV Policies " means the policies included in the TSX Venture Exchange Corporate Finance Manual and “ TSXV Policy ” means any one of them.
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2.32 " Unissued Option Shares " means the number of Shares, at a particular time, which have been reserved for issuance upon the exercise of an Option but which have not been issued, as adjusted from time to time in accordance with the provisions of section 5, such adjustments to be cumulative.
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2.33 " Vested " means that an Option has become exercisable in respect of a number of Option Shares by the Optionee pursuant to the terms of the Option Agreement.
3. GRANT OF OPTIONS
3.1 Option Terms
The Board may from time to time authorize the issue of Options to Eligible Persons. Where permitted under applicable policies of the Exchanges, companies that are wholly owned by Eligible Persons may also be issued Options. The Option Price under each Option shall be not less than the Market Price on the Grant Date less the applicable discount permitted under the policies of the Exchanges or, if the Shares are not listed on any Exchange, less 25%. The Expiry Date for each Option shall be set by the Board at the time of issue of the Option and shall not be more than ten years after the Grant Date, subject
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to the operation of section 4.1. Options shall not be assignable or transferable by the Optionee.
3.2 Limits on Shares Issuable on Exercise of Options
The maximum aggregate number of Shares that are issuable pursuant to Security Based Compensation granted or issued under the Plan and all of the Company's other previously established or proposed Security Based Compensation plans (to which the following limits apply under Exchange policies):
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(a) to all Optionees as a group (including for greater certainty Insiders (as a group)) shall not exceed 10% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis at any point in time;
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(b) to Insiders (as a group) in any 12-month period shall not exceed 10% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date, unless the Company has obtained the requisite disinterested shareholder approval pursuant to applicable Exchange policies;
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(c) to any one Optionee (including, where permitted under applicable policies of the Exchanges, any companies that are wholly owned by such Optionee) in any 12-month period shall not exceed 5% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date, unless the Company has obtained the requisite disinterested shareholder approval pursuant to applicable Exchange policies.
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(d) to any one Consultant in any 12-month period shall not exceed 2% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date;
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(e) to Investor Relations Service Providers (as a group) in any 12-month period shall not exceed 2% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date, and Investor Relations Service Providers shall not be eligible to receive any Security Based Compensation other than Options if the Shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange at the time of any issuance or grant; and
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(f) to Eligible Charitable Organizations (as a group) shall not exceed 1% of the total number of issued and outstanding Shares on a non-diluted basis on the Grant Date.
3.3 Option Agreements
Each Option shall be confirmed by the execution of an Option Agreement. Each Optionee shall have the option to purchase from the Company the Option Shares at the time and in the manner set out in the Plan and in the Option Agreement applicable to that Optionee. In respect of Options granted to Employees, Consultants, Consultant Companies or Management Company Employees, the Company and the Optionee is representing herein and in the applicable Option Agreement that the Optionee is a bona fide Employee, Consultant, Consultant Company or Management Company Employee, as the case may be, of the Company or its subsidiary. The execution of an Option Agreement shall constitute conclusive evidence that it has been completed in compliance with this Plan. All Options shall be subject to any applicable resale restrictions pursuant to applicable securities laws. In addition, Options and Option Shares that are subject to the Exchange Hold Period pursuant to TSXV Policy 1.1 must be legended with the Exchange Hold Period commencing on the Grant Date, and the Option Agreement shall contain any applicable resale restriction or Exchange Hold Period.
4. EXERCISE OF OPTION
4.1 When Options May be Exercised
Subject to the operation of this section 4 of the Plan with respect to the conditions and acceleration of the vesting of an Option and the acceleration and extension of the Expiry Date of an Option, an Option may be exercised to purchase any number of Shares up to the number of Vested Unissued Option Shares at any time after the Grant Date up to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time on the Expiry Date and shall not be exercisable thereafter. In the event that the Expiry Date of an Option falls during a trading blackout period imposed by the Company (the “ Blackout Period ”), the Expiry Date of such Option shall automatically be extended
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to a date which is ten (10) trading days following the end of such Blackout Period (the “ Extension Period ”), subject to no cease trade order being in place under applicable securities laws; provided that if an additional Blackout Period is subsequently imposed by the Company during the Extension Period, then such Extension Period shall be deemed to commence following the end of such additional Blackout Period to enable the exercise of such Option within ten (10) trading days following the end of the last imposed Blackout Period.
4.2 Manner of Exercise
The Option shall be exercisable by delivering to the Company a notice specifying the number of Option Shares in respect of which the Option is exercised together with payment in full of the Option Price for each such Option Share. Upon notice and payment there will be a binding contract for the issue of the Option Shares in respect of which the Option is exercised, upon and subject to the provisions of the Plan. Delivery of the Optionee's cheque payable to the Company or such other method of cash payment as is acceptable to the Company in the amount of the Option Price shall constitute payment of the Option Price unless the cheque or other method of cash payment, as the case may be, is not honoured upon presentation in which case the Option shall not have been validly exercised.
4.3 Vesting of Option Shares
The Board, subject to the policies of the Exchanges, may determine and impose terms upon which each Option shall become Vested in respect of Option Shares. Unless otherwise specified by the Board at the time of granting an Option, and subject to the other limits on Option grants set out in Section 3.2 hereof, all Options granted under the Plan shall vest and become exercisable in full upon grant, except Options granted to Investor Relations Service Providers, which Options must vest in stages over twelve months with no more than one-quarter of the Options vesting in any three month period.
4.4 Termination of Employment
If an Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person, his or her Option shall be exercisable as follows:
(a) Death or Disability
If the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person, due to his or her death or Disability or, in the case of an Optionee that is a company, the death or Disability of the person who provides management or consulting services to the Company or to any entity controlled by the Company, the Option then held by the Optionee shall be exercisable to acquire Vested Unissued Option Shares at any time up to but not after the earlier of:
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(i) 365 days after the date of death or Disability; and
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(ii) the Expiry Date;
(b) Termination For Cause
If the Optionee or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company, the Optionee’s employer, ceases to be an Eligible Person as a result of termination for cause as that term is interpreted by the courts of the jurisdiction in which the Optionee, or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company, of the Optionee’s employer, is employed or engaged; any outstanding Option held by such Optionee on the date of such termination, whether in respect of Option Shares that are Vested or not, shall be cancelled as of that date.
(c) Early Retirement, Voluntary Resignation or Termination Other than For Cause
If the Optionee or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company, the Optionee’s employer, ceases to be an Eligible Person due to his or her retirement at the request of his or her employer earlier than the normal retirement date under the Company’s retirement policy then in force, or due to his or her termination by the Company other than for cause, or due to his or her voluntary resignation, the Option
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then held by the Optionee shall be exercisable to acquire Vested Unissued Option Shares at any time up to but not after the earlier of the Expiry Date and the date which is 90 days (30 days if the Optionee was engaged in Investor Relations Activities) after the Optionee or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company, the Optionee’s employer, ceases to be an Eligible Person.
(d) Spin-Out Transactions
If pursuant to the operation of sub-section 5.3(c) an Optionee receives options (the " New Options ") to purchase securities of another company (the " New Company ") in respect of the Optionee's Options (the " Subject Options "), subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges, the New Options shall expire on the earlier of: (i) the Expiry Date of the Subject Options; (ii) if the Optionee does not become an Eligible Person in respect of the New Company, the date that the Subject Options expire pursuant to sub-section 4.4(a), (b) or (c), as applicable; (iii) if the Optionee becomes an Eligible Person in respect of the New Company, the date that the New Options expire pursuant to the terms of the New Company's stock option plan that correspond to sub-section 4.4(a), (b) or (c) hereof; and (iv) the date that is one (1) year after the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person in respect of the New Company or such shorter period as determined by the Board.
(e) Eligible Charitable Organizations
If the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person due to no longer being an Eligible Charitable Organization, the Options then held by that Optionee shall be exercisable to acquire Vested Unissued Option Shares at any time up to but not after the earlier of the Expiry Date and the date which is 90 days after the date the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may, in its sole discretion if it determines such is in the best interests of the Company and subject to the policies of the Exchanges, extend the early Expiry Date (as set out above in this section 4.4) of any Option held by an Optionee who ceases to be an Eligible Person to a later date within a reasonable period, subject to such period not exceeding 12 months from the date the Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person.
For purposes of this section 4.4, the dates of death, Disability, termination, retirement, voluntary resignation, ceasing to be an Eligible Person and incapacity shall be interpreted to be without regard to any period of notice (statutory or otherwise) or whether the Optionee or his or her estate continues thereafter to receive any compensatory payments from the Company or is paid salary by the Company in lieu of notice of termination.
For greater certainty, an Option that had not become Vested in respect of certain Unissued Option Shares at the time that the relevant event referred to in this section 4.4 occurred, shall not be or become vested or exercisable in respect of such Unissued Option Shares and shall be cancelled.
4.5 Effect of a Take-Over Bid
If a bona fide offer ( an " Offer ") for Shares is made to the Optionee or to shareholders of the Company generally or to a class of shareholders which includes the Optionee, which Offer, if accepted in whole or in part, would result in the offeror becoming a control person of the Company, within the meaning of subsection 1(1) of the Securities Act, the Company shall, immediately upon receipt of notice of the Offer, notify each Optionee of full particulars of the Offer, whereupon (subject to the approval of the Exchanges with respect to Investor Relations Service Providers) all Option Shares subject to such Offer will become Vested and the Option may be exercised in whole or in part by the Optionee so as to permit the Optionee to tender the Option Shares received upon such exercise, pursuant to the Offer. However, if:
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(a) the Offer is not completed within the time specified therein; or
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(b) all of the Option Shares tendered by the Optionee pursuant to the Offer are not taken up or paid for by the offeror in respect thereof,
then the Option Shares received upon such exercise, or in the case of clause (b) above, the Option Shares that are not taken up and paid for, may be returned by the Optionee to the Company and reinstated as authorized but unissued Shares and with respect to such returned Option Shares, the Option shall be reinstated as if it had not been exercised and the terms upon which such Option Shares were to become Vested pursuant to section 4.3 shall be reinstated. If any Option Shares are returned to the Company under this section 4.5, the Company shall immediately refund the exercise price to the Optionee for such Option Shares.
4.6 Acceleration of Expiry Date
If at any time when an Option granted under the Plan remains unexercised with respect to any Unissued Option Shares, an Offer is made by an offeror, the Board may, upon notifying each Optionee of full particulars of the Offer and subject to the approval of the Exchanges with respect to Investor Relations Service Providers, declare all Option Shares issuable upon the exercise of Options granted under the Plan, Vested, and declare that the Expiry Date for the exercise of all unexercised Options granted under the Plan is accelerated so that all Options will either be exercised or will expire prior to the date upon which Shares must be tendered pursuant to the Offer. The Board shall give each Optionee as much notice as possible of the acceleration of the Options under this section, except that not less than 5 business days of notice is required and more than 30 days of notice is not required.
4.7 Compulsory Acquisition or Going Private Transaction
If and whenever, following a take-over bid or issuer bid, there shall be a compulsory acquisition of the Shares pursuant to Division 6 of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) or any successor or similar legislation, or any amalgamation, merger or arrangement in which securities acquired in a formal take-over bid may be voted under the conditions described in Section 8.2 of Multilateral Instrument 61101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions , then following the date upon which such compulsory acquisition, amalgamation, merger or arrangement is effective, an Optionee shall be entitled to receive, and shall accept, for the same exercise price, in lieu of the number of Option Shares to which such Optionee was theretofore entitled to purchase upon the exercise of his or her Options, the aggregate amount of cash, shares, other securities or other property which such Optionee would have been entitled to receive as a result of such bid if he or she had tendered such number of Option Shares to the take-over bid.
4.8 Effect of a Change of Control
If a Change of Control occurs, all Option Shares subject to each outstanding Option will become Vested, whereupon such Option may be exercised in whole or in part by the Optionee, subject to the approval of the Exchanges with respect to Investor Relations Service Providers or if otherwise necessary.
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4.9 Exclusion from Severance Allowance, Retirement Allowance or Termination Settlement
If the Optionee, or, in the case of a Management Company Employee or a Consultant Company, the Optionee's employer, retires, resigns or is terminated from employment or engagement with the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, the loss or limitation, if any, pursuant to the Option Agreement with respect to the right to purchase Option Shares which were not Vested at that time or which, if Vested, were cancelled, shall not give rise to any right to damages and shall not be included in the calculation of nor form any part of any severance allowance, retiring allowance or termination settlement of any kind whatsoever in respect of such Optionee.
4.10 Shares Not Acquired
Any Unissued Option Shares not acquired by an Optionee under an Option which has been settled in cash, cancelled, terminated, surrendered, forfeited or expired without being exercised may be made the subject of a further Option pursuant to the provisions of the Plan.
5. ADJUSTMENT OF OPTION PRICE AND NUMBER OF OPTION SHARES
5.1 Share Reorganization
Subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges (other than in the case of a Share subdivision or consolidation), whenever the Company issues Shares to all or substantially all holders of Shares by way of a stock dividend or other distribution, or subdivides all outstanding Shares into a greater number of Shares, or combines or consolidates all outstanding Shares into a lesser number of Shares (each of such events being herein called a " Share Reorganization ") then effective immediately after the record date for such dividend or other distribution or the effective date of such subdivision, combination or consolidation, for each Option:
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(a) the Option Price will be adjusted to a price per Share which is the product of:
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(i) the Option Price in effect immediately before that effective date or record date; and
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(ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is the total number of Shares outstanding on that effective date or record date before giving effect to the Share Reorganization, and the denominator of which is the total number of Shares that are or would be outstanding immediately after such effective date or record date after giving effect to the Share Reorganization; and
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(b) the number of Unissued Option Shares will be adjusted by multiplying (i) the number of Unissued Option Shares immediately before such effective date or record date by (ii) a fraction which is the reciprocal of the fraction described in subsection 5.1 (a)(ii).
Any increase in the number of Unissued Option Shares as a result of the adjustment provisions provided in this section 5.1 is subject to compliance with the limits set out in section 3.2 and, if any increase in the number of Unissued Option Shares as a result of the adjustment provisions provided in this section 5.1 would result in any limit set out in section 3.2 being exceeded, then the Company may, if determined by the Board in its sole and unfettered discretion (subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges), make payment in cash to the Optionee in lieu of increasing the number of Unissued Option Shares in order to properly reflect any diminution in value of the Option Shares as a result of such Share Reorganization.
5.2 Special Distribution
Unless the Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, whenever the Company issues by way of a dividend or otherwise distributes to all or substantially all holders of Shares;
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(a) shares of the Company, other than the Shares;
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(b) evidences of indebtedness;
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(c) any cash or other assets, excluding cash dividends (other than cash dividends which the Board has determined to be outside the normal course); or
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(d) rights, options or warrants;
then to the extent that such dividend or distribution does not constitute a Share Reorganization (any of such non-excluded events being herein called a " Special Distribution "), and effective immediately after the record date at which holders of Shares are determined for purposes of the Special Distribution, for each Option the Option Price will be reduced, and the number of Unissued Option Shares will be correspondingly increased, by such amount, if any, as is determined by the Board in its sole and unfettered discretion to be appropriate in order to properly reflect any diminution in value of the Option Shares as a result of such Special Distribution.
Any increase in the number of Unissued Option Shares as a result of the adjustment provisions provided in this section 5.2 is subject to compliance with the limits set out in section 3.2 and, if any increase in the number of Unissued Option Shares as a result of the adjustment provisions provided in this section 5.2 would result in any limit set out in section 3.2 being exceeded, then the Company may, if determined by the Board in its sole and unfettered discretion (subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges, provided that no adjustment pursuant to the operation of section 5.2 may occur while the Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange), make payment in cash to the Optionee in lieu of increasing the number of Unissued Option Shares in order to properly reflect any diminution in value of the Option Shares as a result of such Special Distribution.
5.3 Corporate Organization
Subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges, whenever there is:
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(a) a reclassification of outstanding Shares, a change of Shares into other shares or securities, or any other capital reorganization of the Company, other than as described in sections 5.1 or 5.2;
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(b) a consolidation, merger or amalgamation of the Company with or into another corporation resulting in a reclassification of outstanding Shares into other shares or securities or a change of Shares into other shares or securities;
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(c) an arrangement or other transaction under which, among other things, the business or assets of the Company become, collectively, the business and assets of two or more companies with the same shareholder group upon the distribution to the Company's shareholders, or the exchange with the Company's shareholders, of securities of the Company, or securities of another company, or both; or
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(d) a transaction whereby all or substantially all of the Company's undertaking and assets become the property of another corporation,
(any such event being herein called a " Corporate Reorganization ") the Optionee will have an option to purchase (at the times, for the consideration, and subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Plan) and will accept on the exercise of such option, in lieu of the Unissued Option Shares which he/she would otherwise have been entitled to purchase, the kind and amount of shares or other securities or property that he/she would have been entitled to receive as a result of the Corporate Reorganization if, on the effective date thereof, he/she had been the holder of all Unissued Option Shares or if appropriate, as otherwise determined by the Board.
5.4 Determination of Option Price and Number of Unissued Option Shares
If any questions arise at any time with respect to the Option Price or number of Unissued Option Shares deliverable upon exercise of an Option following a Share Reorganization, Special Distribution or Corporate Reorganization, such questions shall be conclusively determined by the Company’s auditor, or, if they decline to so act, any other firm of Chartered Accountants in Vancouver, British Columbia, that the Board may designate and who will have access to all appropriate records and such determination will be
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binding upon the Company and all Optionees.
5.5 Regulatory Approval
Any adjustment to the Option Price or the number of Unissued Option Shares purchasable under the Plan pursuant to the operation of any one of sections 5.1, 5.2 or 5.3 is subject to the prior approval of the Exchanges and any other governmental authority having jurisdiction, provided that no adjustment pursuant to the operation of section 5.2 may occur while the Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. Notwithstanding the foregoing, adjustments pursuant to section 5.1 due to a Share subdivision or consolidation do not require prior approval of the Exchanges.
6. MISCELLANEOUS
6.1 Right to Employment
Neither this Plan nor any of the provisions hereof shall confer upon any Optionee any right with respect to employment or continued employment with the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company to terminate such employment.
6.2 Necessary Approvals
The Plan shall be effective upon the approval of the Plan by the Board and the Exchange or any regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the securities of the Company and shall be ratified thereafter by the shareholders of the Company by way of an ordinary resolution at the next duly convened meeting of the shareholders of the Company. Disinterested shareholder approval (as required by the Exchanges) will be obtained for any reduction in the exercise price, or any extension of the term, of any Option granted under this Plan if the Optionee is an Insider of the Company at the time of the proposed amendment. In addition, any amendment to an Option (including any cancellation of an Option and subsequent grant of a new Option to the same Person within one year) that results in a benefit to an Insider of the Company at the time of amendment will be subject to disinterested shareholder approval (as required by the Exchanges). The obligation of the Company to sell and deliver Shares in accordance with the Plan is subject to the approval of the Exchanges and any governmental authority having jurisdiction. If any Shares cannot be issued to any Optionee for any reason, including, without limitation, the failure to obtain such approval, then the obligation of the Company to issue such Shares shall terminate and any Option Price paid by an Optionee to the Company shall be immediately refunded to the Optionee by the Company.
6.3 Administration of the Plan
The Board shall, without limitation, have full and final authority in their discretion, but subject to the express provisions of the Plan, to interpret the Plan, to prescribe, amend and rescind rules and regulations relating to the Plan and to make all other determinations deemed necessary or advisable in respect of the Plan. Except as set forth in section 5.4 and subject to any required prior Exchange approval, the interpretation and construction of any provision of the Plan by the Board shall be final and conclusive. Administration of the Plan shall be the responsibility of the appropriate officers of the Company and all costs in respect thereof shall be paid by the Company.
6.4 Withholding Taxes
The exercise of each Option granted under the Plan is subject to the condition that if at any time the Company determines, in its discretion, that the satisfaction of withholding tax or other withholding liabilities is necessary or desirable in respect of such exercise, such exercise is not effective unless such withholding has been effected to the satisfaction of the Company. In such circumstances, the Company may require that the Optionee pay to the Company, in addition to and in the same manner as the exercise price for the Shares, such amount as the Company is obliged to remit to the relevant tax authority in respect of the exercise of the Option. Alternatively, the Company shall have the right in its discretion to satisfy any such liability for withholding or other required deduction amounts by retaining or acquiring any Shares acquired upon exercise of any Option, or retaining any amount payable, which would otherwise be issued or delivered, provided or paid to an Optionee by the Company, whether or not such amounts
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are payable under the Plan. For greater certainty, the application of this section 6.4 to any exercise of an Option shall not conflict with the policies of the Exchanges that are in effect at the relevant time and the Company will obtain prior Exchange acceptance and/or shareholder approval of any application of this section 6.4 if required pursuant to such policies.
6.5 Amendments to the Plan
The Board may from time to time, subject to applicable law and to the prior approval, if required, of the shareholders (or disinterested shareholders, if required), Exchanges or any other regulatory body having authority over the Company or the Plan, suspend, terminate or discontinue the Plan at any time, or amend or revise the terms of the Plan or of any Option granted under the Plan and the Option Agreement relating thereto, provided that no such amendment, revision, suspension, termination or discontinuance shall in any manner adversely affect any Option previously granted to an Optionee under the Plan without the consent of that Optionee.
6.6 Form of Notice
A notice given to the Company shall be in writing, signed by the Optionee and delivered to the head business office of the Company.
6.7 No Representation or Warranty
The Company makes no representation or warranty as to the future market value of any Shares issued in accordance with the provisions of the Plan.
6.8 Compliance with Applicable Law
If any provision of the Plan or any Option Agreement contravenes any law or any order, policy, by-law or regulation of any regulatory body or Exchange having authority over the Company or the Plan, then such provision shall be deemed to be amended to the extent required to bring such provision into compliance therewith.
6.9 No Assignment or Transfer
No Optionee may assign or transfer any of his or her rights under the Plan or any option granted thereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, where permitted under applicable policies of the Exchanges, companies that are wholly owned by Eligible Persons may be issued Options.
6.10 Rights of Optionees
An Optionee shall have no rights whatsoever as a shareholder of the Company in respect of any of the Unissued Option Shares (including, without limitation, voting rights or any right to receive dividends, warrants or rights under any rights offering).
6.11 Previously Granted Options
Stock options which are outstanding under pre-existing stock option plan(s) of the Company as of the effective date of this Plan shall continue to be exercisable and shall be deemed to be governed by and be subject to the terms and conditions of this Plan except to the extent that the terms of this Plan are more restrictive than the terms of such pre-existing plan(s) under which such stock options were originally granted, in which case the applicable pre-existing plan(s) shall govern, provided that any stock options granted, issued or amended after November 23, 2021 must comply with TSXV Policy 4.4 - Incentive Stock Options (as at November 24, 2021) . 6.12 Conflict
In the event of any conflict between the provisions of this Plan and an Option Agreement, the provisions of this Plan shall govern.
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6.13 Governing Law
The Plan and each Option Agreement issued pursuant to the Plan shall be governed by the laws of the province of British Columbia.
6.14 Time of Essence
Time is of the essence of this Plan and of each Option Agreement. No extension of time will be deemed to be or to operate as a waiver of the essentiality of time.
6.15 Entire Agreement
This Plan and the Option Agreement sets out the entire agreement between the Company and the Optionees relative to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements, undertakings and understandings, whether oral or written.
Approved by the Board of Directors of the Company effective October 24, 2022.
Approved by the shareholders of the Company on _______, 20
.
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SCHEDULE "A"
VENDETTA MINING CORP.
STOCK OPTION PLAN - OPTION AGREEMENT
[If the Company is listed on the TSXV at the time of the option grant, the following legend is required in respect of: (i) Options with an Option Price at a discount to the Market Price; or (ii) Options granted to directors, officers, promoters of the Company or persons holding securities carrying more than 10% of the voting rights and who have elected or appointed or have the right to elect or appoint one or more directors or senior officers of the Company: Without prior written approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and compliance with all applicable securities legislation, the securities represented by this agreement and any securities issued upon exercise thereof may not be sold, transferred, hypothecated or otherwise traded on or through the facilities of the TSX Venture Exchange or otherwise in Canada or to or for the benefit of a Canadian resident until ⚫ , 20 ⚫ (being four months and one day after the date of grant). ]
This Option Agreement is entered into between Vendetta Mining Corp. (the " Company ") and the OPTIONEE named below pursuant to the Company Stock Option Plan (the " Plan "), a copy of which is attached hereto, and confirms that:
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on ⚫, 20⚫ (the " Grant Date ");
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⚫ (the " Optionee ");
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was granted the option (the " Option ") to purchase ⚫ common shares (the " Option Shares ") of the Company;
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for the price (the " Option Price ") of $⚫ per share;
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which rights to purchase the Option Shares under the Option may be exercised and will vest on the Grant Date [OR set forth applicable vesting schedule – NOT LESS THAN QUARTERLY VESTING OVER A MINIMUM OF 1 YEAR FOR INVESTOR RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDERS ]; and
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the Option will terminate on ⚫ (the " Expiry Date ");
all on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in the Plan. For greater certainty, Option Shares continue to be exercisable until the termination or cancellation thereof as provided in this Option Agreement and the Plan.
Where the Optionee is resident in or otherwise subject to the securities laws of the United States, the Optionee acknowledges that any Option Shares received by him/her upon exercise of the Option have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 , as amended, or the Blue Sky laws of any state (collectively, the " Securities Acts "). The Optionee acknowledges and understands that the Company is under no obligation to register, under the Securities Acts, the Option Shares received by him/her or to assist him/her in complying with any exemption from such registration if he/she should at a later date wish to dispose of the Option Shares. The Optionee acknowledges that the Option Shares shall bear a legend restricting the transferability thereof, such legend to be substantially in the following form:
" The shares represented by this certificate have not been registered or qualified under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended or state securities laws. The shares may not be offered for sale, sold, pledged or otherwise disposed of unless so registered or qualified, unless an exemption exists or unless such disposition is not subject to U.S. federal or state securities laws, and the Company may require that the availability of any exemption or the inapplicability of such securities laws be established by an opinion of counsel, which opinion of counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company. "
By signing this Option Agreement, the Optionee acknowledges that the Optionee has read and
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understands the Plan and agrees to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Option Agreement (including without limitation all representations set out therein with respect to the Optionee).
Acknowledgement – Personal Information
The undersigned hereby acknowledges and consents to:
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(a) the disclosure to the TSX Venture Exchange and all other regulatory authorities of all personal information of the undersigned obtained by the Company; and
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(b) the collection, use and disclosure of such personal information by the TSX Venture Exchange and all other regulatory authorities in accordance with their requirements, including the provision to third party service providers, from time to time.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereto have executed this Option Agreement as of the ⚫ day of ⚫, 20⚫.
VENDETTA MINING CORP.
Signature
Per:
Authorized Signatory
Print Name
Address
VENDETTA MINING CORP. STOCK OPTION PLAN NOTICE OF EXERCISE OF OPTION
TO: Vendetta Mining Corp. (the “Company”)
The undersigned hereby irrevocably gives notice, pursuant to the stock option plan of the Company (the of the exercise of stock options (“ Options ”) to acquire and hereby subscribes for (cross out inapplicable item):
(a) all of the Option Shares; or
(b) of the Option Shares,
which are the subject of the Option Agreement attached hereto.
The undersigned tenders herewith payment to " Vendetta Mining Corp.", or such other payee as directed by the Company, in an amount equal to the aggregate exercise price of the aforesaid Option Shares and directs the Company to issue the certificate evidencing said Option Shares in the name of the undersigned and mail a copy of that certificate to the undersigned at the following address:
DATED the day of , 20 .
Signature of Option Holder