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Wilton Resources Inc. — Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement 2025
Nov 14, 2025
46436_rns_2025-11-14_3156369a-9167-4d3d-9a6d-8c2848478304.pdf
Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement
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WILTON RESOURCES INC.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF COMMON SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON DECEMBER 12, 2025
AND
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CIRCULAR DATED NOVEMBER 12, 2025
This management information circular and the accompanying materials require your immediate attention. If you are in doubt as to how to deal with these documents or the matters to which they refer, please consult your financial, legal, tax or other professional advisor.
WILTON RESOURCES INC.
1404 Joliet Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta T2T 1S2
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF COMMON SHAREHOLDERS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an annual general and special meeting (the "Meeting") of the holders (the "Shareholders") of common shares ("Common Shares") of Wilton Resources Inc. (the "Corporation") will be held at the offices of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, 1900, 520 – 3rd Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 0R3 on December 12, 2025 at 2 p.m. (Calgary time) for the following purposes:
(1) to receive and consider the audited annual financial statements of the Corporation for the financial year ended December 31, 2024 together with the notes thereto, and the report of the auditors thereon;
(2) to fix the board of directors of the Corporation (the "Board") to be elected at the Meeting at four (4) members;
(3) to elect the Board of the Corporation for the ensuing year;
(4) to re-appoint Kenway Mack Slusarchuk Stewart LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants of Calgary, Alberta as the auditors of the Corporation for the ensuing year and to authorize the Board to fix their remuneration;
(5) to consider, and if thought advisable, to ratify and approve, with or without variation, an ordinary resolution, the full text of which is set forth in the accompanying management information circular prepared for the purposes of the Meeting (the "Information Circular"), the Corporation's existing omnibus equity incentive plan (the "Equity Incentive Plan") and authorize the Board to make any such changes to the Equity Incentive Plan that may be required by the TSX Venture Exchange without further Shareholder approval; and
(6) to transact such other business as may be properly brought before the Meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof.
The nature of the business to be transacted at the Meeting is described in further detail in the Information Circular.
The details of all matters proposed to be put before the Shareholders at the Meeting are set forth in the Information Circular of the Corporation accompanying this Notice of Meeting.
Only Shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 5, 2025 (the "Record Date") are entitled to notice of and to attend the Meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof and to vote thereat. To the extent that a Shareholder transfers the ownership of any Common Shares after the Record Date and the transferee of those Common Shares establishes ownership of such Common Shares and demands, not later than ten (10) days before the Meeting, to be included in the list of Shareholders eligible to vote at the Meeting, such transferee will be entitled to vote those Common Shares at the Meeting.
A Shareholder may attend the Meeting in person or may be represented by proxy. Shareholders who are unable to attend the Meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof in person are requested to date, sign and return the accompanying form of proxy (the "Form of Proxy") for use at the Meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof. To be effective, the enclosed Form of Proxy must be mailed so as to reach or be deposited with Computershare Trust Company of Canada, Attention: Proxy Department, 14th Floor, 320 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 4A6 or by phone to 1 (866) 732-8683, at least forty-eight (48) hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays) prior to the time set for the Meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof. Registered Shareholders may also use the internet (www.investorvote.com) to vote their Common Shares. If you are a non-registered Shareholder of the Corporation and receive these materials through your broker or another intermediary, please complete and return the form of proxy provided to you by such broker or other intermediary, in accordance with the instructions therein. Late voting instruction forms may be accepted or rejected by the Chairperson of the Meeting in his sole discretion and the Chairperson is under no obligation to accept or reject any particular late form of proxy.
The Form of Proxy confers discretionary authority with respect to: (a) amendments or variations to the matters of business to be considered at the Meeting; and (b) other matters that may properly come before the Meeting. As of the
date hereof, management of the Corporation knows of no amendments, variations or other matters to come before the Meeting other than the matters set forth in this Notice of Meeting. Shareholders who are planning on returning the accompanying Form of Proxy are encouraged to review the Information Circular carefully before submitting the proxy form.
DATED this 12th day of November, 2025.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF WILTON RESOURCES INC.
(signed) “Richard G. Anderson”
Richard G. Anderson
Chief Executive Officer of Wilton Resources Inc.
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WILTON RESOURCES INC.
ANNUAL GENERAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF COMMON SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD DECEMBER 12, 2025
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CIRCULAR
This management information circular (“Information Circular”) is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the management of Wilton Resources Inc. (the “Corporation”) for use at the annual general and special meeting of the holders (“Shareholders”) of common shares (“Common Shares”) of the Corporation (the “Meeting”) to be held on December 12, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. (Calgary time) at the offices of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, 1900, 520 – 3rd Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta, for the purposes set forth in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting (the “Notice of Meeting”). References in this Information Circular to the Meeting include any adjournment or adjournments thereof.
In this Information Circular, references to “we” and “our” refer to the Corporation.
No person has been authorized to give any information or make any representation in connection with any matters to be considered at the Meeting other than those contained in this Information Circular and, if given or made, any such information or representation must not be relied upon as having been authorized. Information contained in this Information Circular is given as at November 12, 2025, unless otherwise stated and all dollar amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars.
If you hold Common Shares through a broker, investment dealer, investment firm, clearing house, bank, trust company, nominee or other intermediary (collectively, an “Intermediary”), you should contact your Intermediary for instructions and assistance in voting the Common Shares that you beneficially own.
A Shareholder may attend the Meeting in person or may be represented by proxy. Shareholders who are unable to attend the Meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof in person are requested to date, sign and return the accompanying form of proxy (the “Form of Proxy”) for use at the Meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof. To be effective, the enclosed Form of Proxy must be mailed so as to reach or be deposited with Computershare Trust Company of Canada, Attention: Proxy Department, 14th Floor, 320 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 4A6 or by phone to 1 (866) 732-8683, at least forty-eight (48) hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays) prior to the time set for the Meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof. Registered Shareholders may also use the internet (www.investorvote.com) to vote their Common Shares. If you are a non-registered Shareholder of the Corporation and receive these materials through an Intermediary, please complete and return the form of proxy provided to you by such Intermediary, in accordance with the instructions therein. Late voting instruction forms may be accepted or rejected by the Chairperson of the Meeting in his sole discretion and the Chairperson is under no obligation to accept or reject any particular late form of proxy.
PERSONS MAKING THE SOLICITATION
This solicitation is made on behalf of management of the Corporation (“Management”). The costs incurred in the preparation and mailing of both the Form of Proxy and this Information Circular will be borne by the Corporation. In addition to the use of mail, proxies may be solicited by personal interviews, personal delivery, telephone or any form of electronic communication or by directors, officers and employees of the Corporation who will not be directly compensated therefor.
In accordance with National Instrument 54-101 – Communication with Beneficial Owners of Securities of a Reporting Issuer (“NI 54-101”), arrangements have been made with brokerage houses and other intermediaries, clearing agencies, custodians, nominees and fiduciaries to forward solicitation materials to the beneficial owners of the Common Shares held of record by such persons and the Corporation may reimburse such persons for reasonable fees and disbursements incurred by them in doing so. The costs thereof will be borne by the Corporation. The Corporation intends to pay for the costs of an Intermediary to deliver proxy-related materials and a voting instruction form to non-
objecting beneficial owners of securities (“NOBOs”). The record date to determine the registered Shareholders entitled to receive the Notice of Meeting is November 5, 2025 (the “Record Date”).
The Corporation intends to pay for Intermediaries to deliver proxy-related materials of Form 54-101F7 – Request for Voting Instructions Made by Intermediary to the objecting beneficial owners of Common Shares (“OBOs”). OBOs and NOBOs are herein collectively referred to as “Beneficial Shareholders”. See also “Advice to Beneficial Shareholders” in this Information Circular.
The Corporation will not be providing the Notice of Meeting, the Information Circular or the enclosed Form of Proxy to registered Shareholders or Beneficial Shareholders through the use of notice and access as such term is defined in NI 54-101.
PROXY RELATED INFORMATION
Appointment and Revocation of Proxies
The persons named (the “Management Designees”) in the enclosed Form of Proxy have been selected by the directors of the Corporation and have indicated their willingness to represent as proxy the Shareholder who appoints them. A Shareholder has the right to designate a person (whom need not be a Shareholder) other than the Management Designees to represent him or her at the Meeting. Such right may be exercised by inserting in the space provided for that purpose on the Form of Proxy the name of the person to be designated or by completing another proper form of proxy and delivering the same to the transfer agent of the Corporation. Such Shareholder should notify the nominee of the appointment, obtain the nominee’s consent to act as proxy and should provide instructions on how the Shareholder’s shares are to be voted. The nominee should bring personal identification with him or her to the Meeting. In any case, the Form of Proxy should be dated and executed by the Shareholder or an attorney authorized in writing, with proof of such authorization attached, where an attorney executed the Form of Proxy or, if the appointor is a company, under its seal or under the hand of its duly authorized officer or attorney or other person authorized to sign.
A Form of Proxy will not be valid for the Meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof unless it is completed and delivered to the Corporation’s transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company of Canada, Attention: Proxy Department, 14th Floor, 320 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 4A6 or by phone to 1 (866) 732-8683, at least forty-eight (48) hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays) prior to the time set for the Meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof. Registered Shareholders may also vote via the internet at www.investorvote.com. Late proxies may be accepted or rejected by the Chairperson of the Meeting in his discretion, and the Chairperson is under no obligation to accept or reject any particular late proxy.
A Shareholder who has given a proxy may revoke it as to any matter upon which a vote has not already been cast pursuant to the authority conferred by the proxy. In addition to revocation in any other manner permitted by law, a proxy may be revoked by depositing an instrument in writing executed by the Shareholder or by his or her authorized attorney in writing, or, if the Shareholder is a corporation, under its corporate seal by an officer or attorney thereof duly authorized, either at the office of the Corporation or with Computershare Trust Company of Canada, Attention: Proxy Department, 14th Floor, 320 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 4A6 or by phone to 1 (866) 732-8683, at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the time set for the Meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof, at which the proxy is to be used, or with the Chairperson of the Meeting prior to the commencement of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof.
Voting of Proxies
Each Shareholder may instruct his or her proxy how to vote his or her Common Shares by completing the blanks on the Form of Proxy. All Common Shares represented at the Meeting by properly executed proxies will be voted or withheld from voting (including the voting on any ballot), and where a choice with respect to any matter to be acted upon has been specified in the Form of Proxy, the Common Shares represented by the proxy will be voted in accordance with such specification. The Form of Proxy confers discretionary authority upon the Management Designees, or other persons named as proxy with respect to:
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(a) each matter or group of matters identified therein for which a choice is not specified, other than the election of directors;
(b) any amendment to or variation of any matter identified therein; and
(c) any other matter that properly comes before the Meeting.
In the absence of any such specification as to voting on the Form of Proxy, the Management Designees, if named as proxy, will vote in favour of the matters set out therein. In the absence of any specification as to voting on any other form of proxy, the Common Shares represented by such form of proxy will be voted in favour of the matters set out therein.
As of the date hereof, the Corporation is not aware of any amendments to, variations of or other matters which may come before the Meeting. In the event that other matters come before the Meeting, then the Management Designees intend to vote in accordance with the judgment of management of the Corporation.
ADVICE TO BENEFICIAL SHAREHOLDERS
The information set forth in this section is of significant importance to many Shareholders, as a substantial number of Shareholders do not hold Common Shares in their own name. Shareholders who hold their Common Shares through an Intermediary, or who otherwise do not hold their Common Shares in their own name (referred to in this Information Circular as "Beneficial Shareholders") should note that only proxies deposited by Shareholders who appear on the records maintained by the Corporation's registrar and transfer agent as registered holders of Common Shares will be recognized and acted upon at the Meeting. If Common Shares are listed in an account statement provided to a Beneficial Shareholder by an Intermediary, those Common Shares will, in all likelihood, not be registered in the Shareholder's name. Such Common Shares will more likely be registered under the name of the Shareholder's broker or other Intermediary or an agent of that broker or other Intermediary. In Canada, the vast majority of such shares are registered under the name of CDS & Co. (the registration name for CDS Clearing and Depository Services Inc., which acts as nominee for many Canadian brokerage firms).
Voting by Beneficial Shareholders
Common Shares held by brokers or other Intermediaries (or their agents or nominees) on behalf of a broker's client can only be voted (for, against or withheld from resolutions) at the direction of the Beneficial Shareholder. Without specific instructions, brokers and their agents and nominees are prohibited from voting shares for the broker's clients. The directors and officers of the Corporation do not know for whose benefit the Common Shares registered in the name of CDS & Co. or other Intermediary are held, and directors and officers of the Corporation do not necessarily know for whose benefit the Common Shares registered in the name of any broker, agent or other Intermediary are held.
Existing regulatory policy requires brokers and other Intermediaries to seek voting instructions from Beneficial Shareholders in advance of shareholders' meetings. The various brokers and other Intermediaries have their own mailing procedures and provide their own return instructions to clients, which should be carefully followed by Beneficial Shareholders in order to ensure that their Common Shares are voted at the Meeting. The Form of Proxy supplied to a Beneficial Shareholder by its broker (or the agent of the broker) is substantially similar to the Form of Proxy provided directly to registered Shareholders by the Corporation. However, its purpose is limited to instructing the registered Shareholder (i.e., the broker or agent of the broker) how to vote on behalf of the Beneficial Shareholder.
In Canada, the vast majority of brokers now delegate responsibility for obtaining instructions from clients to Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. ("Broadridge"). Broadridge typically prepares a machine-readable voting instruction form, mails those forms to Beneficial Shareholders and asks Beneficial Shareholders to return the forms to Broadridge, or otherwise communicate voting instructions to Broadridge (by way of the Internet or telephone, for example). Broadridge then tabulates the results of all instructions received and provides appropriate instructions respecting the voting of shares to be represented at the Meeting. A Beneficial Shareholder who receives a Broadridge voting instruction form cannot use that form to vote Common Shares directly at the Meeting. The
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voting instruction forms must be returned to Broadridge (or instructions respecting the voting of Common Shares must otherwise be communicated to Broadridge) well in advance of the Meeting in order to have the Common Shares voted. If you have any questions respecting the voting of Common Shares held through a broker or other Intermediary, please contact that broker or other Intermediary for assistance.
Although a Beneficial Shareholder may not be recognized directly at the Meeting for the purposes of voting Common Shares registered in the name of his or her broker, a Beneficial Shareholder may attend the Meeting as proxy holder for the registered Shareholder and vote the Common Shares in that capacity. Beneficial Shareholders who wish to attend the Meeting and indirectly vote their Common Shares as proxy holder for the registered Shareholder should enter their own names in the blank space on the form of proxy provided to them and return the same to their broker (or the broker’s agent) in accordance with the instructions provided by such broker.
Beneficial Shareholders should contact their broker or other Intermediary through which they hold Common Shares if they have any questions regarding the voting of such Common Shares.
All references to Shareholders in this Information Circular and the accompanying Form of Proxy and the Notice of Meeting are to registered Shareholders unless specifically stated otherwise.
VOTING SECURITIES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS THEREOF
Description of Securities
The authorized share capital of the Corporation consists of an unlimited number of Common Shares without nominal or par value and an unlimited number of preferred shares issuable in series. As at the date hereof, there are 77,161,109 Common Shares and no preferred shares issued and outstanding. Each Common Share entitles the holder thereof to one vote on all matters to be acted upon at the Meeting.
Record Date
The Record Date for the determination of Shareholders entitled to receive notice of the Meeting has been fixed at November 5, 2025. All such holders of record of Common Shares are entitled either to attend and vote thereat in person the Common Shares held by them or, provided a completed and executed proxy shall have been delivered to the Corporation’s transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company of Canada, within the time specified in the attached Notice of Meeting, to attend and vote thereat by proxy the Common Shares held by them.
Only registered holders of Common Shares of record as of the close of business on the Record Date are entitled to notice of and to attend the Meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof and to vote thereat. To the extent that a Shareholder transfers the ownership of any Common Shares after the Record Date and the transferee of those Common Shares establishes ownership of such Common Shares and demands, not later than ten (10) days before the Meeting, to be included in the list of Shareholders eligible to vote at the Meeting, such transferee will be entitled to vote those Common Shares at the Meeting. In addition, Beneficial Shareholders as of the Record Date will be entitled to exercise their voting rights in accordance with the procedures established under NI 54-101. See “Advice to Beneficial Shareholders” in this Information Circular.
Quorum
The by-laws of the Corporation provide that at least two (2) persons holding or representing by proxy not less than five percent (5%) of the outstanding shares of the Corporation entitled to vote at the Meeting will constitute a quorum for the Meeting.
Principal Shareholders
To the knowledge of the directors of the Corporation and Executive Officers (as defined below), as of the date hereof, no person beneficially owns, or exercises control or direction over, directly or indirectly, voting securities of the
Corporation carrying ten percent (10%) or more of the voting rights attached to all outstanding Common Shares, other than the following:
| Shareholder | Number and Percentage(1) of Common Shares |
|---|---|
| Estate of Glenn William Vincent Smith | 10,143,427 Common Shares (13.15%) |
Notes:
(1) Calculated based on the number of issued and outstanding Common Shares as of the date of this Information Circular.
VOTES NECESSARY TO PASS RESOLUTIONS
A simple majority of affirmative votes cast at the Meeting is required to pass the resolutions described herein.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Oversight and description of director and named executive officer compensation
One of the mandates of the board of directors (the "Board") of the Corporation includes the review and setting of executive compensation. The Board, in arriving at its compensation decisions, considers the long-term interests of the Corporation and its stakeholders, as well as the Corporation's historical and current stage of development.
The Board had historically decided that until the Corporation acquires another property or interest in a property in addition to those interests acquired as part of the Corporation's "Qualifying Transaction" as defined in the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange" or "TSXV") policies, the primary method of compensation would be by way of equity based compensation awards including: (a) stock options of the Corporation; (b) restricted share units of the Corporation; (c) deferred share units of the Corporation; (d) stock appreciation rights; and (e) performance share units of the Corporation (collectively, the "Awards") issued pursuant to the omnibus equity incentive plan of the Corporation as previously approved by the Shareholders on June 16, 2024 (the "Equity Incentive Plan") as well as consulting fees and employee salaries paid to certain officers of the Corporation. For a full description of the Equity Incentive Plan and Awards, see "Particulars of Matters to be Acted Upon—Approval of Equity Incentive Plan".
The Corporation's executive compensation program is intended to permit the Corporation to maintain a competitive position in the marketplace. The Corporation's compensation program is designed to attract and retain highly qualified people and to align their interest with those of the Shareholders of the Corporation. The maximization of Shareholder value is encouraged by granting long-term equity incentives to directors and officers of the Corporation as Shareholder value is aligned to directors and officers through a mutually beneficial increase to the price of the Common Shares.
The Corporation's executive compensation program consists of a combination of the following elements, namely (a) participation in the Equity Incentive Plan; (b) consulting fees; and (c) employment salary. The amount for each element of the Corporation's executive compensation program is determined based upon compensation levels for executives of companies in a similar stage of development as the Corporation, as well as upon the discretion of the Board. Each element of the Corporation's executive compensation program is intended to contribute to an overall total compensation package which is designed to provide both short term and long term financial incentives to directors and officers to assist the Corporation to successfully implement its strategic plans. The Board annually assesses how each element fits into the overall total compensation package.
The Chief Executive Officer recommends to the Board the individual compensation for each Executive Officer and director. The Board then considers these recommendations when making its final decisions regarding the compensation of those officers and directors. The Board does not use formulas to determine the individual compensation of each of its Executive Officers and directors, however, the Board is restricted by the policies of the Exchange and any securities compensation plan. Individual compensation for each of the Corporation's Executive Officers and directors, is awarded by the Board based upon the level of responsibility and contribution of such individuals towards the Corporation's goals and objectives. The Board will also consider previous grants when considering the merit of new compensatory grants.
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For the purposes of the following statement of executive compensation, "Named Executive Officer" means each of the following individuals: (a) a chief executive officer; (b) a chief financial officer; (c) each of the three most highly compensated executive officers, or the three (3) most highly compensated individuals acting in a similar capacity, other than the chief executive officer and chief financial officer, at the end of the most recently completed financial year whose total compensation was, individually, more than $150,000, as determined in accordance with subsection 1.3(6) of Form 51-102F6 of National Instrument 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations, for that financial year; and (d) each individual who would be a Named Executive Officer under paragraph (c) but for the fact that the individual was neither an executive officer of the company, nor acting in a similar capacity at the end of that financial year.
"Executive Officer" is defined under securities laws to mean: (a) a chair, vice-chair or president of a company, (b) a vice-president of a company in charge of a principal business unit, division or function including sales, finance or production, or (c) an individual performing a policy-making function in respect of a company.
Director and Named Executive Officer Compensation, Excluding Options and Compensation Securities
The following table sets out the compensation, excluding options and compensation securities, paid to each Named Executive Officer and director of the Corporation for the two (2) most recently completed financial years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:
| Table of Compensation Excluding Compensation Securities | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and Position | Year | Salary, consulting fee, retainer or commission ($) | Bonus ($) | Committee or meeting fees ($) | Value of perquisites ($) | Value of all other compensation ($) | Total compensation ($) |
| Richard G. Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Director | 2024 | $250,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | $250,000 |
| 2023 | $250,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | $250,000 | |
| Manjeet Dhillon, Chief Financial Officer | 2024 | $223,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | $223,000 |
| 2023 | $180,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | $180,000 | |
| Emmanuel Malterre, Vice-President, Exploration | 2024 | $120,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | $120,000 |
| 2023 | $120,000 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | $120,000 | |
| Darryl J. Raymaker Director | 2024 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| Stuart B. McDowall Director | 2024 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| 2023 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| Gerald Roe Director | 2024 | $150,000(1) | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | $150,000 |
| 2023 | $120,000(1) | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | $120,000 |
Notes:
(1) In 2023 and 2024, Gerald Roe provided technical services and analytical support to the Corporation.
Stock Options and Other Compensation Securities and Instruments
The following table sets out the compensation securities granted or issued to each Named Executive Officer and director of the Corporation for the financial year ended December 31, 2024:
| Compensation Securities | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and position | Type of compensation security | Number of compensation securities, number of underlying securities and % of class | Date of issue or grant | Issue conversion or exercise price ($) | Closing price of security or underlying security on date of grant ($) | Closing price of security or underlying security at end of year ($) | Expiry date |
| Richard G. Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Director | Stock Option | ||||||
| Stock Option | 100,000 | ||||||
| 83,000 | June 4, 2024 | ||||||
| November 14, 2024 | $0.95 | ||||||
| $0.62 | $0.95 | ||||||
| $0.62 | $0.80 | ||||||
| $0.80 | June 4, 2029 | ||||||
| November 14, 2029 | |||||||
| Manjeet Dhillon, Chief Financial Officer | Stock Option | ||||||
| Stock Option | 75,000 | ||||||
| 83,000 | June 4, 2024 | ||||||
| November 14, 2024 | $0.95 | ||||||
| $0.62 | $0.95 | ||||||
| $0.62 | $0.80 | ||||||
| $0.80 | June 4, 2029 | ||||||
| November 14, 2029 | |||||||
| Emmanuel Malterre, Vice-President, Exploration | Stock Option | ||||||
| Stock Option | 100,000 | ||||||
| 83,000 | June 4, 2024 | ||||||
| November 14, 2024 | $0.95 | ||||||
| $0.62 | $0.95 | ||||||
| $0.62 | $0.80 | ||||||
| $0.80 | June 4, 2029 | ||||||
| November 14, 2029 | |||||||
| Darryl J. Raymaker Director | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Stuart B. McDowall Director | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Gerald Roe Director | Stock Option | ||||||
| Stock Option | 100,000 | ||||||
| 83,000 | June 4, 2024 | ||||||
| November 14, 2024 | $0.95 | ||||||
| $0.62 | $0.95 | ||||||
| $0.62 | $0.80 | ||||||
| $0.80 | June 4, 2029 | ||||||
| November 14, 2029 |
The following table sets out the compensation securities that were exercised by each Named Executive Officer and director of the Corporation during the financial year ended December 31, 2024:
| Exercise of Compensation Securities by Directors and NEOs | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and position | Type of compensation security | Number of underlying securities exercised | Exercise price per security ($) | Date of exercise | Closing price per security on date of exercise ($) | Difference between exercise price and closing price on date of exercise ($) | Total value on exercise date ($) |
| Richard G. Anderson^{(1)} | |||||||
| Chief Executive Officer | |||||||
| Director | Stock Option | 70,580 | $0.33 | June 18, 2024 | $0.78 | $0.45 | $23,391.40 |
| Manjeet Dhillon^{(2)}, Chief | Stock Option | 70,580 | $0.33 | June 18, 2024 | $0.78 | $0.45 | $23,391.40 |
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| Financial Officer | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emmanuel Malterre^{(3)}, Vice-President, Exploration | Stock Option | 70,580 | $0.33 | June 18, 2024 | $0.78 | $0.45 | $23,391.40 |
| Darryl J. Raymaker^{(4)}, Director | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Stuart B. McDowall^{(5)}, Director | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Gerald Roe^{(6)}, Director | Stock Option | 70,580 | $0.33 | June 18, 2024 | $0.78 | $0.45 | $23,391.40 |
Notes:
(1) As at December 31, 2023, Mr. Anderson held 1,372,155 stock options.
(2) As at December 31, 2023, Mr. Dhillon held 1,078,155 stock options.
(3) As at December 31, 2023, Mr. Malterre held 1,062,155 stock options.
(4) As at December 31, 2023, Mr. Raymaker held nil stock options.
(5) As at December 31, 2023, Mr. McDowall held nil stock options.
(6) As at December 31, 2023, Mr. Roe held 1,114,155 stock options.
Stock option plans and other incentive plans
The Corporation has no stock option plan or other incentive plan other than the Equity Incentive Plan. For a full description of the Equity Incentive Plan and Awards, see “Particulars of Matters to be Acted Upon—Approval of Equity Incentive Plan”.
External Management Companies
The Corporation has no management contracts or other arrangement in place where management functions are performed by a person or company other than the directors or Executive Officers of the Corporation.
Employment, consulting and management agreements
As at the Record Date, the Corporation did not have any plan, contract or arrangement, compensatory or otherwise in respect of services provided to the Corporation that were: (a) performed by a director or Named Executive Officer, or (b) performed by any other party, where the compensation was provided at the direction of, or for the benefit of, a director or Named Executive Officer.
Termination and Change of Control Benefits
Other than as provided for at common law, there is no employment contract, compensatory plan, or other arrangement in place with the Named Executive Officers, nor are there any agreements between the Corporation and the Named Executive Officers that provide for payment to the Named Executive Officers in connection with any termination, resignation, retirement, change in control of the Corporation or change in responsibilities of the Named Executive Officers.
Pension Disclosure
The Corporation currently has no defined benefit, defined contribution, pension, retirement, deferred compensation or actuarial plans for its Named Executive Officers or directors of the Corporation.
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SECURITIES AUTHORIZED FOR ISSUANCE UNDER EQUITY COMPENSATION PLANS
The following table sets forth securities of Corporation that are authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans as at the end of the Corporation’s most recently completed financial year:
| Plan Category | Number of Common Shares to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights (a) | Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights (b) | Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a)) (c) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity compensation plans approved by security holders | 7,322,366 | $0.60 | 9,116 |
| Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Total | 7,322,366 | $0.60 | 9,116 |
MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS
During the most recently completed financial year, no management functions of the Corporation were to any substantial degree performed by a person or corporation other than the directors or Executive Officers (or private companies controlled by them, either directly or indirectly) of the Corporation. The Corporation has no management contracts or other arrangement in place where management functions are performed by a person or company other than the directors or Executive Officers of the Corporation.
INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
At December 31, 2024, Mr. Anderson owed the company $667,104 representing amounts that will be drawn down, as incurred on behalf of the Corporation in addition to expenses reimbursed by the Corporation and repayment. Other than as disclosed herein, no current or former director, Executive Officer or proposed director of the Corporation or any proposed nominee director, or any of their respective associates, is indebted to the Corporation, nor were any of these individuals indebted to any other entity which indebtedness was the subject of a guarantee, support agreement, letter of credit or similar arrangement or understanding provided by the Corporation, including under any securities purchase or other program.
INTEREST OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS
Other than as set forth herein or as previously disclosed by the Corporation, the Corporation is not aware of any material transaction involving any informed person of the Corporation, any proposed director of the Corporation, or any associate or affiliate of any of informed person or proposed director.
There are potential conflicts of interest to which the directors and officers of the Corporation may be subject in connection with the operations of the Corporation. Some of the directors and officers of the Corporation are engaged and will continue to be engaged in other business opportunities on their own behalf and on behalf of other corporations, and situations may arise where such directors and officers will be in competition with the Corporation. Individuals concerned shall be governed in any conflicts or potential conflicts by applicable law and internal policies of the Corporation.
For the purposes of the above, “informed person” means: (a) a director or Executive Officer of the Corporation; (b) a director or Executive Officer of a company that is itself an informed person or subsidiary of the Corporation; (c) any person or company who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, voting securities of the Corporation or who exercises control or direction over voting securities of the Corporation or a combination of both carrying more than ten percent
(10%) of the voting rights attached to all outstanding voting securities of the Corporation other than voting securities held by the person or company as underwriter in the course of a distribution; and (d) the Corporation after having purchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired any of its securities, for so long as it holds any of its securities.
INTEREST OF CERTAIN PERSONS OR COMPANIES IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
No person who has been a director or Executive Officer of the Corporation at any time since the beginning of the last financial year, nor any proposed nominee for election as a director of the Corporation, nor any associate or affiliate of any of the foregoing, has any material interest, directly or indirectly, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon other than the election of directors.
AUDIT COMMITTEE DISCLOSURE
The Corporation is subject to National Instrument 52-110 – Audit Committees (“NI 52-110”), which prescribes certain requirements in relation to audit committees. The following information is provided in accordance with Form 52 110F2 – Disclosure by Venture Issuers under NI 52-110.
Audit Committee Charter
The audit committee of the Corporation (the “Audit Committee”) is a committee of the Board established for the purpose of overseeing the accounting and financial reporting process of the Corporation. The Audit Committee has set out its responsibilities and composition requirements in fulfilling its oversight in relation to the Corporation’s internal accounting standards and practices, financial information, accounting systems and procedures in the audit committee charter (“Audit Committee Charter”). The Audit Committee has adopted the Audit Committee Charter attached as Schedule “A” to this Information Circular.
Composition of the Audit Committee
The Audit Committee consists of Darryl J. Raymaker, Gerald L. Roe and Stuart B. McDowall. Gerald L. Roe is the Chairperson of the Audit Committee. All three (3) members of the Audit Committee, Mr. Raymaker, Mr. Roe and Mr. McDowall, are considered to be financially literate within the meaning of NI 52-110. Mr. Raymaker and Mr. McDowall are independent within the meaning of NI 52-110.
Relevant Education and Experience of Audit Committee Members
Darryl J. Raymaker – Calgary, Alberta – Director
Mr. Darryl J. Raymaker is currently a director of the Corporation. Mr. Raymaker has substantial experience as a practicing lawyer and as a director in both the public service and corporate fields. Mr. Raymaker has served as counsel at the law firm Cuming, Gillespie & Raymaker LLP (2007-2008), counsel at the law firm McNally Cuming Raymaker LLP (2004-2007), and is currently a non-practising legal practitioner, consultant and author.
In the public service field, he has served on the board of several organizations, including the Calgary District Hospital Group, the Calgary Planning Commission and the City of Calgary Police Commission. His experience in these organizations includes finance, governance, compensation and human resources.
Mr. Raymaker was formerly a director of Groundstar Resources Limited (2005-2012), First Calgary Petroleums Ltd. (1997-2008) and PetroStar Petroleum Ltd. (1992-1996). He has also served as a director of the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (2002-2007).
Mr. Raymaker holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (1962) as well as a Bachelor of Laws degree (1963) from the University of Alberta, and was appointed to the Queen’s Counsel for the Province of Alberta in 1992.
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Gerald L. Roe – Calgary, Alberta – Director
Mr. Gerald L. Roe is currently a director of the Corporation. Mr. Roe has over 50 years of experience in the upstream oil and gas industry. Mr. Roe was a director and chairman of GasFrac Energy Services Inc., an oil services company formerly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange until June 2014. Mr. Roe was the Chief Operating Officer (from January 2005 to November 2007) and the Vice-President, Operations (from May 2004 to January 2005) of Oilexco Incorporated, an oil and gas company that was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange. From October 2003 to November 2018, Mr. Roe was a director of ExGen Resources Ltd. (formerly Boxxer Gold Corp.), a mining company listed on the Exchange. From May 2009 to 2013, Mr. Roe was VP Operations of Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited, an oil and gas company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange. Mr. Roe received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Montana State University.
Stuart B. McDowall – Calgary, Alberta – Director
Mr. Stuart McDowall is currently a director of the Corporation. Mr. McDowall is an executive with significant international government and multicultural experience. Since 2002, Mr. McDowall has been the principal of McDowall Developments, an international consulting firm that specializes in the petroleum sector, including export, financing, corporate governance and corporate social responsibility.
Mr. McDowall served in Canada's Foreign Service from 1962 to 1999, including as Canada's Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and has diplomatic experience in the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, Africa and the U.S.A.
Mr. McDowall was Director General of Talisman Energy (1999-2001), where he was responsible for investor, government and community relations in Sudan.
Mr. McDowall holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Alberta (1962), and an Advanced Management certificate from the University of Western Ontario (1984). Mr. McDowall is also a former member of APEGGA and AIPN and is a past President of the Engineering Institute of Canada – Calgary Chapter.
Audit Committee Oversight
At no time since the commencement of the Corporation's most recently completed financial year was a recommendation of the Audit Committee to nominate or compensate an external auditor not adopted by the Board.
Reliance on Certain Exemptions
During the most recently completed financial year, the Corporation has not relied on the De Minimis Non Audit Services exemption provided for in section 2.4 of NI 52-110 or an exemption from NI 52-110, in whole or in part, granted under Part 8 (exemption) of NI 52-110. However, as a "venture issuer", the Corporation is relying on the exemptions provided by section 6.1 of NI 52-110 with respect to Part 3 – Composition of the Audit Committee and Part 5 – Reporting Obligations.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Audit Committee has adopted specific policies and procedures for the engagement of non-audit services, as set out in the Audit Committee Charter attached as Schedule "A" to this Information Circular.
External Auditor Service Fees (By Category)
The following table discloses the fees billed to the Corporation by its external auditor during the two (2) most recently completed financial years:
| Financial Year Ended | Audit fees^{(1)} | Audit related fees^{(2)} | Tax fees^{(3)} | All other fees^{(4)} |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2024 | $25,000 | Nil | $2,000 | Nil |
December 31, 2023
$25,000
Nil
$2,000
Nil
Notes:
(1) Includes the aggregate fees billed for the audit and review of the financial statements or services that are normally provided by the external auditor in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements.
(2) The aggregate fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Corporation’s financial statements and are not disclosed in the ‘Audit Fees’ column.
(3) The aggregate fees billed for tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning services.
(4) The aggregate fees billed for professional products and services other than those listed in the other three columns.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
General
The Board views effective corporate governance as an essential element for the effective and efficient operation of the Corporation. The Corporation believes that effective corporate governance improves corporate performance and benefits all of its Shareholders. The following statement of corporate governance practices sets out the Board’s review of the Corporation’s governance practices relative to Form 58-101F2 of National Instrument 58-101 – Disclosure of Corporate Governance Policies and National Policy 58-201 – Corporate Governance Guidelines.
The Board has not adopted any formal terms of reference or mandate for the Board other than the Audit Committee Charter attached as Schedule “A”.
Board of Directors
The Board maintains the exercise of independent supervision over Management by ensuring that at least half of its directors are independent. The independent members of the Board are Stuart B. McDowall and Darryl J. Raymaker. Richard G. Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation has been determined to be non-independent by virtue of his position as an officer of the Corporation. Gerald L. Roe has been determined to be non-independent by virtue of his receipt of $150,000 in direct compensation from the Corporation during the financial year ended December 31, 2024 and of $120,000 in direct compensation from the Corporation during the financial year ended December 31, 2023.
Other Public Company Directorships
Gerald Roe is a director of Waskahigan Oil & Gas Corp. Other members of the Board do not currently hold directorships in other reporting issuers.
Orientation and Continuing Education of Board Members
The Corporation currently does not have any formal orientation or continuing education programs in place for new directors as there have been no changes in Board membership. If there is a change in Board membership, this policy will be reviewed.
Ethical Business Conduct
The Board has found that the fiduciary duties placed on individual directors pursuant to corporate legislation and common law, and the conflict of interest provisions under corporate legislation which restricts an individual director’s participation in decisions of the Board in which the director has an interest, have been sufficient to ensure that the Board operates independently of Management and in the best interests of the Corporation. The Board has also adopted a whistleblower protection policy with respect to the confidential and anonymous reporting of complaints and irregularities.
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Nomination of Directors
The size of the Board will be reviewed annually when the Board considers the number of directors to recommend for election at the annual and special meeting of Shareholders. The Board takes into account the number of directors required to carry out the Board’s duties effectively, and to maintain a diversity of views and experience.
Compensation of Directors and Officers
The Board does not have a compensation committee. The Board, in arriving at its compensation decisions, considers the long-term interests of the Corporation and its stakeholders, as well as the Corporation’s historical and current stage of development.
The Board has decided that until the Corporation acquires another property or interest in a property (in addition to those interests acquired as part of the Qualifying Transaction of the Corporation as defined in the Exchange Policies), the primary method of compensation will be by way of Awards issued pursuant to the Equity Incentive Plan of the Corporation, as well as consulting fees and employee salaries paid to certain officers of the Corporation. The Board may in the future decide to pay compensation to its directors and officers other than by way of Awards, consulting fees or employment salary. For a copy of the Equity Incentive Plan, please see Schedule “B” attached hereto.
The Corporation chooses to issue Awards to maintain a competitive position in the marketplace. The Corporation’s compensation program is designed to attract and retain highly qualified people and to align their interest with those of the Shareholders of the Corporation. The maximization of Shareholder value is encouraged by granting long-term equity incentives to directors and officers of the Corporation.
In respect of the grant of incentive stock options, the Chief Executive Officer recommends to the Board the individual equity incentive awards for each Executive Officer and director. The Board then takes these recommendations into consideration when making its final decisions regarding the compensation of those officers and directors. The Board does not use formulas for each grant, but is restricted by the policies of the Exchange and the Equity Incentive Plan in how many Awards it may grant. Awards under the Equity Incentive Plan are awarded to Executive Officers by the Board based upon the level of responsibility and contribution of the individuals towards the Corporation’s goals and objectives.
Other Board Committees
The Board has no other standing committees other than the Audit Committee.
Assessment of Directors, the Board and Board Committees
The Board monitors the adequacy of information given to directors, the communications between the Board and Management and the strategic direction and processes of the Board and its Audit Committee to satisfy itself that the Board, its Audit Committee and its individual directors are performing effectively.
PARTICULARS OF MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
To the knowledge of the Board the only matters to be brought before the Meeting are those matters set forth in the accompanying Notice of Meeting.
1. Financial Statements
At the Meeting, the Shareholders will have received the audited financial statements of the Corporation for the financial year ended December 31, 2024 together with the notes thereto, and the report of the auditors thereon (the “Financial Statements”). Shareholder approval of the Financial Statements is not required and no formal action will be taken at the Meeting to approve the Financial Statements.
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2. Fixing Number of Directors
At the Meeting, Shareholders will be asked to consider, and if thought fit, approve an ordinary resolution fixing the Board at four (4) members for the next ensuing year. Such fixing of the number of members of the Board is, pursuant to the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) to which the Corporation is subject, subject to the articles of the Corporation relating to subsequent appointments of directors by the Board. Unless otherwise directed, the Management Designees will vote in favour of the ordinary resolution to fix the number of directors at four (4) members. The text of the ordinary resolution for the approval and fixing of the number of directors which Management intends to place before Shareholders at the Meeting is as follows:
“BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED as an ordinary resolution of Wilton Resources Inc. (the “Corporation”) that:
- the number of directors to be elected at the Meeting for the ensuing year or otherwise as authorized by the shareholders of the Corporation be and is hereby fixed at four (4); and
- any one director or officer of the Corporation is authorized and directed on behalf of the Corporation, to take all necessary steps and proceedings and to execute, deliver and file any and all declarations, agreements, documents and other instruments.”
The foregoing resolution must be approved by a simple majority of the votes cast at the Meeting by holders of Common Shares voting in person or by proxy.
3. Election of Directors
The Corporation currently has four (4) directors and all of these directors are standing for re-election. The following table sets forth: (a) the name of each person who is proposed to be nominated for election as a director; (b) all positions and offices in the Corporation presently held by such nominee; (c) the nominee’s municipality of residence and principal occupation; (d) the period during which the nominee has served as a director; and (e) the number of Common Shares that the nominee has advised are beneficially owned, or controlled or directed, directly or indirectly, by the nominee as of the date hereof.
Unless otherwise directed, the Management Designees will vote for the election of the persons named in the following table to the Board. Management believes the election of the below mentioned nominees as directors of the Corporation is in the best interests of the Corporation and recommends that the Shareholders vote in favour of the nominees. Management does not contemplate that any of such nominees will be unable to serve as directors. Each director elected will hold office until the next annual meeting of Shareholders or until his successor is duly elected, unless his office is earlier vacated in accordance with the by-laws of the Corporation or the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) to which the Corporation is subject.
On June 16, 2013 the Board adopted an advance notice by-law (the “Advance Notice By-Law”). The Advance Notice By-law provides Shareholders, directors and management of the Corporation with a clear framework for nominating directors. Among other things, the Advance Notice By-law fixes a deadline by which Shareholders must submit director nominations to the Corporation prior to any annual or special meeting of Shareholders and sets forth the information that a Shareholder must include in such nomination notice to the Corporation in order for any such director nominee to be eligible for election at any annual or special meeting of the Shareholders. A copy of the Advance Notice By-law may be viewed under the Corporation’s profile on www.sedarplus.ca.
| Name, Present Position with the Corporation and Municipality of Residence | Principal Occupation | Date when became a Director of the Corporation | Number of Common Shares Beneficially Owned, or Controlled or Directed, Directly or Indirectly (2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard G. Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Director Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Mr. Anderson has been a director of the Corporation since October 28, 2008. Mr. Anderson has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation since October 29, 2008. Mr. Anderson served as the President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the Corporation from October 29, 2008 to October 28, 2011. In addition, Mr. Anderson served as a director, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Calgary Petroleum Ltd. (an oil and gas company that was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange) from February 1997 to April 2008. | October 28, 2008 | 1,880,328(3) |
| Stuart B. McDowall (1) Director Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Mr. McDowall has been a director of the Corporation since October 28, 2008. Mr. McDowall has been the Principal of McDowall Developments since September 2002. | October 28, 2008 | 1,000,000 |
| Gerald L. Roe (1) Director Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Mr. Roe has been a director of the Corporation since November 22, 2018 and serves as the Chairperson of the Audit Committee. Mr. Roe is currently a consultant. | November 22, 2018 | 471,437 |
| Darryl J. Raymaker (1) Director Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Mr. Raymaker has been a director of the Corporation since October 28, 2008. Mr. Raymaker is currently a non-practising legal practitioner, consultant and author. Mr. Raymaker served as counsel at the law firm Cuming, Gillespie & Raymaker LLP from July 2007 until August 2008. In addition, Mr. Raymaker served as counsel at the firm of McNally Cuming Raymaker from March 2004 until July 2007. | October 28, 2008 | 1,000,000 |
Notes:
(1) Member of the Audit Committee.
(2) The number of Common Shares beneficially owned, or controlled or directed, directly or indirectly, as at the date hereof is based upon information furnished to the Corporation by the above individuals.
(3) 900,000 of these Common Shares are registered in the name of Caldwell Management AG and are beneficially owned by the Eden Trust, of which certain family members of Richard G. Anderson are beneficiaries.
Corporate Cease Trade Orders or Bankruptcies
Except as set forth below, no proposed director of the Corporation:
(a) is, as at the date hereof, or has been, within the ten (10) years before the date hereof, a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any other issuer (including the Corporation) that:
(i) was subject to a cease trade order, or similar order, or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation that was in effect for a period of more than thirty (30) consecutive days, that was issued while the proposed director was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer; or
(ii) was subject to a cease trade order, or similar order, or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation that was in effect for a period of more than thirty (30) consecutive days, that was issued after the proposed director ceased to be a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer; or
(iii) is, as at the date hereof, or has been within ten (10) years before the date hereof, a director or executive officer of any issuer (including the Corporation), that while that person was acting in that capacity, or within a year of that person ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets; or
(b) has, within the ten (10) years before the date hereof, 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 its assets.
Penalties or Sanctions
As of the date hereof, no proposed director of the Corporation has:
(a) 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
(b) been subject to any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body, including a self-regulatory body, that would be likely to be considered important to a reasonable shareholder making a decision about whether to vote for the proposed director.
4. Appointment of Auditor
The Shareholders of the Corporation will be asked to vote for the re-appointment of Kenway Mack Slusarchuk Stewart LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, of Calgary, Alberta as auditors of the Corporation. Unless otherwise directed, the Management Designees intend to vote in favour of the ordinary resolution re-appointing Kenway Mack Slusarchuk Stewart LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as auditors of the Corporation for the next ensuing year, to hold office until the close of the next annual meeting of Shareholders or until they are removed from office or resign and authorizing the Board to fix the compensation of the auditors. Kenway Mack Slusarchuk Stewart LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants have been the auditors of the Corporation since August 15, 2007.
5. Approval of Equity Incentive Plan
The Shareholders previously approved the Equity Incentive Plan, substantially in the form attached hereto as Schedule "B", on September 16, 2024, which provides for the grant of the following equity based compensation awards: (a) stock options of the Corporation; (b) restricted share units of the Corporation; (c) deferred share units of the Corporation; (d) performance share units of the Corporation; and (e) share appreciation rights.
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The policies of the TSXV require all of its listed companies to have a security-based compensation plan if a company intends to issue compensation securities, as applicable. Pursuant to the policies of the TSXV, the Equity Incentive Plan requires Shareholder approval for continuation at every annual meeting of the Corporation by ordinary resolution.
The following information is intended as a brief description of the Equity Incentive Plan and is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the Equity Incentive Plan attached as Schedule “B” to this Information Circular.
The purpose of the Equity Incentive Plan is to provide the Corporation with a share-related mechanism to attract, retain and motivate qualified directors, employees and consultants of the Corporation and its subsidiaries, to reward such of those directors, employees and consultants as may be granted awards under the Equity Incentive Plan by the Board from time to time for their contributions toward the long-term goals and success of the Corporation and to enable and encourage such directors, employees and consultants to acquire common shares of the Corporation as long-term investments and proprietary interests in the Corporation.
Shares Subject to the Equity Incentive Plan
The Equity Incentive Plan is a hybrid plan which, subject to the adjustment provisions provided for therein, provides that the aggregate maximum number of shares that may be issued upon the exercise or settlement of Awards granted under the Equity Incentive Plan shall not exceed:
(a) with respect to shares reserved for issuance pursuant to restricted share units, performance share units, share appreciation rights or deferred share units, ten percent (10%) of the Corporation’s total issued and outstanding shares as of the effective date of the Equity Incentive Plan; and
(b) with respect to shares reserved for issuance pursuant to options, ten percent (10%) of the Corporation’s total issued and outstanding shares as at the time of the applicable option grant.
The Equity Incentive Plan is not considered an “evergreen” plan, and the shares covered by Awards which have been exercised shall not be available for subsequent grants under the Equity Incentive Plan; provided, however, that any awards that have been settled in cash, cancelled, terminated, surrendered, forfeited or expired without being exercised, and pursuant to which no securities have been issued, may continue to be issuable under the Equity Incentive Plan.
Additional Limits on Awards
The Equity Incentive Plan also provides that the aggregate number of shares (a) issuable to insiders of the Corporation at any time (under all of the Corporation’s security-based compensation arrangements) cannot exceed ten percent (10%) of the Corporation’s issued and outstanding shares, and (b) issued to insiders of the Corporation within any one year period (under all of the Corporation’s security-based compensation arrangements) cannot exceed ten percent (10%) of the Corporation’s issued and outstanding shares calculated at the time of issuance.
Furthermore, the following additional restrictions are imposed under the Equity Incentive Plan:
(a) the aggregate number of shares which may be reserved for issuance to any one participant, together with all of the Corporation’s previously established or proposed equity based compensation arrangements shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the issued and outstanding shares on the grant date or within any twelve (12) month period;
(b) the aggregate number of Awards granted to any consultant in any twelve (12) month period must not exceed two percent (2%) of the issued and outstanding shares calculated at the grant date of each award;
(c) the aggregate number of options granted to all persons providing Investor Relations Activities (as such term is defined in the applicable policies of the TSXV) as compensation within a one (1) year period, shall not exceed two percent (2%) of the issued and outstanding shares in any twelve (12) month period calculated at the grant date of each option; and
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(d) options issued to any person retained to provide Investor Relations Activities must vest in a period of not less than twelve (12) months from the grant date and with no more than twenty five percent (25%) of the options vesting in any three (3) month period.
Administration of the Equity Incentive Plan
The “Plan Administrator” is determined by the Board, and is initially the Board. The Equity Incentive Plan may in the future continue to be administered by the Board itself or delegated to a committee of the Board. The Plan Administrator determines which directors, consultants and employees are eligible to receive awards under the Equity Incentive Plan, the time or times at which Awards may be granted, the conditions under which Awards may be granted or forfeited to the Corporation, the number of shares to be covered by any Award, the exercise price of any Award, whether restrictions or limitations are to be imposed on the shares issuable pursuant to grants of any award, and the nature of any such restrictions or limitations, any acceleration of exercisability or vesting, or waiver of termination regarding any award, based on such factors as the Plan Administrator may determine.
In addition, the Plan Administrator interprets the Equity Incentive Plan and may adopt guidelines and other rules and regulations relating to the Equity Incentive Plan, and make all other determinations and take all other actions necessary or advisable for the implementation and administration of the Equity Incentive Plan.
Eligibility
All directors, employees and consultants of the Corporation and its subsidiaries are eligible to participate in the Equity Incentive Plan. The extent to which any such individual is entitled to receive a grant of an award pursuant to the Equity Incentive Plan will be determined in the sole and absolute discretion of the Plan Administrator.
Types of Awards
Awards of options, restricted share units, performance share units, deferred share units and share appreciation rights may be made under the Equity Incentive Plan. All of the awards described below are subject to the conditions, limitations, restrictions, exercise price, vesting, settlement and forfeiture provisions determined by the Plan Administrator, in its sole discretion, subject to such limitations provided in the Equity Incentive Plan, and will generally be evidenced by an award agreement. In addition, subject to the limitations provided in the Equity Incentive Plan and in accordance with applicable law, the Plan Administrator may accelerate or defer the vesting or payment of awards, cancel or modify outstanding awards, and waive any condition imposed with respect to awards or shares issued pursuant to awards.
Options
An option entitles a holder thereof to purchase a prescribed number of treasury shares at an exercise price set at the time of the grant. The Plan Administrator will establish the exercise price at the time each option is granted, which exercise price shall not be less than the TSXV Market Price (as such term is defined in the Equity Incentive Plan), as calculated under the policies of the TSXV.
Subject to any accelerated termination as set forth in the Equity Incentive Plan, each option expires on its respective expiry date. The Plan Administrator will have the authority to determine the vesting terms applicable to grants of options. Once an option becomes vested, it shall remain vested and shall be exercisable until expiration or termination of the option, unless otherwise specified by the Plan Administrator or as otherwise set forth in any written employment agreement, award agreement or other written agreement between the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation and the participant. The Plan Administrator has the right to accelerate the date upon which any option becomes exercisable. The Plan Administrator may provide at the time of granting an option that the exercise of that option is subject to restrictions, in addition to those specified in the Equity Incentive Plan, such as vesting conditions relating to the attainment of specified performance goals.
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Restricted Share Units
A restricted share unit is a unit equivalent in value to a share credited by means of a bookkeeping entry in the books of the Corporation which entitles the holder to receive one (1) share (or the value thereof) for each restricted share unit after a specified vesting period (an “RSU”). The Plan Administrator may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of the Equity Incentive Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Plan Administrator may prescribe, grant RSUs to any participant in respect of a bonus or similar payment in respect of services rendered by the applicable participant in a taxation year (the “RSU Service Year”).
The number of RSUs (including fractional RSUs) granted at any particular time under the Equity Incentive Plan will be calculated by dividing (a) the amount of any bonus or similar payment that is to be paid in RSUs, as determined by the Plan Administrator, by (b) the greater of: (i) the Market Price (as such term is defined in the Equity Incentive Plan) of a share on the date of grant; and (ii) such amount as determined by the Plan Administrator in its sole discretion. The Plan Administrator shall have the authority to determine any vesting terms applicable to the grant of RSUs.
Upon settlement, holders will redeem each vested RSU for the following at the election of such holder but subject to the approval of the Plan Administrator: (a) one (1) fully paid and non-assessable share in respect of each vested RSU; (b) a cash payment; or (c) a combination of shares and cash. Any such cash payments made by the Corporation shall be calculated by multiplying the number of RSUs to be redeemed for cash by the Market Price per share as at the settlement date. Subject to the provisions of the Equity Incentive Plan and except as otherwise provided in an award agreement, no settlement date for any RSU shall occur, and no share shall be issued or cash payment shall be made in respect of any RSU any later than the final business day of the third (3rd) calendar year following the applicable RSU Service Year.
No person retained to provide Investor Relations Activities shall receive any grant of RSUs.
Performance Share Units
A performance share unit is a unit equivalent in value to a share credited by means of a bookkeeping entry in the books of the Corporation, which entitles the holder to receive one (1) share (or the value thereof) for each performance share unit after specific performance-based vesting criteria determined by the Plan Administrator, in its sole discretion, have been satisfied (a “PSU”). The performance goals to be achieved during any performance period, the length of any performance period, the amount of any PSUs granted, the effect of termination of a participant’s service and the amount of any payment or transfer to be made pursuant to any PSU will be determined by the Plan Administrator and by the other terms and conditions of any PSU, all as set forth in the applicable award agreement. The Plan Administrator may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of the Equity Incentive Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Plan Administrator may prescribe, grant PSUs to any participant in respect of a bonus or similar payment in respect of services rendered by the applicable participant in a taxation year (the “PSU Service Year”).
The Plan Administrator shall have the authority to determine any vesting terms applicable to the grant of PSUs. Upon settlement, holders will redeem each vested PSU for the following at the election of such holder but subject to the approval of the Plan Administrator: (a) one (1) fully paid and non-assessable share in respect of each vested PSU; (b) a cash payment; or (c) a combination of shares and cash. Any such cash payments made by the Corporation to a participant shall be calculated by multiplying the number of PSUs to be redeemed for cash by the Market Price per share as at the settlement date. Subject to the provisions of the Equity Incentive Plan and except as otherwise provided in an award agreement, no settlement date for any PSU shall occur, and no share shall be issued or cash payment shall be made in respect of any PSU any later than the final business day of the third (3rd) calendar year following the applicable PSU Service Year.
No person retained to provide Investor Relations Activities shall receive any grant of PSUs.
Deferred Share Units
A deferred share unit is a unit equivalent in value to a share credited by means of a bookkeeping entry in the books of the Corporation which entitles the holder to receive one (1) share (or, at the election of the holder and subject to the
approval of the Plan Administrator, the cash value thereof) for each deferred share unit on a future date (a “DSU”). The Corporation Board may fix from time to time a portion of the total compensation (including annual retainer) paid by the Corporation to a director in a calendar year for service on the Corporation’s Board (the “Director Fees”) that are to be payable in the form of DSUs. In addition, each director is given, subject to the provisions of the Equity Incentive Plan, the right to elect to receive a portion of the cash Director Fees owing to them in the form of DSUs.
Except as otherwise determined by the Plan Administrator or as set forth in the particular award agreement, DSUs shall vest immediately upon grant. The number of DSUs (including fractional DSUs) granted at any particular time will be calculated by dividing (a) the amount of Director Fees that are to be paid in DSUs, as determined by the Plan Administrator, by (b) the Market Price of a share on the date of grant. Upon settlement, holders will redeem each vested DSU for: (a) one (1) fully paid and non-assessable share issued from treasury in respect of each vested DSU; or (b) at the election of the holder and subject to the approval of the Plan Administrator, a cash payment on the date of settlement. Any cash payments made under the Equity Incentive Plan by the Corporation to a participant in respect of DSUs to be redeemed for cash shall be calculated by multiplying the number of DSUs to be redeemed for cash by the Market Price per share as at the settlement date.
No person retained to provide Investor Relations Activities shall receive any grant of DSUs.
Share Appreciation Rights
A share appreciation right (“SAR”) entitles the recipient to receive an amount equal to the excess of the Market Price of a share on the date of exercise of the SAR over the exercise price specified in the SAR agreement, on such terms and conditions as set forth in the SAR agreement. A SAR shall be settled in shares or cash equivalent or combination thereof as the case may be, as set forth in the SAR agreement. Each SAR awarded shall entitle the holder, upon exercise, to the following: (a) an amount, in Canadian currency, or shares, and payable as hereinafter provided, equal to the excess, if any, of: (i) the Market Price of one (1) share on the date of exercise of the SAR, over (ii) the exercise price specified in the SAR agreement; and (b) such other benefits as may be determined by the Plan Administrator from time to time. The exercise price of the SAR agreement must not be less than the Market Price on the date the SAR is granted.
Subject to Exchange policies, if the shares are listed then the Plan Administrator shall have the authority to determine the vesting terms of the SARs. The Plan Administrator shall determine, at the time of granting the particular SAR, the period during which the SAR is exercisable, which shall not be more than ten (10) years from the date the SAR is granted and the vesting schedule of such SAR, which will be detailed in the respective SAR Agreement. Unless otherwise determined by the Plan Administrator, each unexercised SAR shall be cancelled at the expiry of such SAR.
Dividend Equivalents
Except as otherwise determined by the Plan Administrator or as set forth in the particular award agreement, RSUs, PSUs and DSUs shall be credited with dividend equivalents in the form of additional RSUs, PSUs and DSUs, as applicable, as of each dividend payment date in respect of which normal cash dividends are paid on shares. Dividend equivalents shall vest in proportion to, and settle in the same manner as, the awards to which they relate. Such dividend equivalents shall be computed by dividing: (a) the amount obtained by multiplying the amount of the dividend declared and paid per Share by the number of RSUs, PSUs and DSUs, as applicable, held by the participant on the record date for the payment of such dividend, by (b) the Market Price at the close of the first (1st) business day immediately following the dividend record date, with fractions computed to three (3) decimal places.
At the Meeting, the Shareholders of the Corporation will be asked to consider and, if deemed advisable, to renew and re-approve, with or without variation, an ordinary resolution (the “Equity Incentive Plan Resolution”) ratifying, confirming and re-approving the Equity Incentive Plan. The text of the ordinary resolution which Management intends to place before the Meeting for the approval of the Equity Incentive Plan is as follows:
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“BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED as an ordinary resolution of the Shareholders of the Corporation that:
(a) the existing equity incentive plan of the Corporation (the “Equity Incentive Plan”), in substantially the form attached as Schedule “B” to the management information circular of the Corporation dated November 12, 2025 prepared for the purposes of the annual general and special meeting of holders of common shares of the Corporation, be and is hereby approved and confirmed as the security-based compensation plan of the Corporation;
(b) any one director or officer may amend the form of the Equity Incentive Plan in order to satisfy the requirements or requests of any regulatory authorities, including the TSX Venture Exchange, without requiring further approval of the shareholders of the Corporation;
(c) the board of directors be and is hereby authorized and empowered to revoke these resolutions and not proceed with the adoption of the Equity Incentive Plan without requiring further approval of the shareholders of the Corporation; and
(d) any one director or officer of the Corporation is authorized and directed, on behalf of the Corporation, to take all necessary steps and proceedings and to execute, deliver and file any and all declarations, agreements, documents and other instruments and do all such other acts and things (whether under corporate seal of the Corporation or otherwise) that may be necessary or desirable to give effect to this ordinary resolution.”
The foregoing ordinary resolution must be approved by a simple majority of the votes cast at the Meeting by the Shareholders voting in person or by proxy. The Board believes the passing of the above resolution is in the best interests of the Corporation and recommends that the Shareholders vote IN FAVOUR of the Equity Incentive Plan Resolution. Unless otherwise directed to the contrary, it is the intention of the persons named in the enclosed Form of Proxy to vote proxies in favour of above resolutions.
6. Other Business
While there is no other business other than that business mentioned in the Notice of Meeting to be presented for action by the Shareholders at the Meeting, it is intended that the proxies hereby solicited will be exercised upon any other matters and proposals that may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof, in accordance with the discretion of the persons authorized to act thereunder.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information relating to the Corporation may be found under the Corporation’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Inquiries, including requests for copies of the Corporation’s financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis, may be directed to Richard G. Anderson, Chief Executive Officer at (403) 619-6609.
Additional financial information is provided in the Corporation’s comparative financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis for the financial years ended December 31, 2024, which are also available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
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Schedule “A”
WILTON RESOURCES INC.
(the “Corporation”)
Audit Committee Charter
A. Composition and Process
The audit committee of the Corporation (the “Audit Committee”) shall be composed of a minimum of three members of the board of directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”), a majority of whom are independent. An independent director, as defined in National Instrument 52-110 – Audit Committees (“NI 52-110”) is a director who has no direct or indirect material relationship which could, in the view of the Corporation’s Board of Directors, be reasonably expected to interfere with the exercise of a members independent judgment or as otherwise determined to be independent in accordance with NI 52-110.
Members shall serve one-year terms and may serve consecutive terms, which are encouraged to ensure continuity of experience.
The chairperson of the Audit Committee (the “Chairperson”) shall be appointed by the Board of Directors for a one-year term, and may serve any number of consecutive terms.
All members of the Audit Committee shall be financially literate. Financial literacy is the ability to read and understand a balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement that present a breadth and level of complexity comparable to the Corporation’s financial statements.
The Chairperson shall, in consultation with management and the external auditor and internal auditor (if any), establish the agenda for the meetings and ensure that properly prepared agenda materials are circulated to the members with sufficient time for study prior to the meeting. The external auditor will also receive notice of all meetings of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee may employ a list of prepared questions and considerations as a portion of its review and assessment process.
The Audit Committee shall meet at least four times per year and may call special meetings as required. A quorum at meetings of the Audit Committee shall be its Chairperson and one of its other members or the Chairman of the Board of Directors. The Audit Committee may hold its meetings, and members of the Audit Committee may attend meetings, by telephone conference if this is deemed appropriate.
The minutes of the Audit Committee meetings shall accurately record the decisions reached and shall be distributed to Audit Committee members with copies to the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and the external auditor.
The Audit Committee reviews, prior to their presentation to the Board of Directors and their release, all material financial information required by securities legislation and policies.
The Audit Committee enquires about potential claims, assessments and other contingent liabilities.
The Audit Committee periodically reviews with management, depreciation and amortization policies, loss provisions and other accounting policies for appropriateness and consistency.
The Charter of the Audit Committee shall be reviewed by the Board of Directors on an annual basis.
Authority
Appointed by the Board of Directors pursuant to provisions of the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) and the bylaws of the Corporation.
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Primary responsibility for the Corporation’s financial reporting, accounting systems and internal controls is vested in senior management and is overseen by the Board of Directors. The Audit Committee is a standing committee of the Board of Directors established to assist it in fulfilling its responsibilities in this regard. The Audit Committee shall have responsibility for overseeing management reporting on internal controls. While it is management’s responsibility to design and implement an effective system of internal control, it is the responsibility of the Audit Committee to ensure that management has done so.
In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Audit Committee shall have unrestricted access to the Corporation’s personnel and documents and will be provided with the resources necessary to carry out its responsibilities.
The Audit Committee shall have direct communication channels with the internal auditor (if any) and the external auditor to discuss and review specific issues, as appropriate.
The Audit Committee shall have the authority to engage independent counsel and other advisors as it determines necessary to carry out its duties.
The Audit Committee shall establish the compensation to be paid to any advisors employed by the Audit Committee and such compensation shall be paid by the Corporation as directed by the Audit Committee.
Relationship with External Auditors
An external auditor must report directly to the Audit Committee.
The Audit Committee is directly responsible for overseeing the work of the external auditor including the resolution of disagreements between management and the external auditor regarding financial reporting.
The Audit Committee shall implement structures and procedures to ensure that it meets with the external auditor on at least annually in the absence of management.
Accounting Systems, Internal Controls and Procedures
Obtain reasonable assurance from discussions with and/or reports from management, and reports from external auditors that accounting systems are reliable and that the prescribed internal controls are operating effectively for the Corporation and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
The Audit Committee shall review to ensure to its satisfaction that adequate procedures are in place for the review of the Corporation’s disclosure of financial information extracted or derived from the Corporation’s financial statements and will periodically assess the adequacy of those procedures.
Direct the external auditor’s examinations to particular areas.
Review control weaknesses identified by the external auditor, together with management’s response.
Review with the external auditor its view of the qualifications and performance of the key financial and accounting executives.
In order to preserve the independence of the external auditor the Audit Committee will:
- recommend to the Board of Directors the external auditor to be nominated;
- recommend to the Board of Directors the compensation of the external auditor’s engagement;
The Audit Committee shall review and pre-approve any engagements for non-audit services to be provided by the external auditor or its affiliates, together with estimated fees, and consider the impact on the independence of the external auditor.
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Review with management and with the external auditor any proposed changes in major accounting policies, the presentation and impact of significant risks and uncertainties, and key estimates and judgments of management that may be material to financial reporting.
The Audit Committee shall review and approve the Corporation’s hiring policies regarding partners, employees and former partners and employees of the present and most recent former external auditor of the Corporation.
The Audit Committee shall establish procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Corporation regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters and the confidential anonymous submission by employees of the Corporation of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.
The Audit Committee shall on an annual basis, prior to public disclosure of its annual financial statements, ensure that the external auditor has entered into a participation agreement and has not had its participant status terminated, or, if its participant status was terminated, has been reinstated in accordance with the Canadian Public Accountability Board (“CPAB”) bylaws and is in compliance with any restriction or sanction imposed by the CPAB.
Statutory and Regulatory Responsibilities
Annual Financial Information - review the annual audited financial statements and related management’s discussion and analysis (“MD&A”), including any letter to shareholders and related press releases, and recommend their approval to the Board of Directors, after discussing matters such as the selection of accounting policies (and changes thereto), major accounting judgments, accruals and estimates with management and the external auditor.
Annual Report - review the management MD&A section and all other relevant sections of the annual report, if prepared, to ensure consistency of all financial information included in the annual report.
Interim Financial Statements - review the quarterly interim financial statements and related MD&A, including any letter to shareholders and related press releases and recommend their approval to the Board of Directors.
Earnings Guidance/Forecasts - review forecasted financial information and forward looking statements.
Review the Corporation’s financial statements, MD&A and earnings press releases before the Corporation publicly discloses this information.
Reporting
Report, through the Chairperson of the Audit Committee, to the Board of Directors following each meeting on the major discussions and decisions made by the Audit Committee.
Report annually to the Board of Directors on the Audit Committee’s responsibilities and how it has discharged them.
Review the Audit Committee’s Charter annually and recommend the approval of any proposed amendments to the Board of Directors.
Other Responsibilities
Investigating fraud, illegal acts or conflicts of interest.
Discussing selected issues with corporate counsel or the external auditor or management.
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Schedule “B”
OMNIBUS EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
ARTICLE 1
PURPOSE
1.1 Purpose
The purpose of this Plan, amended and restated as of September 16, 2024, is to provide the Corporation with a share-related mechanism to attract, retain and motivate qualified Directors, Employees and Consultants of the Corporation and its subsidiaries, if any, to reward such of those Directors, Employees and Consultants as may be granted Awards under this Plan by the Board from time to time for their contributions toward the long-term goals and success of the Corporation and to enable and encourage such Directors, Employees and Consultants to acquire Shares as long-term investments and proprietary interests in the Corporation.
ARTICLE 2
INTERPRETATION
2.1 Definitions
When used herein, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms have the indicated meanings, respectively:
(a) “Affiliate” means any entity that is an “affiliate” for the purposes of National Instrument 45–106 – Prospectus Exemptions of the Canadian Securities Administrators, as amended from time to time;
(b) “Award” means any Option, Restricted Share Unit, Performance Share Unit, Deferred Share Unit, or Share Appreciation Right granted under this Plan which may be denominated or settled in Shares, cash or in such other form as provided herein;
(c) “Award Agreement” means a signed, written agreement between a Participant and the Corporation, in the form or any one of the forms approved by the Plan Administrator, evidencing the terms and conditions on which an Award has been granted under this Plan and which need not be identical to any other such agreements and includes, for certainty, any SAR Agreement;
(d) “Board” means the board of directors of the Corporation as it may be constituted from time to time;
(e) “Business Day” means a day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, on which the principal commercial banks in the City of Calgary are open for commercial business during normal banking hours;
(f) “Canadian Taxpayer” means a Participant that is resident of Canada for purposes of the Tax Act;
(g) “Cash Fees” has the meaning set forth in Subsection 7.1(a);
(h) “Net Exercise” has the meaning set forth in Subsection 4.5(b);
(i) “Cause” means, with respect to a particular Participant:
(i) “cause” (or any similar term) as such term is defined in the employment or other written agreement between the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation and the Employee;
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(ii) in the event there is no written or other applicable employment or other agreement between the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation or "cause" (or any similar term) is not defined in such agreement, "cause" as such term is defined in the Award Agreement; or
(iii) in the event neither (i) nor (ii) apply, then "cause" as such term is defined by applicable law or, if not so defined, such term shall refer to circumstances where (A) an employer may terminate an individual's employment without notice or pay in lieu thereof or other damages, or (B) the Corporation or any subsidiary thereof may terminate the Participant's employment without notice or without pay in lieu thereof or other termination fee or damages, or (C) the Corporation or any subsidiary thereof may terminate the Participant's employment without providing the minimum entitlements to notice and, if applicable, severance pay under provincial employment standards legislation;
(j) "Change in Control" means the occurrence of any one or more of the following events:
(i) any transaction at any time and by whatever means pursuant to which any Person or any group of two (2) or more Persons acting jointly or in concert hereafter acquires the direct or indirect "beneficial ownership" (as defined in National Instrument 62-104 – Take-over Bids and Issuer Bids) of, or acquires the right to exercise Control or direction over, securities of the Corporation representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the then issued and outstanding voting securities of the Corporation, including, without limitation, as a result of a take-over bid, an exchange of securities, an amalgamation of the Corporation with any other entity, an arrangement, a capital reorganization or any other business combination or reorganization;
(ii) the sale, assignment or other transfer of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Corporation to a Person other than a subsidiary of the Corporation;
(iii) the dissolution or liquidation of the Corporation, other than in connection with the distribution of assets of the Corporation to one (1) or more Persons which were Affiliates of the Corporation prior to such event;
(iv) the occurrence of a transaction requiring approval of the Corporation's shareholders whereby the Corporation is acquired through consolidation, merger, exchange of securities, purchase of assets, amalgamation, statutory arrangement or otherwise by any other Person (other than a short form amalgamation or exchange of securities with a subsidiary of the Corporation);
(v) individuals who comprise the Board as of the date hereof (the "Incumbent Board") for any reason cease to constitute at least a majority of the members of the Board, unless the election, or nomination for election by the Corporation's shareholders, of any new director was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the Incumbent Board, and in that case such new director shall be considered as a member of the Incumbent Board; or
(vi) any other event which the Board determines to constitute a change in control of the Corporation,
provided that, notwithstanding clause (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) above, a Change in Control shall be deemed not to have occurred if immediately following the transaction set forth in clause (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) above: (A) the holders of securities of the Corporation that immediately prior to the consummation of such transaction represented more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities eligible to vote for the election of directors of the Corporation hold (x) securities of the entity resulting from such transaction (including, for greater certainty, the Person succeeding to assets of the Corporation in a transaction contemplated in clause (ii) above) (the "Surviving Entity") that represent more than fifty percent (50%) of the
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combined voting power of the then outstanding securities eligible to vote for the election of directors or trustees (“voting power”) of the Surviving Entity, or (y) if applicable, securities of the entity that directly or indirectly has beneficial ownership of one-hundred percent (100%) of the securities eligible to elect directors or trustees of the Surviving Entity (the “Parent Entity”) that represent more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities eligible to vote for the election of directors or trustees of the Parent Entity, and (B) no Person or group of two or more Persons, acting jointly or in concert, is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting power of the Parent Entity (or, if there is no Parent Entity, the Surviving Entity) (any such transaction which satisfies all of the criteria specified in clauses (A) and (B) above being referred to as a “Non-Qualifying Transaction” and, following the Non-Qualifying Transaction, references in this definition of “Change in Control” to the “Corporation” shall mean and refer to the Parent Entity (or, if there is no Parent Entity, the Surviving Entity) and, if such entity is a company or a trust, references to the “Board” shall mean and refer to the board of directors or trustees, as applicable, of such entity). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of any Award that constitutes “deferred compensation” (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code), the payment of which is triggered by or would be accelerated upon a Change in Control, a transaction will not be deemed a Change in Control for Awards granted to any Participant who is a U.S. Taxpayer unless the transaction qualifies as “a change in control event” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code;
(k) “Code” means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time. Any reference to a section of the Code shall be deemed to include a reference to any regulations promulgated thereunder;
(l) “Committee” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2;
(m) “Consultant” means any individual, entity or other Person engaged by the Corporation or any subsidiary of the Corporation to render consulting or advisory services (including as a director or officer of any subsidiary of the Corporation), other than as an Employee or Director, and whether or not compensated for such services; provided, however, that at the time any Consultant receives any offer of Award or executes any Award Agreement, such Consultant must be a Person, and must agree to provide bona fide services to that Corporation that are not in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction, and do not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the Corporation’s securities;
(n) “Control” means the relationship whereby a Person is considered to be “controlled” by a Person if:
(i) when applied to the relationship between a Person and a corporation, the beneficial ownership by that Person, directly or indirectly, of voting securities or other interests in such corporation entitling the holder to exercise control and direction in fact over the activities of such corporation;
(ii) when applied to the relationship between a Person and a partnership, limited partnership, trust or joint venture, means the contractual right to direct the affairs of the partnership, limited partnership, trust or joint venture; and
(iii) when applied in relation to a trust, the beneficial ownership at the relevant time of more than fifty percent (50%) of the property settled under the trust, and
the words “Controlled by”, “Controlling” and similar words have corresponding meanings; provided that a Person who controls a corporation, partnership, limited partnership or joint venture will be deemed to Control a corporation, partnership, limited partnership, trust or joint venture which is Controlled by such Person and so on;
(o) “Corporation” means Wilton Resources Inc., or any successor entity thereof;
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(p) “Date of Grant” means, for any Award, the date specified by the Plan Administrator at the time it grants the Award or if no such date is specified, the date upon which the Award was granted;
(q) “Deferred Share Unit” or “DSU” means a unit equivalent in value to a Share, credited by means of a bookkeeping entry in the books of the Corporation in accordance with Article 7;
(r) “Director” means a director of the Corporation who is not an Employee;
(s) “Director Fees” means the total compensation (including annual retainer and meeting fees, if any) paid by the Corporation to a director of the Corporation in a calendar year for service on the Board;
(t) “Disabled” or “Disability” means, with respect to a particular Participant:
(i) “disabled” or “disability” (or any similar terms) as such terms are defined in the employment or other written agreement between the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation and the Participant;
(ii) in the event there is no written or other applicable employment or other agreement between the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation, or “disabled” or “disability” (or any similar terms) are not defined in such agreement, “disabled” or “disability” as such term are defined in the Award Agreement; or
(iii) in the event neither (i) or (ii) apply, then the incapacity or inability of the Participant, by reason of mental or physical incapacity, disability, illness or disease (as determined by a legally qualified medical practitioner or by a court) that prevents the Participant from carrying out his or her normal and essential duties as an Employee, Director or Consultant for a continuous period of six months or for any cumulative period of 180 days in any consecutive twelve month period, the foregoing subject to and as determined in accordance with procedures established by the Plan Administrator for purposes of this Plan;
(u) “Discounted Market Price” has the meaning given to such term in Exchange Policy 1.1, as amended, supplemented or replaced from time to time;
(v) “Effective Date” means the effective date of this Plan, being September 16, 2024, subject to the approval of the shareholders of the Corporation;
(w) “Elected Amount” has the meaning set forth in Subsection 7.1(a);
(x) “Electing Person” means a Participant who is, on the applicable Election Date, a Director or an Employee;
(y) “Election Date” means the date on which the Electing Person files an Election Notice in accordance with Subsection 7.1(b);
(z) “Election Notice” has the meaning set forth in Subsection 7.1(b);
(aa) “Employee” means an individual who:
(i) is considered an employee of the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation for purposes of source deductions under applicable tax or social welfare legislation; or
(ii) works full-time or part-time on a regular weekly basis for the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation providing services normally provided by an employee and who is subject to the same control and direction by the Corporation or a subsidiary of the
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Corporation over the details and methods of work as an employee of the Corporation or such subsidiary.
(bb) “Exchange” means the TSX Venture Exchange, or the primary exchange on which the Shares are then listed, as determined by the Plan Administrator, if the TSX Venture Exchange is no longer the Corporation’s primary exchange, or if the Shares are no longer listed on the TSX Venture Exchange;
(cc) “Exchange Policy” means the Exchange Corporate Finance Policies;
(dd) “Exercise Notice” means a notice in writing, signed by a Participant and stating the Participant’s intention to exercise a particular Option;
(ee) “Exercise Price” means the price at which an Option Share may be purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option;
(ff) “Expiry Date” means the expiry date specified in the Award Agreement (which shall not be later than the tenth anniversary of the Date of Grant) or, if not so specified, means the tenth anniversary of the Date of Grant;
(gg) “In-the-Money Amount” has the meaning given to it in Subsection 4.5(b);
(hh) “Insider” means an “insider” as defined in the rules of the Exchange from time to time;
(ii) “Investor Relations Activities” has the meaning given to it in Exchange Policy 1.1 – Definitions, as amended, supplemented or replaced from time to time;
(jj) “Investor Relations Service Provider” includes any Consultant that performs Investor Relations Activities and any Director or Employee whose role and duties primarily consist of Investor Relations Activities;
(kk) “Market Price” at any date in respect of the Shares shall be the volume weighted average trading price of Shares on the Exchange for the five trading days immediately preceding the Date of Grant; provided that, for so long as the Shares are listed and posted for trading on the Exchange, the Market Price shall not be less than the market price, as calculated under the policies of the Exchange; and provided, further, that with respect to an Award made to a U.S. Taxpayer such Participant, the class of Shares and the number of Shares subject to such Award shall be identified by the Board or the Committee prior to the start of the applicable five trading day period. In the event that such Shares are not listed and posted for trading on any Exchange, the Market Price shall be the fair market value of such Shares as determined by the Board in its sole discretion and, with respect to an Award made to a U.S. Taxpayer, in accordance with Section 409A of the Code;
(ll) “Option” means a right to purchase Shares under Article 4 of this Plan that is non-assignable and non-transferable, unless otherwise approved by the Plan Administrator;
(mm) “Option Shares” means Shares issuable by the Corporation upon the exercise of outstanding Options;
(nn) “Participant” means a Director, Employee or Consultant to whom an Award has been granted under this Plan;
(oo) “Performance Goals” means performance goals expressed in terms of attaining a specified level of the particular criteria or the attainment of a percentage increase or decrease in the particular criteria, and may be applied to one or more of the Corporation, a subsidiary of the Corporation, a division of the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation, or an individual, or may be applied to the performance of the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation relative to a market index, a group
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of other companies or a combination thereof, or on any other basis, all as determined by the Plan Administrator in its discretion;
(pp) “Performance Share Unit” or “PSU” means a unit equivalent in value to a Share, credited by means of a bookkeeping entry in the books of the Corporation in accordance with Article 6;
(qq) “Person” means an individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, unincorporated association, unincorporated syndicate, unincorporated organization, trust, body corporate, and a natural person in his or her capacity as trustee, executor, administrator or other legal representative;
(rr) “Plan” means this Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan, as may be amended from time to time;
(ss) “Plan Administrator” means the Board, or if the administration of this Plan has been delegated by the Board to the Committee or sub-delegated to a member of the Committee or officer of the Corporation pursuant to Section 3.2, the Committee or sub-delegate, as the case may be;
(tt) “PSU Service Year” has the meaning given to it in Section 6.1;
(uu) “Restricted Share Unit” or “RSU” means a unit equivalent in value to a Share, credited by means of a bookkeeping entry in the books of the Corporation in accordance with Article 5;
(vv) “Retirement” means, unless otherwise defined in the Participant’s written or other applicable employment agreement or in the Award Agreement, the termination of the Participant’s working career at such retirement age to which the Plan Administrator has consented, other than on account of the Participant’s termination of service by the Corporation or its subsidiary for Cause and provided that for U.S. Taxpayers such Retirement also constitutes a Separation from Service within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code;
(ww) “RSU Service Year” has the meaning given to it in Section 5.1;
(xx) “Section 409A of the Code” or “Section 409A” means Section 409A of the Code and all regulations, guidance, compliance programs, and other interpretive authority issued thereunder;
(yy) “Securities Laws” means securities legislation, securities regulation and securities rules, as amended, and the policies, notices, instruments and blanket orders in force from time to time that govern or are applicable to the Corporation or to which it is subject;
(zz) “Security Based Compensation Arrangement” means a stock option, stock option plan, employee stock purchase plan or any other compensation or incentive mechanism involving the issuance or potential issuance of Shares to Directors, officers, Employees and/or service providers of the Corporation or any subsidiary of the Corporation, including a share purchase from treasury which is financially assisted by the Corporation by way of a loan, guarantee or otherwise;
(aaa) “Separation from Service” means a separation from service within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code;
(bbb) “Share” means one (1) common share in the capital of the Corporation as constituted on the Effective Date or any share or shares issued in replacement of such common share in compliance with Canadian law or other applicable law, and/or one share of any additional class of common shares in the capital of the Corporation as may exist from time to time, or after an adjustment contemplated by Article 12, such other shares or securities to which the holder of an Award may be entitled as a result of such adjustment;
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(ccc) "Share Appreciation Right" or "SAR" means a right to receive a payment in the form of Shares, cash or a combination thereof as provided in Article 8 hereof, equal to the appreciation in the Corporation's Shares over a specified period, as set forth in the respective SAR Agreement;
(ddd) "SAR Agreement" means a written letter agreement between the Corporation and a Participant evidencing the grant of SARs and the terms and conditions thereof;
(eee) "SAR Exercise Notice" means a notice in writing, signed by a Participant and stating the Participant's intention to exercise a particular SAR;
(a) "SAR Term" has the meaning ascribed thereto in 8.3 hereof;
(b) "subsidiary" means an issuer that is Controlled directly or indirectly by another issuer and includes a subsidiary of that subsidiary, or any other entity in which the Corporation has an equity interest and is designated by the Plan Administrator, from time to time, for purposes of this Plan to be a subsidiary;
(c) "Tax Act" has the meaning set forth in Section 4.5(d);
(d) "Termination Date" means, subject to applicable law which cannot be waived:
(i) in the case of an Employee whose employment with the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation terminates, (i) the date designated by the Employee and the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation as the "Termination Date" (or similar term) in a written employment or other agreement between the Employee and Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation, or (ii) if no such written employment or other agreement exists, the date designated by the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation, as the case may be, on which the Employee ceases to be an employee of the Corporation or the subsidiary of the Corporation, as the case may be, provided that, in the case of termination of employment by voluntary resignation by the Participant, such date shall not be earlier than the date notice of resignation was given; and in any event, the "Termination Date" shall be determined without including any period of reasonable notice that the Corporation or the subsidiary of the Corporation (as the case may be) may be required by law to provide to the Participant or any pay in lieu of notice of termination, severance pay or other damages paid or payable to the Participant;
(ii) in the case of a Consultant whose agreement or arrangement with the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation terminates, (i) the date designated by the Corporation or the subsidiary of the Corporation, as the "Termination Date" (or similar term) or expiry date in a written agreement between the Consultant and Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation, or (ii) if no such written agreement exists, the date designated by the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation, as the case may be, on which the Consultant ceases to be a Consultant or a service provider to the Corporation or the subsidiary of the Corporation, as the case may be, or on which the Participant's agreement or arrangement is terminated, provided that in the case of voluntary termination by the Participant of the Participant's consulting agreement or other written arrangement, such date shall not be earlier than the date notice of voluntary termination was given; in any event, the "Termination Date" shall be determined without including any period of notice that the Corporation or the subsidiary of the Corporation (as the case may be) may be required by law to provide to the Participant or any pay in lieu of notice of termination, termination fees or other damages paid or payable to the Participant; and
(iii) in the case of a Director, the date such individual ceases to be a Director, in each case, unless the individual continues to be a Participant in another capacity.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a U.S. Taxpayer, a Participant’s “Termination Date” will be the date the Participant experiences a Separation from Service;
(e) “TSXV Market Price” means the closing price of the Shares on the Exchange on the last trading day preceding the date on which the grant of Options is approved by the Board, or if the Shares of the Corporation are not listed on any stock exchange, the value as is determined solely by the Board, acting reasonably and in good faith;
(f) “U.S.” or “United States” means the United States of America, its territories and possessions, any State of the United States, and the District of Columbia;
(g) “U.S. Person” shall mean a “U.S. person” as such term is defined in Rule 902(k) of Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act (the definition of which includes, but is not limited to, (i) any natural person resident in the United States, (ii) any partnership or corporation organized or incorporated under the laws of the United States, (iii) any partnership or corporation organized outside of the United States by a U.S. Person principally for the purpose of investing in securities not registered under the U.S. Securities Act, unless it is organized, or incorporated, and owned, by accredited investors who are not natural persons, estates or trusts, and (iv) any estate or trust of which any executor or administrator or trustee is a U.S. Person);
(h) “U.S. Securities Act” means the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended; and
(i) “U.S. Taxpayer” shall mean a Participant who, with respect to an Award, is subject to taxation under applicable U.S. tax laws.
2.2 Interpretation
(a) Whenever the Plan Administrator exercises discretion in the administration of this Plan, the term “discretion” means the sole and absolute discretion of the Plan Administrator.
(b) As used herein, the terms “Article”, “Section”, “Subsection” and “clause” mean and refer to the specified Article, Section, Subsection and clause of this Plan, respectively.
(c) Words importing the singular include the plural and vice versa and words importing any gender include any other gender.
(d) Unless otherwise specified, time periods within or following which any payment is to be made or act is to be done shall be calculated by excluding the day on which the period begins, including the day on which the period ends, and abridging the period to the immediately preceding Business Day in the event that the last day of the period is not a Business Day. In the event an action is required to be taken or a payment is required to be made on a day which is not a Business Day such action shall be taken or such payment shall be made by the immediately preceding Business Day.
(e) Unless otherwise specified, all references to money amounts are to Canadian currency.
(f) The headings used herein are for convenience only and are not to affect the interpretation of this Plan.
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ARTICLE 3
ADMINISTRATION
3.1 Administration
This Plan will be administered by the Plan Administrator and the Plan Administrator has sole and complete authority, in its discretion, to:
(a) determine the individuals to whom grants under the Plan may be made (including ensuring and confirming that all persons receiving grants are bona fide Employees, Directors or Consultants, as applicable);
(b) make grants of Awards under the Plan relating to the issuance of Shares (including any combination of Options, Restricted Share Units, Performance Share Units, Deferred Share Units or Share Appreciation Rights) in such amounts, to such Persons and, subject to the provisions of this Plan, on such terms and conditions as it determines including without limitation:
(i) the time or times at which Awards may be granted;
(ii) the conditions under which:
(A) Awards may be granted to Participants; or
(B) Awards may be forfeited to the Corporation, including any conditions relating to the attainment of specified Performance Goals;
(iii) the number of Shares to be covered by any Award;
(iv) the price, if any, to be paid by a Participant in connection with the purchase of Shares covered by any Awards;
(v) whether restrictions or limitations are to be imposed on the Shares issuable pursuant to grants of any Award, and the nature of such restrictions or limitations, if any; and
(vi) any acceleration of exercisability or vesting, or waiver of termination regarding any Award, based on such factors as the Plan Administrator may determine;
(c) establish the form or forms of Award Agreements;
(d) cancel, amend, adjust or otherwise change any Award under such circumstances as the Plan Administrator may consider appropriate in accordance with the provisions of this Plan;
(e) construe and interpret this Plan and all Award Agreements;
(f) adopt, amend, prescribe and rescind administrative guidelines and other rules and regulations relating to this Plan, including rules and regulations relating to sub-plans established for the purpose of satisfying applicable foreign laws or for qualifying for favorable tax treatment under applicable foreign laws; and
(g) make all other determinations and take all other actions necessary or advisable for the implementation and administration of this Plan.
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3.2 Delegation to Committee
(a) The initial Plan Administrator shall be the Board.
(b) To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Board may, from time to time, delegate to a committee of the Board (the “Committee”) all or any of the powers conferred on the Plan Administrator pursuant to this Plan, including the power to sub-delegate to any member(s) of the Committee or any specified officer(s) of the Corporation or its subsidiaries all or any of the powers delegated by the Board. In such event, the Committee or any sub-delegate will exercise the powers delegated to it in the manner and on the terms authorized by the delegating party. Any decision made or action taken by the Committee or any sub-delegate arising out of or in connection with the administration or interpretation of this Plan in this context is final and conclusive and binding on the Corporation and all subsidiaries of the Corporation, all Participants and all other Persons.
3.3 Determinations Binding
Any decision made or action taken by the Board, the Committee or any sub-delegate to whom authority has been delegated pursuant to Section 3.2 arising out of or in connection with the administration or interpretation of this Plan is final, conclusive and binding on the Corporation, the affected Participant(s), their legal and personal representatives and all other Persons.
3.4 Eligibility
All Directors, Employees and Consultants are eligible to participate in the Plan, subject to Section 10.1(f). Participation in the Plan is voluntary and eligibility to participate does not confer upon any Director, Employee or Consultant any right to receive any grant of an Award pursuant to the Plan. The extent to which any Director, Employee or Consultant is entitled to receive a grant of an Award pursuant to the Plan will be determined in the sole and absolute discretion of the Plan Administrator.
3.5 Plan Administrator Requirements
Any Award granted under this Plan shall be subject to the requirement that, if at any time the Plan Administrator shall determine that the listing, registration or qualification of the Shares issuable pursuant to such Award upon any securities exchange or under any Securities Laws of any jurisdiction, or the consent or approval of the Exchange and any securities commissions or similar securities regulatory bodies having jurisdiction over the Corporation is necessary as a condition of, or in connection with, the grant or exercise of such Award or the issuance or purchase of Shares thereunder, such Award may not be accepted or exercised, as applicable, in whole or in part unless such listing, registration, qualification, consent or approval shall have been effected or obtained on conditions acceptable to the Plan Administrator. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, all Awards shall be issued pursuant to the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act, or pursuant an exemption or exclusion from such registration requirements. Nothing herein shall be deemed to require the Corporation to apply for or to obtain such listing, registration, qualification, consent or approval. Participants shall, to the extent applicable, cooperate with the Corporation in complying with such legislation, rules, regulations and policies.
3.6 Total Shares Subject to Awards
(a) Subject to adjustment as provided for in Article 11 and any subsequent amendment to this Plan, the aggregate number of Shares reserved for issuance pursuant to Awards granted under this Plan and under any other Security Based Compensation Arrangement shall not exceed:
(i) with respect to Shares reserved for issuance pursuant to Restricted Share Units, Performance Share Units or Deferred Share Units, ten percent (10%) of the Corporation’s total issued and outstanding Shares as of the Effective Date; and
(ii) with respect to Shares reserved for issuance pursuant to Options, ten percent (10%) of the Corporation’s total issued and outstanding Shares as at the time of the applicable Option grant,
or such other number as may be approved by the Exchange and the shareholders of the Corporation from time to time, provided that the shareholder approval referred to herein must be obtained on a “disinterested” basis in compliance with the applicable policies of the Exchange. This Plan is not considered an “evergreen” plan, and the Shares covered by Awards which have been exercised shall not be available for subsequent grants under the Plan.
(b) To the extent any Awards (or portion(s) thereof) under this Plan terminate or are cancelled for any reason prior to exercise in full, or are surrendered or settled by the Participant, any Shares subject to such Awards (or portion(s) thereof) shall be added back to the number of Shares reserved for issuance under this Plan and will again become available for issuance pursuant to the exercise of Awards granted under this Plan.
(c) Any Shares issued by the Corporation through the assumption or substitution of outstanding stock options or other equity-based awards from an acquired company shall not reduce the number of Shares available for issuance pursuant to the exercise of Awards granted under this Plan.
3.7 Limits on Grants of Awards
Notwithstanding anything in this Plan, the maximum aggregate number of Shares:
(a) issuable to Insiders at any time, under all of the Corporation’s Security-Based Compensation Arrangements, shall not exceed ten percent (10%) of the Corporation’s issued and outstanding Shares at any point in time (unless the Corporation receives Shareholder approval on a “disinterested” basis in compliance with the applicable policies of the Exchange), provided that the acquisition of Shares by the Corporation for cancellation shall be disregarded for the purposes of determining non-compliance with this Section 3.7 for any Awards outstanding prior to such purchase of Shares for cancellation;
(b) issued to Insiders within any one (1) year period, under all of the Corporation’s Security Based Compensation Arrangements, shall not exceed ten percent (10%) of the Corporation’s issued and outstanding Shares calculated as at the date any Award is granted or issued to any Insider (unless the Corporation receives Shareholder approval on a “disinterested” basis in compliance with the applicable policies of the Exchange), provided that the acquisition of Shares by the Corporation for cancellation shall be disregarded for the purposes of determining non-compliance with this Section 3.7 for any Awards outstanding prior to such purchase of Shares for cancellation;
(c) which may be reserved for issuance to any one Participant under the Plan together with all of the Corporation’s other previously established or proposed Security Based Compensation Arrangements shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the issued and outstanding Shares on the grant date or within any 12-month period (in each case on a non-diluted basis), unless the Corporation receives Shareholder approval on a “disinterested” basis in compliance with the applicable policies of the Exchange;
(d) issued to any one Consultant within any one (1) year period, under all of the Corporation’s Security Based Compensation Arrangements, shall not exceed two percent (2%) of the Corporation’s issued and outstanding Shares calculated as at the date any Award is granted or issued to the Consultant;
(e) issued or issuable to all Investor Relations Service Providers within any one (1) year period, pursuant to any Options issued under the Corporation’s Security Based Compensation Arrangements, shall not exceed two percent (2%) of the Corporation’s issued and outstanding Shares calculated as at the date any Award is granted or issued to any such Investor Relations
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Service Provider (and including any Participant that performs Investor Relations Activities and/or whose sole role or duties primarily consist of Investor Relations Activities), it being understood that Investor Relations Service Providers may not receive any Awards other than Options for the provision of Investor Relations Activities;
(f) Options granted to any person retained to provide Investor Relations Activities must vest in a period of not less than 12 months from the date of grant of the Award and with no more than twenty five percent (25%) of the Options vesting in any three month period, notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan; and
(g) Awards, other than Options, must vest in a period of not less than 12 months from the date of grant of the Award.
3.8 Award Agreements
Each Award under this Plan will be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Award Agreement will be subject to the applicable provisions of this Plan and will contain such provisions as are required by this Plan and any other provisions that the Plan Administrator may direct. Any one officer of the Corporation is authorized and empowered to execute and deliver, for and on behalf of the Corporation, an Award Agreement to a Participant granted an Award pursuant to this Plan.
3.9 Non-transferability of Awards
Except as permitted by the Plan Administrator and to the extent that certain rights may pass to a beneficiary or legal representative upon death of a Participant, by will or as required by law, no assignment or transfer of Awards, whether voluntary, involuntary, by operation of law or otherwise, vests any interest or right in such Awards whatsoever in any assignee or transferee and immediately upon any assignment or transfer, or any attempt to make the same, such Awards will terminate and be of no further force or effect. To the extent that certain rights to exercise any portion of an outstanding Award pass to a beneficiary or legal representative upon death of a Participant, the period in which such Award can be exercised by such beneficiary or legal representative shall not exceed one (1) year from the Participant's death.
ARTICLE 4 OPTIONS
4.1 Granting of Options
(a) The Plan Administrator may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Plan Administrator may prescribe, grant Options to any Participant. The terms and conditions of each Option grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, at all times where the Shares are listed on the Exchange, the Corporation shall maintain timely disclosure and file appropriate documentation in connection with Option grants made under this Plan in accordance with Exchange Policy 4.4 – Security Based Compensation.
4.2 Exercise Price
The Plan Administrator will establish the Exercise Price at the time each Option is granted, which Exercise Price must in all cases be not less than the TSXV Market Price (taking into account the Discounted Market Price), on the Date of Grant.
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4.3 Term of Options
Subject to any accelerated termination as set forth in this Plan, each Option expires on its Expiry Date, provided that, unless approval has been obtained pursuant to Section 13.2(b)(vi), no Option shall have an Expiry Date that exceeds ten (10) years from the date of grant.
4.4 Vesting and Exercisability
(a) The Plan Administrator shall have the authority to determine the vesting terms applicable to grants of Options, provided that so long as the Shares are listed on the Exchange, such vesting terms are in compliance with Exchange Policy 4.4 – Security Based Compensation.
(b) Once an Option becomes vested, it shall remain vested and shall be exercisable until expiration or termination of the Option, unless otherwise specified by the Plan Administrator, or as may be otherwise set forth in any written employment agreement, Award Agreement or other written agreement between the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation and the Participant. Each vested Option may be exercised at any time or from time to time, in whole or in part, for up to the total number of Option Shares with respect to which it is then exercisable. The Plan Administrator has the right to accelerate the date upon which any Option becomes exercisable.
(c) Subject to the provisions of this Plan and any Award Agreement, Options shall be exercised by means of a fully completed Exercise Notice delivered to the Corporation.
(d) The Plan Administrator may provide at the time of granting an Option that the exercise of that Option is subject to restrictions, in addition to those specified in this Section 4.4, such as vesting conditions relating to the attainment of specified Performance Goals.
4.5 Payment of Exercise Price
(a) Unless otherwise specified by the Plan Administrator at the time of granting an Option and set forth in the particular Award Agreement, the Exercise Notice must be accompanied by payment of the Exercise Price. The Exercise Price must be fully paid by certified cheque, wire transfer, bank draft or money order payable to the Corporation or by such other means as might be specified from time to time by the Plan Administrator, which may include (i) through an arrangement with a broker approved by the Corporation (or through an arrangement directly with the Corporation) whereby payment of the Exercise Price is accomplished with the proceeds of the sale of Shares deliverable upon the exercise of the Option, or (ii) such other consideration and method of payment for the issuance of Shares to the extent permitted by Securities Laws, or any combination of the foregoing methods of payment.
(b) Unless otherwise specified by the Plan Administrator and set forth in the particular Award Agreement, a Participant (other than an Investor Relations Service Provider) may, but only if permitted by the Plan Administrator as completed in accordance with Exchange Policy 4.4 – Security Based Compensation, in lieu of exercising an Option pursuant to an Exercise Notice, elect to surrender such Option to the Corporation (a “Net Exercise”) in consideration for the number of Shares that is equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the product of the number of Options being exercised multiplied by the difference between the Market Price of the Shares and the exercise of the subject Options; by (ii) the Market Price of the subject Shares underlying the applicable Options (the “In-the-Money Amount”), by written notice to the Corporation indicating the number of Options such Participant wishes to exercise using the Net Exercise, and such other information that the Corporation may require. Subject to Section 9.3, the Corporation shall satisfy payment of the In-the-Money Amount by delivering to the eligible Participant such number of Shares (rounded down to the nearest whole number) having a fair market value equal to the In-the-Money Amount.
(c) No Shares will be issued or transferred until full payment therefor has been received by the Corporation, or arrangements for such payment have been made to the satisfaction of the Plan Administrator.
(d) If a Participant surrenders Options through a Net Exercise pursuant to Section 4.5(b), to the extent that such Participant would be entitled to a deduction under paragraph 110(1)(d) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Tax Act") in respect of such surrender if the election described in subsection 110(1.1) of the Tax Act were made and filed (and the other procedures described therein were undertaken) on a timely basis after such surrender, the Corporation will cause such election to be so made and filed (and such other procedures to be so undertaken).
ARTICLE 5
RESTRICTED SHARE UNITS
5.1 Granting of RSUs
(a) The Plan Administrator may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Plan Administrator may prescribe, grant RSUs to any Participant in respect of a bonus or similar payment in respect of services rendered by the applicable Participant in a taxation year (the "RSU Service Year"). The terms and conditions of each RSU grant may be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each RSU will consist of a right to receive a Share, or at the election of a Participant, but subject to the approval of the Plan Administrator, a cash payment or a combination of Shares and cash (as provided in Section 5.4(a)), upon the settlement of such RSU.
(b) The number of RSUs (including fractional RSUs) granted at any particular time pursuant to this Article 5 will be calculated by dividing (i) the amount of any bonus or similar payment that is to be paid in RSUs, as determined by the Plan Administrator, by (ii) the greater of (A) the Market Price of a Share on the Date of Grant; and (B) such amount as determined by the Plan Administrator in its sole discretion.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, no person retained to provide Investor Relations Activities shall receive any grant of RSUs in compliance with Exchange Policy 4.4 – Security Based Compensation.
5.2 RSU Account
All RSUs received by a Participant shall be credited to an account maintained for the Participant on the books of the Corporation, as of the Date of Grant.
5.3 Vesting of RSUs
The Plan Administrator shall have the authority to determine any vesting terms applicable to the grant of RSUs, provided that: (i) the terms comply with Section 409A, with respect to a U.S. Taxpayer; and (ii) the RSUs do not vest before the date that is one (1) year following the date such RSU is granted or issued.
5.4 Settlement of RSUs
(a) The Plan Administrator shall have the sole authority to determine any other settlement terms applicable to the grant of RSUs, provided that with respect to a U.S. Taxpayer the terms comply with Section 409A to the extent it is applicable. Subject to Section 12.6(d) below and except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, on the settlement date for any RSU, the Participant shall redeem each vested RSU for one fully paid and non-assessable Share issued from treasury to the Participant, or the following at the election of the Participant but subject to the approval of the Plan Administrator:
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(i) a cash payment, or
(ii) a combination of fully paid and non-assessable Shares issued from treasury to the Participant and a cash payment.
(b) Any cash payments made under this Section 5.4 by the Corporation to a Participant in respect of RSUs to be redeemed for cash shall be calculated by multiplying the number of RSUs to be redeemed for cash by the Market Price per Share as at the settlement date.
(c) Payment of cash to Participants on the redemption of vested RSUs may be made through the Corporation’s payroll in the pay period that the settlement date falls within.
ARTICLE 6
PERFORMANCE SHARE UNITS
6.1 Granting of PSUs
(a) The Plan Administrator may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Plan Administrator may prescribe, grant PSUs to any Participant in respect of a bonus or similar payment in respect of services rendered by the applicable Participant in a taxation year (the “PSU Service Year”). The terms and conditions of each PSU grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement, provided that with respect to a U.S. Taxpayer the terms comply with Section 409A to the extent it is applicable. Each PSU will consist of a right to receive a Share, cash payment, or a combination thereof (as provided in Section 6.6(a)), upon the achievement of such Performance Goals during such performance periods as the Plan Administrator shall establish.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, no person retained to provide Investor Relations Activities shall receive any grant of PSUs in compliance with Exchange Policy 4.4 – Security Based Compensation.
6.2 Terms of PSUs
The Performance Goals to be achieved during any performance period, the length of any performance period, the amount of any PSUs granted, the effect of termination of a Participant’s service and the amount of any payment or transfer to be made pursuant to any PSU will be determined by the Plan Administrator and by the other terms and conditions of any PSU, all as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.
6.3 Performance Goals
The Plan Administrator will issue Performance Goals prior to the Date of Grant to which such Performance Goals pertain. The Performance Goals may be based upon the achievement of corporate, divisional or individual goals, and may be applied to performance relative to an index or comparator group, or on any other basis determined by the Plan Administrator. Following the Date of Grant, the Plan Administrator may modify the Performance Goals as necessary to align them with the Corporation’s corporate objectives, subject to any limitations set forth in an Award Agreement or an employment or other agreement with a Participant. The Performance Goals may include a threshold level of performance below which no payment will be made (or no vesting will occur), levels of performance at which specified payments will be made (or specified vesting will occur), and a maximum level of performance above which no additional payment will be made (or at which full vesting will occur), all as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.
6.4 PSU Account
All PSUs received by a Participant shall be credited to an account maintained for the Participant on the books of the Corporation, as of the Date of Grant.
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6.5 Vesting of PSUs
The Plan Administrator shall have the authority to determine any vesting terms applicable to the grant of PSUs, provided that: (i) the terms comply with Section 409A, with respect to a U.S. Taxpayer; and (ii) the PSUs do not vest before the date that is one (1) year following the date such PSU is granted or issued.
6.6 Settlement of PSUs
(a) The Plan Administrator shall have the sole authority to determine the settlement terms applicable to the grant of PSUs provided that with respect to a U.S. Taxpayer the terms comply with Section 409A to the extent it is applicable. Subject to Section 12.6(d) below and except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, on the settlement date for any PSU, the Participant shall redeem each vested PSU for the following at the election of the Participant but subject to the approval of the Plan Administrator:
(i) one fully paid and non-assessable Share issued from treasury to the Participant or as the Participant may direct,
(ii) a cash payment, or
(iii) a combination of Shares and cash as contemplated by paragraphs (i) and (ii) above.
(b) Any cash payments made under this Section 6.6 by the Corporation to a Participant in respect of PSUs to be redeemed for cash shall be calculated by multiplying the number of PSUs to be redeemed for cash by the Market Price per Share as at the settlement date.
(c) Payment of cash to Participants on the redemption of vested PSUs may be made through the Corporation’s payroll in the pay period that the settlement date falls within.
(d) Notwithstanding any other terms of this Plan but, in the case of a U.S. Taxpayer, subject to Section 12.6(d) below and except, in the case of a U.S. Taxpayer, as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, no settlement date for any PSU shall occur, and no Share shall be issued or cash payment shall be made in respect of any PSU, under this Section 6.6 any later than the final Business Day of the third calendar year following the applicable PSU Service Year.
ARTICLE 7
DEFERRED SHARE UNITS
7.1 Granting of DSUs
(a) The Board may fix from time to time a portion of the Director Fees that is to be payable in the form of DSUs. In addition, each Electing Person is given, subject to the conditions stated herein, the right to elect in accordance with Section 7.1(b) to participate in the grant of additional DSUs pursuant to this Article 7. An Electing Person who elects to participate in the grant of additional DSUs pursuant to this Article 7 shall receive their Elected Amount (as that term is defined below) in the form of DSUs. The “Elected Amount” shall be an amount, as elected by the Director, in accordance with applicable tax law, between zero percent (0%) and one hundred percent (100%) of any Director Fees that would otherwise be paid in cash (the “Cash Fees”).
(b) Each Electing Person who elects to receive their Elected Amount in the form of DSUs will be required to file a notice of election in the form of Schedule A hereto (the “Election Notice”) with the Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation: (i) in the case of an existing Electing Person, by December 31st in the year prior to the year to which such election is to apply (other than for Director Fees payable for the 2023 financial year, in which case any Electing Person who is not a U.S. Taxpayer as of the date of this Plan shall file the Election Notice by the date that is 30 days from
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the Effective Date with respect to compensation paid for services to be performed after such date); and (ii) in the case of a newly appointed Electing Person who is not a U.S. Taxpayer, within 30 days of such appointment with respect to compensation paid for services to be performed after such date. In the case of the first year in which an Electing Person who is a U.S. Taxpayer first becomes an Electing Person under the Plan (or any plan required to be aggregated with the Plan under Section 409A), an initial Election Notice may be filed within 30 days of such appointment only with respect to compensation paid for services to be performed after the end of the 30-day election period. If no election is made within the foregoing time frames, the Electing Person shall be deemed to have elected to be paid the entire amount of his or her Cash Fees in cash.
(c) Subject to Subsection 7.1(d), the election of an Electing Person under Subsection 7.1(b) shall be deemed to apply to all Cash Fees paid subsequent to the filing of the Election Notice. In the case of an Electing Person who is a U.S. Taxpayer, his or her election under Section 7.1(b) shall be deemed to apply to all Cash Fees that are earned after the Election Date. An Electing Person is not required to file another Election Notice for subsequent calendar years.
(d) Each Electing Person who is not a U.S. Taxpayer is entitled once per calendar year to terminate his or her election to receive DSUs by filing with the Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation a termination notice in the form of Schedule B. Such termination shall be effective immediately upon receipt of such notice, provided that the Corporation has not imposed a "black-out" on trading. Thereafter, any portion of such Electing Person's Cash Fees payable or paid in the same calendar year and, subject to complying with Subsection 7.1(b), all subsequent calendar years shall be paid in cash. For greater certainty, to the extent an Electing Person terminates his or her participation in the grant of DSUs pursuant to this Article 7, he or she shall not be entitled to elect to receive the Elected Amount, or any other amount of his or her Cash Fees in DSUs again until the calendar year following the year in which the termination notice is delivered. An election by a U.S. Taxpayer to receive the Elected Amount in DSUs for any calendar year (or portion thereof) is irrevocable for that calendar year after the expiration of the election period for that year and any termination of the election will not take effect until the first day of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the termination notice in the form of Schedule A is delivered.
(e) Any DSUs granted pursuant to this Article 7 prior to the delivery of a termination notice pursuant to Section 7.1(d) shall remain in the Plan following such termination and will be redeemable only in accordance with the terms of the Plan.
(f) The number of DSUs (including fractional DSUs) granted at any particular time pursuant to this Article 7 will be calculated by dividing (i) the amount of Director Fees that are to be paid as DSUs, as determined by the Plan Administrator or Director Fees that are to be paid in DSUs (including any Elected Amount), by (ii) the Market Price of a Share on the Date of Grant.
(g) In addition to the foregoing, the Plan Administrator may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Plan Administrator may prescribe, grant DSUs to any Participant.
(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, no person retained to provide Investor Relations Activities shall receive any grant of DSUs in compliance with Exchange Policy 4.4 – Security Based Compensation.
7.2 DSU Account
All DSUs received by a Participant (which, for greater certainty includes Electing Persons) shall be credited to an account maintained for the Participant on the books of the Corporation, as of the Date of Grant. The terms and conditions of each DSU grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.
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7.3 Vesting of DSUs
The Plan Administrator shall have the authority to determine any vesting terms applicable to the grant of DSUs, provided that: (i) the terms comply with Section 409A, with respect to a U.S. Taxpayer; and (ii) the DSUs do not vest before the date that is one (1) year following the date such PSU is granted or issued
7.4 Settlement of DSUs
(a) DSUs shall be settled on the date established in the Award Agreement; provided, however that if there is no Award Agreement or the Award Agreement does not establish a date for the settlement of the DSUs, then, for a Participant who is not a U.S. Taxpayer the settlement date shall be the date determined by the Participant (which date shall not be earlier than the Termination Date or later than the end of the first calendar year commencing after the Termination Date), and for a Participant who is a U.S. taxpayer, the settlement date shall be the date determined by the Participant in accordance with the Election Notice (which date shall not be earlier than the “separation from service” (within the meaning of Section 409A)). On the settlement date for any DSU, the Participant shall redeem each vested DSU for:
(i) one fully paid and non-assessable Share issued from treasury to the Participant or as the Participant may direct; or
(ii) at the election of the Participant and subject to the approval of the Plan Administrator, a cash payment.
(b) Any cash payments made under this Section 7.4 by the Corporation to a Participant in respect of DSUs to be redeemed for cash shall be calculated by multiplying the number of DSUs to be redeemed for cash by the Market Price per Share as at the settlement date.
(c) Payment of cash to Participants on the redemption of vested DSUs may be made through the Corporation’s payroll or in such other manner as determined by the Corporation.
7.5 No Additional Amount or Benefit
For greater certainty, neither a Participant to whom DSUs are granted nor any person with whom such Participant does not deal at arm’s length (for purposes of the Tax Act) shall be entitled, either immediately or in the future, either absolutely or contingently, to receive or obtain any amount or benefit granted or to be granted for the purpose of reducing the impact, in whole or in part, of any reduction in the Market Price of the Shares to which the DSUs relate.
ARTICLE 8
SHARE APPRECIATION RIGHTS
8.1 Granting of SARs
(a) A SAR is an Award which entitles the recipient to receive an amount equal to the excess of the Market Price of a Share on the date of exercise of the SAR over the exercise thereof on such terms and conditions as set forth in the SAR Agreement.
(b) The Plan Administrator may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Plan Administrator may prescribe, grant SARs to any Participant. The terms and conditions of each SAR grant shall be evidenced by SAR Agreement. A SAR shall be settled in Shares or cash equivalent or combination thereof as the case may be, as set forth in the SAR Agreement.
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(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, at all times where the Shares are listed on the Exchange, the Corporation shall maintain timely disclosure and file appropriate documentation in connection with SARs grants made under this Plan in accordance with Exchange Policy 4.4 – Security Based Compensation.
8.2 SAR Award
Each SAR awarded shall entitle to the Participant, upon exercise, to the following:
(a) an amount, in Canadian currency, or Shares, and payable as hereinafter provided, equal to the excess, if any, of: (i) the Market Price of one Share on the date of Exercise of the SAR, over (ii) the exercise price specified in the SAR Agreement; and
(b) such other benefits as may be determined by the Plan Administrator from time to time.
8.3 SAR Term
The Plan Administrator shall determine, at the time of granting the particular SAR, the period during which the SAR is exercisable, which shall not be more than ten (10) years from the date the SAR is granted (“SAR Term”) and the vesting schedule of such SAR, which will be detailed in the respective SAR Agreement. Unless otherwise determined by the Plan Administrator, each unexercised SAR shall be cancelled at the expiry of such SAR.
8.4 Vesting, Exercisability and Payment
(a) The Plan Administrator shall have the authority to determine the vesting terms applicable to grants of SARs provided that so long as the Shares are listed on the Exchange, such vesting terms are in compliance with Exchange Policy 4.4 – Security Based Compensation.
(b) Once a SAR becomes vested, it shall remain vested and shall be exercisable until expiration or termination of the SAR, unless otherwise specified by the Plan Administrator, or as may be otherwise set forth in any written employment agreement, SAR Agreement or other written agreement between the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation and the Participant. Each vested SAR may be exercised at any time or from time to time, in whole or in part, for up to the total number of Shares with respect to which it is then exercisable. The Plan Administrator has the right to accelerate the date upon which any SAR becomes exercisable.
(c) Subject to the provisions of this Plan and any SAR Agreement, SARs shall be exercised by means of a fully completed SAR Exercise Notice delivered to the Corporation.
(d) The Plan Administrator may provide at the time of granting a SAR that the exercise of that SAR is subject to restrictions, in addition to those specified in this Section 8.4, such as vesting conditions relating to the attainment of specified Performance Goals.
(e) Upon receipt of a SAR Exercise Notice, payment for the SARs shall be made in the form of Shares, cash, or a combination thereof as set forth in the SAR Agreement.
8.5 SAR Agreements
SARs shall be evidenced by a SAR Agreement, in such form not inconsistent with the Plan as the Plan Administrator may from time to time determine, provided that the substance of Article 8 hereof be included therein. The SAR Agreement shall contain such terms that may be considered necessary in order that the SAR will comply with any provisions respecting stock appreciation rights in the income tax or other laws in force in any country or jurisdiction of which the Participant may from time to time be a resident or citizen or the rules of any regulatory body having jurisdiction over the Corporation.
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ARTICLE 9
ADDITIONAL AWARD TERMS
9.1 Dividend Equivalents
(a) Unless otherwise determined by the Plan Administrator or as set forth in the particular Award Agreement, an Award of RSUs, PSUs and DSUs shall include the right for such RSUs, PSUs and DSUs be credited with dividend equivalents in the form of additional RSUs, PSUs and DSUs, respectively, as of each dividend payment date in respect of which normal cash dividends are paid on Shares. Such dividend equivalents shall be computed by dividing: (a) the amount obtained by multiplying the amount of the dividend declared and paid per Share by the number of RSUs, PSUs and DSUs, as applicable, held by the Participant on the record date for the payment of such dividend, by (b) the Market Price at the close of the first Business Day immediately following the dividend record date, with fractions computed to three decimal places, provided, however, that the maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be issued is subject to the limitations set forth in Section 3.7. If the Corporation does not have a sufficient number of shares available to satisfy the obligations in respect of the dividend equivalents granted under this Section 8.1, then the Corporation shall be permitted to pay the dividend equivalents in cash. Dividend equivalents credited to a Participant’s account shall vest in proportion to the RSUs, PSUs and DSUs to which they relate, and shall be settled in accordance with Subsections 5.4, 6.6, and 7.4 respectively.
(b) The foregoing does not obligate the Corporation to declare or pay dividends on Shares and nothing in this Plan shall be interpreted as creating such an obligation.
9.2 Black-out Period
In the event that an Award expires, has a redemption date or has a settlement date, at a time when a scheduled blackout is in place in accordance with the policies of the Corporation or an bona fide undisclosed material change or material fact in the affairs of the Corporation exists, the expiry, redemption date or settlement date of such Award will be the date that is 10 Business Days after which such scheduled blackout terminates or there is no longer such undisclosed material change or material fact. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the extension of the redemption time or settlement date for an Award as provided in this Section 8.2 is subject to a cease trade order (or similar order under Securities Laws) in respect of the securities of the Corporation.
9.3 Withholding Taxes
Notwithstanding any other terms of this Plan, the granting, vesting or settlement of each Award under this Plan is subject to the condition that if at any time the Plan Administrator determines, in its discretion, that the satisfaction of withholding tax or other withholding liabilities is necessary or desirable in respect of such grant, vesting or settlement, such action is not effective unless such withholding has been effected to the satisfaction of the Plan Administrator. In such circumstances, the Plan Administrator may require that a Participant pay to the Corporation such amount as the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation is obliged to withhold or remit to the relevant taxing authority in respect of the granting, vesting or settlement of the Award. Any such additional payment is due no later than the date on which such amount with respect to the Award is required to be remitted to the relevant tax authority by the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation, as the case may be. Alternatively, and subject to any requirements or limitations under applicable law, the Corporation or any Affiliate may (a) withhold such amount from any remuneration or other amount payable by the Corporation or any Affiliate to the Participant, (b) require the sale, on behalf of the applicable Participant, of a number of Shares issued upon exercise, vesting, or settlement of such Award and the remittance to the Corporation of the net proceeds from such sale sufficient to satisfy such amount, or (c) enter into any other suitable arrangements for the receipt of such amount.
9.4 Recoupment
Notwithstanding any other terms of this Plan, Awards may be subject to potential cancellation, recoupment, rescission, payback or other action in accordance with the terms of any clawback, recoupment or similar policy adopted by the
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Corporation or the relevant subsidiary of the Corporation, or as set out in the Participant's employment agreement, Award Agreement or other written agreement, or as otherwise required by law or the rules of the Exchange. The Plan Administrator may at any time waive the application of this Section 9.4 to any Participant or category of Participants.
9.5 Hold Period
The granting of an Award (i) to Insiders, (ii) Consultants or (iii) where the exercise price is at a discount to the TSXV Market Price, shall be subject to a four-month hold period in compliance with the policies of the Exchange.
ARTICLE 10 TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT OR SERVICES
10.1 Termination of Employee, Consultant or Director
Subject to Section 10.2, unless otherwise determined by the Plan Administrator or as set forth in an employment agreement, Award Agreement or other written agreement:
(a) where a Participant's employment, consulting agreement or arrangement is terminated or the Participant ceases to hold office or his or her position, as applicable, by reason of voluntary resignation by the Participant or termination by the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation for Cause, then any Option or other Award held by the Participant that has not been exercised, surrendered or settled as of the Termination Date shall be immediately forfeited and cancelled as of the Termination Date;
(b) where a Participant's employment, consulting agreement or arrangement is terminated by the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation without Cause (whether such termination occurs with or without any or adequate reasonable notice, or with or without any or adequate compensation in lieu of such reasonable notice), then any unvested Options or other Awards which would otherwise vest or become exercisable in accordance with its terms based solely on the Participant remaining in the service of the Corporation or a subsidiary on or prior to the date that is 90 days after the Termination Date shall immediately vest. Any vested Options may be exercised by the Participant at any time during the period that terminates on the earlier of: (A) the Expiry Date of such Option; and (B) the date that is 90 days after the Termination Date. If an Option remains unexercised upon the earlier of (A) or (B), the Option shall be immediately forfeited and cancelled for no consideration upon the termination of such period. In the case of a vested Award other than an Option, that is held by a Participant who is not a U.S. Taxpayer, such Award will be settled within 90 days after the Termination Date. In the case of vested Awards of a U.S. Taxpayer, vested RSUs will be settled within 90 days after the Termination Date, vested DSUs will be settled in accordance with the Participant's Election Notice (Schedule A hereto), and PSUs that become vested as a result of this Section 10.1(b) will be settled within 90 days after the Termination Date, provided that in all cases such PSUs will be settled by March 15th of the year immediately following the calendar year in which the Termination Date occurs;
(c) where a Participant's employment, consulting agreement or arrangement terminates on account of his or her becoming Disabled, then any Award held by the Participant that has not vested as of the date of the Participant's Termination Date shall vest on such date. Any vested Option may be exercised by the Participant at any time until the Expiry Date of such Option. Any vested Award other than an Option, that is held by a Participant that is not a U.S. Taxpayer, will be settled within 90 days after the Termination Date. In the case of vested Awards of a U.S. Taxpayer, vested RSUs will be settled within 90 days after the Termination Date, vested DSUs will be settled in accordance with the Participant's Election Notice (Schedule A hereto), and PSUs that become vested as a result of this Section 10.1(c) will be settled within 90 days after the Termination Date, provided that in all cases such PSUs will be settled by March 15th of the year immediately following the calendar year in which the Termination Date occurs;
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(d) where a Participant’s employment, consulting agreement or arrangement is terminated by reason of the death of the Participant, then any Award that is held by the Participant that has not vested as of the date of the death of such Participant shall vest on such date. Any vested Option may be exercised by the Participant’s beneficiary or legal representative (as applicable) at any time during the period that terminates on the earlier of: (A) the Expiry Date of such Option; and (B) the first anniversary of the date of the death of such Participant. If an Option remains unexercised upon the earlier of (A) or (B), the Option shall be immediately forfeited and cancelled for no consideration upon the termination of such period. In the case of a vested Award other than an Option, that is held by a Participant that is not a U.S. Taxpayer, such Award will be settled with the Participant’s beneficiary or legal representative (as applicable) within 90 days after the date of the Participant’s death. In the case of vested Awards of a U.S. Taxpayer, vested RSUs will be settled within 90 days after the date of death, vested DSUs will be settled in accordance with the Participant’s Election Notice (Schedule A hereto), and PSUs that become vested as a result of this Section 10.1(d) will be settled within 90 days after the date of death, provided that in all cases such PSUs will be settled by March 15th of the year immediately following the calendar year in which the death occurs;
(e) where a Participant’s employment, consulting agreement or arrangement is terminated due to the Participant’s Retirement, then (i) any outstanding Award that vests or becomes exercisable in accordance with its terms based solely on the Participant remaining in the service of the Corporation or a subsidiary will become one hundred percent (100%) vested, and (ii) any outstanding Award that vests based on the achievement of Performance Goals and that has not previously become vested shall continue to be eligible to vest based upon the actual achievement of such Performance Goals. Any vested Option may be exercised by the Participant at any time during the period that terminates on the earlier of: (A) the Expiry Date of such Option; and (B) the third anniversary of the Participant’s date of Retirement. If an Option remains unexercised upon the earlier of (A) or (B), the Option shall be immediately forfeited and cancelled for no consideration upon the termination of such period. In the case of a vested Award other than an Option that is described in (i), such Award will be settled within 90 days after the Participant’s Retirement. In the case of a vested Award other than an Option that is described in (ii), such Award will be settled at the same time the Award would otherwise have been settled had the Participant remained in active service with the Corporation or a subsidiary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if, following his or her Retirement, the Participant commences (the “Commencement Date”) employment, consulting or acting as a director of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries (or in an analogous capacity) or otherwise as a service provider to any Person that carries on or proposes to carry on a business competitive with the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, any Option or other Award held by the Participant that has not been exercised or settled as of the Commencement Date shall be immediately forfeited and cancelled as of the Commencement Date;
(f) a Participant’s eligibility to receive further grants of Options or other Awards under this Plan ceases as of:
(i) the date that the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation, as the case may be, provides the Participant with written notification that the Participant’s employment, consulting agreement or arrangement is terminated, notwithstanding that such date may be prior to the Termination Date; or
(ii) the date of the death, Disability or Retirement of the Participant;
(g) notwithstanding Subsection 10.1(b), unless the Plan Administrator, in its discretion, otherwise determines, at any time and from time to time, but with due regard for Section 409A, Options or other Awards are not affected by a change of employment or consulting agreement or arrangement, or directorship within or among the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation for so long as the Participant continues to be a Director, Employee or Consultant, as applicable, of the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation; and
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(h) for greater clarity, except as otherwise provided in an applicable Award Agreement or employment agreement, and notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 10.1, in the case of an Award (other than an Option or DSU) that is granted to a U.S. Taxpayer and that becomes vested (in whole or in part) pursuant to this Section 10.1 upon the Participant's Termination Date, such Award will, subject to Section 12.6(d), be settled as soon as administratively practicable following the Participant's Termination Date but in no event later than 90 days following the Participant's Termination Date, provided that if such Award is a PSU, settlement will occur no later than March 15th of the year immediately following the calendar year in which the Termination Date occurs. In the case of an Award (other than an Option or DSU) granted to a U.S. Taxpayer that remains eligible to vest (in whole or in part) following a Participant's termination of service based upon the achievement of one or more Performance Goals, such Award will be settled at the earlier of (i) the originally scheduled settlement date at the end of the performance period (to the extent Performance Goals are achieved) and (ii) the date on which performance vesting conditions are waived, or are deemed satisfied pursuant to the terms of the applicable Award Agreement. DSUs will be settled in accordance with the U.S. Taxpayer's Election Notice (Schedule A hereto).
10.2 Discretion to Permit Acceleration
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3.7(g) and Section 10.1, the Plan Administrator may, in its discretion, at any time prior to, or following the events contemplated in Section 10.1, or in an employment agreement, Award Agreement or other written agreement between the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation and the Participant, permit the acceleration of vesting of any or all Awards or waive termination of any or all Awards (subject to compliance with Exchange Policy 4.4 – Security Based Compensation), all in the manner and on the terms as may be authorized by the Plan Administrator, taking into consideration the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, to the extent applicable, with respect to Awards of U.S. Taxpayers.
ARTICLE 11 EVENTS AFFECTING THE CORPORATION
11.1 General
The existence of any Awards does not affect in any way the right or power of the Corporation or its shareholders to make, authorize or determine any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or any other change in the Corporation's capital structure or its business, or any amalgamation, combination, arrangement, merger or consolidation involving the Corporation, to create or issue any bonds, debentures, Shares or other securities of the Corporation or to determine the rights and conditions attaching thereto, to effect the dissolution or liquidation of the Corporation or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its assets or business, or to effect any other corporate act or proceeding, whether of a similar character or otherwise, whether or not any such action referred to in this Article 11 would have an adverse effect on this Plan or on any Award granted hereunder.
11.2 Change in Control
Except as may be set forth in an employment agreement, Award Agreement or other written agreement between the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation and the Participant:
(a) Subject to this Section 11.2, but notwithstanding anything else in this Plan or any Award Agreement, the Plan Administrator may, without the consent of any Participant, take such steps as it deems necessary or desirable, including to cause (i) the conversion or exchange of any outstanding Awards into or for, rights or other securities of substantially equivalent value, as determined by the Plan Administrator in its discretion, in any entity participating in or resulting from a Change in Control; (ii) outstanding Awards to vest and become exercisable, realizable, or payable, or restrictions applicable to an Award to lapse, in whole or in part prior to or upon consummation of such merger or Change in Control, and, to the extent the Plan Administrator determines, terminate upon or immediately prior to the effectiveness of such merger or Change in Control; (iii) the termination of
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an Award in exchange for an amount of cash and/or property, if any, equal to the amount that would have been attained upon the exercise or settlement of such Award or realization of the Participant's rights as of the date of the occurrence of the transaction (and, for the avoidance of doubt, if as of the date of the occurrence of the transaction the Plan Administrator determines in good faith that no amount would have been attained upon the exercise or settlement of such Award or realization of the Participant's rights, then such Award may be terminated by the Corporation without payment); (iv) the replacement of such Award with other rights or property selected by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion where such replacement would not adversely affect the holder; or (v) any combination of the foregoing. In taking any of the actions permitted under this Section 11.2(a), the Plan Administrator will not be required to treat all Awards similarly in the transaction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of Options held by a Canadian Taxpayer, the Plan Administrator may not cause the Canadian Taxpayer to receive (pursuant to this Subsection 11.2(a)) any property in connection with a Change in Control other than rights to acquire shares or units of a "mutual fund trust" (as defined in the Tax Act), of the Corporation or a "qualifying person" (as defined in the Tax Act) that does not deal at arm's length (for purposes of the Tax Act) with the Corporation, as applicable, at the time such rights are issued or granted.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 10.1, and except as otherwise provided in a written employment or other agreement between the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation and a Participant, if within 12 months following the completion of a transaction resulting in a Change in Control, a Participant's employment, consultancy or directorship is terminated by the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation without Cause:
(i) any unvested Awards held by the Participant at the Termination Date shall immediately vest; and
(ii) any vested Awards of Participants may, subject to Section 6.6(d) (where applicable), be exercised, surrendered or settled by such Participant at any time during the period that terminates on the earlier of: (A) the Expiry Date of such Award; and (B) the date that is 90 days after the Termination Date, provided that any vested Awards (other than Options) granted to U.S. Taxpayers will be settled within 90 days of the Participant's "separation from service". Any Award that has not been exercised, surrendered or settled at the end of such period will be immediately forfeited and cancelled.
(c) Notwithstanding Subsection 11.2(a) and unless otherwise determined by the Plan Administrator, if, as a result of a Change in Control, the Shares will cease trading on an Exchange, then the Corporation may terminate all of the Awards, other than an Option held by a Canadian Taxpayer for the purposes of the Tax Act, granted under this Plan at the time of and subject to the completion of the Change in Control transaction by paying to each holder at or within a reasonable period of time following completion of such Change in Control transaction an amount for each Award equal to the fair market value of the Award held by such Participant as determined by the Plan Administrator, acting reasonably, provided that any vested Awards granted to U.S. Taxpayers will be settled within 90 days of the Change in Control.
(d) It is intended that any actions taken under this Section 11.2 will comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code with respect to Awards granted to U.S. Taxpayers.
11.3 Reorganization of Corporation's Capital
Should the Corporation effect a subdivision or consolidation of Shares or any similar capital reorganization or a payment of a stock dividend (other than a stock dividend that is in lieu of a cash dividend), or should any other change be made in the capitalization of the Corporation that does not constitute a Change in Control and that would warrant the amendment or replacement of any existing Awards in order to adjust the number of Shares that may be acquired on the vesting of outstanding Awards and/or the terms of any Award in order to preserve proportionately the rights
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and obligations of the Participants holding such Awards, the Plan Administrator will, subject to the prior approval of the Exchange, authorize such steps to be taken as it may consider to be equitable and appropriate to that end.
11.4 Other Events Affecting the Corporation
In the event of an amalgamation, combination, arrangement, merger or other transaction or reorganization involving the Corporation and occurring by exchange of Shares, by sale or lease of assets or otherwise, that does not constitute a Change in Control and that warrants the amendment or replacement of any existing Awards in order to adjust the number and/or type of Shares that may be acquired, or by reference to which such Awards may be settled, on the vesting of outstanding Awards and/or the terms of any Award in order to preserve proportionately the rights and obligations of the Participants holding such Awards, the Plan Administrator will, subject to the prior approval of the Exchange, authorize such steps to be taken as it may consider to be equitable and appropriate to that end.
11.5 Immediate Acceleration of Awards
In taking any of the steps provided in Sections 11.3 and 11.4, the Plan Administrator will not be required to treat all Awards similarly and where the Plan Administrator determines that the steps provided in Sections 11.3 and 11.4 would not preserve proportionately the rights, value and obligations of the Participants holding such Awards in the circumstances or otherwise determines that it is appropriate, the Plan Administrator may, but is not required to, permit the immediate vesting of any unvested Awards, provided that any such adjustments or acceleration of vesting undertaken pursuant to sections 11.3, 11.4 or 11.5 shall be undertaken only to the extent they will not result in adverse tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code.
11.6 Issue by Corporation of Additional Shares
Except as expressly provided in this Article 11, neither the issue by the Corporation of shares of any class or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of any class, nor the conversion or exchange of such shares or securities, affects, and no adjustment by reason thereof is to be made with respect to the number of Shares that may be acquired as a result of a grant of Awards.
11.7 Fractions
No fractional Shares will be issued pursuant to an Award. Accordingly, if, as a result of any adjustment under this Article 11 or a dividend equivalent, a Participant would become entitled to a fractional Share, the Participant has the right to acquire only the adjusted number of full Shares and no payment or other adjustment will be made with respect to the fractional Shares, which shall be disregarded.
ARTICLE 12 U.S. TAXPAYERS
12.1 Provisions for U.S. Taxpayers
Options granted under this Plan to U.S. Taxpayers may be non-qualified stock options or incentive stock options qualifying under Section 422 of the Code ("ISOs"). Each Option shall be designated in the Award Agreement as either an ISO or a non-qualified stock option. If an Award Agreement fails to designate an Option as either an ISO or non-qualified stock option, the Option will be a non-qualified stock option. The Corporation shall not be liable to any Participant or to any other Person if it is determined that an Option intended to be an ISO does not qualify as an ISO. Non-qualified stock options will be granted to a U.S. Taxpayer only if (i) such U.S. Taxpayer performs services for the Corporation or any corporation or other entity in which the Corporation has a direct or indirect controlling interest or otherwise has a significant ownership interest, as determined under Section 409A, such that the Option will constitute an option to acquire "service recipient stock" within the meaning of Section 409A, or (ii) such option otherwise is exempt from Section 409A.
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12.2 ISOs
Subject to any limitations in Section 3.6, the aggregate number of Shares reserved for issuance in respect of granted ISOs shall not exceed 10,000,000 Shares, and the terms and conditions of any ISOs granted to a U.S. Taxpayer on the Date of Grant hereunder, including the eligible recipients of ISOs, shall be subject to the provisions of Section 422 of the Code, and the terms, conditions, limitations and administrative procedures established by the Plan Administrator from time to time in accordance with this Plan. At the discretion of the Plan Administrator, ISOs may only be granted to an individual who is an employee of the Corporation, or of a “parent corporation” or “subsidiary corporation” of the Corporation, as such terms are defined in Sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code.
12.3 ISO Grants to 10% Shareholders
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Plan, if an ISO is granted to a person who owns shares representing more than ten percent (10%) of the voting power of all classes of shares of the Corporation or of a “parent corporation” or “subsidiary corporation”, as such terms are defined in Section 424(e) and (f) of the Code, on the Date of Grant, the term of the Option shall not exceed five years from the time of grant of such Option and the Exercise Price shall be at least one hundred and ten percent (110%) of the Market Price of the Shares subject to the Option.
12.4 $100,000 Per Year Limitation for ISOs
To the extent the aggregate Market Price as at the Date of Grant of the Shares for which ISOs are exercisable for the first time by any person during any calendar year (under all plans of the Corporation and any “parent corporation” or “subsidiary corporation”, as such terms are defined in Section 424(e) and (f) of the Code) exceeds US$100,000, such excess ISOs shall be treated as non-qualified stock options.
12.5 Disqualifying Dispositions
Each person awarded an ISO under this Plan shall notify the Corporation in writing immediately after the date he or she makes a disposition or transfer of any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of such ISO if such disposition or transfer is made (a) within two years from the Date of Grant or (b) within one year after the date such person acquired the Shares. Such notice shall specify the date of such disposition or other transfer and the amount realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness or other consideration, by the person in such disposition or other transfer. The Corporation may, if determined by the Plan Administrator and in accordance with procedures established by it, retain possession of any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an ISO as agent for the applicable person until the end of the later of the periods described in (a) or (b) above, subject to complying with any instructions from such person as to the sale of such Shares.
12.6 Section 409A of the Code
(a) This Plan will be construed and interpreted to be exempt from, or where not so exempt, to comply with Section 409A of the Code to the extent required to preserve the intended tax consequences of this Plan. Any reference in this Plan to Section 409A of the Code shall also include any regulation promulgated thereunder or any other formal guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service with respect to Section 409A of the Code. Each Award shall be construed and administered such that the Award either (A) qualifies for an exemption from the requirements of Section 409A of the Code or (B) satisfies the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. If an Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, (I) distributions shall only be made in a manner and upon an event permitted under section 409A of the Code, (II) payments to be made upon a termination of employment or service shall only be made upon a “separation from service” under Section 409A of the Code, (III) unless the Award specifies otherwise, each installment payment shall be treated as a separate payment for purposes of Section 409A of the Code, and (IV) in no event shall a Participant, directly or indirectly, designate the calendar year in which a distribution is made except in accordance with Section 409A of the Code. To the extent that an Award or payment, or the settlement or deferral thereof, is subject to Section 409A of the Code, the Award will be granted, paid, settled or deferred in a manner that will meet the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, such that the grant, payment, settlement or
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deferral will not be subject to the additional tax or interest applicable under Section 409A of the Code. Payment of any Award that is intended to be exempt from Section 409A of the Code as a short-term deferral shall in all events be paid by no later than March 15 of the year following the year of the applicable vesting event. The Corporation reserves the right to amend this Plan to the extent it reasonably determines is necessary in order to preserve the intended tax consequences of this Plan in light of Section 409A of the Code. In no event will the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries or Affiliates be liable for any tax, interest or penalties that may be imposed on a Participant under Section 409A of the Code or any damages for failing to comply with Section 409A of the Code.
(b) All terms of the Plan that are undefined or ambiguous must be interpreted in a manner that complies with Section 409A of the Code if necessary to comply with Section 409A of the Code.
(c) The Plan Administrator, in its sole discretion, may permit the acceleration of the time or schedule of payment of a U.S. Taxpayer's vested Awards in the Plan under circumstances that constitute permissible acceleration events under Section 409A of the Code.
(d) Notwithstanding any provisions of the Plan to the contrary, in the case of any "specified employee" within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code who is a U.S. Taxpayer, distributions of non-qualified deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code made in connection with a "separation from service" within the meaning set forth in Section 409A of the Code may not be made prior to the date which is six months after the date of separation from service (or, if earlier, the date of death of the U.S. Taxpayer). Any amounts subject to a delay in payment pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be paid as soon practicable following such six-month anniversary of such separation from service.
12.7 Section 83(b) Election
If a Participant makes an election pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Code with respect to an Award of Shares subject to vesting or other forfeiture conditions, the Participant shall be required to promptly file a copy of such election with the Corporation.
12.8 Application of Article 12 to U.S. Taxpayers
For greater certainty, the provisions of this Article 12 shall only apply to U.S. Taxpayers.
ARTICLE 13
AMENDMENT, SUSPENSION OR TERMINATION OF THE PLAN
13.1 Amendment, Suspension, or Termination of the Plan
The Plan Administrator may from time to time, without notice and without approval of the holders of voting shares of the Corporation, amend, modify, change, suspend or terminate the Plan or any Awards granted pursuant to the Plan as it, in its discretion determines appropriate, provided, however, that:
(a) no such amendment, modification, change, suspension or termination of the Plan or any Awards granted hereunder may materially impair any rights of a Participant or materially increase any obligations of a Participant under the Plan without the consent of the Participant, unless the Plan Administrator determines such adjustment is required or desirable in order to comply with any applicable Securities Laws or Exchange requirements; and
(b) any amendment that would cause an Award held by a U.S. Taxpayer to be subject to income inclusion under Section 409A of the Code shall be null and void ab initio with respect to the U.S. Taxpayer unless the consent of the U.S. Taxpayer is obtained.
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13.2 Shareholder Approval
(a) The Corporation shall seek annual Exchange and shareholder approval for this hybrid fixed and rolling Plan in conformity with TSXV Policy 4.4. In addition, where shareholder approval is required on a “disinterested” basis, the initial and annual shareholder approval must be disinterested shareholder approval.
(b) In addition to Section 13.2(b) and notwithstanding Section 13.1 and subject to any rules of the Exchange, approval of the holders of Shares shall be required for any amendment, modification or change that:
(i) increases the percentage of Shares reserved for issuance under the Plan, except pursuant to the provisions under Article 11 which permit the Plan Administrator to make equitable adjustments in the event of transactions affecting the Corporation or its capital;
(ii) amends an amending provision within the Plan;
(iii) reduces the exercise price of an Option (for this purpose, a cancellation or termination of an Option of a Participant prior to its Expiry Date for the purpose of reissuing an Option to the same Participant with a lower exercise price shall be treated as an amendment to reduce the exercise price of an Option) except pursuant to the provisions in the Plan which permit the Plan Administrator to make equitable adjustments in the event of transactions affecting the Corporation or its capital;
(iv) extends the term of an Option beyond the original Expiry Date (except where an Expiry Date would have fallen within a blackout period applicable to the Participant or within 10 Business Days following the expiry of such a blackout period);
(v) amends an entitlement to an individual Award;
(vi) permits an Option to be exercisable beyond 10 years from its Date of Grant (except where an Expiry Date would have fallen within a blackout period of the Corporation);
(vii) permits Awards to be transferred to a Person in circumstances other than those specified under Section 3.9;
(viii) changes the eligible participants of the Plan;
(ix) proposes to amend any material term of this Plan, such proposed amendment having first received the approval of a majority of the Board of the Corporation; or
(x) deletes or reduces the range of amendments which require approval of shareholders under this Section 12.2.
(c) The Corporation is required to obtain shareholder approval on a “disinterested” basis in compliance with the applicable policies of the Exchange in the following circumstances:
(i) reduces the exercise price or purchase price of an Award benefiting an Insider;
(ii) extends the term of an Award benefiting an Insider;
(iii) increases or removes the ten percent (10%) limits on Shares issuable or issued to Insiders as set forth in Section 3.7; and
(iv) the issuance to any Participant, within a 12-month period, of a number of Shares exceeding five percent (5%) of the issued and outstanding Shares.
(d) The Corporation shall be required to obtain Exchange acceptance of any amendment to this Plan.
13.3 Permitted Amendments
Without limiting the generality of Section 13.1, but subject to Section 12.2, the Plan Administrator may, without shareholder approval, at any time or from time to time, amend the Plan for the purposes of:
(a) making any amendments to the general vesting provisions of each Award;
(b) making any amendments to the provisions set out in Article 10;
(c) making any amendments to add covenants of the Corporation for the protection of Participants, as the case may be, provided that the Plan Administrator shall be of the good faith opinion that such additions will not be prejudicial to the rights or interests of the Participants, as the case may be;
(d) making any amendments not inconsistent with the Plan as may be necessary or desirable with respect to matters or questions which, in the good faith opinion of the Plan Administrator, having in mind the best interests of the Participants, it may be expedient to make, including amendments that are desirable as a result of changes in law in any jurisdiction where a Participant resides, provided that the Plan Administrator shall be of the opinion that such amendments and modifications will not be prejudicial to the interests of the Participants and Directors; or
(e) making such changes or corrections which, on the advice of counsel to the Corporation, are required for the purpose of curing or correcting any ambiguity or defect or inconsistent provision or clerical omission or mistake or manifest error, provided that the Plan Administrator shall be of the opinion that such changes or corrections will not be prejudicial to the rights and interests of the Participants.
ARTICLE 14 MISCELLANEOUS
14.1 Legal Requirement
The Corporation is not obligated to grant any Awards, issue any Shares or other securities, make any payments or take any other action if, in the opinion of the Plan Administrator, in its sole discretion, such action would constitute a violation by a Participant or the Corporation of any provision of any applicable statutory or regulatory enactment of any government or government agency or the requirements of any Exchange upon which the Shares may then be listed.
14.2 No Other Benefit
No amount will be paid to, or in respect of, a Participant under the Plan to compensate for a downward fluctuation in the price of a Share, nor will any other form of benefit be conferred upon, or in respect of, a Participant for such purpose.
14.3 Rights of Participant
No Participant has any claim or right to be granted an Award and the granting of any Award is not to be construed as giving a Participant a right to remain as an Employee, Consultant or Director. No Participant has any rights as a shareholder of the Corporation in respect of Shares issuable pursuant to any Award until the allotment and issuance to such Participant, or as such Participant may direct, of certificates representing such Shares.
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14.4 Corporate Action
Nothing contained in this Plan or in an Award shall be construed so as to prevent the Corporation from taking corporate action which is deemed by the Corporation to be appropriate or in its best interest, whether or not such action would have an adverse effect on this Plan or any Award.
14.5 Conflict
In the event of any conflict between the provisions of this Plan and an Award Agreement, the provisions of the Award Agreement shall govern. In the event of any conflict between or among the provisions of this Plan or any Award Agreement, on the one hand, and a Participant's employment agreement with the Corporation or a subsidiary of the Corporation, as the case may be, on the other hand, the provisions of the employment agreement or other written agreement shall prevail.
14.6 Anti-Hedging Policy
By accepting an Award each Participant acknowledges that he or she is restricted from purchasing financial instruments such as prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, or units of exchange funds that are designed to hedge or offset a decrease in market value of Awards.
14.7 Participant Information
Each Participant shall provide the Corporation with all information (including personal information) required by the Corporation in order to administer the Plan. Each Participant acknowledges that information required by the Corporation in order to administer the Plan may be disclosed to any custodian appointed in respect of the Plan and other third parties, and may be disclosed to such persons (including persons located in jurisdictions other than the Participant's jurisdiction of residence), in connection with the administration of the Plan. Each Participant consents to such disclosure and authorizes the Corporation to make such disclosure on the Participant's behalf.
14.8 Participation in the Plan
The participation of any Participant in the Plan is entirely voluntary and not obligatory and shall not be interpreted as conferring upon such Participant any rights or privileges other than those rights and privileges expressly provided in the Plan. In particular, participation in the Plan does not constitute a condition of employment or engagement nor a commitment on the part of the Corporation to ensure the continued employment or engagement of such Participant. The Plan does not provide any guarantee against any loss which may result from fluctuations in the market value of the Shares. The Corporation does not assume responsibility for the income or other tax consequences for the Participants and Directors and they are advised to consult with their own tax advisors.
14.9 International Participants
With respect to Participants who reside or work outside Canada and the United States, the Plan Administrator may, in its sole discretion, amend, or otherwise modify, without shareholder approval, the terms of the Plan or Awards with respect to such Participants in order to conform such terms with the provisions of local law, and the Plan Administrator may, where appropriate, establish one or more sub-plans to reflect such amended or otherwise modified provisions.
14.10 Successors and Assigns
The Plan shall be binding on all successors and assigns of the Corporation and its subsidiaries.
14.11 General Restrictions or Assignment
Except as required by law, the rights of a Participant under the Plan are not capable of being assigned, transferred, alienated, sold, encumbered, pledged, mortgaged or charged and are not capable of being subject to attachment or
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legal process for the payment of any debts or obligations of the Participant unless otherwise approved by the Plan Administrator.
14.12 Severability
The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of the Plan shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision and any invalid or unenforceable provision shall be severed from the Plan.
14.13 Notices
All written notices to be given by a Participant to the Corporation shall be delivered personally, e-mail or mail, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:
Wilton Resources Inc.
1404 Joliet Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta
T2T 1S2
Attention: Richard Anderson
Email: [email protected]
All notices to a Participant will be addressed to the principal address of the Participant on file with the Corporation. Either the Corporation or the Participant may designate a different address by written notice to the other. Such notices are deemed to be received, if delivered personally or by e-mail, on the date of delivery, and if sent by mail, on the fifth Business Day following the date of mailing. Any notice given by either the Participant or the Corporation is not binding on the recipient thereof until received.
14.14 Governing Law
This Plan and all matters to which reference is made herein shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Province of Alberta and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without any reference to conflicts of law rules.
14.15 Submission to Jurisdiction
The Corporation and each Participant irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of competent jurisdiction in the Province of Alberta in respect of any action or proceeding relating in any way to the Plan, including, without limitation, with respect to the grant of Awards and any issuance of Shares made in accordance with the Plan.
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WILTON RESOURCES INC.
OMNIBUS EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
(THE "PLAN")
ELECTION NOTICE
All capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan.
Pursuant to the Plan, I hereby elect to participate in the grant of DSUs pursuant to Article 7 of the Plan and to receive ___% of my Cash Fees in the form of DSUs.
If I am a U.S. Taxpayer, I hereby further elect for any DSUs subject to this Election Notice to be settled on the later of (i) my “separation from service” (within the meaning of Section 409A) or (ii) ___.
I confirm that:
(a) I have received and reviewed a copy of the terms of the Plan and agreed to be bound by them.
(b) I recognize that when DSUs credited pursuant to this election are redeemed in accordance with the terms of the Plan, income tax and other withholdings as required will arise at that time. Upon redemption of the DSUs, the Corporation will make all appropriate withholdings as required by law at that time.
(c) The value of DSUs is based on the value of the Shares of the Corporation and therefore is not guaranteed.
(d) To the extent I am a U.S. taxpayer, I understand that this election is irrevocable for the calendar year to which it applies and that any revocation or termination of this election after the expiration of the election period will not take effect until the first day of the calendar year following the year in which I file the revocation or termination notice with the Corporation.
The foregoing is only a brief outline of certain key provisions of the Plan. For more complete information, reference should be made to the Plan’s text.
Date:
(Name of Participant)
(Signature of Participant)
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WILTON RESOURCES INC.
OMNIBUS EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
(THE "PLAN")
ELECTION TO TERMINATE RECEIPT OF ADDITIONAL DSUS
All capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan.
Notwithstanding my previous election in the form of Schedule A to the Plan, I hereby elect that no portion of the Cash Fees accrued after the date hereof shall be paid in DSUs in accordance with Article 7 of the Plan.
I understand that the DSUs already granted under the Plan cannot be redeemed except in accordance with the Plan.
I confirm that I have received and reviewed a copy of the terms of the Plan and agree to be bound by them.
Date:
(Name of Participant)
(Signature of Participant)
Note: An election to terminate receipt of additional DSUs can only be made by a Participant once in a calendar year.
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WILTON RESOURCES INC.
OMNIBUS EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
(THE "PLAN")
ELECTION TO TERMINATE RECEIPT OF ADDITIONAL DSUS
(U.S. TAXPAYERS)
All capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan.
Notwithstanding my previous election in the form of Schedule A to the Plan, I hereby elect that no portion of the Cash Fees accrued after the effective date of this termination notice shall be paid in DSUs in accordance with Article 5 of the Plan.
I understand that this election to terminate receipt of additional DSUs will not take effect until the first day of the calendar year following the year in which I file this termination notice with the Corporation.
I understand that the DSUs already granted under the Plan cannot be redeemed except in accordance with the Plan.
I confirm that I have received and reviewed a copy of the terms of the Plan and agree to be bound by them.
Date:
(Name of Participant)
(Signature of Participant)
Note: An election to terminate receipt of additional DSUs can only be made by a Participant once in a calendar year
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