UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT
1.1
August
21, 2008
Apollo
Gold Corporation
0000
X.
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx
X.X.X.
Attention:
Mr. R. Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
President, CEO and Director
Re:
Issue and Sale of Flow-Through Shares
Xxxxxxx
Securities Inc. (the “Underwriter”)
understands that:
(i)
|
Apollo
Gold Corporation (the “Corporation”)
is authorized to issue, among other things, an unlimited number
of Common
Shares (as hereinafter defined);
|
(ii)
|
as
at August 20, 2008, 202,860,255 Common Shares were issued and outstanding
as fully paid and non-assessable shares and an aggregate of 51,450,480
Common Shares were reserved for issue pursuant to outstanding options,
warrants, share incentive plans, convertible and exchangeable securities
and other rights to acquire Common Shares;
and
|
(iii)
|
the
Corporation is prepared to issue and sell up to 17,000,000 “flow-through”
common shares of the Corporation (“Flow-Through
Shares”
or “Offered
Securities”)
at a price of C$0.50 per Offered Security for maximum aggregate gross
proceeds to the Corporation of up to C$8,500,000 on the terms and
subject
to the conditions contained hereinafter (the “Offering”).
|
Based
upon the understanding of the Underwriter set out above and upon the terms
and
subject to the conditions contained hereinafter, upon the acceptance hereof
by
the Corporation, the Underwriter hereby agrees to purchase, or to find
substituted purchasers to purchase, on a private placement basis, 14,000,000
of
the Offered Securities at a purchase price of C$0.50 per Offered Security (the
“Purchase
Price”)
for
aggregate gross proceeds to the Corporation of C$7,000,000. It is understood
and
agreed that the Underwriter may arrange for substituted purchasers to purchase
such Offered Securities, it being acknowledged that sales of Offered Securities
will take place only in the Offering Jurisdictions (as hereinafter defined)
or
in such other jurisdictions as the Corporation and the Underwriter may agree
upon. In addition, the Corporation has granted the Underwriter the option (the
“Underwriter’s
Option”)
to
sell in such jurisdictions on a private placement basis prior to the Closing
Date (as hereinafter defined) an additional number of Offered Securities at
the
Purchase Price having an aggregate value of up to C$1,500,000, exercisable
at
any time up to 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on the day immediately prior to the
Closing Date.
The
Flow-Through Shares will be issued and sold pursuant to exemptions under
Applicable Securities Laws (as defined herein) in the Selling Jurisdictions
in
accordance with the provisions hereof.
In
connection with the offering and sale of the Flow-Through Shares, the
Underwriter shall be entitled to retain as sub-agents other registered
securities dealers, provided the Underwriter will at all times lead manage
the
Offering, and may receive (for delivery to the Corporation at the Closing Time)
subscriptions for Flow-Through Shares from other registered securities dealers.
The fee payable to such sub-agents shall be for the account of the Underwriter
and shall not exceed the fee payable to the Underwriter hereunder. The
Underwriter shall, however, be under no obligation to engage any
sub-agent.
In
consideration for its services hereunder, the Underwriter shall be entitled
to
the fee and the Compensation Options (as defined herein) provided for in Section
10. That fee shall be payable and the Compensation Options shall be issuable
at
the Closing Time upon the closing of the sale of the Flow-Through Shares. For
certainty, the services provided by the Underwriter pursuant to this Agreement
will not be subject to the Goods and Services Tax provided for in the
Excise
Tax Act
(Canada)
and taxable supplies will be incidental to the exempt financial services
provided.
The
following are the further terms and conditions of this Agreement:
Section 1
|
Definitions
|
As
used
in this Agreement, including the paragraphs prior to this definitional section
and any amendments hereto, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a)
|
“Agreement”
means this agreement and not any particular Article or Section or
other
portion except as may be specified, and words such as “hereto”,
“herein”
and “hereby”
refer to this Agreement as the context
requires;
|
(b)
|
“Applicable
Securities Laws”
includes, without limitation, all applicable securities laws, rules,
regulations, instruments, notices, blanket orders, decision documents,
statements, circulars, procedures and policies in the Selling
Jurisdictions and in the United States including, without limitation,
the
policies and by-laws of the
Exchanges;
|
(c)
|
“Black
Fox Property”
means an advanced development stage gold property located 75 kilometres
east of Timmins, Ontario within the Destor – Porcupine gold
district;
|
(d)
|
“business
day”
means a day which is not Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday in Toronto,
Ontario;
|
(e)
|
“Canadian
Exploration Expense(s)”
or “CEE”
means Canadian exploration expense as defined in subsection 66.1(6)
of the
Tax Act;
|
2
(f)
|
“Closing
Date”
means August 21, 2008, or such other date or dates as the Underwriter
and
the Corporation may agree in
writing;
|
(g)
|
“Closing
Time”
means 9:00 a.m. (Toronto time), or such other time on the Closing
Date as
the Underwriter and the Corporation may
agree;
|
(h)
|
“Commitment
Amount”
means C$0.50 multiplied by the number of Flow- Through Shares subscribed
and paid for pursuant to the Offering, being an aggregate of up to
C$8,500,000;
|
(i)
|
“Common
Shares”
means the common shares in the capital of the Corporation and, where
appropriate in the context, includes the Flow-Through
Shares;
|
(j)
|
“Compensation
Options”
shall have the meaning set forth in section 10
hereof;
|
(k)
|
“Compensation
Shares”
means the Common Shares underlying the Compensation
Options;
|
(l)
|
“Corporation”
means Apollo Gold Corporation, a corporation duly incorporated pursuant
to
the provisions of the YBCA;
|
(m)
|
“Corporation’s
counsel”
means Fogler, Xxxxxxxx LLP, or such other legal counsel as the
Corporation, with the consent of the Underwriter, may
appoint;
|
(n)
|
“CRA”
means Canada Revenue Agency;
|
(o)
|
“Debt
Instrument”
means any loan, bond, debenture, promissory note or other instrument
evidencing material indebtedness for borrowed money, other than
inter-company debt instruments;
|
(p)
|
“Directed
Selling Efforts”
means directed selling efforts as that term is defined in Regulation
S.
Without limiting the foregoing, but for greater certainty, it means,
subject to the exclusions from the definition of directed selling
efforts
contained in Regulation S, any activity undertaken for the purpose
of, or
that could reasonably be expected to have the effect of, conditioning
the
market in the United States for any of the Flow-Through Shares and
includes, without limitation, the placement of any advertisement
in a
publication with a general circulation in the United States that
refers to
the offering of Flow-Through
Shares;
|
(q)
|
“Environmental
Laws”
means the federal, provincial, state, municipal or local laws,
regulations, orders, permits, government decrees or ordinances with
respect to environmental, health or safety
matters;
|
(r)
|
“Exchanges”
means the Toronto Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange,
or any
successors thereto;
|
(s)
|
“Expenditure
Period”
means the period commencing on the Closing Date and ending on the
earlier
of:
|
3
(i)
|
the
date on which the Commitment Amount has been fully expended in accordance
with the terms of the Subscription Agreements;
and
|
(ii)
|
December
31, 2009;
|
(t)
|
“Financial
Statements”
means the audited consolidated financial statements of the Corporation
as
at and for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, together with
the
report of the Corporation’s auditors thereon and the notes
thereto;
|
(u)
|
“Flow-Through
Shares”
shall have the meaning set forth on the first page of this
Agreement;
|
(v)
|
“Hazardous
Material”
means any contaminant, pollutant, subject waste, hazardous waste,
deleterious substance, industrial waste, toxic matter or any other
substance that when released into the natural environment is likely
to
cause, at some immediate or future time, material harm or degradation
to
the natural environment or material risk to human health and, without
restricting the generality of the foregoing, includes any contaminant,
pollutant, subject waste, deleterious substance, industrial waste,
toxic
matter or hazardous waste as defined by Environmental
Laws.
|
(w)
|
“Indemnified
Persons”
means the Underwriter and the directors, officers, shareholders and
employees of the Underwriter and affiliates of the
Underwriter;
|
(x)
|
“Leased
Premises”
means the premises which are material to the Corporation or any of
the
Subsidiaries, and which the Corporation or any of the Subsidiaries
occupies as tenant and which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not
include any mineral tenures;
|
(y)
|
“Material
Adverse Effect”
means a material adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise),
or in the properties, affairs, operations, assets or liabilities
of the
Corporation and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not
arising
in the ordinary course of business;
|
(z)
|
“Material
Agreement”
means any material note, indenture or other form of indebtedness
and any
material contract, agreement (written or oral), instrument, lease
or other
document to which the Corporation or any of the Subsidiaries is a
party or
by which a material portion of the assets of the Corporation and
the
Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise are
bound;
|
(aa)
|
“Material
Properties”
means the Black Fox Property and the Montana Tunnels
Property;
|
(bb)
|
“Montana
Tunnels Property”
means the open-pit, poly-metallic mine and mill located approximately
five
miles west of Jefferson County,
Montana;
|
4
(cc)
|
“Outstanding
Convertible Securities”
means all existing rights, agreements, arrangements or options, present
or
future, contingent or absolute, or any right or privilege capable
of
becoming a right, agreement or option, for the purchase, subscription
or
issuance of any Common Shares or any other security convertible into
or
exchangeable for Common Shares, including options granted to officers,
directors or employees, whether issued pursuant to an established
plan or
otherwise;
|
(dd)
|
“Person”
means any individual (whether acting as an executor, trustee,
administrator, legal representative or otherwise), corporation, firm,
partnership, sole proprietorship, syndicate, joint venture, trustee,
trust, unincorporated organization or association, and pronouns have
a
similar extended meaning;
|
(ee)
|
“Public
Record”
means, without limitation, the prospectuses, annual information forms,
annual and quarterly reports, offering memoranda, material change
reports,
press releases and any other documents or reports filed by the Corporation
with Securities Commissions during the 24 months preceding the date
hereof
and which is available on SEDAR, and all filings with the
SEC;
|
(ff)
|
“Prescribed
Forms”
means the forms prescribed from time to time under subsection 66(12.7)
of
the Tax Act filed or to be filed by the Corporation within the prescribed
times renouncing to the Subscriber the Resource Expenses incurred
pursuant
to the Subscription Agreement and all parts or copies of such forms
required by CRA to be delivered to the
Subscriber;
|
(gg)
|
“Prescribed
Relationship”
means a relationship between the Corporation and the Subscriber (including
any beneficial purchaser for whom the Subscriber acts) as described
in
subsection 66(12.671) of the Tax Act, or where the Subscriber and
the
Corporation are related or otherwise do not deal at arm’s length for
purposes of the Tax Act;
|
(hh)
|
“Registration
Rights Agreement”
means the registration rights agreement attached as Schedule C to
the
Subscription Agreements;
|
(ii)
|
“Registration
Statement”
means the registration statement that the Corporation agrees to file
with
the SEC pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement to register
the
Flow-Through Shares for resale pursuant to the terms of the Registration
Rights Agreement;
|
(jj)
|
“Regulation
S”
means Regulation S adopted by the SEC under the U.S. Securities
Act;
|
(kk)
|
“Repayment
Event”
means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note,
debenture
or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s
behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment
of
all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Corporation or any
Subsidiary;
|
5
(ll)
|
“Resource
Expense”
means an expense which is CEE, which is incurred on or after the
Closing
Date and on or before the Termination Date, which may be renounced
by the
Corporation as CEE pursuant to subsection 66(12.6) of the Tax Act
in
accordance with subsection 66(12.66) of the Tax Act with an effective
date
not later than December 31, 2008 and in respect of which, but for
the
renunciation, the Corporation would be entitled to a deduction in
computing income for the purposes of the Tax
Act;
|
(mm)
|
“RMB
Debt Facility”
means the debt facility entered into by the Corporation on October
12,
2007 with RMB Australia Holdings Limited and arranged by RMB Resources
Inc., as amended on July 2, 2008;
|
(nn)
|
“SEC”
means the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission;
|
(oo)
|
“Securities
Commissions”
means, collectively, the securities commissions or similar regulatory
authorities in each of the provinces of Canada and in the United
States of
America and “Securities
Commission”
means any of them;
|
(pp)
|
“SEDAR”
means the computer system for the transmission, receipt, acceptance,
review and dissemination of documents filed in electronic format
known as
the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval, which
is
available online at xxx.xxxxx.xxx;
|
(qq)
|
“Selling
Dealer Group”
means the investment dealers and brokers, other than the Underwriter,
who
participate in the offer and sale of the Flow-Through Shares pursuant
to
this Agreement and who are registered in any one of the Selling
Jurisdictions;
|
(rr)
|
“Selling
Jurisdictions”
means the Provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario and
such
other provinces of Canada as may be agreed by the Underwriter and
the
Corporation prior to the Closing Date as evidenced by the Corporation’s
acceptance of a Subscription Agreement with respect
thereto;
|
(ss)
|
“Subscriber”
means a person resident in the Selling Jurisdictions who subscribes
for
Flow-Through Shares;
|
(tt)
|
“Subscription
Agreements”
means the subscription agreements to be entered into at closing between
the Corporation and each of the Subscribers setting out the contractual
relationship between the Corporation and the Subscribers, in form
and
substance satisfactory to the Corporation and the
Underwriter;
|
(uu)
|
“Subsequent
Agreements”
shall have the meaning set forth in subsection 4(c)
hereof;
|
(vv)
|
“Subsidiary”
means a subsidiary of the Corporation within the meaning of the YBCA
and
includes, without limitation, each of Minas de Argonautas, S. de
X.X. de
C.V., Minera Sol de Oro S.A. de C.V., Apollo Gold, Inc., Mine Development
Finance, Inc. and Montana Tunnels Mining,
Inc.;
|
6
(ww)
|
“Swaps”
means any transaction which is a rate swap transaction, basis swap,
forward rate transaction, commodity swap, commodity option, equity
or
equity index swap, equity or equity index option, bond option, interest
rate option, foreign exchange transaction, cap transaction, floor
transaction, collar transaction, currency swap transaction, cross-currency
rate swap transaction, currency option, forward sale, exchange traded
futures contract or any other similar transaction (including any
option
with respect to any of these transactions or any combination of these
transactions);
|
(xx)
|
“Tax
Act”
means the Income
Tax Act
(Canada), together with any and all regulations promulgated thereunder,
as
amended from time to time;
|
(yy)
|
“Technical
Reports”
means collectively (i) the report of SRK Consulting Engineers and
Scientists dated April 8, 2008 relating to the Black Fox Project,
and
(iii) the report of Xxxxxxx Xxxxx and Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx dated March
30, 2007
relating to the Montana Tunnels
Mine;
|
(zz)
|
“Termination Date”
means December 31, 2009;
|
(aaa)
|
“Underwriter’s
counsel”
means Fraser Xxxxxx Casgrain LLP, or such other legal counsel as
the
Underwriter, with the consent of the Corporation, may
retain;
|
(bbb)
|
“United
States”
means the United States of America, its territories and possessions,
and
any state of the United States of America and the District of
Columbia;
|
(ccc)
|
“U.S.
Person”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 902(k) of Regulation
S under the U.S. Securities Act;
|
(ddd)
|
“U.S.
Securities Act”
means the United States Securities
Act of 1933,
as amended; and
|
(eee)
|
“YBCA”
means the Business
Corporations Act
(Yukon), R.S.Y. 2002, c. 20, as amended, including the regulations
promulgated thereunder.
|
“misrepresentation”,
“material
change”
and
“material
fact”
shall
have the meanings ascribed thereto under the Applicable Securities Laws of
the
Selling Jurisdictions and the United States;
“distribution”
means
“distribution”
or
“distribution
to the public”,
as the
case may be, as defined under the Applicable Securities Laws of the Selling
Jurisdictions; and “distribute”
has
a
corresponding meaning. In this Agreement, words importing the singular include
the plural and vice versa, and words importing gender include all
genders.
Section 2
|
The
Offered Securities
|
Offered
Securities:
The
Offered Securities are the 17,000,000 Common Shares which are Flow-Through
Shares.
The
Underwriter will purchase or arrange for other Purchasers to purchase 14,000,000
of the Offered
Securities at the Purchase Price having an aggregate value of C$7,000,000,
and
may
exercise the Underwriter’s Option to purchase up to 3,000,000 of the remaining
Offered Securities at
the
Purchase Price having an aggregate value of up to C$1,500,000, exercisable
at
any time up to 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on the day immediately prior to the
Closing Date.
7
Section 3
|
Corporation’s
Covenants as to Issuance
|
The
Corporation agrees:
(a)
|
that
the Flow-Through Shares will be duly and validly authorized and
issued;
|
(b)
|
to
comply with all covenants of the Corporation set forth in this Agreement
and the Subscription Agreements, and to duly, punctually and faithfully
perform all the obligations to be performed by it under this Agreement
and
the Subscription Agreements;
|
(c)
|
to
deliver to the Underwriter as many copies of the documents contained
in
the Public Record as the Underwriter may reasonably request, and
such
delivery shall constitute the Corporation’s authorization of the
Underwriter to use the documents in connection with the offering
of the
Flow-Through Shares for sale in the Selling
Jurisdictions;
|
(d)
|
as
soon as reasonably possible, and in any event by the Closing Date,
to take
all such steps as may reasonably be necessary to enable the Flow-Through
Shares to be offered for sale and sold on a private placement basis
in the
Selling Jurisdictions through the Underwriter or any other member
of the
Selling Dealer Group by way of the exemptions under Applicable Securities
Laws of the Selling Jurisdictions and the United States as contemplated
hereby; and
|
(e)
|
prior
to the Closing Date, will make available to the Underwriter and its
counsel all corporate, business and operating records, and financial
information, including the most up to date forecast and technical
reports.
In addition, the Corporation will provide access to key officers,
consultants and outside advisors in order to permit a complete due
diligence investigation of the business and affairs of the Corporation.
All such records and information will be kept confidential and used
by the
Underwriter only in connection with the Offering. The Corporation
agrees
to allow the Underwriter and its representatives to conduct due diligence
investigations which they may reasonably require in order to fulfil
their
obligations as underwriter. This Agreement shall be conditional on
these
investigations not revealing any material information or fact which
is not
generally known to the public which might, in the Underwriter’s sole
opinion, adversely affect the value or market price of the Offered
Securities or the investment qualities or marketability of the Offered
Securities.
|
8
Section 4
|
Corporation’s
Covenants as to Changes
|
The
Corporation agrees that:
(a)
|
during
the period commencing with the date hereof until completion of the
sale of
the Flow-Through Shares, the Corporation will promptly inform the
Underwriter of the full particulars
of:
|
(i)
|
any
material change (actual, anticipated or threatened) in the assets,
liabilities (absolute, accrued, contingent or otherwise), business,
operations, capital or condition (financial or otherwise) of the
Corporation;
|
(ii)
|
any
change in any material fact contained or referred to in the Public
Record;
|
(iii)
|
the
occurrence or discovery of a material fact or event which, in any
such
case, is, or may be, of such a nature as to: (A) render any part
of the
Public Record untrue, false or misleading in a material respect;
(B)
result in a misrepresentation in any part of the Public Record; or
(C)
result in any part of the Public Record not complying with Applicable
Securities Laws; or
|
(iv)
|
the
discovery by the Corporation of any misrepresentation in any part
of the
Public Record or in any information regarding the Corporation previously
provided to the Underwriter by the
Corporation;
|
provided
that if there may be any reasonable doubt as to whether a material change,
change in material fact, occurrence or event of the nature referred to in this
subsection has occurred, the Corporation shall promptly inform the Underwriter
of the full particulars of the occurrence giving rise to the uncertainty and
shall consult with the Underwriter as to whether the occurrence is of such
nature;
(b)
|
during
the period commencing with the date hereof until the completion of
the
sale of the Flow-Through Shares, the Corporation will promptly inform
the
Underwriter of the full particulars
of:
|
(i)
|
any
request of any Securities Commission or other securities commission
or
similar regulatory authority for any amendment to any part of the
Public
Record or for any additional information which may be material to
the
distribution of the Flow-Through
Shares;
|
(ii)
|
the
issuance by any Securities Commission or other securities commission
or
similar regulatory authority, either Exchange or by any other competent
authority of any order to cease or suspend trading of any securities
of
the Corporation (including the Flow-Through Shares) or of the institution
or threat of institution of any proceedings for that purpose;
or
|
9
(iii)
|
the
receipt by the Corporation of any communication from any Securities
Commission or other securities commission or similar regulatory authority,
either Exchange or any other competent authority relating to any
part of
the Public Record or the distribution of the Flow-Through
Shares;
|
and
except as otherwise agreed by the Underwriter, the Corporation will use its
best
efforts to prevent the issuance of any such cease trading order or suspension
order and, if issued, to obtain the withdrawal thereof as soon as
possible;
(c)
|
during
the period commencing on the date hereof until the completion of
the sale
of the Flow-Through Shares, the Corporation will promptly provide
to the
Underwriter, for review by the Underwriter and the Underwriter’s counsel,
prior to the publication, filing or issuance
thereof:
|
(i)
|
any
proposed document, including without limitation, any annual information
form, material change report, financial statement, business acquisition
report or information circular, which is or may be deemed to be part
of
the Public Record; or
|
(ii)
|
any
press release (subject to the Corporation’s obligations under Applicable
Securities Laws to make timely disclosure of material information);
and
|
(d)
|
the
Corporation shall promptly comply, to the reasonable satisfaction
of the
Underwriter and the Underwriter’s counsel, with all applicable filing and
other requirements under Applicable Securities Laws with respect
to any
material change, change, occurrence or event of the nature referred
to or
contemplated in Section 4(a) or Section 4(b) and the Corporation
will
prepare and file promptly at the Underwriter’s request, acting reasonably,
any amendment to any part of the Public Record and take such other
steps,
which in the Underwriter’s opinion may be necessary or advisable to comply
with Applicable Securities Laws, and the Corporation shall consult
with
the Underwriter with respect to the form and content of any amendment
to
any part of the Public Record proposed to be filed by the Corporation
and
shall provide an opportunity for the prior review and approval thereof
by
the Underwriter, acting reasonably, prior to the filing of any such
amendment.
|
Section 5
|
Corporation’s
Other Covenants
|
The
Corporation agrees that:
(a)
|
the
Corporation shall not take any action that would prevent the Corporation
and the Underwriter from relying on the exemptions from the registration
and/or prospectus requirements of Applicable Securities Laws as
contemplated by the Subscription
Agreements;
|
10
(b)
|
the
Corporation will use the proceeds from the issuance and sale of the
Flow-
Through Shares to incur Resource Expenses in connection with the
Corporation’s gold exploration program on the Black Fox
Property;
|
(c)
|
if
the amount of Resource Expense renounced to Subscribers is reduced,
the
Corporation shall, to the extent possible, make such reduction
pro
rata
by
the number of Flow-Through Shares issued or to be issued pursuant
to the
Subscription Agreements, provided that the Corporation shall not
reduce
Resource Expenses renounced under the Subscription Agreements until
it has
first reduced, to the extent possible, expenditures renounced pursuant
to
flow- through share agreements (the “Subsequent
Agreements”)
entered into by the Corporation subsequent to the Subscription Agreements
entered into pursuant to this
Offering;
|
(d)
|
the
Corporation shall renounce Resource Expenses with respect to the
Subscription Agreements made under this Offering, to the extent possible
under the Tax Act, on a pro
rata
basis by the number of Flow-Through Shares issued or to be issued
pursuant
thereto prior to or concurrently with renouncing Resource Expenses
pursuant to any Subsequent
Agreements;
|
(e)
|
where
the Corporation renounces Resource Expenses incurred during the
Expenditure Period to subscribers of flow-through shares issued pursuant
to Subsequent Agreements, it shall, to the extent it is aware at
the time
of renunciation that it will be unable to renounce all Resource Expenses
renounceable under the Subscription Agreements and the Subsequent
Agreements, refrain from effecting a renunciation of Resource Expenses
under the Subsequent Agreements to the extent such renunciation would
impair its ability to effect a renunciation of Resource Expenses
pursuant
to the Subscription Agreements equal to the Commitment
Amount;
|
(f)
|
the
Corporation will allow the Underwriter and the Underwriter’s counsel to
participate fully in the preparation of the Subscription
Agreements;
|
(g)
|
the
Corporation will make available its senior management persons to
meet with
potential investors if so requested by the
Underwriter;
|
(h)
|
the
Corporation will use its reasonable best efforts to obtain all necessary
approvals of the Exchanges for the listing and posting of the Flow-Through
Shares for trading on the Exchanges, subject only to the filing of
required documents which cannot reasonably be filed until after the
Closing Time;
|
(i)
|
the
Corporation shall use its reasonable best efforts to maintain its
(or any
successors’) status as a reporting issuer not in default of any Applicable
Securities Laws until 120 days after the Closing Date in the Selling
Jurisdictions in which it is or in which it becomes a reporting
issuer;
|
(j)
|
the
Corporation will file the Registration Statement in accordance with
Section 2 of the Registration Rights Agreement and shall notify the
Underwriter of the Registration Statement filing and of the effectiveness
(Notice of Effectiveness) issued by the
SEC;
|
11
(k)
|
the
Corporation will carry on its business in a prudent manner in accordance
with industry standards and good business practice and will keep
or cause
to be kept proper books of accounts in accordance with applicable
law;
|
(l)
|
the
Corporation will not, from the date hereof until that date that is
120
days following the Closing Date, directly or indirectly, issue, sell,
or
offer to sell, or announce the offering of, or enter into or make
any
agreement or understanding, or announce the making or entry into
of any
agreement or understanding, to issue, sell or exchange any equity
securities without the prior written consent of Xxxxxxx Securities
Inc.,
such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, provided that
notwithstanding the foregoing the Corporation may issue securities:
(i)
under existing director or employee stock option, bonus or purchase
plans,
as described in the Corporation’s most recent information circular, or
under director or employee stock options or bonuses granted subsequently
in accordance with Applicable Securities Laws; (ii) as a result of
the
exercise of currently outstanding convertible debentures, share purchase
warrants or options or previously scheduled property payments to
service
providers, or (iii) that is required for the acquisition of properties
in
the ordinary course of business;
|
(m)
|
if,
except in relation to secured project debt, within twenty-four (24)
months
after the Closing Date, the Corporation proposes to issue debt or
equity
securities, acquire or dispose of any assets or securities out of
the
ordinary course of business, the Corporation shall offer (the "Offer")
to engage the Underwriter as lead manager (with a minimum 55% economic
participation) or underwriter (as the case may be, depending on the
nature
of the transaction) in connection with such transaction. If the
Underwriter does not accept the terms and conditions contained in
the
Offer within ten days of receipt of such offer, the Corporation may
engage
any other financial institution as lead manager or underwriter (as
the
case may be, depending upon the nature of the transaction) in connection
with such transaction, provided that the terms and conditions of
any such
engagement shall be no more favourable on the whole to such other
financial institution than the terms and conditions offered by the
Corporation to the Underwriter; and
|
(n)
|
in
the event the Corporation withdraws from the Offering after the date
of
this Agreement in order to complete an alternative transaction, the
Corporation shall pay to the Underwriter a fee equal to the maximum
amount
of fees otherwise payable under this Agreement. An "alternative
transaction" means
an issuance of securities of the Corporation or any subsidiary thereof
in
excess of 5% of either the total value or number of securities of
the
Corporation currently outstanding or a business combination transaction
involving the Corporation or any subsidiary thereof, including without
limitation, a merger, amalgamation, reverse take-over, arrangement,
reorganization, joint venture, sale or exchange of all or substantially
all of the assets of the Corporation or any similar
transaction.
|
12
Section 6
|
Underwriter’s
Covenants
|
The
Underwriter covenants and agrees with the Corporation that it will:
(a)
|
conduct
its activities in connection with the proposed offer and sale of
the Flow-
Through Shares in compliance with this Agreement and all Applicable
Securities Laws and cause a similar covenant to be contained in any
agreement entered into with any Selling Dealer Group established
in
connection with the distribution of the Flow-Through
Shares;
|
(b)
|
not
solicit subscriptions for Flow-Through Shares, trade in Flow-Through
Shares or otherwise do any act in furtherance of a trade of Flow-Through
Shares outside of the Selling Jurisdictions except in any other
jurisdiction in compliance with the applicable laws thereof (but
in no
event in the United States) and provided that the Underwriter may
so
solicit, trade or act within such jurisdiction only if such solicitation,
trade or act is in compliance with Applicable Securities Laws in
such
jurisdiction and does not (except in respect of the requirement by
the
Corporation to file the Registration Statement): (i) obligate the
Corporation to take any action to qualify or register any of its
securities or any trade of any of its securities (including the
distribution of the Flow-Through Shares); (ii) obligate the Corporation
to
establish or maintain any office or director or officer in such
jurisdiction; or (iii) subject the Corporation to any reporting or
other
requirement in such jurisdiction;
|
(c)
|
obtain
from each Subscriber an executed Subscription Agreement and all applicable
undertakings, questionnaires and other forms required under Applicable
Securities Laws or requirements of the Exchanges, including for the
completion of the resale registration statement to be filed with
the SEC,
and supplied to the Underwriter by the Corporation for completion
in
connection with the distribution of the Flow-Through
Shares;
|
(d)
|
not
advertise the proposed offering or sale of the Flow-Through Shares
in
printed media of general and regular paid circulation, radio, television
or telecommunications, including electronic display, and not take
any
actions nor provide or make available to prospective purchasers of
Flow-Through Shares any document or material which would constitute
or
require the Corporation to prepare an offering memorandum as defined
under
Applicable Securities Laws in the Selling
Jurisdictions;
|
(e)
|
comply
with, and ensure that it and the Selling Dealer Group and its respective
directors, officers, employees and affiliates comply with all Applicable
Securities Laws and the terms and conditions set forth in this
Agreement;
|
(f)
|
certifies
to the Corporation (and acknowledges that the Corporation is relying
thereon) that the Underwriter (i) is, and will remain until the completion
of the Offering, appropriately registered under Applicable Securities
Laws
so as permit it to lawfully fulfill its obligations hereunder, (ii)
has
good and sufficient right and authority to enter into this Agreement
and
complete its obligations contemplated under this Agreement on the
terms
and conditions set out herein, and (iii) is resident or otherwise
subject
to the securities legislation of the Selling Jurisdictions and can
avail
itself of the relevant prospectus and registration exemptions available
under the Applicable Securities Laws in the Selling Jurisdictions;
and
|
13
(g)
|
offer
or sell Flow-Through Shares only in an off-shore transaction in accordance
with Rule 903 of Regulation S and that, accordingly, neither the
Underwriter, any member of the Selling Dealer Group nor any of their
respective affiliates or any other person acting on any of their
behalf,
will make (i) any offer to sell, or any solicitation of an offer
to buy,
any Flow-Through Shares to any person in the United States, (ii)
any sale
of Flow-Through Shares to any purchaser unless, at the time the buy
order
was or will have been originated, the purchaser was outside the United
States, or (iii) any Directed Selling Efforts in the United States
with
respect to the Flow-Through Shares.
|
Section 7
|
Representations
and Warranties of the
Corporation
|
The
Corporation represents and warrants to the Underwiter as of the date hereof
and
as of the Closing Time, and understanding that the same are being relied upon
by
the Underwiter in entering into this Agreement, as follows:
(a)
|
Good
Standing of the Corporation.
The Corporation is a corporation duly continued, validly existing,
and in
good standing under the laws of the Yukon Territory and has the corporate
power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and
to
conduct its business as now carried on by it; and to enter into,
deliver
and perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Subscription
Agreements, and the certificate underlying the Compensations Options
and
issue thereof,
and any other agreement contemplated hereby (collectively, the
“Transaction
Documents”),
and the Corporation is duly qualified as an extra-provincial corporation
to transact business and is in good standing (in respect of the filing
of
annual returns where required or other information filings under
applicable corporations information legislation) in each jurisdiction
in
which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership
or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the
failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not reasonably
be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Corporation
is, and
will at the Closing Time be, in material compliance with the rules
of the
Exchanges.
|
(b)
|
Good
Standing of Subsidiaries.
The Corporation does not have any Subsidiaries other than Minas de
Argonautas, S. de X.X. de C.V., Minera Sol de Oro S.A. de C.V., Apollo
Gold, Inc., Mine Development Finance, Inc. and Montana Tunnels Mining,
Inc. Each Subsidiary is a corporation duly incorporated, validly
existing
and in good standing (in respect of the filing of annual returns
where
required or other information filings under applicable corporations
information legislation) under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation and is in good standing (in respect of the filing of
annual
returns where required or other information filings under applicable
corporations information legislation) in each jurisdiction in which
such
qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or
leasing
of property or the conduct of business, except in each case where
the
failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not reasonably
be
expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
|
14
(c)
|
Ownership
of Subsidiaries.
The Corporation is the direct or indirect legal, beneficial and registered
holder of the ownership interest in each of its Subsidiaries, in
each
case, free and clear of all mortgages, liens, charges, pledges, security
interests encumbrances, claims or demands whatsoever (other than
pursuant
to arrangements disclosed in the Public Record) and no person has
any
agreement or option or right or privilege (whether pre-emptive or
contractual) capable of becoming an agreement for the purchase of
all or
any part of such securities (other than pursuant to arrangements
disclosed
in the Public Record), and all such securities have been validly
issued
and are outstanding as fully paid and non-assessable. Except with
respect
to the Subsidiaries, the Corporation is not a partner, co-tenant,
joint
venturer or otherwise a participant in any material partnership joint
venture, co-tenancy or other similarly joint owned business except
as
disclosed in the Public Record.
|
(d)
|
Public
Filings.
The Corporation has filed all documents or information required to
be
filed by it under Applicable Securities Laws. Each such document
or item
of information filed by the Corporation under such laws, as of its
date,
did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they
were
made, not misleading at the time at which it was filed with applicable
securities regulators in the Selling Jurisdictions. The Corporation
has
not filed any confidential material change report with any securities
regulatory authority or regulator or the Exchanges that at the date
hereof
remains confidential.
|
(e)
|
Financial
Statements.
The Corporation’s Financial Statements: (i) have been prepared in
accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles
applied
on a basis consistent with prior periods (except as disclosed in
the
Financial Statements); (ii) have been reconciled to generally accepted
accounting principles in the United States in accordance with and
to the
full extent required by Applicable Securities Laws, (iii) are, in
all
material respects, consistent with the books and records of the
Corporation; (iv) contain and reflect all material adjustments for
the
fair presentation of the results of operations and the financial
condition
of the business of the Corporation for the periods covered thereby;
(v)
present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position
of the
Corporation as at the dates thereof and the results of its operations
and
the changes in its financial position for the periods then ended;
(vi)
contain and reflect adequate provision or allowance for all reasonably
anticipated liabilities, expenses and losses of the Corporation to
the
extent required under Canadian generally accepted accounting principles
to
be reflected therein; and (vii) do not omit to state any material
fact
that is required by generally accepted accounting principles or by
applicable law to be stated or reflected therein or which is necessary
to
make the statements contained therein not misleading,
respectively.
|
15
(f)
|
No
Material Adverse Effect in Business.
There has not been any Material Adverse Effect in the assets, liabilities
or obligations (absolute, contingent or otherwise) of the Corporation
from
the position set forth in the most recent of the Financial Statements
and
as set out in the Public Record and there has not been any Material
Adverse Effect in the business, operations, capital, condition (financial
or otherwise) or results of operations of the Corporation and the
Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) since December 31, 2007, and, since
that
date, there have been no material facts, transactions, events or
occurrences, other than as disclosed in the Public Record, that could
reasonably be expected to materially adversely affect the capital,
assets,
liabilities (absolute, accrued, contingent or otherwise), business,
operations or condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations
of the Corporation and the Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) that have
not
been disclosed in the Public
Record.
|
(g)
|
Authorization.
Each of the Transaction Documents has been duly authorized, executed
and
delivered by the Corporation and constitutes a valid and binding
obligation of the Corporation enforceable against the Corporation
in
accordance with its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited
by
bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium
and other laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally
and except as limited by the application of equitable principles
when
equitable remedies are sought, and by the fact that rights to indemnity,
contribution and waiver, and the ability to sever unenforceable terms,
may
be limited by applicable law.
|
(h)
|
Absence
of Proceedings.
Other than as disclosed in writing to the Underwriter, or in the
Public
Record, there is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation
before or brought by any court or governmental agency, governmental
instrumentality or body, domestic or foreign, now pending or, to
the
knowledge of the Corporation, threatened against or affecting the
Corporation or any Subsidiary, which is required to be disclosed
in the
Public Record and
which is not so disclosed, or which if determined adversely, would
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or
which if
adversely determined, would reasonably be expected to materially
and
adversely affect the properties or assets of the Corporation or any
Subsidiary or which if determined adversely would materially and
adversely
affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this
Agreement
or the performance by the Corporation of its obligations hereunder,
except
as disclosed in the Public Record; the aggregate of all pending legal
or
governmental proceedings to which the Corporation or any Subsidiary
is a
party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the
subject which are not described in the Public Record include only
ordinary
routine litigation incidental to the business, properties and assets
of
the Corporation and the Subsidiaries and would not reasonably be
expected
to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
|
16
(i)
|
Authorization
and Description of Securities Distributed. Prior
to the Offering, the Flow-Through Shares will be duly authorized
for
issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and
delivered by the Corporation pursuant to the Transaction Documents
against
payment of the consideration set forth herein, the Flow-Through Shares
will be duly created, validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable;
the issuance of the Flow-Through Shares is not subject to the pre-emptive
rights of any securityholder of the Corporation; and all corporate
action
required to be taken for the authorization, issuance, sale and delivery
of
the Flow-Through Shares has or will be validly
taken;
|
(j)
|
Authorization
and Description of Compensation Options.
Prior to the Offering,
|
(i)
|
the
Compensation Options will be duly authorized for issuance and delivery
to
the Underwriter pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered
by the Corporation pursuant to the Transaction Documents, the Compensation
Options will be duly created and validly issued, and the issuance
of the
Compensation Options is not subject to the pre-emptive rights of
any
securityholder of the Corporation; and all corporate action required
to be
taken for the authorization, issuance and delivery of the Compensation
Shares issuable
upon exercise of the Compensation Options has or will be validly
taken;
and
|
(ii)
|
the
Compensation Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Compensation
Options
will be duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement
and, when issued and delivered by the Corporation pursuant to the
Transaction Documents against payment of the consideration set forth
herein, the Compensation Shares will be duly created, validly issued
and
fully paid and non-assessable; the issuance of the Compensation Shares
is
not subject to the pre-emptive rights of any shareholder of the
Corporation; and all corporate action required to be taken for the
authorization, issuance, sale and delivery of the Compensation Shares
has
or will be validly taken;
|
(k)
|
Standing
Under Securities Laws.
the Corporation is a “reporting issuer” and is not in default in each of
the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba,
Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Island and Newfoundland
and Labrador within the meaning of the Applicable Securities Laws
in such
provinces, has been a reporting issuer in one of such provinces for
at
least four months and is not in default in any material respects
of any
requirement of the Applicable Securities
Laws;
|
(l)
|
Authorized
Capital.
As at the date hereof, the authorized capital of the Corporation
consists
of an unlimited number of Common
Shares.
|
(m)
|
Issued
Shares.
As at the close of business on August 20, 2008, 202,860,255 Common
Shares
were issued and outstanding as fully paid and non-assessable securities
of
the Corporation.
|
17
(n)
|
Listing
of Common Shares.
The Common Shares are listed and traded on the Exchanges. The Corporation
is a public reporting company or issuer or the equivalent only in
the
United States and Canada and is not in material default of any requirement
of the securities laws of the United States or Canada. No order ceasing
or
suspending trading in any securities of the Corporation or the trading
of
any of the Corporation’s issued securities has been issued and no
proceedings for such purpose are, to the knowledge of the Corporation,
pending or threatened.
|
(o)
|
Transfer
Agent and Registrar.
CIBC Mellon Trust Company, at its office in the City of Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx,
has been duly appointed the transfer agent and registrar for the
Common
Shares.
|
(p)
|
Outstanding
Convertible Securities.
Except as disclosed in the Public Record, no person, firm or corporation,
as of the close of business on August 20, 2008, has any Outstanding
Convertible Securities.
|
(q)
|
Agreements
Affecting Voting or Control.
To the knowledge of the Corporation, except as disclosed in the Public
Record, no agreement is in force or effect which in any manner affects
the
voting or control of any of the securities of the Corporation or
any of
the Subsidiaries.
|
(r)
|
Conduct
of Business.
|
(i)
|
Except
as disclosed in the Public Record, the Corporation is not nor is
any
Subsidiary a party to or bound or affected by any commitment, agreement
or
document containing any covenant which expressly limits the freedom
of the
Corporation or any Subsidiary to compete in any line of business,
transfer
or move any of its assets or operations or which materially adversely
affects the business practices, operations or condition of the
Corporation.
|
(ii)
|
The
Corporation and each of the Subsidiaries have all requisite corporate
power and authority necessary to, and are qualified to, carry on
each of
its businesses as now conducted and to own or lease each of its properties
and assets in all jurisdictions in which the Corporation and each
of the
Subsidiaries currently carries on business and/or owns or leases
each of
its properties and assets.
|
(iii)
|
Except
as set forth in the Public Record, each of the Corporation and the
Subsidiaries are licensed, registered or qualified, as applicable,
in the
jurisdictions in which it owns, leases or operates its property or
carries
on business to enable each of its businesses to be carried on as
now
conducted and to enable the Corporation and each of the Subsidiaries
to
own, lease and operate its property and assets where the failure
to do so
would have a Material Adverse Effect, and except as set forth in
the
Public Record, all
such licences, registrations and qualifications are and will as at
the
Closing Date be valid, subsisting and in good standing except where
the
failure to be so valid, subsisting and in good standing would not
have a
Material Adverse Effect.
|
18
(iv)
|
The
Corporation or one or more of its Subsidiaries are parties to valid
and
subsisting agreements, documents or instruments pursuant to which
the
Corporation or one or more of its Subsidiaries holds interests in
the
Material Properties.
|
(s)
|
Properties,
Business and Assets.
|
(i)
|
Except
as set forth in the Public Record, the Corporation and each Subsidiary
has
conducted and is conducting its business in compliance in all material
respects with all applicable laws, rules and regulations of each
jurisdiction in which it carries on business and with all laws,
regulations, tariffs, rules, orders and directives material to its
operation, including, without limitation, all applicable laws, regulations
and statutes relating to mining and/or mining claims, concessions,
licenses or leases, and, except as disclosed to the Underwriter and
their
counsel, the Corporation has not nor has any Subsidiary received
any
notice of the revocation or cancellation of, or any intention to
revoke or
cancel, any of the mining claims, concessions, licenses, leases or
other
instruments conferring mineral rights, including, without limitation,
in
respect of the Material Properties.
|
(ii)
|
The
Corporation and, where applicable, its Subsidiaries, are the legal
and
beneficial owner of or holds a valid contractual interest in, all
assets
that are material to the Corporation and its Subsidiaries, taken
as a
whole, in each case except for liens, encumbrances and defects of
title as
disclosed in the Public Record or such as would not have a Material
Adverse Effect.
|
(iii)
|
The
Corporation has no responsibility or obligation, nor has any Subsidiary,
to pay any material amount of commission, royalty or similar payment
to
any person with respect to its property rights relating to the material
assets of the Corporation and the Subsidiaries, including, without
limitation, the mining claims, concessions, licenses and leases or
other
instruments conferring the mineral rights comprising the Material
Properties, other than as disclosed in the Public
Record.
|
19
(iv)
|
Any
and all agreements pursuant to which the Corporation and each Subsidiary
holds any of its material assets, including but not limited to the
Material Properties, are valid and subsisting agreements in full
force and
effect, enforceable in accordance with their respective terms, except
as
enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent
conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other laws relating to
or
affecting the rights of creditors generally and except as limited
by the
application of equitable principles when equitable remedies are sought,
and by the fact that rights to indemnity, contribution and waiver,
and the
ability to sever unenforceable terms, may be limited by applicable
law.
The Corporation is not nor is any Subsidiary in default of any of
the
material provisions of any such agreements, including, without limitation,
failure to fulfill any payment or work obligation thereunder nor,
to the
knowledge of the Corporation, has any such default been alleged,
except as
disclosed to the Underwriter and their counsel, the Corporation is
not
aware of any disputes with respect thereto and such assets are in
good
standing under the applicable statutes and regulations of the
jurisdictions in which they are situated, all leases, licenses,
concessions, patented and unpatented claims pursuant to which the
Corporation and each Subsidiary derives its interest in such material
assets are in good standing and there has been no material default
under
any such leases, licenses, concessions, patented and unpatented claims
and
all real or other property taxes required to be paid with respect
to such
assets to the date hereof have been
paid.
|
(t)
|
Permits,
Licenses, etc.
|
(i)
|
Except
as set forth in the Public Record or as disclosed in writing to the
Underwriter, neither the Corporation nor any of the Subsidiaries
has
received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or
modification of any material certificate, authority, permit or license
necessary to conduct the business now owned or operated by it which,
if
the subject of an unfavourable decision, ruling or finding would
have a
Material Adverse Effect.
|
(ii)
|
In
particular, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except
as
set forth in the Public Record or
as disclosed in writing to the Underwriter, neither the Corporation
nor
any of the Subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating
to
the revocation or modifications of any material mining or exploration
authorities, permits or licenses, nor have any of them received notice
of
the revocations or cancellation of, or any intention to revoke or
cancel,
any mining claims, groups of claims, exploration rights, concessions
or
leases where such proceedings, revocations, modifications, or
cancellations, would have a Material Adverse
Effect.
|
(u)
|
Auditors.
The auditors who audited the most recent financial statements of
the
Corporation are independent public accountants as required by Applicable
Securities Laws and there has never been any reportable event (within
the
meaning of National Instrument 51-102 of the Canadian Securities
Administrators) with the present or any former auditor of the Corporation.
|
(v)
|
Taxes.
|
(i)
|
The
Corporation and each of the Subsidiaries have filed all federal,
provincial, state, local and foreign tax returns that are required
to be
filed or have requested extensions thereof (except in any case in
which
the failure so to file would not have a Material Adverse
Effect).
|
20
(ii)
|
The
Corporation and each of its Subsidiaries has duly and on a timely
basis
remitted all taxes (including but not limited to income tax, capital
tax,
payroll taxes, employer health tax, workers’ compensation payments,
property taxes, custom and land transfer taxes), duties, royalties,
levies, imposts, assessments, deductions, charges or withholdings
and all
liabilities with respect thereto including any penalty and interest
payable with respect thereto (collectively, “Taxes”)
due and payable by the Corporation and each of its Subsidiaries.
All tax
returns, declarations, remittances and filings required to be filed
by the
Corporation and each of its Subsidiaries have been filed with all
appropriate governmental authorities and all such returns, declarations,
remittances and filings are complete and accurate in all material
respects
and no material fact or facts have been omitted therefrom which would
make
any of them misleading. The Corporation and each of its Subsidiaries
has
made adequate provision for Taxes payable for any completed fiscal
period
for which tax returns are not yet required and there are no agreements,
waivers, or other arrangements providing for an extension of time
with
respect to the filing of any tax return or payment of any Tax,
governmental charge or deficiency by the Corporation or any of its
Subsidiaries and to the best of the knowledge, information and belief
of
the Corporation and each of its Subsidiaries, there are no actions,
suits,
proceedings, investigations or claims threatened or pending against
the
Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, in respect of Taxes, governmental
charges or assessments or any matters under discussion with any
governmental authority relating to Taxes, governmental charges or
assessments asserted by any such
authority
|
(iii)
|
There
are no audits known by the Corporation’s management to be pending of the
tax returns of the Corporation or any of the Subsidiaries (whether
federal, state, provincial, local or foreign) and there are no outstanding
claims which have been or may be asserted relating to any such tax
returns
other than claims, if any, that the Corporation is disputing in good
faith
by appropriate proceedings, which audits and claims, if determined
adversely, would result in the assertion by any governmental agency
of any
deficiency that would have a Material Adverse
Effect.
|
(iv)
|
To
the knowledge of the Corporation, no Canadian or foreign taxation
authority has asserted or threatened to assert any assessment, claim
or
liability for taxes due or to become due in connection with any review
or
examination of the tax returns of the Corporation or any of the
Subsidiaries (including, without limitation, any predecessor companies)
filed for any year which would have a Material Adverse
Effect.
|
21
(v)
|
the
Corporation is a “principal-business corporation” as defined in subsection
66(15) of the Tax Act and will continue to be a “principal-business
corporation” until all Resource Expenses have been renounced to the
Subscribers;
|
(vi)
|
except
as a result of any agreement or arrangement respecting the Flow-Through
Shares to which the Corporation is not a party and of which it has
no
knowledge, upon issuance pursuant to the provisions of the Subscription
Agreements, the Flow-Through Shares will be “flow-through shares” as
defined in subsection 66(15) of the Tax Act and will not be “prescribed
shares” for the purpose of section 6202.1 of the Regulations to the Tax
Act;
|
(vii)
|
The
Corporation has no reason to believe that it will be unable to: (i)
incur,
on or after the Closing Date and on or before the Termination Date,
or
(ii) renounce to the Subscriber effective on or before December 31,
2008,
Resource Expenses in an aggregate amount equal to the Commitment
Amount,
and the Corporation has no reason to expect any reduction of such
amount
by virtue of subsection 66(12.73) of the Tax
Act.
|
(viii)
|
The
Corporation hereby agrees to incur Resource Expenses in an amount
equal to
the Commitment Amount on or before the Termination Date in accordance
with
the Subscription Agreements and agrees to renounce to the Subscriber,
on
or before March 31, 2009 with an effective date no later than December
31,
2008, pursuant to subsections 66(12.6) and in respect of Resource
Expenses
incurred by the Corporation in 2009, pursuant to subsections 66(12.6)
and
66(12.66) of the Tax Act, Resource Expenses incurred or to be incurred
in
an amount equal to the Commitment
Amount.
|
(ix)
|
The
Corporation shall deliver to each Subscriber, on or before March
31, 2009,
the relevant Prescribed Forms, fully completed and executed, renouncing
to
such Subscriber, Resource Expenses in an amount equal to the number
of
Flow-Through Shares purchased by such Subscriber multiplied by the
Purchase Price with an effective date of no later than December 31,
2008,
such delivery constituting the authorization of the Corporation to
the
Subscriber to file such Prescribed Forms with the relevant taxation
authorities.
|
(x)
|
The
Resource Expenses to be renounced by the Corporation to the
Subscriber:
|
A.
|
will
constitute CEE on the effective date of the
renunciation;
|
22
B.
|
will
not include expenses that are “Canadian exploration and development
overhead expenses” (as defined in the regulations to the Tax Act for
purposes of paragraph 66(12.6)(b) of the Tax Act) of the Corporation,
the
amount of any assistance described in paragraph 66(12.6)(a) of the
Tax
Act, amounts which constitute specified expenses for seismic data
described in paragraph 66(12.6)(b.1) of the Tax Act or any expenses
for
prepaid services or rent that do not qualify as outlays and expenses
for
the period as described in the definition of “expense” in subsection
66(15) of the Tax Act;
|
C.
|
will
not include any amount that has previously been renounced by the
Corporation to the Subscriber or to any other
Person;
|
D.
|
would
be deductible by the Corporation in computing its income for the
purposes
of Part I of the Tax Act but for the renunciation to the Subscriber;
and
|
E.
|
will
not be subject to any reduction under subsection 66(12.73) of the
Tax
Act.
|
(xi)
|
The
Corporation shall not reduce the amount renounced to the Subscribers
pursuant to subsection 66(12.6) of the Tax
Act.
|
(xii)
|
The
Corporation shall not be subject to the provisions of subsection
66(12.67)
of the Tax Act in a manner which impairs its ability to renounce
Resource
Expenses to the Subscribers in an amount equal to the Commitment
Amount.
|
(xiii)
|
The
Corporation acknowledges that it is not now entitled to receive any
assistance, as defined in the Tax Act, in respect of the Resource
Expenses. If the Corporation receives, or becomes entitled to receive,
any
government assistance which is described in paragraph (a) of the
definition of “excluded obligation” in subsection 6202.1(5) of the
regulations made under the Tax Act and the receipt of or entitlement
to
receive such government assistance has or will have the effect of
reducing
the amount of CEE validly renounced to the Subscribers hereunder
to less
than the aggregate of the Commitment Amount, the Corporation will
incur
additional Resource Expenses on or before the time it renounces the
Resource Expenses to the Subscribers pursuant to their Subscription
Agreement in an amount sufficient to allow it to renounce to the
Subscribers, the Commitment Amount.
|
(xiv)
|
The
Corporation shall use the gross proceeds of the Offering for general
exploration activities on the Corporation’s properties and shall deliver
to the Subscribers, on or before March 31, 2009, a list of the provinces,
territories or other jurisdictions in Canada where the Corporation
has
incurred, or intends to incur, Resource Expenses together with the
amount
incurred in each such province, territory or other jurisdiction of
Canada.
|
23
(xv)
|
The
Corporation shall file with the CRA within the time prescribed by
subsection 66(12.68) of the Tax Act (i) the forms prescribed for
the
purposes of such legislation, together with a copy of the Subscription
Agreement or any "selling instrument" contemplated by such legislation
and
shall forthwith following such filings provide to the Subscribers
a copy
of such forms; and (ii) the form prescribed for purposes of subsection
66(12.7) of the Tax Act on or before the last day of the first month
after
each month in which any renunciation is made pursuant to the terms
of the
Subscription Agreement.
|
(xvi)
|
The
Corporation will keep proper books, records and accounts in respect
of all
Resource Expenses and all transactions and events affecting the Commitment
Amount, the Resource Expenses and the amounts renounced to the
Subscribers, and upon reasonable notice, will, on a timely basis,
make
such books, records, accounts and any other relevant documents available
for inspection and audit by or on behalf of the
Subscribers.
|
(xvii)
|
Neither
the Corporation nor any corporation “associated” (as such term is defined
in the Tax Act) with the Corporation is a party to any other agreement
for
the issuance of Flow-Through Shares for which the required expenditures
have not been incurred.
|
(xviii)
|
The
Corporation has not and will not enter into transactions or take
deductions which would otherwise reduce its cumulative CEE to an
extent
which would preclude a renunciation of Resource Expenses hereunder
in an
amount equal to the Commitment Amount on or before December 31,
2008.
|
(xix)
|
The
Corporation shall perform and carry out all acts and things to be
completed by it as provided in the Subscription
Agreements.
|
(xx)
|
The
Corporation will file with the CRA, before March 31 of the year following
a particular year, any return required to be filed under Part XII.6
of the
Tax Act in respect of the particular year, and will pay any tax or
other
amount owing in respect of that return on a timely
basis.
|
(xxi)
|
If
the Corporation amalgamates with any one or more companies, any shares
issued to or held by the Subscribers as a replacement for the Flow-Through
Shares as a result of such amalgamation will qualify, by virtue of
subsection 87(4.4) of the Tax Act, as Flow-Through Shares and in
particular will not be “prescribed shares” as defined in section 6202.1 of
the regulations to the Tax Act.
|
(xxii)
|
As
at the date hereof, the Corporation has not issued any flow-through
common
shares subsequent to October 31, 2007 and has not renounced any Resource
Expenses with an effective date subsequent to December 31,
2007.
|
24
(w)
|
Material
Agreements.
Neither the Corporation, any of the Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge
of
the Corporation, any other person is in material default in the observance
or performance of any term or obligation to be performed by it under
any
Material Agreement and, to the knowledge of the Corporation, no event
has
occurred which with notice or lapse of time or both would constitute
such
a default, in any such case which default or event would have a Material
Adverse Effect.
|
(x)
|
No
Brokerage or Finder’s
Fee.
Except for the Underwriter, there is no person acting or purporting
to act
at the request of the Corporation, who is entitled to any brokerage
or
finder’s fee in connection with the Offering and, in the event any person
acting or purporting to act for the Corporation establishes a claim
for
any such fee from the purchasers of the Flow-Through Shares, the
Corporation covenants to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter
with
respect thereto and with respect to all costs incurred in the defence
thereof.
|
(y)
|
Corporate
Records.
The minute books and records of the Corporation and each of the
Subsidiaries contain copies of all significant or material proceedings
(or
certified copies thereof) of the shareholders, the boards of directors
and
all committees of the boards of directors of the Corporation and
the
Subsidiaries from their respective dates of incorporation or formation.
There have been no other meetings, resolutions or proceedings of
the
shareholders, boards of directors or any committees of the boards
of
directors of the Corporation or any of the Subsidiaries not reflected
in
such minute books and other records, other than those which have
been
disclosed to the Underwriter or which are not material to the Corporation
or the Subsidiaries.
|
(z)
|
Dividends.
Save and except for the restriction contained in the RMB Debt Facility,
there is not in the articles of the Corporation, nor in any agreement,
mortgage, note, debenture, indenture or other instrument or document
to
which the Corporation is a party, any restriction upon or impediment
to
the declaration of dividends by the directors of the Corporation
or the
payment of dividends by the Corporation to the holders of Common
Shares.
During the previous 12 months, the Corporation has not, directly
or
indirectly, declared or paid any dividend or declared or made any
other
distribution on any of its securities of any class, or, directly
or
indirectly, redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired any of its
Common
Shares or other securities or agreed to do any of the
foregoing.
|
(aa)
|
Leased
and Owned Premises.
|
(i)
|
With
respect to each of the Leased Premises, the Corporation or the
Subsidiaries, as applicable, occupies the Leased Premises and has
the
exclusive right to occupy and use the Leased Premises and each of
the
leases pursuant to which the Corporation or the Subsidiaries occupies
the
Leased Premises is in good standing and in full force and effect,
except
where the failure to be in good standing or in full force and effect
would
not have a Material Adverse Effect. The completion of the transactions
described herein by the Corporation will not afford any of the parties
to
such leases or any other person the right to terminate such lease
or
result in any additional or more onerous obligations under such
leases.
|
25
(ii)
|
Any
real property (and the buildings constructed thereon) in which the
Corporation and each Subsidiary has an ownership interest (the “Real
Property”) and the operations thereon are, to the best of the
Corporation’s knowledge, in substantial compliance with all material
applicable Environmental Laws. None of such Real Property or operations
is
subject to any judicial or administrative proceeding alleging the
violation of any Environmental Laws or is subject to any investigation
concerning whether any remedial action is needed to respond to a
release
of any Hazardous Material into the
environment.
|
(bb)
|
Labour
Disruptions.
Other than as set forth in the Public Record, there has not been
in the
last two (2) years and there is not currently any labour disruption
or
conflict which did have or would have a Material Adverse Effect on
the
carrying on of the Corporation’s or the Subsidiaries’ business. The
Corporation’s employment contracts with all senior employees are in good
standing and in full force and effect. No current or former director,
officer, shareholder, employee or independent contractor of the
Corporation or any person not dealing at arm’s length within the meaning
of the Tax Act with any such person is indebted to the Corporation
or any
Subsidiary, other than reimbursement of expenses in the ordinary
course of
business.
|
(cc)
|
Debt
Instruments.
Other than as disclosed in the Public Record and/or the Financial
Statements, the Corporation and each of the Subsidiaries are not
parties
to, bound by or subject to:
|
(i)
|
any
material Debt Instrument; or
|
(ii)
|
any
agreement, contract or commitment to create, assume or issue any
material
Debt Instrument.
|
(dd)
|
Environmental
Matters.
|
(i)
|
Neither
the Corporation nor any Subsidiary has filed any notice under any
federal,
provincial, state or municipal law indicating past or present treatment,
storage or disposal of a Hazardous Material other than in compliance
with
applicable law. To the best of the Corporation’s knowledge, except in
compliance with applicable Environmental Laws, none of the Real Property
or Leased Premises has at any time been used by the Corporation or
any
Subsidiary as a waste storage or waste disposal site or to operate
a waste
management business. To the best of the Corporation’s knowledge, the
Corporation has no contingent liability nor has any Subsidiary any
contingent liability of which the Corporation has knowledge, in connection
with any release of any Hazardous Material on or into the environment
from
any of the Real Property or Leased Premises and
operations thereon, except for customary reclamation obligations
of the
Corporation or its Subsidiaries required under applicable Environmental
Laws. Neither the Corporation nor any Subsidiary generates, transports,
treats, stores or disposes of any Hazardous Material on any of the
Real
Property or Leased Premises in
contravention of Environmental Laws. To the best of the Corporation’s
knowledge, no underground storage tanks or surface impoundments containing
a petroleum product or Hazardous Material are located on any of the
Real
Property or Leased Premises in contravention of applicable Environmental
Laws.
|
26
(ii)
|
Other
than as disclosed in the Public Record, without limiting the generality
of
subparagraph (dd) of this Section 7, the Corporation and, to the
best of
the Corporation’s knowledge, each of the
Subsidiaries:
|
A.
|
has
operated the Real Property and the Leased Premises;
and
|
B.
|
has
received, handled, used, stored, treated, shipped and disposed of
all
Hazardous Materials,
|
in
material compliance with all applicable Environmental Laws.
(iii)
|
There
are no orders, rulings or directives issued, pending or, to the knowledge
of the Corporation, threatened against the Corporation or any of
the
Subsidiaries under or pursuant to any Environmental Laws requiring
any
work, repairs, construction or capital expenditures with respect
to the
property or assets of the Corporation or any of the Subsidiaries
(including the Real Property and the Leased Premises) which would
have a
Material Adverse Effect, except for customary reclamation obligations
of
the Corporation and its Subsidiaries required under applicable
Environmental Laws.
|
(iv)
|
No
notice with respect to any of the matters referred to in this paragraph
(dd), including any alleged violations by the Corporation or any
of the
Subsidiaries with respect thereto has been received by the Corporation
or
any of the Subsidiaries and no writ, injunction, order or judgment
is
outstanding, and no legal proceeding under or pursuant to any
Environmental Laws or relating to the ownership, use, maintenance
or
operation of the property and assets of the Corporation or any of
the
Subsidiaries (including the Real Property and the Leased Premises)
is in
progress, pending or to the knowledge of the Corporation threatened,
which
would have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Corporation,
there are no grounds on which any such legal proceeding might be
commenced
with any reasonable likelihood of success, which if successful, would
have
a Material Adverse Effect.
|
27
(ee)
|
Absence
of Defaults and Conflicts.
Neither the Corporation nor any of the Subsidiaries is in violation
of its
articles or other constating instrument or in default in the performance
or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition
contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
or
credit agreement, note, lease, license or other agreement or instrument
to
which the Corporation or any of the Subsidiaries is a party or by
which it
or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets
of
the Corporation or any Subsidiary is subject (collectively, “Agreements
and Instruments”),
except where such default, breach or conflict would not reasonably
be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The execution, delivery
and
performance of each of the Transaction Documents (including the
authorization, issuance, sale and delivery of the Flow-Through Shares
and
compliance by the Corporation with its obligations hereunder, have
been
duly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and do not and
will
not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time
or
both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment
Event under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien,
charge
or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Corporation or
any
Subsidiary pursuant to the Agreements and Instruments, nor will such
action result in articles or by-laws of the Corporation or any Subsidiary
or any existing applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment,
order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality
or
court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Corporation
or
any Subsidiary or any of their assets, properties or operations except
for
such liens, charges, encumbrances, violations or conflicts that would
not,
singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
|
(ff)
|
Unlawful
Payment.
Neither the Corporation nor any of the Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge
of the Corporation, any employee or agent of the Corporation or any
Subsidiary, has made any unlawful contribution or other payment to
any
official of, or candidate for, any federal, state, provincial or
foreign
office, or failed to disclose fully any contribution, in violation
of any
law, or made any payment to any foreign or Canadian or state governmental
officer or official, or other person charged with similar public
or
quasi-public duties, other than payments required or permitted by
applicable law.
|
(gg)
|
Accounting
Controls.
The Corporation and each of the Subsidiaries maintains a system of
internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance
that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general
or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary
to
permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles in Canada and to maintain asset
accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance
with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded
accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at
reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect
to any
differences.
|
28
(hh)
|
Market
Manipulation.
Neither the Corporation nor, to the best of the Corporation’s knowledge,
any of the Corporation’s officers, directors or affiliates has taken, nor
at the Closing Date will have taken, directly or indirectly, any
action
which has constituted, or might reasonably be expected to constitute,
the
stabilization or manipulation of the price of sale or resale of the
Flow-Through Shares.
|
Section 8
|
Conditions
|
The
obligation of the Underwriter hereunder shall be conditional upon the
Underwriter receiving at the Closing Time:
(a)
|
a
favourable legal opinion of the Corporation’s counsel (addressed to the
Underwriter and the Underwriter’s counsel), in form and substance
satisfactory to the Underwriter, acting reasonably, relating to the
offering, issuance and sale of the Flow-Through Shares and as to
all other
legal matters, including compliance with Applicable Securities Laws
of the
Selling Jurisdictions, in any way connected with the offering, issuance,
sale and delivery of the Flow-Through Shares as the Underwriter may
reasonably request;
|
(b)
|
a
favourable legal opinion of the Corporation’s counsel (addressed to the
Underwriter and the Underwriter’s counsel), in form and substance
satisfactory to the Underwriter, acting reasonably, relating to the
title
of the Corporation in each of (i) the Black Fox Project and (ii)
the Stock
Mill complex located near Timmins, Ontario, including the mill and
the
related infrastructure and property, acquired by the Corporation
from St
Xxxxxx Goldfields Ltd. on July 28,
2008;
|
(c)
|
a
favourable legal opinion of the Corporation’s U.S. counsel (addressed to
the Underwriter), in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter,
acting reasonably, relating to compliance of the offer and sale of
the
Flow Through Shares with the exemptions from registration of the
Offering
under United States federal securities
laws;
|
(d)
|
a
certificate of the Corporation dated the Closing Date, addressed
to the
Underwriter and the Subscribers and signed on the Corporation’s behalf by
two senior officers of the Corporation satisfactory to the Underwriter,
acting reasonably, certifying that:
|
(i)
|
the
Corporation has complied with and satisfied all terms and conditions
of
this Agreement on its part to be complied with or satisfied at or
prior to
the Closing Time, other than those which have been waived in writing
by
the Underwriter;
|
(ii)
|
no
event of a nature referred to in Section 13(a), (b) or (d) has occurred
since the date of this Agreement or to the knowledge of such officers
is
pending, contemplated or threatened (excluding in the case of Sections
13(b) and (d) any requirement of the Underwriter to make a determination
as to whether or not any event or change has, in the Underwriter’s
opinion, had or could have the effect specified
therein);
|
29
(iii)
|
the
Corporation has made and/or obtained, on or prior to the Closing
Time, all
necessary filings, approvals, consents and acceptances under Applicable
Securities Laws, and under any applicable agreement or document to
which
the Corporation is a party or by which it is bound, required for
the
execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Subscription Agreements,
the
offering and sale of the Flow-Through Shares in the Selling Jurisdictions
and the consummation of the other transactions contemplated hereby
(subject to completion of filings with certain regulatory authorities
following the Closing Date);
|
(iv)
|
there
have been no material changes to the due diligence responses provided
in
connection with the due diligence session held on August 20, 2008;
and
|
(v)
|
such
other matters as may be reasonably requested by the Underwriter or
the
Underwriter’s counsel;
|
and
the
Underwriter shall have no knowledge to the contrary; and
(e)
|
evidence
satisfactory to the Underwriter that the Corporation has obtained
all
necessary approvals of the Exchanges for the issuance of the Flow-Through
Shares and the Common Shares underlying the Compensation Options
and the
listing of the Flow-Through Shares and the Common Shares underlying
the
Compensation Options, subject only to the filing of any documents
and
payment of applicable fees which may be required by the
Exchanges.
|
The
foregoing conditions are for the sole benefit of the Underwriter and may be
waived in whole or in part by the Underwriter at any time and, without
limitation, the Underwriter shall have the right, on behalf of potential
subscribers, to withdraw all Subscription Agreements delivered and not
previously withdrawn or rescinded by such persons. If any of the foregoing
conditions are not met, the Underwriter may terminate its obligations under
this
Agreement without prejudice to any other remedies it may have.
Section 9
|
Closing
|
The
issue
and sale of the Flow-Through Shares shall be completed at the Closing Time
at
the offices of the Corporation’s counsel in Toronto, Ontario or at such other
place as the Corporation and the Underwriter may agree. Subject to the
conditions set forth in Section 7, the Underwriter, on the Closing Date, shall
deliver to the Corporation:
(a)
|
all
completed Subscription Agreements (including any applicable documents
specifically referred to in the Subscription Agreements, including
the
Registration Rights Agreements), in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Underwriter and the Underwriter’s counsel;
and
|
30
(b)
|
originally
executed copies of all forms required under Applicable Securities
Laws or
by the Exchanges from each of the Subscribers;
and
|
(c)
|
a
certified cheque payable to the Corporation or to such other party
as the
Corporation may direct in an amount equal to the aggregate of all
subscriptions for Flow-Through Shares delivered to and accepted by
the
Corporation (unless the Underwriter shall have elected to deduct
the fee
payable pursuant to Section 10 hereof and expenses of the Underwriter
and
the Underwriter’s legal counsel in accordance to Section 11, from the
subscription proceeds, in which case the amount of such cheque or
wire
transfer shall be net of such
amounts),
|
against
delivery by the Corporation of:
(a)
|
definitive
certificates representing, in the aggregate, all of the Flow-Through
Shares subscribed for or purchased registered in such name or names
as the
Underwriter shall notify the Corporation in writing of not less than
24
hours prior to the Closing Time provided such certificates registered
in
such names may, subject to receipt by the Corporation of a satisfactory
indemnity, be delivered in advance of the Closing Date to the Underwriter
or such other parties in such locations as the Underwriter may direct
and
the Underwriter and the Corporation may agree
upon;
|
(b)
|
a
certificate representing the Compensation
Options;
|
(c)
|
a
certified cheque or bank draft payable to Xxxxxxx Securities Inc.
at par
in Toronto, Ontario in the amount of the fee set forth in Section
10 and
expenses of the Underwriter and the Underwriter’s legal counsel in
accordance to Section 11 (unless the Underwriter shall have elected
to
deduct such fee and expenses from the gross subscription proceeds);
and
|
(d)
|
such
further documentation as may be contemplated by this Agreement or
that may
reasonably be requested by Underwriter’s
counsel.
|
The
Corporation may not reject any properly completed Subscription Agreement which
is in compliance with Applicable Securities Laws, unless the number of
Flow-Through Shares subscribed for or purchased pursuant to all Subscription
Agreements tendered by the Underwriter exceeds the maximum number of
Flow-Through Shares to be sold under this Agreement, in which case Subscription
Agreements representing the excess shall, in consultation with the Underwriter,
be rejected or unless the acceptance of such Subscription Agreement may breach
or violate any Applicable Securities Laws or any exemption from registration
contained in any Applicable Securities Laws.
Section 10
|
Fees
|
In
consideration for its services hereunder, the Corporation agrees to pay to
the
Underwriter a fee equal to the amount of $0.0325 (6.5%) for each Flow-Through
Share subscribed for, including any Flow-Through Shares purchased by the
Underwriter as principal hereunder, and for which the subscription is accepted
by the Corporation, which aggregate fee shall be payable at the Closing Time.
The Underwriter has not received its corporate finance fee of $50,000 and,
therefore, such amount shall be included as part of the cash commission payable
by the Corporation.
31
The
foregoing fee may, at the sole option of the Underwriter, be deducted from
the
aggregate gross proceeds of the sale of the Flow-Through Shares and withheld
for
the account of the Underwriter.
In
addition, the Corporation agrees to issue to the Underwriter a number of
compensation options (“Compensation
Options”)
that
is equal to 6% of the number of Flow-Through Shares sold pursuant to the
Offering, each Compensation Option being exercisable at a price of $0.50 for
a
period of 18 months from the Closing Date to acquire one Common
Share.
Section 11
|
Expenses
|
Whether
or not the transactions contemplated herein shall be completed, all costs and
expenses of or incidental to the creation, issue, sale or distribution of the
Flow-Through Shares shall be borne by the Corporation, including, without
limitation, all costs and expenses of or incidental to the private placement
of
the Flow-Through Shares, the fees and expenses of the Corporation’s counsel,
agent counsel retained by the Corporation’s counsel, the Corporation’s auditors,
the Corporation’s engineers, the reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of the
Underwriter (provided that the Corporation has approved any single such expenses
in excess of C$5,000 or any such expense in excess of C$10,000 in the
aggregate), including, but not limited to, travel and road show expenses, and
the Underwriter’s reasonable legal fees and expenses and all other reasonable
costs and expenses relating to the transactions contemplated herein. All fees
and expenses incurred by the Underwriter which are reimbursable hereunder shall
be payable by the Corporation immediately upon receiving an invoice therefor
from the Underwriter and in any event, not later than the Closing
Date.
The
foregoing expenses may, at sole option of the Underwriter, be deducted from
the
aggregate gross proceeds of the sale of the Flow-Through Shares and withheld
for
the account of the Underwriter.
Section 12
|
Waiver
|
The
Underwriter may, in respect of the Corporation, waive in whole or in part any
breach of, default under or non-compliance with any representation, warranty,
covenant, term or condition hereof, or extend the time for compliance therewith,
without prejudice to any of its rights in respect of any other representation,
warranty, covenant, term or condition hereof or any other breach of, default
under or non-compliance with any other representation, warranty, covenant,
term
or condition hereof, provided that any such waiver or extension shall be binding
on the Underwriter only if the same is in writing.
Section 13
|
Termination
Events
|
The
Underwriter may terminate its obligations hereunder, without any liability
on
the Underwriter’s part, by written notice to the Corporation, in the event that
after the date hereof and at or prior to the Closing Time:
32
(a)
|
any
order to cease or suspend trading in any securities of the Corporation,
or
prohibiting or restricting the distribution of the Flow-Through Shares
is
made, or proceedings are announced, commenced or threatened for the
making
of any such order, by any securities commission or similar regulatory
authority, either Exchange or by any other competent authority, and
the
same has not been rescinded, revoked or
withdrawn;
|
(b)
|
any
inquiry, investigation (whether formal or informal) or other proceeding
in
relation to the Corporation or any of its directors or senior officers
is
announced or commenced by any securities commission or similar regulatory
authority, either Exchange or by any other competent authority, or
any
order is issued under or pursuant to any statute of Canada or of
any of
the provinces of Canada, or any other applicable law or regulatory
authority (unless based on the activities or alleged activities of
the
Underwriter or its agent), or there is any change of law, regulation
or
policy or the interpretation or administration thereof which, in
the sole
opinion of the Underwriter, acting reasonably, materially adversely
affects, or may materially adversely affect, the market price or
value or
the marketability of the Flow-Through Shares or the trading in the
Common
Shares or the distribution of the Flow-Through
Shares;
|
(c)
|
there
should develop, occur or come into effect or existence any event,
action,
state, condition (including, without limitation, terrorism or accident)
or
major financial occurrence of national or international consequence,
or
any action by government, law or regulation, enquiry or any other
occurrence of any nature whatsoever which in the sole opinion of
the
Underwriter, acting reasonably, materially adversely affects, or
involves,
or may materially adversely affect or involve, the financial markets
or
the business, operations or affairs of the Corporation and its
Subsidiaries on a consolidated
basis;
|
(d)
|
there
should occur or be discovered any change, event, fact or circumstance
(actual, contemplated or threatened) of the nature referred to in
Section
4(a) hereof or any development that could result in such a change,
event,
fact or circumstance, any of which, in the opinion of the Underwriter,
as
determined by the Underwriter in its sole discretion, acting reasonably,
could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on
the
business, operations or affairs of the Corporation or the market
price or
value or the marketability of the Flow- Through
Shares;
|
(e)
|
the
Underwriter, acting reasonably, determines that the Corporation shall
be
in breach of, default under or non-compliance with any material
representation, warranty, covenant, term or condition of this Agreement
or
the Subscription Agreements;
|
(f)
|
the
Underwriter has become aware, as a result of its due diligence review
or
otherwise, of any adverse material fact or change (determined solely
by
the Underwriter, acting reasonably) with respect to the Corporation
which
had not been publicly disclosed or disclosed in writing to the Underwriter
prior to the date hereof or which occurred after the effective date
hereof
but prior to the Closing Time;
or
|
33
(g)
|
there
is announced any change or proposed change in the income tax laws
of
Canada or the interpretation or administration thereof and such change,
which in the opinion of the Underwriter, acting reasonably, could
be
expected to have a significant adverse effect on the market price
or value
or the marketability of the Flow-Through Shares or any other securities
of
the Corporation;
|
in
any of
such cases, the Underwriter shall be entitled, at its option, to terminate
and
cancel its obligations to the Corporation under this Agreement and the
obligations of any Subscriber under any Subscription Agreement.
Section 14
|
Termination
Right
|
The
Underwriter may exercise any or all of the rights provided for in Section 8,
Section 12 or Section 13 notwithstanding any material change, change, event
or
state of facts. The Underwriter shall only be considered to have waived or
be
estopped from exercising or relying upon any of its rights under or pursuant
to
Section 8, Section 12 or Section 13 if such waiver or estoppel is in writing
and
specifically waives or estops such exercise or reliance.
Section 15
|
Exercise
of Termination Right
|
Any
termination pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be effected by notice
in writing delivered to the Corporation, provided that no termination shall
discharge or otherwise affect any obligation of the Corporation under Section
11, Section 16, Section 17, Section 18 or Section 19. The rights of the
Underwriter to terminate obligations hereunder are in addition to, and without
prejudice to, any other remedies it may have.
Section 16
|
Survival
|
All
representations, warranties, covenants, indemnities, terms and conditions herein
or contained in certificates or documents submitted pursuant to or in connection
with the transactions contemplated herein shall survive the Offering of the
Flow-Through Shares by the Underwriter and shall continue in full force and
effect for the benefit of the Underwriter and the Subscribers regardless of
any
subsequent disposition of the Flow-Through Shares or any investigation by or
on
behalf of the Underwriter with respect thereto.
Section 17
|
Indemnity
|
The
Corporation shall indemnify and save each of the Indemnified Persons harmless
against and from all liabilities, claims, demands, losses (other than losses
of
profit), costs, damages and expenses to which any of the Indemnified Persons
may
be subject or which any of the Indemnified Persons may suffer or incur, whether
under the provisions of any statute or otherwise, in any way caused by, or
arising directly or indirectly from or in consequence of:
34
(a)
|
any
information or statement contained in any part of the Public Record
(other
than any information or statement relating solely to one or more
of the
Underwriter and furnished to the Corporation by the Underwriter expressly
for inclusion in any part of the Public Record) or contained in this
Agreement or any certificate or other document delivered by or on
behalf
of the Corporation to the Underwriter hereunder which is or is alleged
to
be untrue or any omission or alleged omission to provide any material
information or state any material fact the omission of which makes
or is
alleged to make any such information or statement untrue or misleading
in
light of the circumstances in which it was
made;
|
(b)
|
any
misrepresentation or alleged misrepresentation (except a misrepresentation
which is based upon information relating solely to the Underwriter
and
furnished to the Corporation by the Underwriter expressly for inclusion
in
any part of the Public Record) contained in any part of the Public
Record;
|
(c)
|
other
than as contemplated by the Registration Rights Agreement, any prohibition
or restriction of trading in the securities of the Corporation or
any
prohibition or restriction affecting the distribution of the Flow-Through
Shares (not based upon the activities or the alleged activities of
any of
the Underwriter or the Selling Dealer Group members, if any) imposed
by
any of the Securities Commissions or any other competent
authority;
|
(d)
|
any
order made or any inquiry, investigation (whether formal or informal)
or
other proceeding commenced or threatened by any of the Securities
Commissions or any other one or more competent authorities (not based
upon
the activities or the alleged activities of any of the Underwriter
or the
Selling Dealer Group members, if any) into the affairs of the Corporation
or any of its directors, officers or principal shareholders or relating
to
or affecting the trading or distribution of the Flow-Through
Shares;
|
(e)
|
any
breach of, default under or non-compliance by the Corporation with
any
representation, warranty, term or condition of this Agreement, the
Subscription Agreements, or delivered pursuant thereto or any requirement
of Applicable Securities Laws; or
|
(f)
|
any
misrepresentation contained in the due diligence responses (taken
as a
whole),
|
provided
that in the event and to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction
in
the final judgement from which no appeal can be made or a regulatory authority
in a final ruling from which no appeal can be made shall determine that any
matter in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder resulted solely
from the gross negligence, fraud or wilful misconduct of an Indemnified Person,
this indemnity shall not apply.
The
Corporation hereby waives its right to recover contribution from the Underwriter
with respect to any liability of the Corporation by reason of or arising out
of
any misrepresentation in any part of the Public Record; provided, however,
that
such waiver shall not apply in respect of liability caused or incurred by reason
of or arising out of: (i) any misrepresentation which is based upon information
relating solely to the Underwriter contained in such document and furnished
to
the Corporation by the Underwriter expressly for inclusion in such document;
or
(ii) any failure by the Underwriter to provide to prospective purchasers of
Flow-Through Shares any document which the Corporation is required to provide
to
such prospective purchasers and which the Corporation has provided to the
Underwriter on a timely basis to forward to such prospective
purchasers.
35
The
Corporation agrees that in case any legal proceedings or investigation shall
be
brought against or initiated against the Corporation by any governmental
commission, regulatory authority, exchange, court or other authority and an
Indemnified Person or other representative of the Underwriter shall be required
to testify or respond to procedures designed to discover information regarding,
in connection with or relating to the performance of professional services
rendered to the Corporation by the Underwriter, the Corporation shall pay the
Underwriter the reasonable costs (including an amount to reimburse the
Underwriter for the time spent by its personnel in connection therewith on
a per
diem basis and out of pocket expenses) in connection therewith unless such
proceedings or investigations shall be brought or initiated as a result of
any
negligence, fraud or similar actions or inactions of the Underwriter, or any
of
its affiliates or any member of the Selling Dealer Group.
Section 18
|
Notice
of Indemnity Claim
|
If
any
claim contemplated by Section 17 shall be asserted against any of the
Indemnified Persons in respect of which indemnification is or might reasonably
be considered to be provided for in such section, such Indemnified Person shall
notify the Corporation as soon as possible of the nature of such claim and
the
Corporation shall be entitled (but not required) to assume the defence of any
suit brought to enforce such claim; provided, however, that the defence shall
be
through legal counsel selected by the Corporation and acceptable to the
Indemnified Person acting reasonably and that no admission of liability or
settlement may be made by the Corporation or the Indemnified Person without
the
prior written consent of the other, such consent not to be unreasonably
withheld. The Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel
in any proceeding relating to a claim contemplated by Section 17
if:
(a)
|
the
Indemnified Person has been advised in writing by counsel that there
may
be a material legal defence available to the Indemnified Person which
is
different from or additional to a defence available to the Corporation
or
that a conflict of interest exists or reasonably may exist which
makes
representation by counsel chosen by the Corporation not advisable
(in
which case the Corporation shall not have the right to assume the
defence
of such proceedings on the Indemnified Person’s
behalf);
|
(b)
|
the
Corporation shall not have undertaken the defence of such proceedings
and
employed counsel within ten days after notice of commencement of
such
proceedings; or
|
(c)
|
the
employment of such counsel has been authorized by the Corporation
in
connection with the defence of such
proceeding;
|
36
and,
in
any such event, the reasonable fees and expenses of such Indemnified Person’s
counsel shall be paid by the Corporation; it being understood, however, that
the
Corporation shall not, in connection with any one such action or separate but
substantially similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out
of
the same general allegations or circumstances, be liable for the reasonable
fees
and expenses of more than one separate law firm (in addition to any local
counsel) for all Indemnified Persons unless the Indemnified Persons are required
to be represented by separate legal counsel.
It
is the
intention of the Corporation to constitute the Underwriter as trustee for the
Indemnified Persons for the purposes of Section 17, Section 18 and Section
19
and the Underwriter agrees to accept such trust and to hold and enforce such
covenants on behalf of such persons.
Section 19
|
Right
of Contribution
|
In
order
to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the
indemnification provided for in this Agreement is due in accordance with its
terms but is (in whole or in part), for any reason, held by a court to be
unavailable from the Corporation on grounds of policy or otherwise, each of
the
Corporation and the party or parties seeking indemnification shall contribute
to
the aggregate liabilities, claims, demands, losses (other than losses of
profit), costs, damages and expenses (or claims, actions, suits or proceedings
in respect thereof) to which they may be subject or which they may suffer or
incur:
(a)
|
in
such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefit
received
by the Corporation on the one hand and by the Underwriter on the
other
hand from the offering of the Flow-Through Shares;
or
|
(b)
|
if
the allocation provided by Section 19(a) is not permitted by applicable
law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the
relative
benefits referred to in Section 19(a) but also to reflect the relative
fault of the party or parties seeking indemnity, on the one hand,
and the
parties from whom indemnity is sought, on the other hand, in connection
with the statement, omission, misrepresentation or alleged
misrepresentation, order, inquiry, investigation or other matter
or thing
which resulted in such liabilities, claims, demands, losses, costs,
damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable
considerations.
|
The
relative benefits received by the Corporation, on the one hand, and the
Underwriter, on the other hand, shall be deemed to be in the same proportion
that the total proceeds of the offering received by the Corporation (net of
fees
but before deducting expenses) bear to the amount payable to the Underwriter
under Section 10.
The
amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of liabilities,
claims, demands, losses (other than losses of profit), costs, damages and
expenses (or claims, actions, suits or proceedings in respect thereof) referred
to above shall, without limitation, include any reasonable legal or other
expenses reasonably incurred by the Indemnified Person in connection with
investigating or defending such liabilities, claims, demands, losses, costs,
damages and expenses (or claims, actions, suits or proceedings in respect
thereof), whether or not resulting in any action, suit, proceeding or
claim.
37
The
Corporation agrees that it would not be just and equitable if contributions
pursuant to this Agreement were determined by pro
rata
allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take into account
the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding sections.
The rights to contribution provided in this Section 19 shall be in addition
to,
and without prejudice to, any other right to contribution which the Underwriter
may have.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, a person found guilty of fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation
by
a court of competent jurisdiction shall not be entitled to contribution from
the
other party to the extent that the fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation caused
or contributed to the damages in respect of which contribution is being
sought.
Any
liability of the Underwriter under this Section 19 shall be limited to the
amount payable to the Underwriter pursuant to Section 10.
Section 20
|
Notices
|
Any
notice or other communication required or permitted to be given hereunder shall,
in the case of notice to be given to the Corporation, be addressed
to:
Apollo
Gold Corporation
0000
X.
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx
X.X.X.
Attention: |
R.
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
|
Telecopy No.: |
000-000-0000
|
with
a
copy to:
Fogler,
Xxxxxxxx LLP
00
Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxxx
0000, Xxxxxxx-Xxxxxxxx Centre
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
X0X
0X0
Attention: |
G.
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
|
Telecopy No.: |
416-941-8852
|
and,
in
the case of notice to be given to the Underwriter, be addressed
to:
38
Xxxxxxx
Securities Inc.
Brookfield
Place, 000 Xxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
0000, Xxx 000
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx
X0X
0X0
Attention: |
Xxxx
XxXxxxxx
|
Telecopy No.: |
(000)
000-0000
|
with
a
copy to:
Fraser
Xxxxxx Casgrain LLP
000
Xxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxxx
0000, First Canadian Place
Toronto,
Ontario
M5X
1B2
Attention: |
Sander
A.J.R. Grieve
|
Telecopy No.: |
(000)
000-0000
|
or
to
such other address as the party may designate by notice given to the others.
Each communication shall be personally delivered to the addressee or sent by
facsimile transmission to the addressee, and:
(a)
|
a
communication which is personally delivered shall, if delivered before
4:30 p.m. (local time in the place of delivery) on a business day,
be
deemed to be given and received on that day and, in any other case
be
deemed to be given and received on the first business day following
the
day on which it is delivered; and
|
(b)
|
a
communication which is sent by facsimile transmission shall, if sent
on a
business day before 4:30 p.m. (local time in the place of receipt),
be
deemed to be given and received on that day and, in any other case,
be
deemed to be given and received on the first business day following
the
day on which it is sent.
|
Section 21
|
Trust
|
It
is the
intention of the Corporation to constitute the Underwriter as trustee for the
Subscribers in respect of the benefit of the representations, warranties and
covenants of the Corporation set forth in this Agreement.
Section 22
|
Acknowledgement
and Consent
|
The
Corporation: (i) acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriter has certain
statutory obligations as a registrant under the Applicable Securities Laws
and
has fiduciary relationships with its respective clients; and (ii) consents
to
the Underwriter acting hereunder while continuing to act for its respective
clients. To the extent that the Underwriter’s statutory obligations as a
registrant under Applicable Securities Laws or fiduciary relationships with
its
clients conflicts with its obligations hereunder, the Underwriter shall be
entitled to fulfill its statutory obligations as a registrant under Applicable
Securities Laws and its duties to its clients. Nothing in this Agreement shall
be interpreted to prevent the Underwriter from fulfilling its statutory
obligations as a registrant under Applicable Securities Laws or to act as a
fiduciary of its clients.
39
Section 23
|
Severance
|
If
one or
more of the provisions contained herein shall, for any reason, be held to be
invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality
or
unenforceability shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement, but
this Agreement shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable
provision or provisions had never been contained herein.
Section 24
|
Governing
Law
|
This
Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of
the
Province of Ontario and the laws of Canada applicable therein.
Section 25
|
Time
of the Essence
|
Time
shall be of the essence of this Agreement.
Section 26
|
Entire
Agreement
|
It
is
understood that the terms and conditions of this Agreement supersede any
previous verbal or written agreement between the Underwriter and the Corporation
with respect to the issuance of securities by the Corporation and including,
without limitation, the agreement constituted by the acceptance of the letter
dated August 6, 2008 from Xxxxxxx Securities Inc. to the
Corporation.
Section 27
|
Counterpart
Execution
|
This
Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which so executed
shall constitute an original and all of which together shall constitute one
and
the same agreement.
*
* * *
*
40
If
the
foregoing is in accordance with your understanding and is agreed to by you,
please confirm your acceptance by signing the enclosed copies of this letter
at
the place indicated and by returning the same to Xxxxxxx Securities
Inc.
XXXXXXX
SECURITIES INC.
|
||
Per:
|
ACCEPTED
AND AGREED to
effective as of the 21st day
of
August, 2008.
41