SHAREHOLDER PROTECTION RIGHTS PLAN AGREEMENT WESTERN WIND ENERGY CORP. (the “Company”) AND PACIFIC CORPORATE TRUST COMPANY (the “Rights Agent”) April 5, 2005
EXHIBIT 4.13
(the “Company”)
AND
PACIFIC CORPORATE TRUST COMPANY
(the “Rights Agent”)
April 5, 2005
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | ||
ARTICLE 1 INTERPRETATION |
2 | |
1.1 Definitions: |
2 | |
1.2 Currency: |
15 | |
1.3 Headings and References: |
15 | |
1.4 Calculation of Number and Percentage of Beneficial Ownership of
Outstanding Voting Shares: |
16 | |
1.5 Acting Jointly or in Concert: |
16 | |
1.6 Generally Accepted Accounting Principles: |
16 | |
ARTICLE 2 THE RIGHTS |
17 | |
2.1 Legend on Common Share Certificates: |
17 | |
2.2 Initial Exercise Price; Exercise of Rights; Detachment of Rights: |
17 | |
2.3 Adjustments to Exercise Price; Number of Rights: |
20 | |
2.4 Date on Which Exercise is Effective: |
25 | |
2.5 Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating of Rights Certificates: |
25 | |
2.6 Registration, Transfer and Exchange: |
25 | |
2.7 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Rights Certificates: |
26 | |
2.8 Persons Deemed Owners: |
27 | |
2.9 Delivery and Cancellation of Certificates: |
27 | |
2.10 Agreement of Rights Holders: |
27 | |
2.11 Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder: |
28 | |
ARTICLE 3 ADJUSTMENTS TO THE RIGHTS |
29 | |
3.1 Flip-in Event: |
29 | |
3.2 Exchange Option: |
30 | |
3.3 Fiduciary Duties of the Board of Directors: |
31 | |
ARTICLE 4 THE RIGHTS AGENT |
31 | |
4.1 General: |
31 | |
4.2 Merger or Amalgamation or Change of Name of Rights Agent: |
32 | |
4.3 Duties of Rights Agent: |
33 | |
4.4 Change of Rights Agent: |
34 |
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Page | ||
ARTICLE 5 MISCELLANEOUS |
35 | |
5.1 Redemption and Waiver: |
35 | |
5.2 Expiration: |
36 | |
5.3 Issue of New Rights Certificates: |
37 | |
5.4 Supplements and Amendments: |
37 | |
5.5 Fractional Rights and Fractional Common Shares: |
38 | |
5.6 Rights of Action: |
38 | |
5.7 Regulatory Approvals: |
39 | |
5.8 Declaration as to Non-Canadian holders: |
39 | |
5.9 Notices: |
39 | |
5. 10 Costs of Enforcement: |
40 | |
5.11 Successors: |
41 | |
5.12 Benefits of this Agreement: |
41 | |
5.13 Governing Law: |
41 | |
5.14 Severability: |
41 | |
5.15 Effective Date: |
41 | |
5.16 Confirmation: |
41 | |
5.17 Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors: |
42 | |
5.18 Counterparts: |
42 |
SCHEDULE A — FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
THIS SHAREHOLDER PROTECTION RIGHTS AGREEMENT DATED FOR REFERENCE APRIL 5, 2005.
BETWEEN:
WESTERN WIND ENERGY CORP., a company incorporated pursuant
to the laws of British Columbia and having its registered office at
Suite 1925 – 000 Xxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
X0X 0X0
(the “ Company”)
AND:
PACIFIC CORPORATE TRUST COMPANY, a trust company
incorporated under the laws of British Columbia and having an office
at 10th Floor, 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, XX X0X 0X0
(the “Rights Agent”)
WHEREAS:
A. The Board of Directors of the Company have determined that it is in the best interests of the
Company to adopt a shareholder protection rights plan to ensure, to the extent possible, that all
shareholders of the Company are treated fairly in connection with any take-over bid for the
Company.
B. In order to implement the adoption of a shareholder protection rights plan as established by
this Agreement the Board of Directors of the Company has:
(1) | authorized the issuance, effective at 12:01 a.m. (Vancouver time) on the Effective Date, of one Right in respect of each Common Share outstanding as of 12:01 a.m. (Vancouver time) on the Effective Date (the “Record Time”); and | ||
(2) | authorized the issue of one Right in respect of each Common Share issued after the Record Time and prior to the earlier of the Separation Time and the Expiration Time. |
C. Each Right entitles the holder thereof, after the Separation Time, to purchase securities of the
Company pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement.
D. The Company wishes to appoint the Rights Agent to act on behalf of the Company and the holders
of Rights, and the Rights Agent is willing to so act, in connection with the issuance, transfer,
exchange and replacement of Rights Certificates, the exercise of Rights and other matters referred
to in this Agreement.
E. The Board of Directors of the Company proposes that this Agreement be in place for a period of
ten years.
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NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and respective agreements set forth herein, the
parties hereto agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1
INTERPRETATION
1.1 Definitions:
In this Agreement, the following words and terms will, unless the context otherwise requires, have
the following meanings:
(a) | “Acquiring Person” means any Person who is or becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares, provided that the term “Acquiring Person” will not include: |
(i) | the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company; | ||
(ii) | any Person who becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares as a result of one or any combination of: |
(A) | a Voting Share Reduction; | ||
(B) | Permitted Bid Acquisitions; | ||
(C) | an Exempt Acquisition; or | ||
(D) | a Pro Rata Acquisition, |
provided that if a Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares by reason of one or any combination of a Voting Share Reduction, Permitted Bid Acquisitions, an Exempt Acquisition or a Pro Rata Acquisition and thereafter such Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of any additional Voting Shares (other than pursuant to a Voting Share Reduction, Permitted Bid Acquisitions, an Exempt Acquisition or a Pro Rata Acquisition), then as of the date that such Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of such additional Voting Shares, such Person will become an “Acquiring Person”; | |||
(iii) | for a period of ten days after the Disqualification Date (as defined below), any Person who becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares as a result of such Person becoming disqualified from relying on Subsection 1.1(f)(viii) solely because such Person or the Beneficial Owner of such Voting Shares has participated in, proposes or intends to make or is participating in a Take-Over Bid or any plan or proposal relating thereto or resulting therefrom, either alone or by acting jointly or in concert with any other Person. For the purposes of this definition, “Disqualification Date” means the first date of public announcement of facts indicating that any Person has participated in, has made, proposes or intends to make or is participating in a Take-Over Bid or any plans or proposals relating thereto or resulting therefrom, including, without limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 111 of the Securities Act (British Columbia); |
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(iv) | an underwriter or member of a banking or selling group that becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares in connection with a bona fide distribution to the public of securities by way of a prospectus or private placement; or | ||
(v) | a Grandfathered Person, provided that this exception will not be, and will cease to be, applicable to a Grandfathered Person if such Grandfathered Person, after the Record Time: |
(A) | ceases to have Beneficial Ownership of more than 20% of the Voting Shares; or | ||
(B) | becomes the Beneficial Owner of any additional Voting Shares that increases its Beneficial Ownership of Voting Shares by more than 2% of the number of Voting Shares outstanding from time to time, other than through a Voting Share Reduction, a Permitted Bid Acquisition, an Exempt Acquisition, a Pro Rata Acquisition or through the exercise of existing rights to acquire additional Voting Shares from the Company where such rights were owned by the Grandfathered Person at the Record Time. |
(b) | “Affiliate” means, when used to indicate a relationship with a specified Person, a Person that, directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries or otherwise, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such specified Person. | ||
(c) | “Agreement” means this shareholder protection rights plan agreement dated for reference April 5, 2005 between the Company and the Rights Agent, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time. | ||
(d) | “annual cash dividend” means cash dividends paid at regular intervals in any financial year of the Company to the extent that such cash dividends do not exceed, in the aggregate, the greatest of: |
(i) | 200% of the aggregate amount of cash dividends declared payable by the Company on its Common Shares in its immediately preceding financial year; | ||
(ii) | 300% of the arithmetic average of the aggregate amount of cash dividends declared payable by the Company on its Common Shares in its three immediately preceding financial years; and | ||
(iii) | 100% of the aggregate consolidated net income of the Company, before extraordinary items, for its immediately preceding financial year. |
(e) | “Associate” means, when used to indicate a relationship with a specified Person: |
(i) | a corporation of which that Person owns, at law or in equity, shares or securities currently convertible into shares carrying more than 10% of the Voting Rights exercisable with respect to the election of directors under all circumstances or by reason of the occurrence of an event that has occurred and is continuing, or a |
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currently exercisable option or right to purchase such shares or such convertible securities and with whom that Person is acting jointly or in concert; | |||
(ii) | a partner of that Person acting on behalf of the partnership of which they are partners; | ||
(iii) | a trust or estate in which that Person has a beneficial interest and with whom that Person is acting jointly or in concert or in which that Person has a beneficial interest of 50% or more or in respect of which that Person serves as a trustee or in a similar capacity provided, however, that a Person shall not be an associate of a trust by reason only of the fact that such Person serves as a trustee or any similar capacity in relation to such trust if such Person is duly licensed to carry on the business of a trust company under the laws of Canada or any province thereof or if the ordinary business of such Person includes the management of investment funds for unaffiliated investors and such Person acts as trustee or in a similar capacity in relation to such trust in the ordinary course of such business; and | ||
(iv) | a spouse of that Person, any person of the same or opposite sex with whom that person is living in a conjugal relationship outside marriage, a child of that Person or a relative of that Person if that relative has the same residence as that Person. |
(f) | “Beneficial Owner”: a Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner”, and to have “Beneficial Ownership” of, and to “Beneficially Own”: |
(i) | any securities as to which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates is the direct or indirect owner at law or in equity and for the purposes of this Subsection 1.1(f)(i), but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, a Person shall be deemed to be an owner at law or in equity of all securities: |
(A) | owned by a partnership of which the Person is a partner; | ||
(B) | owned by a trust in which the Person has a beneficial interest and which is acting jointly or in concert with that Person or in which the Person has a beneficial interest of 50% or more; | ||
(C) | owned by a spouse of that Person, any Person of the same or opposite sex with whom that Person is living in a conjugal relationship outside marriage, a child of that Person or a relative of that Person residing in the same residence; | ||
(D) | owned jointly or in common with others; and | ||
(E) | of which the Person may be deemed to be the beneficial owner (whether or not of record) pursuant to the provisions of the Business Corporations Act, or the Securities Act (British Columbia) or pursuant to Rule 13d-3 or 13d-5 under the Exchange Act of 1934 (or pursuant to any comparable or successor laws, regulations or rules enacted in relation to the provisions of the Business Corporations Act or the Securities Act (British Columbia) or pursuant to Rule 13d-3 or 13d-5 as in effect on the date of this Agreement); |
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(ii) | any securities as to which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has, directly or indirectly: |
(A) | the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or after the lapse or passage of time and whether or not on condition or the happening of any contingency or otherwise) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement, pledge or understanding, whether or not in writing (other than (1) customary agreements with and between underwriters and/or banking group members and/or selling group members with respect to a bona fide distribution to the public or private placement of securities; (2) pledges of securities in the ordinary course of business that meet all the conditions specified in Rule 13d-3(d)(3) under the Exchange Act of 1934 (except for the condition in Rule 13d-3(d)(3)(ii)); and (3) pledge agreements with a registered securities dealer relating to the extension of credit for purchases of securities on margin in the ordinary course of the dealer’s business), or upon the exercise of any conversion right, exchange right, share purchase right (other than the Rights), warrant or option, or otherwise; or | ||
(B) | the right to vote such securities (whether such right is exercisable immediately or after the lapse or passage of time and whether or not on condition or the happening of any contingency or otherwise) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement, pledge (other than (1) pledges of securities in the ordinary course of business that meet all the conditions specified in Rule 13d-3(d)(3) under the Exchange Act of 1934 (except for the condition in Rule 13d-3(d)(3)(ii)); and (2) pledge agreements with a registered securities dealer relating to the extension of credit for purchases of securities on margin in the ordinary course of the dealer’s business) or understanding (whether or not in writing) or otherwise; |
(iii) | any securities which are Beneficially Owned within the meaning of Subsections 1.1(f)(i) or (ii) by any other Person with which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing (other than (1) customary agreements with and between underwriters and/or banking group members and/or selling group members with respect to a bona fide distribution to the public or private placement of securities, (2) pledges of securities in the ordinary course of business that meet all the conditions specified in Rule 13d-3(d)(3) under the Exchange Act of 1934 (except for the condition in Rule 1 3d-3(d)(3)(ii)) and (3) pledge agreements with a registered securities dealer relating to the extension of credit for purchases of securities on margin in the ordinary course of the dealer’s business) with respect to or for the purpose of acting jointly or in concert in acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of any Voting Shares of any class; and | ||
(iv) | any securities which are directly or indirectly owned at law or in equity by an Associate of such Person; |
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provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to have “Beneficial Ownership” of, or to “Beneficially Own”, any security: |
(v) | where such security has been deposited or tendered pursuant to any Take-Over Bid made by such Person, made by any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates or made by any other Person referred to in Subsection 1.1(f)(iii), until such deposited or tendered security has been taken up or paid for, whichever shall first occur; | ||
(vi) | where such Person, any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates or any other Person referred to in Subsection 1.1(f)(iii), has or shares the power to vote or direct the voting of such security in connection with or in order to participate in a public proxy solicitation or pursuant to a revocable proxy given in response to a public proxy solicitation or where such Person has an agreement, arrangement or understanding with respect to a shareholder proposal or proposals or a matter or matters to come before a meeting of shareholders, including the election of directors; | ||
(vii) | where such Person, any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates or any other Person referred to in Subsection 1.1(f)(iii), holds or exercises voting or dispositive power over such security provided that: |
(A) | the ordinary business of any such Person (the “Investment Manager”) includes the management of investment funds for others (which others, for greater certainty, may include or be limited to one or more employee benefit plans or pension plans) and such voting or dispositive power over such security is held by the Investment Manager in the ordinary course of such business in the performance of such Investment Manager’s duties for the account of another Person including non-discretionary accounts held on behalf of a client by a broker or dealer registered under applicable laws (a “Client”); | ||
(B) | such Person (the “Trust Company”) is licensed to carry on the business of a trust company under the laws of Canada or any province thereof and, as such, acts as trustee or administrator or in a similar capacity in relation to the estates of deceased or incompetent Persons (each an “Estate Account”) or in relation to other accounts (each an “Other Account”) and holds such voting or dispositive power over such security in the ordinary course of such duties for the estate of any such deceased or incompetent Person or for such other accounts; | ||
(C) | such Person is established by statute for purposes that include, and a substantial portion of the ordinary business or activity of such Person (the “Statutory Body”) is, the management of investment funds for employee benefit plans, pension plans, insurance plans (other than plans administered by insurance companies) or various public bodies; | ||
(D) | such Person (the “Administrator”) is the administrator or trustee of one or more pension funds or plans (a “Plan”) registered under the laws of Canada or any Province thereof or the laws of the United States of America or any State thereof; or |
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(E) | such Person is a Crown agent or agency |
provided, in any of the above cases, that the Investment Manager, the Trust
Company, the Statutory Body, the Administrator or the Crown Agent, as the
case may be, is not then making or proposing to make a Take-Over Bid, other
than an Offer to Acquire Voting Shares or other securities by means of a
distribution by the Company or by means of ordinary market transactions
(including prearranged trades) executed through the facilities of a stock
exchange or organized over-the-counter market, alone or by acting jointly or
in concert with any other Person; or
(viii) | where such Person is a Client of the same Investment Manager as another Person on whose account the Investment Manager holds or exercises voting or dispositive power over such security, or by reason of such Person being an Estate Account or an Other Account of the same Trust Company as another Person on whose account the Trust Company holds or exercises voting or dispositive power over such security or where such Person is a Plan and has an Administrator who is also Administrator for another Plan on whose account the Administrator holds or exercises voting or dispositive power over such security; or | ||
(ix) | where such Person is (A) a client of an Investment Manager and such security is owned by law or in equity by the Investment Manager or (B) an account of a Trust Company is owned at law or in equity by the Trust Company or (C) a Plan and such security is owned at law or in equity by the Administrator; or | ||
(x) | where such Person is the registered holder of securities as a result of carrying on business of or acting as a nominee of a securities depositary. |
(g) | “Board of Directors” means the board of directors from time to time of the Company or any duly constituted and empowered committee thereof. | ||
(h) | “Business Corporations Act” means the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and the regulations thereunder, as now in effect or as the same may from time to time be amended, re-enacted or replaced. | ||
(i) | “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in Vancouver, British Columbia, are authorized or obligated by law to close. | ||
(j) | “Canadian Dollar Equivalent” means, for any amount which is expressed in United States dollars on any date, the Canadian dollar equivalent of such amount determined by reference to the U.S.-Canadian Exchange Rate on such date. | ||
(k) | “Canadian-U.S. Exchange Rate” means, on any date, the inverse of the U.S.-Canadian Exchange Rate. | ||
(l) | “close of business” means, on any given date, the time on such date (or, if such date is not a Business Day, the time on the next succeeding Business Day) at which the principal transfer office in Vancouver, British Columbia, of the transfer agent for the Common Shares of the Company (or, after the Separation Time, the office in Vancouver, British Columbia, of the Rights Agent) closes to the public. |
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(m) | “Common Shares” means the common shares without par value in the capital of the Company as presently constituted, as such shares may be subdivided, consolidated, reclassified or otherwise changed from time to time. | ||
(n) | “Competing Permitted Bid” means a Take-Over Bid made while a Permitted Bid is in existence and that satisfies all of the provisions of a Permitted Bid except that the condition set forth in Subsection 1.1(ak)(ii) may provide that the Voting Shares that are the subject of the Take-Over Bid may be taken up or paid for on a date which is not earlier than the later of 21 days (or such other minimum period of days as may be prescribed by applicable law in British Columbia) after the date of the Take-Over Bid or the earliest date on which Voting Shares may be taken up or paid for under any other Permitted Bid that is in existence for the Voting Shares. | ||
(o) | “controlled”: a corporation shall be deemed to be “controlled” by another Person or two or more Persons if: |
(i) | securities entitled to vote in the election of directors carrying more than 50% of the votes for the election of directors are held, directly or indirectly, by or for the benefit of the other Person or Persons; and | ||
(ii) | the votes carried by such securities are entitled, if exercised, to elect a majority of the Board of Directors of such corporation. |
(p) | “Co-Rights Agents” means a Co-Rights Agent, if any, appointed pursuant to Subsection 4.1(a). | ||
(q) | “Company” means Western Wind Energy Corp. | ||
(r) | “Disposition Date” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 5.1(i). | ||
(s) | “Dividend Reinvestment Acquisition” shall mean an acquisition of Voting Shares pursuant to a Dividend Reinvestment Plan. | ||
(t) | “Dividend Reinvestment Plan” means a regular dividend reinvestment or other plan of the Company made available by the Company to holders of its securities where such plan permits the holder to direct that some or all of: |
(i) | dividends paid in respect of shares of any class of the Company; | ||
(ii) | proceeds of redemption of shares of the Company; | ||
(iii) | interest paid on evidence of indebtedness of the Company; or | ||
(iv) | optional cash payments; |
be applied to the purchase from the Company of Common Shares. |
(u) | “Effective Date” means April 5, 2005. | ||
(v) | “Election to Exercise” means an election to exercise Rights substantially in the form attached to the Rights Certificate. |
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(w) | “Exchange Act of 1934” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (United States of America), as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, as now in effect or as the same may from time to time be amended, re-enacted or repealed. | ||
(x) | “Exempt Acquisition” means a share acquisition: |
(i) | in respect of which the Board of Directors has waived the application of Section 3.1 pursuant to the provisions of Subsections 5.1(a) or (i); | ||
(ii) | which was made on or prior to the date of this Agreement; or | ||
(iii) | which was made pursuant to a distribution by the Company of Voting Shares by way of private placement by the Company or upon the exercise by an individual employee of stock options granted under a stock option plan of the Company or rights to purchase securities granted under a share purchase plan of the Company provided that: |
(A) | all necessary stock exchange approvals for such private placement, stock option plan or share purchase plan have been obtained and such private placement, stock option plan or share purchase plan complies with the terms and conditions of such approvals; and | ||
(B) | such Person does not become the Beneficial Owner of more than 25% of the Voting Shares outstanding immediately prior to the distribution, and in making this determination the Voting Shares to be issued to such Person in the distribution shall be deemed to be held by such Person but shall not be included in the aggregate number of outstanding Voting Shares immediately prior to the distribution. |
(y) | “Exercise Price” means, as of any date, the price at which a holder of a Right may purchase the securities issuable upon exercise of one whole Right which, until adjusted in accordance with the terms hereof, will be $50. | ||
(z) | “Expansion Factor” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 2.3(a). | ||
(aa) | “Expiration Time” means the earlier of: |
(i) | the time at which this Agreement or the right to exercise Rights shall terminate (the “Termination Time”); and | ||
(ii) | the termination of the annual meeting of the shareholders of the Company in the year 2005 |
provided, however, that if the resolutions, respectively, referred to in Section 5.16 are approved by Independent Shareholders in accordance with Section 5.16 at or prior to such annual meeting, “Expiration Time” means the earlier of the Termination Time and (ii) if this Agreement is not reconfirmed pursuant to Section 5.16, the termination of the annual meeting of the shareholders of the Company in the year 2010 or 2013, as the case may be. |
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(ab) | “Flip-in Event” means a transaction or event in or pursuant to which a Person becomes an Acquiring Person. | ||
(ac) | “Grandfathered Person” means a Person who is the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares of the Company determined as at the Record Time. | ||
(ad) | “Holder” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 2.8. | ||
(ae) | “Independent Shareholders” means holders of outstanding Voting Shares, other than: |
(i) | any Acquiring Person; | ||
(ii) | any Offeror; | ||
(iii) | any Affiliate or Associate of any Acquiring Person or Offeror; | ||
(iv) | any Person acting jointly or in concert with any Acquiring Person or Offeror, or with any Affiliate or Associate of any Acquiring Person or Offeror; and | ||
(v) | any employee benefit plan, deferred profit-sharing plan, stock participation plan and any other similar plan or trust for the benefit of employees of the Company unless the beneficiaries of the plan or trust direct the manner in which the Voting Shares are to be voted or direct whether the Voting Shares are to be tendered to a Take-Over Bid. |
(af) | “Market Price” per share of any securities on any date means the average daily Closing Price per Share of such securities on each of the 20 consecutive Trading Days through and including the Trading Day immediately preceding such date provided, however, that if an event of a type analogous to any of the events described in Section 2.3 hereof shall have caused the closing prices used to determine the Market Price on any Trading Day not to be fully comparable with the closing price on such date (or, if such date is not a Trading Day, on the immediately preceding Trading Day), each such closing price so used shall be appropriately adjusted in a manner analogous to the applicable adjustment provided for in Section 2.3 hereof in order to make it fully comparable with the closing price on such date or, if such date is not a Trading Day, on the immediately preceding Trading Day. The closing price per share (“Closing Price per Share”) of any securities on any date shall be: |
(i) | the closing board lot sale price or, in case no sale takes place on such date, the average of the closing bid and ask prices per security, as reported by the principal Canadian stock exchange (as determined by the Board of Directors) on which such securities are listed and posted for trading; | ||
(ii) | if for any reason none of such prices is available on such day or the securities are not listed or posted for trading on a Canadian stock exchange, the last sale price or, in case no such sale takes place on such date, the average of the closing bid and ask prices for each of such securities as reported by the principal United States securities exchange (as determined by the Board of Directors) on which such securities are listed or remitted to trading; |
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(iii) | if for any reason none of such prices is available on such date or the securities are not listed or remitted to trading on a Canadian stock exchange or a United States securities exchange, the last sale price or, in case no sale takes place on such date, the average of the high bid and low ask prices for each of such securities in the over the counter market, as quoted by any reporting system then in use (as determined by the Board of Directors); or | ||
(iv) | if for any reason none of such prices is available on such date or the securities are not listed or remitted to trading on a Canadian stock exchange or a United States securities exchange or quoted by any such reporting system, the average of the closing bid and ask prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the securities selected by the Board of Directors; |
provided, however, that if for any reason none of such prices is available on such day, the Closing Price per Share of such securities on such a date means the fair value per share of such securities on such date as determined by the Board of Directors, after consultation with a nationally recognized investment dealer or investment banker with respect to the fair value per share of such securities. The market price shall be expressed in Canadian dollars and, if initially determined in respect of any date following part of the 20 consecutive trading day period in question in United States dollars, such amount shall be translated into Canadian dollars at such date at the Canadian dollar equivalent thereof. | |||
Notwithstanding the foregoing, where the Board of Directors is satisfied that the Market Price of securities as determined herein was affected by an anticipated or actual Take-Over Bid or by improper manipulation, the Board of Directors may, acting in good faith, determine the Market Price of securities, such determination to be based on a finding as to the price at which a holder of securities of that class could reasonably have expected to dispose of his securities immediately prior to the relevant date excluding any change in price reasonably attributable to the anticipated or actual Take-Over Bid or to the improper manipulation. |
(ag) | “Nominee” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 2.2(c). | ||
(ah) | “Offer to Acquire” includes: |
(i) | an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell Voting Shares; and | ||
(ii) | an acceptance of an offer to sell Voting Shares, whether or not such offer to sell has been solicited; |
or any combination thereof, and the Person accepting an offer to sell shall be
deemed to be making an Offer to Acquire to the Person that made the offer to sell.
(ai) | “Offeror” means a Person who has announced an intention to make, or who has made, a Take-Over Bid but excluding any such Person if the Take-Over Bid so announced by or made by such Person has been withdrawn, terminated or expired. | ||
(aj) | “Offeror’s Securities” means the aggregate of all Voting Shares Beneficially Owned by the Offeror on the date of an Offer to Acquire. |
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(ak) | “Permitted Bid” means a Take-Over Bid made by an Offeror by way of a takeover bid circular which also complies with the following additional provisions: |
(i) | the Take-Over Bid is made for all outstanding Voting Shares and to all holders of Voting Shares as registered on the books of the Company, other than the Offeror. For greater certainty and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, a Take-Over Bid, which excludes a holder of Shares resident in a specific jurisdiction, does not meet the requirements of this Subsection 1.1(ak)(i). The Take-Over Bid shall expressly state that Common Shares issued on the exercise of share purchase warrants, options and other securities convertible into Common Shares shall, subject to compliance with the procedures applicable generally to the tendering of Voting Shares of the Take-Over Bid, be eligible to be tendered under the Take-Over Bid; | ||
(ii) | the Take-Over Bid contains, and the take-up and payment for securities tendered or deposited is subject to, an irrevocable and unqualified provision that no Voting Shares will be taken up or paid for pursuant to the Take-Over Bid prior to the close of business on a date which is not less than 60 days following the date of the Take-Over Bid and only if at such date more than 50% of the Voting Shares held by Independent Shareholders shall have been deposited or tendered pursuant to the Take-Over Bid and not withdrawn; | ||
(iii) | the Take-Over Bid contains an irrevocable and unqualified provision that Voting Shares may be deposited pursuant to such Take-Over Bid at any time during the period of time described in Subsection 1.1(ak)(ii) unless the Take-Over Bid is withdrawn and that any Voting Shares deposited pursuant to the Take-Over Bid may be withdrawn until taken up and paid for; and | ||
(iv) | the Take-Over Bid contains an irrevocable and unqualified provision that if the deposit condition set forth in Subsection 1.1(ak)(ii) is satisfied the Offeror will make a public announcement of that fact and the Take-Over Bid will remain open for deposits and tenders of Voting Shares for not less than ten (10) Business Days from the date of such public announcement; |
provided that if a Take-Over Bid constitutes a Competing Permitted Bid the term “Permitted Bid” shall also mean the Competing Permitted Bid. |
(al) | “Permitted Bid Acquisition” means an acquisition of Voting Shares made pursuant to a Permitted Bid or a Competing Permitted Bid. | ||
(am) | “Person” includes an individual, body corporate, partnership, syndicate or other form of unincorporated association, a government and its agencies or instrumentalities, any entity or group (as such term is used in Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act of 1934 as in effect on the date hereof) whether or not having legal personality and any of the foregoing acting in any derivative, representative or fiduciary capacity. | ||
(an) | “Pro-Rata Acquisition” means an acquisition by a Person of Voting Shares pursuant to: |
(i) | a Dividend Reinvestment Acquisition; |
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(ii) | a stock dividend, stock split or other event in respect of securities of the Company pursuant to which such Person becomes a beneficial owner of Voting Shares on the same pro-rata basis as all other holders of securities; | ||
(iii) | the exercise by the Person of only those rights to purchase Voting Shares distributed to that Person in the course of a distribution to all holders of securities of the Company pursuant to a bona fide rights offering or pursuant to a prospectus provided the Person does not acquire a greater percentage of Voting Shares so offered than the Person’s percentage of voting shares Beneficially Owned immediately prior to such acquisition; or | ||
(iv) | a distribution to the public of Voting Shares, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Voting Shares (and the conversion or exchange of such convertible or exchangeable securities), made pursuant to a prospectus or by way of a private placement, provided that the Person does not thereby acquire a greater percentage of such Voting Shares, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Voting Shares, so offered than the Person’s percentage of Voting Shares Beneficially Owned immediately prior to such acquisition. |
(ao) | “Record Time” means 12:01 a.m. (Vancouver time) on the Effective Date. | ||
(ap) | “Redemption Price” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 5.1(c). | ||
(aq) | “Right” means a right to purchase Common Shares on and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. | ||
(ar) | “Rights Agent” means Pacific Corporate Trust Company and any successor rights agent hereunder. | ||
(as) | “Rights Certificate” means a certificate representing Rights in substantially the form of Schedule A attached hereto. | ||
(at) | “Rights Register” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 2.6(a). | ||
(au) | “Securities Act (British Columbia)” means the Securities Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c.418, as amended, and the Rules and Regulations thereunder, as now in effect or as the same may from time to time be amended, re-enacted or replaced. | ||
(av) | “Securities Act of 1933” means the Securities Act of 1933 (United States of America), as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, as now in effect or as the same may from time to time be amended, re-enacted or replaced. | ||
(aw) | “Separation Time” means 4:00 p.m. on the 10th Business Day after the earlier of: |
(i) | the Share Acquisition Date; and | ||
(ii) | the date of the commencement of or first public announcement of the intent of any Person (other than the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company) to commence a Take-Over Bid (other than a Permitted Bid or a Competing Permitted Bid so long as such Take-Over Bid continues to satisfy the requirements of a Permitted Bid) as |
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the case may be; provided that, if any such Take-Over Bid expires, is canceled, terminated or otherwise withdrawn prior to the Separation Time, such Take-Over Bid shall be deemed, for the purposes of this definition, never to have been made; and | |||
(iii) | the date upon which a Permitted Bid ceases to be a Permitted Bid |
or such earlier or later time as may be determined by the Board of Directors provided that if the foregoing results in the Separation Time being prior to the Record Time, the Separation Time shall be the Record Time and if the Board of Directors determined pursuant to Section 5.1 to waive the application of Section 3.1 to a Flip-in Event the Separation Time in respect of such Flip-in Event shall be deemed never to have occurred. | |||
(ax) | “Share Acquisition Date” means the first date of a public announcement or disclosure (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 111 of the Securities Act (British Columbia)) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that a Person has become an Acquiring Person. | ||
(ay) | “Special Meeting” means a Special Meeting of the holders of Voting Shares, called by the Board of Directors for the purpose of approving a supplement, amendment or variation of this Agreement and the Rights pursuant to Subsection 5.4(b) or Subsection 5.4(c). | ||
(az) | “Subsidiary” a corporation shall be deemed to be a subsidiary of another corporation if: |
(i) | it is controlled by: |
(A) | that other; or | ||
(B) | that other and one or more corporations, each of which is controlled by that other; or | ||
(C) | two or more corporations, each of which is controlled by that other; or |
(ii) | it is a Subsidiary of a corporation that is that other’s Subsidiary; or | ||
(iii) | the date upon which a Permitted Bid or Competing Permitted Bid ceases to be such. |
(ba) | “Take-Over Bid” means an Offer to Acquire Voting Shares, or securities convertible into Voting Shares if, assuming that the Voting Shares or convertible securities subject to the Offer to Acquire are acquired and are Beneficially Owned at the date of such Offer to Acquire by the Person making such Offer to Acquire, such Voting Shares (including Voting Shares that may be acquired upon conversion of securities, convertible into Voting Shares) together with the Offeror’s Securities, constitute in the aggregate 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares at the date of the Offer to Acquire, but excluding any Offer to Acquire Voting Shares made after the Record Time by a Grandfathered Person, provided, assuming the successful completion of such Offer to Acquire, the Grandfathered Person would not become the Beneficial Owner of Voting Shares in excess of the percentage set out in Subsection 1.1(a)(v)(B). |
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(bb) | “Trading Day” means, when used with respect to any securities, a day on which the principal Canadian stock exchange on which such securities are listed or posted for trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the securities are not listed or posted for trading on any Canadian stock exchange, a Business Day. | ||
(bc) | “U.S.-Canadian Exchange Rate” means, on any date: |
(i) | if on such date the Bank of Canada sets an average noon spot rate of exchange for the conversion of one United States dollar into Canadian dollars, such rate; and | ||
(ii) | in any other case, the rate for such date for the conversion of one United States dollar into Canadian dollars calculated in the manner determined by the Board of Directors from time to time. |
(bd) | “U.S. Dollar Equivalent” means, for any amount which is expressed in Canadian dollars on any date, the United States dollar equivalent of such amount determined by reference to the Canadian-U.S. Exchange Rate on such date. | ||
(be) | “Voting Shares” means the Common Shares and any other shares of the Company entitled to vote generally and at all times for the election of directors of the Company. | ||
(bf) | “Voting Share Reduction” means an acquisition or redemption by the Company of outstanding Voting Shares which, by reducing the number of Voting Shares outstanding, increases the percentage of Voting Shares Beneficially Owned by a Person to 20% or more of the Voting Shares then outstanding. |
1.2 | Currency: |
All sums of money which are referred to in this Agreement are expressed in lawful money of Canada,
unless otherwise specified.
1.3 | Headings and References: |
The headings of the articles, sections and subsections of this Agreement and the table of contents
are inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the construction or
interpretation of this Agreement. All references to articles, sections, subsections and paragraphs
are to articles, sections, subsections and paragraphs of this Agreement. The words “hereto”,
“herein”, “hereof’, “hereunder”, “this Agreement”, “the Rights Agreement” and similar expressions
refer to this Agreement including the schedule attached hereto as a whole, as the same may be
amended, modified or supplemented at any time or from time to time.
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1.4 | Calculation of Number and Percentage of Beneficial Ownership of Outstanding Voting Shares: |
For purposes of this Agreement, the percentage of Voting Shares of any class Beneficially Owned by
any Person, will be and be deemed to be the product (expressed as a percentage) determined by the
formula:
100 x A/B | ||||||
where: |
||||||
A | = | the number of votes for the election of all directors generally attaching to the Voting Shares of the particular class Beneficially Owned by such Person; and | ||||
B | = | the number of votes for the election of all directors generally attaching to all outstanding Voting Shares of the particular class. |
Where any Person is deemed to Beneficially Own unissued Voting Shares such Voting Shares will be
deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of calculating the percentage of Voting Shares of the
particular class Beneficially Owned by such Person.
1.5 | Acting Jointly or in Concert: |
For purposes of this Agreement, whether Persons are acting jointly or in concert is a question of
fact in each circumstance, however, a Person shall be deemed to be acting jointly or in concert
with another Person if such Person would be deemed to be acting jointly or in concert with such
other Person for purposes of Subsection 96(1) of the Securities Act (British Columbia) (other than
by virtue of the inclusion of the word “associate” in Subsection 96(1) of the Securities Act
(British Columbia) as it exists on the date hereof). Notwithstanding the foregoing and for greater
certainty, the phrase “acting jointly or in concert”, wherever used in this Agreement, shall not
include conduct:
(a) | unrelated to the Company; or | ||
(b) | pertaining to: |
(i) | voting or directing the vote of securities of the Company pursuant to a revocable proxy given in response to a public proxy solicitation; | ||
(ii) | voting or directing the vote of securities of the Company in connection with or in order to participate in a public proxy solicitation made or to be made; | ||
(iii) | having an agreement, arrangement or understanding with respect to a particular shareholder proposal or a particular matter to come before a meeting of shareholders, including the election of directors. |
1.6 | Generally Accepted Accounting Principles: |
Wherever in this Agreement reference is made to generally accepted accounting principles, such
reference shall be deemed to be the recommendations at the relevant time of the Canadian Institute
of Chartered Accountants, or any successor institute, applicable on a consolidated basis (unless
otherwise specifically provided herein to be applicable on an unconsolidated basis) as of the date
on which a calculation is made or required to be made in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles. Where the character or
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amount of any asset or liability or item of revenue or expense is required to be determined, or any
consolidation or other accounting computation is required to be made for the purpose of this
Agreement or any document, such determination or calculation shall, to the extent applicable and
except as otherwise specified herein or as otherwise agreed in writing by the parties, be made in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis.
ARTICLE
2
THE RIGHTS
2.1 | Legend on Common Share Certificates: |
Certificates representing Common Shares which are issued after the Record Time but prior to the
earlier of the Separation Time and the Expiration Time, will evidence one Right for each Common
Share represented thereby and shall have impressed, printed or written thereon or otherwise affixed
thereto the following legend:
“Until the Separation Time (as such term is defined in the Shareholder Protection
Rights Plan Agreement referred to below), this certificate also evidences and
entitles the holder hereof to certain rights as set forth in the shareholder
protection rights plan agreement (the “Shareholder Protection Rights Plan
Agreement”) dated for reference April 5, 2005 between the Company and Pacific
Corporate Trust Company, as Rights Agent, the terms of which are hereby incorporated
herein by reference and a copy of which is on file and may be inspected during
normal business hours at the principal executive office of the Company. Under
certain circumstances as set forth in the Shareholder Protection Rights Plan
Agreement, such Rights may be amended, redeemed or exchanged, may expire, may lapse,
may become void (if, in certain circumstances, they are “Beneficially Owned” by a
person who is or becomes an “Acquiring Person”, as such terms are defined in the
Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement, or a transferee thereof) or may be
evidenced by separate certificates and may no longer be evidenced by this
certificate. The Company will mail or arrange for the mailing of a copy of the
Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement to the holder of this certificate
without charge as soon as practicable after the receipt of a written request
therefor.”
Certificates representing Common Shares that are issued and outstanding at the Record Time will
also evidence one Right for each one Common Share evidenced thereby, notwithstanding the absence of
the foregoing legend, until the close of business on the earlier of the Separation Time and the
Expiration Time.
2.2 | Initial Exercise Price; Exercise of Rights; Detachment of Rights: |
(a) | Exercise Terms: Subject to adjustment as herein set forth, each Right will entitle the holder thereof, from and after the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time, to purchase one Common Share for the Exercise Price. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, any Rights held by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries will be void. |
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(b) | No Exercise Prior to Separation Time: Until the Separation Time: |
(i) | the Rights will not be exercisable and no Right may be exercised; and | ||
(ii) | each Right shall be evidenced by the certificate for the associated Common Share registered in the name of the holder thereof (which certificate shall also be deemed to represent a Rights Certificate) and shall be transferable only together with, and shall be transferred by a transfer of, such associated Common Share. |
(c) | Exercise After Separation Time: From and after the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time: |
(i) | the Rights are exercisable; and | ||
(ii) | the registration and transfer of Rights will be separate from and independent of Common Shares. |
Promptly following the Separation Time, the Company will prepare and the Rights
Agent will mail to each holder of record of Common Shares as of the Separation Time
(other than an Acquiring Person and, in respect of any Rights Beneficially Owned by
such Acquiring Person which are not held of record by such Acquiring Person, the
holder of such Rights (a “Nominee”)), at such holder’s address as shown by the
records of the Company (the Company hereby agreeing to furnish copies of such
records to the Rights Agent for this purpose):
(iii) | a Rights Certificate appropriately completed, representing the number of Rights held by such holder at the Separation Time and having such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any law, Rule or regulation or with any Rule or regulation of any self-regulatory organization, stock exchange or “system” on which the Rights may from time to time be listed or traded, or to conform to usage; and | ||
(iv) | a disclosure statement describing the Rights; |
provided that a Nominee shall be sent the materials provided for in (iii) and (iv)
in respect of all Common Shares of the Company held of record by it which are not
Beneficially Owned by an Acquiring Person. In order for the Company to determine
whether any Person is holding Common Shares which are Beneficially Owned by another
Person, the Company may require such first mentioned Person to furnish such
information and documentation as the Company deems necessary or appropriate in order
to make such determination.
(d) | Manner of Exercise: Rights may be exercised, in whole or in part, on any Business Day after the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time by submitting to the Rights Agent: |
(i) | the Rights Certificate evidencing such Right; |
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(ii) | an election to exercise such Rights (an “Election to Exercise”) substantially in the form attached to the Rights Certificate appropriately completed and executed by the holder or their executors or administrators or other personal representatives or their legal attorney duly appointed by instrument in writing in form and executed in a manner satisfactory to the Rights Agent; and | ||
(iii) | payment by certified cheque, banker’s draft or money order payable to the order of the Company, in a sum equal to the Exercise Price multiplied by the number of Rights being exercised and a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved and the transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates or the issuance or delivery of certificates of Common Shares in a name other than that of the holder of the Rights being exercised. |
(e) | Issue of Common Shares: Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate, together with a completed Election to Exercise executed in accordance with Subsection 2.2(d)(ii) which does not indicate that such Right is null and void as provided by Subsection 3.1(b), and payment as set forth in Subsection 2.2(d)(iii), the Rights Agent (unless otherwise instructed by the Company if the Company is of the opinion that the Rights cannot be exercised in accordance with this Agreement) will thereupon promptly: |
(i) | requisition from the transfer agent certificates representing the number of Common Shares to be purchased (the Company hereby irrevocably authorizing its transfer agent to comply with all such requisitions); | ||
(ii) | when appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuing fractional Common Shares; | ||
(iii) | after receipt of the certificates referred to in Subsection 2.2(e)(i), deliver the same to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificates, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder; | ||
(iv) | when appropriate, after receipt, deliver the cash referred to in Subsection 2.2(e)(ii) to or to the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate; and | ||
(v) | tender to the Company all payments received on exercise of the Rights. |
(f) | Partial Exercise: If the holder of any Rights shall exercise less than all of the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate of such holder, a new Rights Certificate evidencing the Rights remaining unexercised (subject to the provisions of Subsection 5.5(a)) will be issued by the Rights Agent to such holder or to such holder’s authorized assigns. | ||
(g) | Covenants: The Company covenants and agrees to: |
(i) | take all such action as may be necessary on its part and within its powers to ensure that all Common Shares delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates evidencing such Common Shares (subject to payment of the Exercise Price), be validly authorized, executed, issued and delivered and be fully paid and non-assessable; |
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(ii) | take all such action as may be necessary and within its power to comply with any applicable requirements of the Business Corporations Act, the Securities Act (British Columbia), and the securities laws or comparable legislation of each of the other provinces and territories of Canada, and any other applicable law, rule or regulation thereof, in connection with the issue and delivery of the Rights Certificates and the issuance of the Common Shares upon exercise of Rights; | ||
(iii) | cause to be reserved and kept available out of the authorized and unissued Common Shares, the number of Common Shares that, as provided in this Agreement, will from time to time be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights; | ||
(iv) | pay when due and payable, if applicable, any and all federal, provincial and municipal transfer taxes and charges (not including any income or capital taxes of the holder or exercising holder or any liability of the Company to withhold tax) which may be payable in respect of the original issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates, or certificates for the Common Shares to be issued upon exercise of any Rights, provided that the Company shall not be required to pay any transfer tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates or the issuance or delivery of certificates for Common Shares in a name other than that of the holder of the Rights being transferred or exercised; and | ||
(v) | after the Separation Time, except as permitted by Section 5.1, not take (or permit any subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. |
2.3 | Adjustments to Exercise Price; Number of Rights: |
The Exercise Price, the number and kind of securities subject to purchase upon exercise of each
Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided
in this Section 2.3.
(a) | Share Reorganization: If the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement: |
(i) | declare or pay a dividend on Common Shares payable in Common Shares (or other securities exchangeable for or convertible into or giving a right to acquire Common Shares or other securities of the Company) other than pursuant to any optional stock dividend program, dividend reinvestment plan or dividend payable in Common Shares in lieu of a regular periodic cash dividend; | ||
(ii) | subdivide or change the then outstanding Common Shares into a greater number of Common Shares; | ||
(iii) | consolidate or change the then outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of Common Shares; or | ||
(iv) | issue any Common Shares (or other securities exchangeable for or convertible into or giving a right to acquire Common Shares or other securities of the Company) in |
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respect of, in lieu of or in exchange for existing Common Shares, except as otherwise provided in this Section 2.3, |
the Exercise Price and the number of Rights outstanding, or, if the payment or
effective date therefor shall occur after the Separation Time, the securities
purchasable upon exercise of Rights shall be adjusted as of the payment or effective
date in the manner set forth below. If an event occurs which would require an
adjustment under both this Section 2.3 and Subsection 3.1(a), the adjustment
provided for in this Section 2.3 shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior
to, any adjustment required under Subsection 3.1(a).
If the Exercise Price and number of Rights outstanding are to be adjusted:
(1) | the Exercise Price in effect after such adjustment will be equal to the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment divided by the number of Common Shares (or other capital stock) (the “Expansion Factor”) that a holder of one Common Share immediately prior to such dividend, subdivision, change, consolidation or issuance would hold thereafter as a result thereof; and | ||
(2) | each Right held prior to such adjustment will become that number of Rights as results from the application of the Expansion Factor, |
and the adjusted number of Rights will be deemed to be distributed among the Common
Shares with respect to which the original Rights were associated (if they remain
outstanding) and the shares issued in respect of such dividend, subdivision, change,
consolidation or issuance, so that each such Common Share (or other capital stock)
will have exactly one Right associated with it in effect following the payment or
effective date of the event referred to in Subsection 2.3(a)(i), (ii), (iii) or
(iv), as the case may be.
For greater certainty, if the securities purchasable upon exercise of Rights are to
be adjusted, the securities purchasable upon exercise of each Right after such
adjustment will be the securities that a holder of the securities purchasable upon
exercise of one Right immediately prior to such dividend, subdivision, change,
consolidation or issuance would hold thereafter as a result of such dividend,
subdivision, change, consolidation or issuance.
If, after the Record Time and prior to the Expiration Time, the Company shall issue
any shares of capital stock other than Common Shares in a transaction of a type
described in Subsection 2.3(a)(i) or (iv), shares of such capital stock shall be
treated herein as nearly equivalent to Common Shares as may be practicable and
appropriate under the circumstances and the Company and the Rights Agent agree to
amend this Agreement in order to effect such treatment.
If the Company shall at any time after the Record Time and prior to the Separation
Time issue any Common Shares otherwise than in a transaction referred to in this
Subsection 2.3(a), each such Common Share so issued shall automatically have one new
Right associated with it, which Right shall be evidenced by the certificate
representing such associated Common Share.
(b) | Rights Offering: If the Company shall at any time after the Record Time and prior to the Separation Time fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Common Shares entitling them (for a period expiring within 21 calendar days |
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after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Common Shares (or securities convertible into or exchangeable for or carrying a right to purchase Common Shares) at a price per Common Share (or, if a security convertible into or exchangeable for or carrying a right to purchase or subscribe for Common Shares, having a conversion, exchange or exercise price, including the price required to be paid to purchase such convertible or exchangeable security or right per share) less than the Market Price per Common Share on such record date, the Exercise Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction: |
(i) | the numerator of which shall be the number of Common Shares outstanding on such record date, plus the number of Common Shares that the aggregate offering price of the total number of Common Shares so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion, exchange or exercise price of the convertible or exchangeable securities or rights so to be offered, including the price required to be paid to purchase such convertible or exchangeable securities or rights) would purchase at such Market Price per Common Share; and | ||
(ii) | the denominator of which shall be the number of Common Shares outstanding on such record date, plus the number of additional Common Shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible or exchangeable securities or rights so to be offered are initially convertible, exchangeable or exercisable). |
In case such subscription price may be paid by delivery of consideration, part or all of which may be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of Rights. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and if such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, or if issued, are not exercised prior to the expiration thereof, the Exercise Price shall be readjusted to the Exercise Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed, or to the Exercise Price which would be in effect based upon the number of Common Shares (or securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Shares) actually issued upon the exercise of such rights, options or warrants, as the case may be. |
For purposes of this Agreement, the granting of the right to purchase Common Shares (whether from treasury or otherwise) pursuant to the Dividend Reinvestment Plan or any employee benefit stock option or similar plans shall be deemed not to constitute an issue of rights, options or warrants by the Company; provided, however, that, in all such cases, the right to purchase Common Shares is at a price per share of not less than 80% of the current market price per share (determined as provided in such plans) of the Common Shares. |
(c) | Special Distribution: If the Company shall at any time after the Record Time and prior to the Separation Time fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of Common Shares (including any such distribution made in connection with a merger or amalgamation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other than an annual cash dividend or a dividend paid in Common Shares, but including any dividend payable in securities other than Common Shares), assets or rights, options or warrants (excluding those referred to in Subsection 2.3(b)), the Exercise Price to be in effect after such record date shall be |
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determined by multiplying the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction: |
(i) | the numerator of which shall be the Market Price per Common Share on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of Rights), on a per share basis, of the portion of the cash, assets, evidences of indebtedness, rights, options or warrants so to be distributed; and | ||
(ii) | the denominator of which shall be such Market Price per Common Share. |
Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and if such a distribution is not so made, the Exercise Price shall be adjusted to be the Exercise Price which would have been in effect if such record date had not been fixed. |
(d) | Minimum Adjustments: Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no adjustment in the Exercise Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least one per cent in the Exercise Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Subsection 2.3(d) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under Section 2.3 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a share. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Subsection 2.3(d), any adjustment required by Section 2.3 shall be made no later than the earlier of: |
(i) | three years from the date of the transaction which gives rise to such adjustment; or | ||
(ii) | the Expiration Date. |
(e) | Discretionary Adjustment: If the Company shall at any time after the Record Time and prior to the Separation Time issue any shares of capital stock (other than Common Shares), or rights, options or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any such capital stock, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for any such capital stock, in a transaction referred to in Subsection 2.3(a)(i) or (iv), if the Board of Directors acting in good faith determines that the adjustments contemplated by Subsections 2.3(a), (b) and (c) in connection with such transaction will not appropriately protect the interests of the holders of Rights, the Board of Directors may determine what other adjustments to the Exercise Price, number of Rights and/or securities purchasable upon exercise of Rights would be appropriate and, notwithstanding Subsections 2.3(a), (b) and (c), such adjustments, rather than the adjustments contemplated by Subsections 2.3(a), (b) and (c), shall be made. The Company and the Rights Agent shall have authority without the approval of the holders of the Common Shares or the holders of Rights to amend this Agreement as appropriate to provide for such adjustments. | |
(f) | Benefit of Adjustments: Each Right originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Exercise Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Exercise Price, the number of Common Shares purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of a Right immediately prior to such issue, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein. |
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(g) | No Change of Certificates: Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Exercise Price or the number of Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Exercise Price per Common Share and the number of Common Shares which were expressed in the initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder. | ||
(h) | Timing of Issuance: In any case in which this Section 2.3 shall require that an adjustment in the Exercise Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the number of Common Shares and other securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of Common Shares and other securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Exercise Price in effect prior to such adjustment; | ||
(i) | Adjustments Regarding Tax: Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section 2.3 to the contrary, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Exercise Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 2.3, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board of Directors shall determine to be advisable, in order that any: |
(i) | consolidation or subdivision of Common Shares; | ||
(ii) | issuance (wholly or in part for cash) of Common Shares or securities that by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Common Shares; | ||
(iii) | stock dividends; or | ||
(iv) | issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this Section 2.3, |
hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Common Shares, shall not be taxable to such shareholders. | |||
(j) | Adjustments to Other Securities: If, as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 3.2, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any securities other than Common Shares, thereafter the number of such other securities so receivable upon exercise of any Right and applicable Exercise Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as may be practicable to the provisions with respect to the Common Shares contained in the foregoing subsections in this Section 2.3 and the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the Common Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other securities. | ||
(k) | Adjustment Certificate: Whenever an adjustment to the Exercise Price or a change in the securities purchasable upon the exercise of Rights is made pursuant to this Section 2.3, the Company shall promptly: |
(i) | prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment; | ||
(ii) | file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Shares, a copy of such certificate; and |
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(iii) | cause notice of the particulars of such adjustment or change to be given to the holders of the Rights. |
2.4 Date on Which Exercise is Effective:
Each Person in whose name any certificate for Common Shares or other securities, if applicable, is
issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of
record of the Common Shares or other securities, if applicable, represented thereon, and such
certificate shall be dated the date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was
duly surrendered in accordance with Subsection 2.2(d) (together with a duly completed Election to
Exercise) and payment of the Exercise Price for such Rights (and any applicable transfer taxes and
other governmental charges payable by the exercising holder hereunder) was made; provided, however,
that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the transfer books of the
Common Shares of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the holder of
record of such Common Shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business
Day on which the transfer books of the Common Shares are open.
2.5 Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating of Rights Certificates:
(a) | Execution: The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company, under its corporate seal reproduced thereon, by any one of its Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer or a Vice-President or Secretary. The signature of any of these officers on the Rights Certificates may be manual or facsimile. | ||
(b) | Valid Signatures: Rights Certificates bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the countersignature and delivery of such Rights Certificates. | ||
(c) | Delivery: Promptly after the Company learns of the Separation Time, the Company shall notify the Rights Agent of such Separation Time and shall deliver Rights Certificates executed by the Company to the Rights Agent for countersignature, and the Rights Agent shall countersign (manually or by facsimile signature in a manner satisfactory to the Company) and send such Rights Certificates and a disclosure statement describing the Rights to the holders of the Rights pursuant to Subsection 2.2(c) hereof. No Rights Certificate shall be valid for any purpose until countersigned by the Rights Agent in the manner described above. | ||
(d) | Date: Each Rights Certificate shall be dated the date of countersignature thereof. |
2.6 Registration, Transfer and Exchange:
(a) | Maintaining of Register: The Company shall cause to be kept a register (the “Rights Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration and transfer of Rights. The Rights Agent is hereby appointed registrar for the Rights (“Rights Registrar”) for the purpose of maintaining the Rights Register for the Company and registering Rights and transfers of Rights as herein provided and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. If the Rights Agent shall cease to be the Rights Registrar, the Rights Agent shall have the right to examine such register at all reasonable times. |
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(b) | Transfer or Exchange of Rights Certificate: After the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time, upon surrender for registration of transfer or exchange of any Rights Certificate, and subject to the provisions of Subsections 2.6(c) and 3.1(b) below, the Company shall execute, and the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver, in the name of the holder or the designated transferee or transferees, as required pursuant to the holder’s instructions, one or more new Rights Certificates evidencing the same aggregate number of Rights as did the Rights Certificate so surrendered. | ||
(c) | Effect of Transfer or Exchange: All Rights issued upon any registration of a transfer or exchange of Rights Certificates shall be valid obligations of the Company, and such Rights shall be entitled to the same benefits under this Agreement as the Rights surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange. | ||
(d) | Transfer or Exchange of Rights: Every Rights Certificate surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange shall have the form of assignment thereon completed and executed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company or the Rights Agent, as the case may be, executed by the holder thereof or the attorney of such holder duly authorized in writing. As a condition to the issue of any new Rights Certificate under this Section 2.6, the Company may require the payment of an amount sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and other expenses, including the reasonable fees and expenses of its Rights Agent, connected therewith. | ||
(e) | No Transfer or Exchange After Termination: The Company shall not be required to register the transfer or exchange of any Rights after the Rights have been terminated pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement. |
2.7 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Rights Certificates:
(a) | Mutilation: If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Rights Agent prior to the Expiration Time, evidence to their satisfaction of the mutilation or defacing of any Rights Certificate, the Company shall execute and the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver a new Rights Certificate upon surrender and cancellation of the mutilated or defaced Rights Certificate. | ||
(b) | Destruction, Loss: If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Rights Agent prior to the Expiration Time: |
(i) | evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Rights Certificate; and | ||
(ii) | such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and their respective agents harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Rights Agent that such Rights Certificate has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate evidencing the same number of Rights as did the Rights Certificate so destroyed, lost or stolen. |
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(c) | Taxes: As a condition to the issue of any new Rights Certificate under this Section 2.7, the Company or the Rights Agent may require the payment of an amount sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses, including the reasonable fees and expenses of the Rights Agent, connected therewith. | ||
(d) | Original Obligation: Every new Rights Certificate issued pursuant to this Section 2.7 in lieu of any mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Rights Certificate shall evidence an additional original contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Rights Certificate shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Agreement equally and proportionately with any and all other Rights issued hereunder. |
2.8 Persons Deemed Owners:
The Company, the Rights Agent and any agent of the Company or the Rights Agent may deem and treat
the person in whose name such Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Separation Time, the associated
Common Share certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced
thereby for all purposes whatsoever. As used in this Agreement, unless the context otherwise
requires, the term “holder” of any Right shall mean the registered holder of such Right (or, prior
to the Separation Time of the associated Common Share).
2.9 Delivery and Cancellation of Certificates:
All Rights Certificates surrendered upon exercise or for redemption, registration of transfer or
exchange shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Rights Agent, be delivered to the
Rights Agent and, in any case, shall be promptly canceled by the Rights Agent. The Company may at
any time deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation any Rights Certificates previously
countersigned and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever,
and all Rights Certificates so delivered shall be promptly canceled by the Rights Agent. No Rights
Certificates shall be countersigned in lieu of or in exchange for any Rights Certificates canceled
as provided in this Section 2.9, except as expressly permitted by this Agreement. The Rights Agent
shall destroy all canceled Rights Certificates and deliver a certificate of destruction to the
Company.
2.10 Agreement of Rights Holders:
Every holder of Rights by accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights
Agent and with every other holder of Rights that:
(a) | such holder is bound by and subject to the provisions of this Agreement, as amended from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof, in respect of all Rights held; | ||
(b) | prior to the Separation Time, each Right shall be transferable only together with, and shall be transferred by a transfer of, the associated Common Share certificate representing such Right; | ||
(c) | after the Separation Time, the Rights Certificates shall be transferable only on the Rights Register as provided herein; |
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(d) | prior to due presentment of a Rights Certificate (or, to the Separation Time, the certificate evidencing the associated Common Shares certificate) for registration of transfer, the Company, the Rights Agent and any agent of the Company or the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name the Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Separation Time, the certificate evidencing the associated Common Shares certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on such Rights Certificate or the certificate evidencing the associated Common Shares made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary; | ||
(e) | such holder has waived all rights to receive any fractional Right or any fractional Common Share or other securities upon exercise of a Right (except as provided herein); | ||
(f) | without the approval of any holder of Rights or Voting Shares and upon the sole authority of the Board of Directors, this Agreement may be supplemented or amended from time to time pursuant to Subsection 5.4(a) and the last sentence of the penultimate paragraph of Subsection 2.3(a) and to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be inconsistent with the intent of this Agreement or is otherwise defective, as provided herein. | ||
(g) | that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company nor the Board of Directors nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or to any other Person as a result of the inability of the Company, the Board of Directors or the Rights Agent to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent jurisdiction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a government, regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation. |
2.11 Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder:
No holder, as such, of any Rights or Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose whatsoever the holder of any Common Share or any other share
or security of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights
represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Rights Certificate be construed
or deemed to confer upon the holder of any Right or Rights Certificate, as such, any right, title,
benefit or privilege of a holder of Common Shares or any other shares or securities of the Company
or any right to vote at any meeting of shareholders of the Company whether for the election of
directors or otherwise or upon any matter submitted to the holders of Common Shares or any other
shares of the Company at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any action of the
Company, or to receive notice of any meeting or other action affecting any holder of Common Shares
or any other shares of the Company except as expressly provided herein, or to receive dividends,
distributions or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Rights or Rights evidenced by the
Rights Certificates shall have been duly exercised in accordance with the terms and the provisions
hereof.
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ARTICLE 3
ADJUSTMENTS TO THE RIGHTS
3.1 Flip-in Event:
(a) | Flip-In: Subject to the provisions of Subsection 3.1(b), Section 3.2 and Section 5.1, if prior to the Expiration Time a Flip-in Event shall occur, each Right shall constitute, effective at the close of business on the tenth Trading Day after the Share Acquisition Date, the right to purchase from the Company, upon exercise thereof in accordance with the terms hereof, that number of Common Shares as have an aggregate Market Price on the date of consummation or occurrence of such Flip-in Event equal to twice the Exercise Price for an amount in cash equal to the Exercise Price (such right to be appropriately adjusted in a manner analogous to the applicable adjustment provided for in Section 2.3 hereof if, after such date of consummation or occurrence, an event of a type analogous to any of the events described in Section 2.3 hereof shall have occurred). | ||
(b) | Certain Rights Void: Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, upon the occurrence of any Flip-in Event, any Rights that are or were Beneficially Owned on or after the earlier of the Separation Time and the Share Acquisition Date by: |
(i) | an Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any Person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person); or | ||
(ii) | a transferee of Rights, directly or indirectly, of an Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any Person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person), where such transferee becomes a transferee concurrently with or subsequent to the Acquiring Person becoming such in a transfer that the Board of Directors has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or scheme of an Acquiring Person (or any affiliate or associate of an Acquiring Person or any person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or any affiliate or associate of an Acquiring Person), that has the purpose or effect of avoiding Subsection 3.1(b)(i), |
shall become null and void without any further action and any holder of such Rights, including transferees, shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any provision of this Agreement and further shall thereafter not have any other rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise. | |||
(c) | Compliance with Laws: From and after the Separation Time, the Company shall do all acts and things as shall be necessary and within its power to ensure compliance with the provisions of this Section 3.1, including without limitation, all such acts and things that may be required to satisfy the requirements of the Securities Act (British Columbia) and the securities laws or comparable legislation of each of the Provinces of Canada in respect of the issue of Common Shares on the exercise of Rights in accordance with this Agreement. | ||
(d) | Legend: Any Rights Certificate that represents Rights Beneficially Owned by a Person described in either Subsection 3.1(b)(i) or (ii) or transferred to any Nominee of any such Person, and any Rights Certificate issued upon the transfer, exchange or replacement of any |
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other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence shall contain and be deemed to contain the following legend: |
“The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate were issued to a Person who was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or an Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement) or a Person who was acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person. This Rights Certificate and the Rights represented hereby shall become void in the circumstances specified in Subsection 3.1(b) of the Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement.” |
provided, however, that the Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility to ascertain the existence of facts that would require the imposition of such legend but shall be required to impose such legend only if instructed to do so by the Company or if a holder fails to certify upon transfer or exchange in the space provided on the Rights Certificate that such holder is not a Person described in such legend. |
3.2 Exchange Option:
(a) | Optional Exchange: If the Board of Directors shall determine that conditions exist which would eliminate or otherwise materially diminish in any respect the benefits intended to be afforded to the holders of Rights pursuant to this Agreement, the Board of Directors may at its option and without seeking the approval of holders of Common Shares or Rights at any time after a Flip-in Event has occurred, authorize the Company to issue and deliver in respect of each Right which is not void pursuant to Subsection 3.1(b) either: |
(i) | in return for the Exercise Price and Right, cash, debt, equity or other securities or other property or assets (or a combination thereof) having a value equal to twice the Exercise Price; or | ||
(ii) | in return for the Right and without further charge, subject to any amounts that may be required to be paid under applicable law, cash, debt, equity or other securities or other property or assets (or a combination thereof), having a value equal to the Exercise Price; |
in full and final settlement of all rights attaching to the Rights; provided that the value of any such debt, equity or other securities or other property or assets shall be determined by the Board of Directors who may rely for that purpose on the advice of a nationally recognized Canadian firm of investment dealers or investment bankers selected by the Board of Directors. To the extent that the Board of Directors determines in good faith that any action need be taken pursuant to this Section 3.2, the Board of Directors may suspend the exercisability of the Rights for a period up to 60 days following the date of the occurrence of the relevant Flip-in Event in order to determine the appropriate form and value of cash, debt, equity or other securities or other property or assets (or a combination thereof) to be issued or delivered on such exchange for Rights. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall notify the Rights Agent and issue as promptly as practicable a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended. |
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(b) | Termination of Right to Exercise: If the Board of Directors authorizes and directs the exchange of cash, debt, equity or other securities or other property or assets (or a combination thereof) for Rights pursuant to Subsection 3.2(a) hereof, then without any further action or notice the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of Rights shall be to receive such cash, debt, equity or other securities or other property or assets (or a combination thereof) in accordance with the determination of the Board of Directors made pursuant to Subsection 3.2(a). Within 10 Business Days of the Board of Directors authorizing and directing any such exchange, the Company shall give notice of such exchange to the holders of such Rights in accordance with Section 5.9. Each such notice of exchange shall state the method by which the exchange of cash, debt, equity or other securities or other property or assets (or a combination thereof) for Rights will be effected. | ||
(c) | Additional Securities: If there shall not be sufficient securities authorized but unissued to permit the exchange in full of Rights pursuant to this Section 3.2, the Company will take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional securities for issuance upon the exchange of Rights provided however, that the Company shall not be required to issue fractions of securities or to distribute certificates evidencing fractional securities. In lieu of issuing such fractional securities, subject to Subsection 5.5(b), there shall be paid to the registered holders of Rights to whom such fractional securities would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the market price of a whole such security. |
3.3 Fiduciary Duties of the Board of Directors:
For clarification it is understood that nothing contained in this Article 3 shall be considered to
affect the obligations of the Board of Directors to exercise its fiduciary duties. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, nothing contained herein shall be construed to suggest or
imply that the Board of Directors shall not be entitled to recommend that holders of the Voting
Shares reject or accept any Take-Over Bid or take any other action including, without limitation,
the commencement, prosecution, defence or settlement of any litigation and the submission of
additional or alternative Take-Over Bids or other proposals to the shareholders of the Company with
respect to any Take-Over Bid or otherwise that the Board of Directors believes is necessary or
appropriate in the exercise of its fiduciary duties.
ARTICLE 4
THE RIGHTS AGENT
4.1 General:
(a) | Appointment of Rights Agent: The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of Rights in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint one or more Co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable subject to the prior approval of the Rights Agent. In such event, the respective duties of the Rights Agent and any Co-Rights Agent shall be as the Company may determine with the approval of the Rights Agent and the Co–Rights Agent. The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of |
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this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability or expense, incurred without negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and performance of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability, which right to indemnification shall survive the termination of this Agreement or the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent. | |||
(b) | Protection of Rights Agent: The Rights Agent shall be protected from, and shall incur no liability for or in respect of, any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with its performance of this Agreement in reliance upon any certificate for Common Shares, or any Rights Certificate, certificate for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons. | ||
(c) | Notification of Events: The Company will inform the Rights Agent in a reasonably timely manner of events which may materially affect the administration of this Agreement by the Rights Agent and, at any time upon written request, will provide to the Rights Agent an incumbency certificate certifying the then current officers of the Company. |
4.2 Merger or Amalgamation or Change of Name of Rights Agent:
(a) | Merger: Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or amalgamated with or into, or any corporation succeeding to the shareholder services business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 4.4 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent succeeds to the agency created by this Agreement any of the Rights Certificates have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned, and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates have not been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent, and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force and effect provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement. | ||
(b) | Change of Name: In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent is changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned, and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement. |
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4.3 Duties of Rights Agent:
The Rights Agent undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following
terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their
acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) | Legal Counsel: The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion. | ||
(b) | Satisfactory Proof: Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent deems it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action or omitting to take any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by a person believed by the Rights Agent to be the Chairman, the President, the Chief Executive Officer or any Vice-President and by the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, or by any two directors of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent and such certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken, omitted or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate. | ||
(c) | Bad Faith: The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct. | ||
(d) | Recitals: The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the certificates representing Common Shares or the Rights Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and will be deemed to have been made only by the Company. | ||
(e) | No Responsibility: The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the authorization, execution and delivery hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any certificate representing Common Shares or Rights Certificate (except its countersignature thereof), nor will it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate, any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the Rights becoming void pursuant to Section 2.11 or Subsection 3.2(b) hereof) or any adjustment required under the provisions of Section 2.3 hereof or for the manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights after receipt of the certificate contemplated by Section 2.3 hereof describing any such adjustment) nor will it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Common Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights or as to whether any Common Shares shall, when issued, be duly and validly authorized, executed, issued and delivered and be fully paid and non-assessable. |
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(f) | Performance By Company: The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement. | ||
(g) | Persons To Give Instructions: The Rights Agent is hereby authorized to rely upon and directed to accept instructions in writing with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any person believed by the Rights Agent to be the Chairman, the President, the Chief Executive Officer, any Vice-President, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, or any two directors of the Company and to apply to such persons for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken, omitted or suffered by it in good faith in accordance with the instructions of any such person. | ||
(h) | Ability To Deal: The Rights Agent and any shareholder, director, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in Common Shares, Rights or other securities of the Company or become financially interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity. | ||
(i) | No Liability: The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, omission, default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof. |
4.4 Change of Rights Agent:
The Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon 60 days’
notice (or such lesser notice as is acceptable to the Company) in writing delivered or mailed to
the Company and to each transfer agent of Common Shares by first class or registered mail. The
Company may remove the Rights Agent upon 60 days’ notice in writing, mailed or delivered to the
Rights Agent and to each transfer agent of Common Shares by first class or registered mail. If the
Rights Agent should resign or be removed or otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall
appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company fails to make such appointment within a
period of 60 days after such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation
or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights (which
holder shall, with such notice, submit the Rights Certificate of such holder for inspection by the
Company), then the holder of any Rights may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or
by such a court, shall be a trust company incorporated under the laws of Canada or a province
thereof authorized to carry on the business of a trust company in the Province of British Columbia.
After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties
and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or
deed; provided that the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights
Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance,
conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such
appointment, the Company shall file notice
- 35 -
thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and the transfer agent of the Common Shares,
and mail a notice thereof in writing to the holders of the Rights. Failure to give any notice
provided for in this Section 4.4, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or
validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor
Rights Agent, as the case may be.
ARTICLE 5
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Redemption and Waiver:
(a) | The Board of Directors may, until the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, upon prior written notice delivered to the Rights Agent, determine to waive the application of Section 3.1 to such particular Flip-in Event (which for greater certainty shall not include the circumstances described in Subsection 5.1(b)); provided that if the Board of Directors waives the application of Section 3.1 to a particular Flip-in Event pursuant to this Subsection 5.1(a), the Board of Directors shall be deemed to have waived the application of Section 3.1 to any other Flip-in Event which may arise in respect of any Take-Over Bid then in effect or made prior to the public announcement of the completion or termination of the transaction in respect of which the Board of Directors waived the application of Section 3.1. | ||
(b) | the Board of Directors may, prior to a Flip-in Event having occurred, upon prior written notice delivered to the Rights Agent, determine to waive the application of Section 3.1 to a Flip-in Event that may occur by reason of a Take-over Bid made by means of take-over bid circular to all holders of record of Voting Shares (which for greater certainty shall not include the circumstances described in Subsection 5.1(a)), provided that if the Board of Directors waives the application of Section 3.1 to a particular Flip-in Event pursuant to this Subsection 5.1(b), the Board of Directors shall be deemed to have waived the application of Section 3.1 to any other Flip-in Event occurring by reason of any Take-over Bid which is made by means of a take-over bid circular to all holders of Voting Shares prior to the expiry of any Take-over Bid (as the same may be extended from time to time) in respect of which a waiver is, or is deemed to have been, granted under this Subsection 5.1(b). | ||
(c) | If prior to the occurrence of a Flip-in Event a Person acquires, pursuant to a Permitted Bid, a Competing Permitted Bid or an Exempt Acquisition under Subsection 5.1(b), outstanding Voting Shares, then the Board of Directors shall, immediately upon the consummation of such acquisition, without further formality, be deemed to have elected to redeem all but not less than all of the outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.0001 per Right appropriately adjusted in a manner analogous to the applicable adjustment provided for in Section 2.3 if an event of the type analogous to any of the events described in Section 2.3 shall have occurred (such redemption price being herein referred to as the “Redemption Price”). The redemption of the Rights by the Board of Directors may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may establish. | ||
(d) | If, prior to the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, a Person acquires pursuant to a Permitted Bid or a Competing Permitted Bid not less than 90% of the outstanding Voting Shares other than Voting Shares Beneficially Owned at the date of the Permitted Bid or the Competing Permitted Bid by such Person, then the Board of Directors of the Company shall |
- 36 -
immediately upon the consummation of such acquisition without further formality be deemed to have elected to redeem the Rights at the Redemption Price. | |||
(e) | Where a Take-Over Bid that is not a Permitted Bid Acquisition is withdrawn or otherwise terminated after the Separation Time has occurred and prior to the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, the Board of Directors may elect to redeem all the outstanding Rights at the Redemption Price. | ||
(f) | If the Board of Directors is deemed under Subsections 5.1(c) or (d) to have elected, or elects under either of Subsection 5.1(e), to redeem the Rights, the right to exercise the Rights will thereupon, without further action and without notice, terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. | ||
(g) | Within 10 days after the Board of Directors is deemed under Subsections 5.1(c) or (d) to have elected, or elects under Subsection 5.1(e), to redeem the Rights, the Company shall give notice of redemption to the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to each such holder at his last address as it appears upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Separation Time, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Shares. Any notice that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made. | ||
(h) | Upon the Rights being redeemed pursuant to Subsection 5.1(e), all the provisions of this Agreement shall continue to apply as if the Separation Time had not occurred and Rights Certificates representing the number of Rights held by each holder of record of Common Shares as of the Separation Time had not been mailed to each such holder and for all purposes of this Agreement the Separation Time shall be deemed not to have occurred. | ||
(i) | The Board of Directors may waive the application of Section 3.1 in respect of the occurrence of any Flip-in Event if the Board of Directors has determined within ten Trading Days following a Share Acquisition Date that a Person became an Acquiring Person by inadvertence and without any intention to become, or knowledge that it would become, an Acquiring Person under this Agreement and, if such a waiver is granted by the Board of Directors, such Share Acquisition Date shall be deemed not to have occurred. Any such waiver pursuant to this Subsection 5.1(i) must be on the condition that such Person, within 14 days after the foregoing determination by the Board of Directors or such earlier or later date as the Board of Directors may determine (the “Disposition Date”), has reduced its Beneficial Ownership of Voting Shares such that the Person is no longer an Acquiring Person. If the Person remains an Acquiring Person at the close of business on the Disposition Date, the Disposition Date shall be deemed to be the date of occurrence of a further Share Acquisition Date and Section 3.1 shall apply thereto. |
5.2 Expiration:
No Person shall have any rights pursuant to this Agreement or any Right after the Expiration Time, except the Rights Agent as provided in Section 4.1 hereof. |
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5.3 Issue of New Rights Certificates:
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the
Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be
approved by the Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in the number or kind of
securities purchasable upon exercise of Rights made in accordance with the provisions of this
Agreement.
5.4 Supplements and Amendments:
(a) | The Company may make amendments to this Agreement to correct any clerical or typographical error or which are required to maintain the validity of this Agreement as a result of any change in any applicable legislation or regulations thereunder. The Company may, prior to the date of the shareholders’ meeting referred to in Section 5.16, supplement, amend, vary or rescind this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights or Voting Shares (whether or not such action would materially adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights generally) in order to make any changes which the Board of Directors acting in good faith may deem necessary or desirable. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 5.4 to the contrary, no such supplement or amendment shall be made to the provisions of Article 4 except with the written concurrence of the Rights Agent to such supplement or amendment. | ||
(b) | Subject to Subsection 5.4(a), the Company may, with the prior consent of the holders of Voting Shares obtained as set forth below, at any time prior to the Separation Time, supplement, amend, vary, delete or rescind any of the provisions of this Agreement and the Rights (whether or not such action would materially adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights generally). Such consent shall be deemed to have been given if the action requiring such approval is authorized by the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by Independent Shareholders present or represented at and entitled to be voted at a meeting of the holders of Voting Shares duly called and held in compliance with applicable laws and the articles of the Company. | ||
(c) | The Company may, with the prior consent of the holders of Rights, at any time after the Separation Time and before the Expiration Time, supplement, amend, vary, delete or rescind any of the provisions of this Agreement and the Rights (whether or not such action would materially adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights generally), provided that no such amendment, variation or deletion shall be made to the provisions of Article 4 except with the written concurrence of the Rights Agent thereto. Such consent shall be deemed to have been given if such amendment, variation or deletion is authorized by the affirmative votes of the holders of Rights present or represented at and entitled to be voted at a meeting of the holders and representing 50% plus one of the votes cast in respect thereof. | ||
(d) | Any approval of the holders of Rights shall be deemed to have been given if the action requiring such approval is authorized by the affirmative votes of the holders of Rights present or represented at and entitled to be voted at a meeting of the holders of Rights and representing a majority of the votes cast in respect thereof. For the purposes hereof, each outstanding Right (other than Rights which are void pursuant to the provisions hereof) shall be entitled to one vote, and the procedures for the calling, holding and conduct of the meeting shall be those, as nearly as may be, which are provided in the Company’s articles |
- 38 -
and the Business Corporations Act with respect to meetings of shareholders of corporations. | |||
(e) | Any amendments made by the Company to this Agreement pursuant to Subsection 5.4(a) which are required to maintain the validity of this Agreement as a result of any change in any applicable legislation or regulation thereunder shall: |
(i) | if made before the Separation Time, be submitted to the shareholders of the Company at the next meeting of shareholders and the shareholders may, by the majority referred to in Subsection 5.4(b), confirm or reject such amendment; | ||
(ii) | if made after the Separation Time, be submitted to the holders of Rights at a meeting to be called for on a date not later than immediately following the next meeting of shareholders of the Company and the holders of Rights may, by resolution passed by the majority referred to in Subsection 5.4(c), confirm or reject such amendment. |
Any such amendment shall be effective from the date of the resolution of the Board of Directors adopting such amendment, until it is confirmed or rejected or until it ceases to be effective (as described in the next sentence) and, where such amendment is confirmed, it continues in effect in the form so confirmed. If such amendment is rejected by the shareholders or the holders of Rights or is not submitted to the shareholders or holders of Rights as required, then such amendment shall cease to be effective from and after the termination of the meeting at which it was rejected or to which it should have been but was not submitted or from and after the date of the meeting of holders of Rights that should have been but was not held, and no subsequent resolution of the Board of Directors to amend this Agreement to substantially the same effect shall be effective until confirmed by the shareholders or holders of Rights as the case may be. |
5.5 Fractional Rights and Fractional Common Shares:
(a) | No Fractional Rights: The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. After the Separation Time, in lieu of issuing fractional Rights the Company shall pay to the holders of record of the Right Certificates, at the time such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the Market Price of one whole Right that the fraction of a Right that would otherwise be issuable is of one whole Right. | ||
(b) | No Fractional Common Shares: The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares. In lieu of issuing fractional Common Shares, the Company shall pay to the holders of record of Right Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the Market Price of one Common Share that the fraction of a Common Share that would otherwise be issuable upon the exercise of such Right is of a whole Common Share. |
5.6 Rights of Action:
Subject to the terms of this Agreement, rights of action in respect of this Agreement, other than
rights of action vested solely in the Rights Agent, are vested in the respective holders of the
Rights, and any holder of
- 39 -
any Rights, without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights may, on
such holder’s own behalf and for such holder’s own benefit and the benefit of other holders of
Rights, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company
to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, such holder’s right to exercise the Rights of such
holder in the manner provided in the Rights Certificate of such holder and in this Agreement.
Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is
specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for
any breach of this Agreement and shall be entitled to specific performance of the obligations
under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations of any
Person subject to this Agreement.
5.7 Regulatory Approvals:
Any obligation of the Company or action or event contemplated by this Agreement shall be subject to
the receipt of any requisite approval or consent from any governmental or regulatory authority, and
without limiting the generality of the foregoing, necessary approvals of the TSX Venture Exchange
and other exchanges will be obtained, such as to the issuance of Common Shares upon the exercise of
Rights under Subsection 2.2(d) and the issuance of convertible debt, equity or other securities or
other property or assets under Section 3.2. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Agreement, no supplement or amendment to this Agreement or to the terms of the Rights may be made
without the prior consent of the TSX Venture Exchange.
5.8 Declaration as to Non-Canadian holders:
If in the opinion of the Board of Directors (who may rely upon the advice of counsel) any action or
event contemplated by this Agreement would require compliance by the Company with the securities
laws or comparable legislation of a jurisdiction outside Canada, the Board of Directors acting in
good faith shall take such actions as it may deem appropriate to ensure such compliance. In no
event shall the Company or the Rights Agent be required to issue or deliver Rights, or securities
issuable on exercise of Rights to persons who are citizens, residents or nationals of any
jurisdiction other than Canada, in which such issue or delivery would be unlawful without
registration of the relevant persons or securities for such purposes.
5.9 Notices:
(a) | Notices or demands authorized or required by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered, sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent), or sent by facsimile or other form of recorded electronic communication, charges prepaid and confirmed in writing, as follows: |
Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Ciachurski
Telephone: (000) 000-0000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
Telephone: (000) 000-0000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
- 40 -
With a copy to:
Thomas, Rondeau, Business Lawyers
Suite 1925 – 000 Xxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, XX X0X 0X0
Suite 1925 – 000 Xxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, XX X0X 0X0
Attention: Xxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Telephone: (000) 000-0000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
Telephone: (000) 000-0000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
(b) | Notices or demands authorized or required by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Rights to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered, sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid (until another address is filed in writing with the Company), or sent by facsimile or other form of recorded electronic communication, charges prepaid and confirmed in writing, as follows: |
Pacific Corporate Trust Company
00xx Xxxxx, 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, XX X0X 0X0
00xx Xxxxx, 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, XX X0X 0X0
Attention: Manager, Client Services
Telephone: (000) 000-0000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
Telephone: (000) 000-0000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
(c) | Notices or demands authorized or required by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to or on the holder of any Rights shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered or sent by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder as it appears upon the register of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Separation Time, on the register of the Company for its Common Shares. Any notice which is mailed or sent in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. | ||
(d) | Any notice given or made in accordance with this Section 5.9 shall be deemed to have been given and to have been received on the day of delivery, if so delivered, on the third Business Day (excluding each day during which there exists any general interruption of postal service due to strike, lockout or other cause) following the mailing thereof, if so mailed, and on the day of faxing or sending of the same by other means of recorded electronic communication (provided such sending is during the normal business hours of the addressee on a Business Day and if not, on the first Business Day thereafter). Each of the Company and the Rights Agent may from time to time change its address for notice to the other given in the manner aforesaid. |
5. 10 Costs of Enforcement:
The Company agrees that if the Company or any other Person the securities of which are purchasable
upon exercise of Rights, fails to fulfill any of its obligations pursuant to this Agreement, then
the Company or such Person shall reimburse the holder of any Rights for the costs and expenses
(including legal fees) incurred by such holder in actions to enforce his rights pursuant to any
Rights or this Agreement.
- 41 -
5.11 Successors:
All of the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the
Rights Agent shall bind their respective successors and assigns and shall enure to the benefit of
their respective successors and permitted assigns hereunder.
5.12 Benefits of this Agreement:
Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the
Rights Agent and the holders of Rights any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this
Agreement and this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights
Agent and the holders of Rights.
5.13 Governing Law:
This Agreement and each Right issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws
of British Columbia and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with such
laws.
5.14 Severability:
If any term or provision hereof or the application thereof in any circumstance shall, in any
jurisdiction and to any extent, be invalid or unenforceable, such term or provision shall be
ineffective as to such jurisdiction to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability without
invalidating or rendering unenforceable the remaining terms and provisions hereof or the
application of such term or provision in circumstances other than those as to which it is held
invalid or unenforceable.
5.15 Effective Date:
This Agreement is effective and in full force and effect in accordance with its terms from and
after the Effective Date, subject to confirmation pursuant to Section 5.16.
5.16 Confirmation:
The Company shall request the confirmation of this Agreement at a general meeting of holders of
Voting Shares to be held no later than six months from the date of this Agreement. If the
Agreement is not confirmed at such meeting by a majority of the votes cast by Independent Holders
of Voting Shares who vote in respect of the confirmation of this Agreement, this Agreement and all
outstanding Rights shall terminate and be void and of no further force and effect on and from the
close of business on the date of termination of such meeting; provided, that termination shall not
occur if a Flip-in Event has occurred (other than a Flip-in Event which has been waived pursuant to
Subsections 5.1(a), (b) or (i) hereof) prior to the date upon which this Agreement would otherwise
terminate pursuant to this Section 5.16. This Agreement must be re-confirmed by a resolution
passed by a majority of the votes cast by all Independent Holders of Voting Shares who vote in
respect of such reconfirmation (other than any holder who does not qualify as an Independent
Shareholder, with respect to all Voting Shares Beneficially Owned by such Person) at the fifth and
eighth annual meeting following the Company’s annual or special meeting of shareholders in 2005, as
the case may be. If this Agreement is not so recognized or is not presented for re-confirmation at
such annual meeting, this Agreement and all outstanding Rights shall terminate and be void and of
no further force and effect at and from the date of termination of the annual meeting; provided
that termination shall not occur if a Flip-in Event has occurred (other than a Flip-in Event which
has been waived pursuant to
- 42 -
Subsections 5.1(a), (b) or (i) hereof), prior to the date upon which this Agreement would otherwise
terminate pursuant to this Section 5.16.
5.17 Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors:
The Board of Directors shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer and amend this
Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board of Directors or
the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement,
including, without limitation, the right and power to (a) interpret the provisions of this
Agreement and (b) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of
this Agreement (including a determination to terminate or redeem or not to terminate or redeem the
Rights or to amend the Agreement). All such actions, calculations, interpretations and
determinations (including, for purposes of the balance of this sentence, all omissions with respect
to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board of Directors shall be final, conclusive and
binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of Rights and all other parties and shall not
subject the Board of Directors to any liability to the holders of Rights.
5.18 Counterparts:
This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall
for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute
one and the same instrument.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed.
WESTERN WIND ENERGY CORP. | ||||||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Ciachurski | |||||
Xxxxxxx X. Ciachurski | ||||||
PACIFIC CORPORATE TRUST COMPANY | ||||||
By: | /s/ XXXX XXXXXXXXXX | |||||
Authorized Signatory | ||||||
Name: | XXXX XXXXXXXXXX | |||||
(Please Print) | ||||||
/s/ XXXXXX XXXXXX | ||||||
Authorized Signatory | ||||||
Name: | XXXXXX XXXXXX | |||||
(Please Print) |
SCHEDULE A TO THE SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS AGREEMENT
DATED FOR REFERENCE APRIL 5, 2005 BETWEEN
WESTERN WIND ENERGY CORP. AND
PACIFIC CORPORATE TRUST COMPANY
DATED FOR REFERENCE APRIL 5, 2005 BETWEEN
WESTERN WIND ENERGY CORP. AND
PACIFIC CORPORATE TRUST COMPANY
[Form of Rights Certificate]
Certificate No. | Rights |
THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION OR MANDATORY EXCHANGE, AT THE OPTION OF WESTERN
WIND ENERGY CORP., ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. RIGHTS
BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY ACQUIRING PERSONS (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE
SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS AGREEMENT) OR CERTAIN TRANSFEREES THEREOF OF ASSOCIATES OR
AFFILIATES OF EITHER OF THE FOREGOING OR ANY PERSON ACTING JOINTLY OR IN CONCERT
WITH ANY OF THEM) ARE VOID.
Rights Certificate
This certifies that ___, or registered assigns, is the holder of record of
the number of Rights set forth above, each one of which entitles the holder of record thereof,
subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement
(the “Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement”), dated for reference April 5, 2005 between
Western Wind Energy Corp. (the “Company”), a corporation incorporated under the laws of British
Columbia, and Pacific Corporate Trust Company, a trust company incorporated under the laws of
British Columbia, as Rights Agent under the Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement, to
purchase from the Company at any time after the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time
(as such terms are defined in the Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement), one common share
of the Company (a “Common Share”) (subject to adjustment as provided in the Shareholder Protection
Rights Plan Agreement) at the Exercise Price referred to below, upon presentation and surrender of
this Rights Certificate with a completed and executed Form of Election to Exercise at the principal
office of the Rights Agent in Vancouver, Canada. The Exercise Price shall initially be Cdn.$50.00
per Common Share and shall be subject to adjustment in certain events as provided in the
Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement.
In certain circumstances described in the Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement, the Rights
evidenced hereby may entitle the holder of record thereof to purchase shares of an entity other
than the Company or to purchase or receive in exchange for such Rights assets, securities or shares
of the Company other than Common Shares or more or less than one Common Share, or some combination
of the foregoing, all as provided in the Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement.
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the
Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby
incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which reference is hereby made for a
full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities
thereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates. A copy of
the Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement is on file at the principal executive office of
the Company and is available upon written request.
- 2 -
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon surrender at the offices
of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or
Rights Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing the aggregate number of Rights equal to the
aggregate number of Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates so
surrendered. If this Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder of record shall be
entitled to receive, upon surrender hereof, another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for
the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provision of the Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement, the Rights evidenced
by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of $0.0001 per Right,
subject to adjustment in certain events, under certain circumstances at the option of the Company.
Subject to the provisions of the Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement, the Rights evidenced
by this Certificate may be terminated or amended by the Company at its option without the consent
of holders of Rights.
No fractional Common Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced
hereby nor will Rights Certificates be issued for less than one whole Right. After the Separation
Time, in lieu of issuing fractional Rights, a cash payment will be made as provided in the
Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement.
No holder of this Rights Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be
deemed for any purpose the holder of Common Shares or of any other securities which may at any time
be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Shareholder Protection
Rights Plan Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the
rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon
any matter submitted to shareholders of the Company at any meeting, to give or withhold consent to
any corporate action, to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders of the
Company (except as provided in the Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement), to receive
dividends or subscription rights or otherwise, until the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Shareholder Protection Rights Plan
Agreement.
- 3 -
This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have been
countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS THE FACSIMILE SIGNATURE OF THE PROPER OFFICERS OF THE COMPANY.
WESTERN WIND ENERGY CORP. | ||||
By: | ||||
Xxxxxxx X. Ciachurski |
Countersigned:
PACIFIC CORPORATE TRUST COMPANY | ||||
By: |
||||
Authorized Signatory | ||||
[Name — please print] | ||||
Authorized Signatory | ||||
[Name — please print] |
[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]
WESTERN WIND ENERGY CORP. — FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the holder of record if such
holder desires to transfer the Rights.)
(To be executed by the holder of record if such
holder desires to transfer the Rights.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED |
||
hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto |
||
(Please print name and address of transferee)
this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby
irrevocably constitute and appoint _____ as attorney, to transfer the within Rights Certificate on the
books of the Company with full power of substitution.
Dated:
[month, day, year]
Signature Guaranteed:
Signature | ||
(Signature must correspond to name as written upon the | ||
face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without | ||
alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.) |
The signature of the person executing this form must be guaranteed by a Canadian chartered bank or
eligible guarantor institution with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion
program.
CERTIFICATION
(To be completed if true)
The undersigned hereby represents, warrants and certifies, for the benefit of all holders of Rights
and Common Shares, that the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are not, and, to the
knowledge of the undersigned, have never been, Beneficially Owned by an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any Person acting jointly or in concert with an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in
the Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement).
Signature | ||
(Signature must correspond to name as written upon the | ||
face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without | ||
alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.) |
- 2 -
NOTICE
If the certification set forth above is not completed in connection with a purported assignment,
the Company will deem the Beneficial Owner of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate to be
an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any Person acting
jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person
(as defined in the Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement) and accordingly will deem the
Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate to be void and not transferable or exercisable.
WESTERN WIND ENERGY CORP.
FORM OF ELECTION TO EXERCISE
(To be executed if the holder desires to exercise the Rights Certificate)
(To be executed if the holder desires to exercise the Rights Certificate)
TO:
|
Pacific Corporate Trust Company | |
00xx Xxxxx, 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Xxxxxxxxx, XX X0X 0X0 |
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise ___whole Rights
represented by the attached Rights Certificate to purchase the Common Shares issuable upon the
exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such Common Shares be issued in the name
of:
Address:
Social Insurance or Other Taxpayer Identification Number:
If such number of Rights shall not be all the whole Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate, a
new Rights Certificate for the balance of such whole Rights shall be registered in the name of and
delivered to:
Full Address, including postal code:
Social Insurance or Other Taxpayer Identification Number:
Dated:
[month, day, year]
Signature Guaranteed:
Signature | ||
(Signature must correspond to name as written upon the | ||
face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without | ||
alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.) |
The signature of the person executing this form must be guaranteed by a Canadian chartered bank or
eligible guarantor institution with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion
program.
CERTIFICATION
(To be completed if true)
The undersigned hereby represents, warrants and certifies for the benefit of all holders of Rights
and Common Shares, that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not, and, to the
knowledge of the
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undersigned, have never been, Beneficially Owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of an Acquiring Person or any Person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the
Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement).
Signature | ||
(Signature must correspond to name as written upon the | ||
face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without | ||
alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.) |
NOTICE
If the certification set forth above is not completed in connection with a purported assignment,
the Company will deem the Beneficial Owner of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate to be
an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any Person acting
jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person
(as defined in the Shareholder Protection Rights Plan Agreement) and accordingly will deem the
Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate to be void and not transferable or exercisable.