| Section 1.1 |
Purpose
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| Section 2.1 |
Definitions
|
| (a) |
is engaged to provide services to the Company or an Affiliate;
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| (b) |
provides the services under a written contract with the Company or an Affiliate; and
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| (c) |
spends or will spend a significant amount of time and attention on the affairs and business of the Company or an Affiliate,
|
| (i) |
for an individual consultant, a corporation of which the individual consultant is an employee or shareholder, and a partnership of which the individual consultant is an employee or partner; and
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| (ii) |
the consultant’s Permitted Assigns.
|
| (a) |
In the case of an Employee Participant or Executive Participant, “Termination Date” means the date designated by the Company or an Affiliate as the last day of the Individual Optionee’s employment
or term of office with the Company or the Affiliate. “Termination Date” specifically does not mean the date on which any statutory notice or reasonable notice period that the Company or the Affiliate
may be required to provide at law expires or any period of deemed employment; and
|
| (b) |
In the case of a Consultant Participant, “Termination Date” means the date that is designated by the Company or the Affiliate, as applicable, as the date on which the Consultant Participant’s
consulting agreement or arrangement is terminated. “Termination Date” specifically does not mean the date on which any reasonable notice period that the Company or the Affiliate may be required to
provide under the terms of the consulting agreement or arrangement expires or any period of deemed services.
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| Section 2.2 |
Interpretation
|
| (a) |
Whenever the Board or, where applicable, the Committee is to exercise discretion in the administration of the terms and conditions of this Plan, the term “discretion” means the sole and absolute discretion of the Board or the Committee,
as the case may be.
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| (b) |
As used in this Plan, the terms “Article” and “Section” mean and refer to the specified Article or Section of this Plan.
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| (c) |
Words importing the singular include the plural and vice versa and words importing gender include any other gender.
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| (d) |
Unless otherwise specified, all references to money amounts are to Canadian currency.
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| Section 3.1 |
Administration
|
| (a) |
[RESERVED];
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| (b) |
[RESERVED];
|
| (i) |
[RESERVED];
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| (ii) |
[RESERVED];
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| (iii) |
[RESERVED];
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| (iv) |
[RESERVED];
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| (v) |
any acceleration of exercisability or waiver of termination regarding any Option;
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| (c) |
to interpret this Plan; and
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| (d) |
to make all other determinations and take all other actions necessary or advisable for the implementation and administration of this Plan.
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| Section 3.2 |
Delegation to Committee
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| Section 3.3 |
Eligibility
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| Section 3.4 |
Total Subordinate Voting Shares Subject to Options
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| Section 3.5 |
Limits with Respect to Insiders
|
| (a) |
The maximum number of Subordinate Voting Shares issuable from treasury to Participants who are Insiders, at any time, under this Plan and any other proposed or established Share Compensation Arrangement, shall not exceed ten percent
(10%) of the Subordinate Voting Shares and Multiple Voting Shares issued and outstanding from time to time (calculated on a non diluted basis).
|
| (b) |
The maximum number of Subordinate Voting Shares issued from treasury to Participants who are Insiders, within any one-year period, under this Plan and any other proposed or established Share Compensation Arrangement, shall not exceed ten
percent (10%) of the Subordinate Voting Shares and Multiple Voting Shares issued and outstanding from time to time (calculated on a non-diluted basis).
|
| (c) |
Any Option granted pursuant to the Plan, or securities issued under any other Share Compensation Arrangement, prior to a Participant becoming an Insider, shall be excluded from the purposes of the limits set out in Section 3.5(a) and
Section 3.5(b).
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| Section 3.6 |
Option Agreements
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| Section 3.7 |
Non-transferability
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| Section 4.1 |
Grant of Options
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| Section 4.2 |
Exercise Price
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| Section 4.3 |
Term of Options
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| (a) |
Subject to any accelerated termination as set forth in this Plan, each Option, unless otherwise specified by the Board, expires on the seventh anniversary of the Date of Grant, however, the Exercise Period of an Option may not exceed 10
years from its Date of Grant, subject to an extension pursuant to Section 4.3(b) resulting from a Black-Out Period.
|
| (b) |
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, should the expiration date for an Option fall within a Black-Out Period, such expiration date shall be automatically extended without any further act or formality to that date which is
the tenth (10th) Business Day after the end of the Black-Out Period, such tenth (10th) Business Day to be considered the expiration date for such Option for all purposes under the Plan. Notwithstanding Section 6.4
hereof, the ten (10) Business Day period referred to in this Section 4.3(b) may not be extended by the Board.
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| Section 4.4 |
Exercise Period
|
|
Percentage of Total Number of
Subordinate Voting Shares that
may be Purchased
|
Exercise Period
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|
25%
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From the first anniversary of the Date of Grant to and including the seventh anniversary of the Date of Grant
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|
25%
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From the second anniversary of the Date of Grant to and including the seventh anniversary of the Date of Grant
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|
25%
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From the third anniversary of the Date of Grant to and including the seventh anniversary of the Date of Grant
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|
25%
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From the fourth anniversary of the Date of Grant to and including the seventh anniversary of the Date of Grant
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| Section 4.5 |
Exercise and Termination of Options
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| (a) |
Options shall be exercised by means of a fully completed Exercise Notice delivered to the Company.
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| (b) |
The Exercise Notice must be accompanied by payment in full (in cash, or by certified cheque, bank draft or money order payable to the Company or by such other means acceptable to the Directors) of the purchase price for the Subordinate
Voting Shares to be purchased, such payment to be provided to the Company within 3 Business Days of delivery of the Exercise Notice.
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| (c) |
As soon as practicable after receipt of any Exercise Notice and full payment, the Company shall duly issue the applicable number of Subordinate Voting Shares to the Participant and such Subordinate Voting Shares shall be deemed validly
issued as fully paid and non-assessable.
|
| (d) |
The right to exercise an Option terminates if the Option is not exercised before the end of the Exercise Period or are cancelled under this Plan prior to the end of the Exercise Period.
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| Section 4.6 |
Death or Disability of Optionee
|
| (a) |
If an Individual Optionee dies or becomes Disabled while an employee, Director or officer of the Company or an Affiliate, the executor or administrator of the Optionee’s estate may exercise any Options of the Optionee to the extent that
the Options were exercisable at the date of such death or Disability until the earlier of:
|
| (i) |
the date that is 180 days from the date of the Individual Optionee’s death or Disability; and
|
| (ii) |
the date on which the Exercise Period of the particular Option expires.
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| (b) |
Any Options held by the Optionee that were not exercisable at the date of death or Disability are cancelled on such date.
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| Section 4.7 |
Termination of Employment or Services
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| (a) |
Where an Employee Participant’s or Executive Participant’s employment or term of office with the Company or an Affiliate ceases by reason of the Participant’s death or Disability, then the provisions of Section 4.6 will apply.
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| (b) |
Where an Employee Participant’s or Executive Participant’s employment or term of office terminates by reason of:
|
| (i) |
termination by the Company or an Affiliate without cause (whether such termination occurs with or without adequate notice, reasonable notice, or with or without adequate compensation in lieu of such notice or reasonable notice), or
|
| (ii) |
voluntary resignation by the Optionee,
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| (c) |
Where an Employee Participant’s or Executive Participant’s employment or term of office is terminated by the Company or an Affiliate for cause, then any Options held by the Optionee, whether or not exercisable at the Termination Date,
are cancelled on the Termination Date at a time determined by the Board, in its discretion.
|
| (d) |
Where a Consultant Participant’s consulting agreement or arrangement terminates by reason of:
|
| (i) |
termination by the Company or an Affiliate for any reason whatsoever other than for breach of the consulting agreement or arrangement (whether or not such termination is effected in compliance with any termination provisions contained in
the Optionee’s consulting agreement or arrangement) or
|
| (ii) |
voluntary termination by the Optionee; or
|
| (iii) |
the death or Disability of the Optionee,
|
| (e) |
Where a Consultant Participant’s, consulting agreement or arrangement is terminated by the Company or an Affiliate for breach of the consulting agreement or arrangement (whether or not such termination is effected in compliance with any
termination provisions contained in Optionee’s consulting agreement or arrangement), then any Options held by the Optionee, whether or not such Options are exercisable at the Termination Date, are cancelled on the Termination Date at a time
determined by the Board, in its discretion.
|
| (f) |
Unless the Board, in its discretion, otherwise determines, at any time and from time to time, Options are not affected by a change of employment or consulting arrangement within or among the Company or an Affiliate for so long as the
Employee Participant continues to be an employee of the Company or an Affiliate, or for so long as the Executive Participant continues to be a director or officer of the Company or an Affiliate, or for so long as the Consultant Participant
continues to be engaged as a consultant to the Company or an Affiliate, as the case may be.
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| Section 4.8 |
Discretion to Permit Exercise
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| Section 4.9 |
Change of Control
|
| (a) |
Upon the occurrence of any Change of Control:
|
| (i) |
where Options that have vested are not assumed by (or substituted for) options in any entity participating in or resulting from the Change of Control, the Board may, in its discretion:
|
| A. |
allow the holders of vested Options to surrender such Options to the Company for cancellation in exchange for a cash payment (or the delivery of shares of stock, other securities or a combination of cash, stock and securities equivalent
to such cash payment) equal to the difference, if any, between the consideration received by shareholders of the Company in respect of a Subordinate Voting Share in connection with such transaction and the purchase price per Subordinate
Voting Share, if any, under the Option multiplied by the number of Subordinate Voting Shares subject to such Option; except that if such product is zero or less, the Options will be cancelled and terminated without payment therefor; or
|
| B. |
provide that the period to exercise Options granted under the Plan will be extended (but not beyond 10 years from the Date of Grant); and
|
| (ii) |
where Options have not vested are not assumed by (or substituted for) options in any entity participating in or resulting from the Change of Control, the Board may, in its discretion, terminate such unvested Options (without the payment
of any consideration for such termination) immediately prior to, and conditional upon the closing of, the Change of Control.
|
| (b) |
For purposes of this Section, a “Change of Control” means the happening of any of the following events:
|
| (i) |
the completion of a transaction pursuant to which:
|
| A. |
the Company goes out of existence; or
|
| B. |
any Person, or any Associate or Affiliate of such Person, other than:
|
| (1) |
the Company, a subsidiary of the Company or an employee benefit plan of the Company (including any trustee of such plan acting as trustee); or
|
| (2) |
any shareholder of the Company holding at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Company on the Effective Date of this Plan (determined on an as-converted to common exchangeable shares basis),
|
| (ii) |
the sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets to a Person other than a Person that was, prior to such sale, an Affiliate; or
|
| (iii) |
the dissolution or liquidation of the Company except in connection with the distribution of assets of the Company to one or more Persons that were Affiliates prior to such event.
|
| (c) |
The Board may, in its discretion, accelerate the vesting of any or all outstanding Options to provide that such outstanding Options are fully vested and conditionally exercisable upon (or prior to) the completion of the transaction
resulting in the Change of Control. If the Board elects to accelerate the vesting of the Options, then if any of such Options are not exercised on or prior to completion of the transaction resulting in the Change of Control, such
unexercised Options are cancelled upon the completion of the transaction resulting in the Change of Control. If, for any reason, the transaction that would result in the Change of Control is not completed, the acceleration of the vesting of
the Options is retracted and vesting instead reverts to the manner in which such Options vested prior to the acceleration.
|
| (d) |
Notwithstanding anything else in this Plan or any Option Agreement, the Board may, without the consent of any Optionee, take such steps as are necessary or desirable to cause the conversion or exchange of any outstanding Options into or
for options, rights or other securities of substantially equivalent value (or greater value), as determined by the Board in its discretion, in any entity participating in or resulting from a Change of Control, or to otherwise facilitate
Options being assumed or substituted in connection with a Change of Control.
|
| (e) |
The Board shall determine in its discretion whether an Option is to be considered “assumed” or “substituted”. Without limiting the generality of the previous sentence, an Option may be considered “assumed” or “substituted” if in the
determination of the Board:
|
| (i) |
the aggregate intrinsic value (the difference between the then Market Value and the Exercise Price per share multiplied by the number of Subordinate Voting Shares subject to such Option) of the assumed (or substituted) Option immediately
after the Change of Control is substantially the same as the aggregate intrinsic value of such Option immediately before such transaction;
|
| (ii) |
the ratio of the Exercise Price per assumed (or substituted) Option to the fair market value per share of the successor corporation stock immediately after the Change of Control is substantially the same as such ratio for such Option
immediately before such transaction; and
|
| (iii) |
the Option is exercisable for the consideration approved by the Board (including shares of stock, other securities or property or a combination of cash, stock, securities and other property).
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| Section 4.10 |
Conditions to Exercise Options
|
| (a) |
[RESERVED];
|
| (b) |
[RESERVED];
|
| (c) |
[RESERVED]; and
|
| (d) |
to the extent requested by the Company, sign and deliver all such documents relating to the granting or exercise of Options that the Company deems necessary or desirable.
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| Section 4.11 |
Incentive Stock Options
|
| (a) |
Options may be granted as ISOs only to individuals who are employees of the Company or any present or future “subsidiary corporation” or “parent corporation” as those terms are defined in Section 424 of the Code (collectively, “Related Corporations”), and Options shall not be granted to non-employee Directors or independent contractors;
|
| (b) |
for purposes of Section 4.6 and Section 4.7 of the Plan, “Disability” shall mean “permanent and total disability” as defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code;
|
| (c) |
if an Optionee ceases to be employed by the Company and/or all Related Corporations other than by reason of death or Disability, Options shall be eligible for treatment as ISOs only if exercised no later than three months following such
termination of employment;
|
| (d) |
the Exercise Price in respect of Options granted as ISOs to employees who own more than 10% of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or a Related Corporation (a “10% Stockholder”) shall be not less than 110% of
the fair market value per Subordinate Voting Share on the Date of Grant and the term of any ISO granted to a 10% Stockholder shall not exceed 5 years measured from the Date of Grant;
|
| (e) |
Options held by an Optionee shall be eligible for treatment as ISOs only if the fair market value (determined at the Date of Grant) of the Subordinate Voting Shares with respect to which such Options and all other options intended to
qualify as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code held by such individual and granted under the Plan or any other plan of a Related Corporation and which are exercisable for the first time by such individual during any one
calendar year does not exceed US$100,000;
|
| (f) |
by accepting an Option granted as an ISO under the Plan, each Optionee agrees to notify the Company in writing immediately after such Optionee makes a “Disqualifying Disposition” of any stock
acquired pursuant to the exercise of such ISO; for this purpose, a Disqualifying Disposition is any disposition occurring on or before the later of (a) the date two years following the date the ISO was granted or (b) the date one year
following the date the ISO was exercised;
|
| (g) |
notwithstanding that the Plan shall be effective when adopted by the Board, no ISO granted under the Plan may be exercised until the Plan is approved by the Company’s shareholders and, if such approval is not obtained within 12 months
after the date of the Board’s adoption of the Plan, then all ISOs previously granted shall terminate and cease to be outstanding and the provisions of this Section 4.11 shall cease to have effect; furthermore, the Board shall obtain
shareholder approval within 12 months before or after any increase in the total number of shares that may be issued under the Plan or any change in the class of employees eligible to receive ISOs under the Plan;
|
| (h) |
Options intended to be ISOs under this Plan shall be granted prior to the date that is 10 years after the date this Plan is approved by the shareholders of the Company;
|
| (i) |
ISOs shall be neither transferable nor assignable by the Optionee other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution and may be exercised, during the Optionee’s lifetime, only by such Optionee; and
|
| (j) |
notwithstanding Section 3.7, an ISO is not transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.
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| Section 4.12 |
[RESERVED]
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| Section 5.1 |
General
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| Section 5.2 |
Reorganization of Company’s Capital
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| Section 5.3 |
Issue by Company of Additional Shares
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| Section 5.4 |
Fractions
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| Section 5.5 |
Conditions of Exercise
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| Section 6.1 |
Legal Requirement
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| Section 6.2 |
Withholding Taxes
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| Section 6.3 |
Certain US Tax Matters
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| Section 6.4 |
Termination; Amendment
|
| (a) |
The Plan will terminate on the date on which all Options issued under the Plan have either been exercised, cancelled or forfeited, or in such other circumstances as contemplated by the Plan or determined by the Board.
|
| (b) |
The Board may, without notice, at any time or from time to time, amend, suspend or terminate this Plan or any provisions hereof in such respects as it, in its discretion, determines appropriate. No such amendment, suspension or
termination of this Plan, without the consent of any Optionee or the representatives of his or her estate, as applicable, alters or impairs any rights or obligations arising from any Option previously granted to an Optionee under this Plan
that remains outstanding.
|
| (c) |
Subject to Section 6.4(b) and any applicable rules of a stock exchange, including the TSX, the Board may, from time to time, in its absolute discretion and without the approval of the shareholders of the Company make the following
amendments to this Plan:
|
| (i) |
any amendment to the vesting provision, if applicable, or assignability provisions of the Options;
|
| (ii) |
any amendment to the expiration date of an Option that does not extend the term of the Option past the original date of expiration of such Option;
|
| (iii) |
any amendment regarding the effect of termination of a Participant’s employment or engagement;
|
| (iv) |
any amendment which accelerates the date on which any Option may be exercised or payable, as applicable, under the Plan;
|
| (v) |
any amendment to the definition of Participant under the Plan;
|
| (vi) |
any amendment necessary to comply with applicable law or the requirements of the TSX or any other regulatory body;
|
| (vii) |
any amendment of a “housekeeping” nature, including to clarify the meaning of an existing provision of the Plan, correct or supplement any provision of the Plan that is inconsistent with any other provision of the Plan, correct any
grammatical or typographical errors or amend the definitions in the Plan;
|
| (viii) |
any amendment regarding the administration of the Plan;
|
| (ix) |
any amendment to add a cashless exercise feature or net exercise procedure;
|
| (x) |
any amendment to add a form of financial assistance or clawback; and
|
| (xi) |
any other amendment that does not require the approval of the holders of Subordinate Voting Shares under Section 6.4(d).
|
| (d) |
Notwithstanding Section 6.4(b), the Board shall be required to obtain shareholder approval to make the following amendments:
|
| (i) |
any increase to the maximum number of Subordinate Voting Shares issuable pursuant to the Plan;
|
| (ii) |
except in the case of an adjustment pursuant to Article 5, any reduction in the Exercise Price of an Option or any cancellation and replacement of such Option with an Option with a lower Exercise Price, to the extent such reduction or
replacement benefits an Insider;
|
| (iii) |
any extension of the term of an Option beyond the original expiry date, to the extent such amendment benefits an Insider;
|
| (iv) |
any amendment which increases the maximum number of Subordinate Voting Shares that may be issuable to Insiders at any time pursuant to the Insider participation limit; and
|
| (v) |
any amendment to the amendment provisions of the Plan;
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| Section 6.5 |
Participation in the Plan
|
| Section 6.6 |
Effective Date
|
| Section 6.7 |
Governing Law
|
|
Date
|
Optionee’s Signature
|