2007 Proxy Statement
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
Form 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16 UNDER
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report: March 14, 2007
Commission File Number: 001-13425
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated
6500 River Road
Richmond, BC, Canada
V6X 4G5
(604) 273 7564
(Address of principal executive offices)
indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports
under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F
Form 20-F o Form 40-F þ
indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper
as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): o
indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper
as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): o
indicate by check mark whether by furnishing information contained in this Form,
the registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to
Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Yes o No þ
If Yes is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in
connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82-
This Form 6-K incorporates the Notice of Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders, Information
Circular and Form of Proxy distributed to the Companys shareholders of record as of March 2, 2007.
The Information Circular was provided to shareholders in connection with the Companys annual
meeting to be held on April 13, 2007.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused
this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
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Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated
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(Registrant) |
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Date: March 14, 2007 |
By: |
/s/ Robert S. Armstrong
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Robert S. Armstrong, |
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Corporate Secretary |
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RITCHIE BROS. AUCTIONEERS INCORPORATED
NOTICE OF ANNUAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO THE SHAREHOLDERS:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an Annual and Special Meeting (the Meeting) of the shareholders of
RITCHIE BROS. AUCTIONEERS INCORPORATED (the Company) will be held at the Vancouver Airport
Marriott Hotel, 7571 Westminster Highway, Richmond, B.C., Canada, V6X 1A3, on Friday, April 13,
2007 at 11:00 a.m. (Vancouver time), for the following purposes:
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(1) |
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to receive the financial statements of the Company for the financial year ended
December 31, 2006 and the report of the Auditors thereon; |
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(2) |
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to elect the directors of the Company to hold office until their successors are
elected at the next annual meeting of the Company; |
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(3) |
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to appoint the Auditors of the Company to hold office until the next annual
meeting of the Company and to authorize the directors to fix the remuneration to be
paid to the Auditors; |
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(4) |
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to consider and, if deemed advisable, to pass an ordinary resolution approving
amendments to the Companys Stock Option Plan, the full text of which resolution is set
out in Schedule A in the accompanying Information Circular; |
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(5) |
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to consider and, if deemed advisable, to pass an ordinary resolution approving
the adoption of a Shareholder Rights Plan in accordance with a Shareholder Rights Plan
Agreement dated as of February 22, 2007 between the Company and Computershare Investor
Services Inc., the full text of which resolution is set out in Schedule B in the
accompanying Information Circular; and |
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(6) |
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to transact such other business as may properly be brought before the Meeting. |
Further information regarding the matters to be considered at the Meeting is set out in the
accompanying Information Circular.
The directors of the Company have fixed the close of business on March 2, 2007 as the record
date for determining shareholders entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Meeting. Only
registered shareholders of the Company as of March 2, 2007 will be entitled to vote, in person or
by proxy, at the Meeting.
Shareholders are requested to date, sign and return the accompanying form of proxy for use at
the Meeting whether or not they are able to attend personally. To be effective, forms of proxy
must be received by Computershare Trust Company of Canada, Attention Proxy Department, 100
University Avenue, 9th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2Y1, no later than 48 hours (excluding
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) before the time of the Meeting or any adjournment thereof.
All non-registered shareholders who receive these materials through a broker or other
intermediary should complete and return the materials in accordance with the instructions provided
to them by such broker or intermediary.
DATED at Vancouver, British Columbia, as of this 14th day of March, 2007.
By Order of the Board of Directors
Robert S. Armstrong
Corporate Secretary
RITCHIE BROS. AUCTIONEERS INCORPORATED
ANNUAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
INFORMATION CIRCULAR
Unless otherwise provided, the information herein is given as of February 21, 2007.
Solicitation of Proxies
This Information Circular is being furnished to the shareholders of the Company in connection with
the solicitation of proxies for use at the Annual and Special Meeting to be held on April 13, 2007
(the Meeting) by management of the Company. The solicitation will be primarily by mail, however,
proxies may also be solicited personally or by telephone by the directors, officers or employees of
the Company. The Company may also pay brokers or other persons holding common shares of the
Company (the Common Shares) in their own names or in the names of nominees for their reasonable
expenses of sending proxies and proxy materials to beneficial shareholders for the purposes of
obtaining their proxies. The costs of this solicitation are being borne by the Company.
PARTICULARS OF MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON AT THE MEETING
Number of Directors and Election of Directors
Under the Articles of Amalgamation of the Company, the number of directors of the Company is
set at a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of ten (10) and the directors are authorized to
determine the actual number of directors within that range to be elected from time to time. The
Company currently has seven (7) directors. Each director of the Company is elected annually and
holds office until the next Annual Meeting of the Company unless he or she sooner ceases to hold
office. The Board of the Company has determined that the number of directors to be elected at the
Meeting shall be seven (7). The Company intends to nominate each of the persons listed below for
election as a director of the Company. The persons proposed for nomination are, in the opinion of
the Board and management, well qualified to act as directors for the ensuing year. The persons
named in the enclosed form of proxy intend to vote for the election of such nominees.
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Number of |
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Common Shares |
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Beneficially |
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Owned, |
Name and |
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Principal Occupation |
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Previous Service |
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Controlled or |
Municipality of Residence |
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Position with the Company |
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or Employment (1) |
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as a Director |
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Directed(1)(2) |
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Charles Edward Croft
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
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Chairman of the Board and a Director
(3);
Chair of Compensation Committee
Member of Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee;
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President and Director,
Falcon Pacific Financial
Corp. (private investment
company) and its
subsidiaries
(4)
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Director since June 17, 1998 |
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17,200 |
(5) |
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Peter James Blake
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
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Chief Executive Officer and a Director
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Chief Executive
Officer of the Company
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Director since
December 12, 1997
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67,281 |
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Clifford Russell Cmolik
Surrey, B.C., Canada
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Director;
Member of Compensation Committee
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Businessman (6)
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Director since
December 12, 1997
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2,685,822 |
(7) |
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Eric Patel
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
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Director;
Chair of Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee
Member of Audit Committee
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Business Consultant
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Director since
April 14, 2004
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2,850 |
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Beverley Anne Briscoe
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
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Director;
Chair of Audit Committee (8)
Member of Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee
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Owner and Principal,
Briscoe Management Ltd.
(9)
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Director since
October 29, 2004
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2,500 |
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Number of |
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Common Shares |
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Beneficially |
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Owned, |
Name and |
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Principal Occupation |
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Previous Service |
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Controlled |
Municipality of Residence |
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Position with the Company |
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or Employment (1) |
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as a Director |
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or Directed (1)(2) |
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Robert Waugh Murdoch
Salt Spring Island, B.C.,
Canada
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Director;
Member of Compensation
Committee
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Businessman (10)
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Director since
February 20, 2006
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990 |
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Edward Baltazar Pitoniak
West Vancouver, B.C., Canada
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Director;
Member of Audit
Committee
(11)
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President & Chief
Executive Officer and Trustee, Canadian Hotel Income Properties Real
Estate Investment Trust
(12)
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Director since July
28, 2006
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65 |
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(1) |
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This information has been provided by the respective nominee as of February 21, 2007. |
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(2) |
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The number of Common Shares held includes Common Shares beneficially owned, directly or
indirectly (other than stock options), or over which control or direction is exercised by
the proposed nominee. See the table below for disclosure of stock option information. |
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(3) |
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Mr. Croft became Chairman of the Board of Directors effective November 30, 2006 upon the
retirement from that position and the Board of David E. Ritchie, who had been Chairman and a
Director since December 12, 1997. Mr. Croft previously held the position of
Vice-Chairman of the Board. Mr. Ritchie was appointed to the honourary position of Chairman
Emeritus upon his retirement. |
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(4) |
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Mr. Croft was a director of a Canadian private company that entered into a Plan of
Arrangement under the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act in 2004, immediately following his
resignation as a director thereof. The company subsequently emerged from protection in
2004. |
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(5) |
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15,000 of such shares are held by Falcon Pacific Financial Corp., a company controlled by
Mr. Croft. |
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(6) |
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Mr. Cmolik was the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company until his
retirement in July 2002. The Board has determined that Mr. Cmolik is an independent
director. |
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(7) |
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1,960,568 of such shares are held by C.R.C. Auctions Ltd. and 720,436 of such shares are
held by Cmolik Enterprises Ltd., both of which are controlled by Mr. Cmolik. Mr. Cmolik
holds the remaining 4,818 shares personally. |
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(8) |
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Ms. Briscoe was appointed Chair of the Audit Committee effective April 13, 2006, and
replaced G. Edward Moul, the former Chair who retired from the Board effective April 13,
2006. |
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(9) |
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Ms. Briscoe is also a director of Goldcorp Inc., Spectra Energy Income Fund, BC Railway
Company, and Westminster Savings Credit Union. In addition, Ms. Briscoe is Chair of the
B.C. Governments Industry Training Authority. |
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(10) |
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Mr. Murdoch is a member of the international advisory board of Lafarge S.A., as well as a
director of Lallemand Inc. and Timberwest Forest Corp. |
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(11) |
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Mr. Pitoniak was appointed to the Companys Board effective July 28, 2006. Mr. Pitoniak
was also appointed to the Audit Committee effective July 28, 2006, and replaced Mr. Cmolik
on that committee. Mr. Cmolik had been appointed to the Audit Committee effective April 13,
2006, upon the retirement of Mr. Moul (see note 8 above). |
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(12) |
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Mr. Pitoniak is the President & Chief Executive Officer and a Trustee of Canadian Hotel
Income Properties Real Estate Investment Trust, a public company, a position he has held
since 2004. Prior to that he was a Senior Vice-President with Intrawest Corporation (1996
to 2004) and held senior editorial and advertising positions at SKI Magazine, part of Times
Mirror Magazines. Mr. Pitoniak holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College. |
In addition to the information presented above regarding Common Shares beneficially
owned, controlled or directed, the directors of the Company held the stock options set out in the
following table as of the date of this Information Circular. All of the options granted to and
held by non-employee directors vested at the grant date and have an expiry date ten years from the
date of grant. The options granted to Mr. Blake, the CEO of the Company, vested one year from the
grant date and have the expiry date of ten years, subject to early
termination, applicable to officer and employee options, as set
out in the relevant option agreement.
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Number of |
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Exercise |
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Options |
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Price |
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Total |
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Total |
Nominee |
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Grant Date |
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Expiry Date |
|
Granted |
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(U.S.$) |
|
Exercised |
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Unexercised |
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Peter Blake |
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Jan. 24, 2006 |
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Jan. 24, 2016 |
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24,000 |
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$ |
44.09 |
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24,000 |
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Jan. 25, 2005 |
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Jan. 25, 2015 |
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20,800 |
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$ |
32.41 |
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20,800 |
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Feb. 13, 2004 |
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Feb. 13, 2014 |
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22,400 |
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$ |
26.46 |
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22,400 |
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Jan. 30, 2003 |
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Jan. 30, 2013 |
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30,000 |
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$ |
15.53 |
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15,400 |
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14,600 |
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97,200 |
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15,400 |
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81,800 |
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Russell Cmolik |
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Feb. 13, 2004 |
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Feb. 13, 2014 |
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8,000 |
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$ |
26.46 |
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8,000 |
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Jan. 30, 2003 |
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Jan. 30, 2013 |
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8,000 |
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$ |
15.53 |
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8,000 |
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16,000 |
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16,000 |
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Charles Croft |
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Feb. 13, 2004 |
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Feb. 13, 2014 |
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8,000 |
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$ |
26.46 |
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8,000 |
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Jan. 30, 2003 |
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Jan. 30, 2013 |
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8,000 |
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$ |
15.53 |
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8,000 |
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Feb. 11, 2002 |
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Feb. 11, 2012 |
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6,000 |
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$ |
13.05 |
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6,000 |
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Jan. 31, 2001 |
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Jan. 31, 2011 |
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6,000 |
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$ |
11.68 |
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6,000 |
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Feb. 1, 2000 |
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Feb. 1, 2010 |
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6,000 |
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$ |
13.35 |
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6,000 |
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Feb. 21, 1999 |
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Feb. 21, 2009 |
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7,000 |
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$ |
13.44 |
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7,000 |
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41,000 |
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41,000 |
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2
The Company is not aware that any of the above nominees will be unable or unwilling to
serve as a director of the Company; however, should the Company become aware of such an occurrence
before the election of directors takes place at the Meeting, if one of the persons named in the
enclosed form of proxy is appointed as proxyholder, it is intended that the discretionary power
granted under such proxy will be used to vote for any substitute nominee or nominees whom the
Board, in its discretion, may select.
Charles E. Croft served as the Lead Director of the Board from the date of Companys Annual
Meeting in 2006 until his appointment to the position of Chairman effective November 30, 2006.
Because Mr. Croft is an independent director, the Companys Board has not appointed another Lead
Director. However, any shareholder wishing to contact Mr. Croft may do so by phoning 604-233-6153
or by sending an email to LeadDirector@rbauction.com.
Additional disclosure relating to the Companys audit committee as required under Multilateral
Instrument 52-110 is contained in the Companys Annual Information Form under the heading Audit
Committee Information. The Annual Information Form of the Company has been filed on SEDAR and is
available on their website at www.sedar.com. A copy of the Companys Annual Information Form may
also be obtained by making a request to the Corporate Secretary of the Company.
Board and Committee Attendance
The following tables present information about Board of Directors and Committee meetings and
attendance by directors at such meetings for the year ended December 31, 2006. The overall 2006
attendance record by directors at Board and Committee meetings was 92%.
Board and Committee Meetings Held
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Number of Meetings |
Board of Directors |
|
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10 |
|
Audit Committee |
|
|
13 |
|
Compensation Committee |
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|
2 |
|
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee |
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|
5 |
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Summary of Attendance of Directors
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Director |
|
Board Meetings |
|
Committee Meetings |
Charles Croft |
|
10 of 10 |
|
7 of 7 |
Peter Blake |
|
10 of 10 |
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N/A |
|
C. Russell Cmolik |
|
9 of 10 |
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6 of 7 |
Eric Patel |
|
10 of 10 |
|
18 of 18 |
Beverley Briscoe |
|
10 of 10 |
|
18 of 18 |
Robert Murdoch (1) |
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6 of 8 |
|
2 of 2 |
Edward Pitoniak (2) |
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4 of 5 |
|
5 of 6 |
David Ritchie (3) |
|
5 of 10 |
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N/A |
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(1) |
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Mr. Murdoch was appointed to the Board on April 13, 2006. |
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(2) |
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Mr. Pitoniak was appointed to the Board on July 28, 2006.
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(3) |
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Mr. Ritchie retired from the Board effective November 30, 2006. |
Compensation of Directors
In addition to the reimbursement of reasonable travel and lodging expenses, non-employee
directors of the Company received the following compensation in 2006:
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Description of Fee |
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Amount of Fee |
Annual fee for Board Chairman |
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U.S.$100,000 |
(1) |
Annual fee for Board Membership |
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|
U.S.$ 60,000 |
(1) |
Annual additional fee for Board Vice-Chairman |
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U.S.$ 50,000 |
|
Annual fee for Committee chairmanship (excluding Audit Committee) |
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U.S.$ 10,000 |
|
Annual fee for Audit Committee chairmanship |
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U.S.$ 15,000 |
|
Meeting fee (per minuted meeting in excess of two hours) |
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U.S.$ 1,000 |
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(1) |
|
Each director is required to use U.S.$25,000 of the annual fee to purchase Common
Shares through the NYSE or the TSX in compliance with the Companys Policy Regarding
Securities Trades by Personnel. |
3
The total fees paid by the Company to the Board in 2006 were U.S.$619,714. Employee
directors do not receive additional compensation for their participation in Board or committee
activities. Compensation by director for the year ended December 31, 2006 was as follows (all
amounts in U.S. dollars):
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|
|
|
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|
Director |
|
Board Fees |
|
|
Committee Fees |
|
|
Meeting Fees |
|
Charles Croft |
|
$ |
110,000 |
|
|
$ |
10,000 |
|
|
$ |
15,000 |
|
Peter Blake |
|
Nil |
|
|
Nil |
|
|
Nil |
|
C. Russell Cmolik |
|
|
60,000 |
|
|
Nil |
|
|
|
13,000 |
|
Eric Patel |
|
|
60,000 |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
18,000 |
|
Beverley Briscoe |
|
|
60,000 |
|
|
|
10,714 |
|
|
|
16,000 |
|
Robert Murdoch |
|
|
51,500 |
|
|
Nil |
|
|
|
6,000 |
|
Edward Pitoniak |
|
|
30,000 |
|
|
Nil |
|
|
|
7,000 |
|
David Ritchie |
|
|
137,500 |
|
|
Nil |
|
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
$ |
509,000 |
|
|
$ |
30,714 |
|
|
$ |
80,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At their meeting on February 20, 2007, the Board approved certain revisions to the
compensation plan for directors for 2007. The annual fee for the Board Chairman will be increased
to U.S.$150,000 per year, retroactive to November 30, 2006. In addition, directors who travel more
than four hours to attend a board or committee meeting will receive an additional U.S.$1,000.
There were no other arrangements under which non-employee directors were compensated during
2006. No non-employee directors earned any compensation during 2006 for consultancy or other
services provided to the Company. No options were granted to non-employee directors in 2006.
Appointment of Auditors
The Company proposes that KPMG LLP, Chartered Accountants of Vancouver, British Columbia, be
appointed as Auditors of the Company for the year ending December 31, 2007 and that the Audit
Committee be authorized to fix their remuneration. KPMG LLP has been the Auditors of the Company
and its predecessors since 1974. The Audit Committee is satisfied that KPMG LLP meets the relevant
independence requirements and is free from conflicts of interest that could impair their
objectivity in conducting the Companys audit. The resolution appointing auditors must be passed
by a majority of the votes cast by the shareholders who vote in respect of that resolution.
In addition to retaining KPMG LLP to audit the consolidated financial statements of the
Company and its subsidiaries for the year ended December 31, 2006, the Company retained KPMG LLP to
provide various non-audit services in 2006. The Audit Committee is required to pre-approve all
non-audit related services performed by KPMG LLP. The aggregate fees billed for professional
services by KPMG LLP and its affiliates during fiscal 2006 and 2005 were as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fiscal 2006 |
|
|
Fiscal 2005 |
|
Audit Fees |
|
$ |
1,143,000 |
|
|
$ |
627,000 |
|
Audit-Related Fees |
|
|
248,000 |
|
|
|
105,000 |
|
Tax Fees |
|
|
575,000 |
|
|
|
745,000 |
|
All Other Fees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Fees |
|
$ |
1,966,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,477,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The nature of each category of fees is as follows:
Audit Fees:
Audit fees were paid for professional services rendered by the auditors for the audit and
interim reviews of the Companys consolidated financial statements or services provided in
connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements.
4
Audit-Related Fees:
Audit-related fees were paid for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to
the performance of the audit or review of the Companys financial statements and are not reported
under the Audit Fees item above.
Tax Fees:
Tax fees were paid for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning professional services.
These services consisted of: tax compliance including the review of original and amended tax
returns; assistance with questions regarding tax audits; assistance in completing routine tax
schedules and calculations; and tax planning and advisory services relating to common forms of
domestic and international taxation (i.e., income tax, capital tax, Goods and Services Tax and
Value Added Tax).
The Audit Committee is responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work
of the Companys independent auditor and is required to pre-approve all non-audit related services
performed by KPMG LLP. Accordingly, the Audit Committee has adopted a pre-approval policy. The
policy outlines the procedures and the conditions pursuant to which permissible services proposed
to be performed by KPMG LLP are pre-approved, provides a general pre-approval for certain
permissible services and outlines a list of prohibited services.
Amendments to the Stock Option Plan
At the Meeting, shareholders of the Company will be asked to consider and, if deemed
advisable, to pass, with or without variation, an ordinary resolution approving amendments to the
Companys Stock Option Plan.
The Company has a stock option plan (the Plan), adopted as of July 30, 1997 and approved by
the then shareholders of the Company under which the Compensation Committee is authorized, at its
discretion, to grant options to purchase Common Shares to directors, officers, employees, and
consultants of the Company or its subsidiaries. The Plan has a term of 10 years from the date of
adoption. The purpose of the Plan is to promote the interests of the Company by providing eligible
persons with additional incentive, encouraging stock ownership and increasing the proprietary
interest of eligible persons in the success of the Company and assisting the Company in attracting,
retaining and motivating its directors, officers and employees. The Plan was amended in 2006 by
the Compensation Committee pursuant to the power under the Plan to allow for on-line exercise of
options. For a description of the current Plan, see Securities Authorized for Issuance Under
Equity Compensation Plans on page 19.
The Plan specifies that the maximum number of Common Shares which may be reserved for issuance
under the Plan may not exceed 3,000,000 Common Shares (being 9% of total issued and outstanding
shares) (taking into account the two-for-one stock split of the Common Shares that occurred on May
4, 2004), of which 1,286,468 Common Shares have been issued, 793,648 Common Shares are reserved for
issuance upon exercise of options that have been granted (2% of total issued and outstanding
shares) and 919,884 Common Shares (3% of total issued and outstanding shares) remain available for
future options to be granted.
The Company wishes to amend and restate the Plan (the Amended Plan) in order to extend the
term of the Plan, to ensure that the Plan is up-to-date and continues to serve its original purpose
and to ensure that it conforms with regulatory requirements. The main amendments reflected in the
Amended Plan include, without limitation, the following:
|
(a) |
|
the number of Common Shares that may be issued from and after the
effective date of the Amended Plan pursuant to options granted under the Amended
Plan has been increased to 3,400,000. This new maximum number will cover Common
Shares to be issued upon exercise of all existing issued and outstanding options as
well as all future options to be granted under the Amended Plan; |
|
|
(b) |
|
the term of an option which expires during a Black Out Period will be
automatically extended and will expire on the fifth business day following the end
of such restricted period; |
|
|
(c) |
|
the maximum percentages of Common Shares (in relation to the number of
outstanding and issued Common Shares) available to insiders are outlined; |
5
|
(d) |
|
a cap is placed on the percentage of Common Shares issued and reserved
for issuance to non-employee directors of the Company upon exercise of options; |
|
|
(e) |
|
the CEO is authorized to grant up to a certain number of options to
employees other than to directors and officers; |
|
|
(f) |
|
the provisions dealing with the manner of adjustment of options in the
event of certain corporate actions (such as a subdivision or consolidation of Common
Shares, a distribution to shareholders, a fundamental change such as a
reorganization, amalgamation or arrangement or a proposed change of control) have
been amended and updated; and |
|
|
(g) |
|
the provisions dealing with amendments have been revised to describe
those amendments that may be made by the Compensation Committee and those that may
only be made with shareholder approval. |
At a meeting held on February 20, 2007, the Board unanimously approved the various amendments
(the Plan Amendments) to the Plan. These changes are described in greater detail below.
Pursuant to the Plan Amendments it is proposed that the maximum aggregate number of Common
Shares issuable under the Amended Plan from and after the date of the Meeting will be 3,400,000
Common Shares, representing approximately 10% of the currently issued and outstanding Common Shares
on a fully diluted basis (or 10% on a non-diluted basis), including the 793,648 Common Shares
reserved for issuance pursuant to options outstanding and unexercised as at February 21, 2007. As
a result, 2,606,352 Common Shares will be available for future grants after giving effect to the
Plan Amendments. This reflects a partial replenishment of the Common Shares available for issuance
under the Plan, with the new maximum number (covering issuances upon the exercise of existing
outstanding options and future options to be granted under the Amended Plan) being fixed at
3,400,000 Common Shares.
Pursuant to the Amended Plan, the Company will continue to grant options to purchase Common
Shares to selected employees. The Board considers that stock options are an important element of
the Companys compensation structure. The Board believes that the increased maximum number is
desirable in order to permit the Company to continue to accomplish the purposes of the Amended Plan
and to provide for future grants of options. Options may be granted by the Compensation Committee;
however, under the Amended Plan, the CEO is also authorized to grant a limited number of options
pursuant to the delegation of option-granting power under a Company policy. See Equity-based
Compensation Awards Grant Policy on page 19.
Under a recently adopted policy, the Company has determined not to grant equity awards to
non-employee directors until determined otherwise, and under the Amended Plan, the maximum number
of Common Shares issued and reserved for issuance to non-employee directors of the Company upon
exercise of options must not exceed 1% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. The number of
Common Shares issuable to Insiders under the Amended Plan, when combined with the Companys other
security-based compensation arrangements, within any one-year period cannot exceed 10% of the
issued and outstanding Common Shares and the number of Common Shares issuable to Insiders at any
time cannot exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. This amendment brings the
Amended Plan in line with TSX requirements with respect to eligibility of insiders to vote their
securities in respect of security holder approval required for security based compensation
arrangements. In addition, the definition of Insider has been revised in the Amended Plan to
reflect updates in securities legislation.
The Amended Plan has also been revised to take into account the Companys policy with respect
to making grants only during specific trading windows. If the expiry date of an option falls
during a Black Out Period, the expiry date will be extended to the fifth business day following
the expiry of such period.
Options will vest in accordance with the provisions of the Option Agreement in respect of the
specific option. The exercise price will generally be determined by reference to the closing
market price of the Common Shares on the NYSE on the date of grant.
6
Under the Amended Plan, each option will expire on the date determined by the Compensation
Committee and specified in the applicable Option Agreement, as provided in the Amended Plan.
Generally, the form of Option Agreement to be used in conjunction with the Amended Plan provides
that an optionee may exercise his or her options prior to the date stated in the Option Agreement
(generally ten years from the date of grant) subject to the following:
|
(a) |
|
in the event that the optionee retires or resigns his or her office of
employment (unless terminated as set out below under paragraph (c)) or the
optionees contract as consultant is terminated at the end of its term, the option
will expire 30 days after the Termination Date (as defined in the form of Option
Agreement to be used in conjunction with the Amended Plan); |
|
|
(b) |
|
in the event that the optionees employment with the Company is
terminated without cause or where a consultants contract is terminated other than
due to expiry of its term or for cause (unless terminated as set out below under
paragraph (c)), the option will expire 30 days after the Termination Date; |
|
|
(c) |
|
in the event that the optionee ceases to be an Eligible Person under
the Amended Plan as a result of his or her termination for cause or as a result of
the termination of his or her contract as a consultant for cause, the option will
expire immediately; and |
|
|
(d) |
|
in the event of the death of the optionee, the option will expire on the
date which is 180 days after the date of death of the optionee. |
The extension of an early expiry date coinciding with a Black Out Period applies in the
event of early termination of the optionee except in the event of a termination for cause under
paragraph (c) above.
Options granted under the Amended Plan are not transferable or assignable and may be exercised
only by the optionee or, in the event of the death of the optionee or the appointment of a
committee or duly appointed attorney of the optionee or of the estate of the optionee on the
grounds that the optionee is incapable, by reason of physical or mental infirmity, of managing its
affairs, by the optionees legal representative or such committee or attorney, as the case may be.
The Amended Plan includes customary anti-dilution provisions (for example, in the event of a
subdivision or consolidation of Common Shares) for the benefit of optionees. In addition, if there
is a change of control (which includes an acquisition of more than 50% of the Companys then issued
and outstanding shares, an amalgamation, arrangement or business combination or a sale of all or
substantially all of the property of the Company), the Compensation Committee may, in its sole
discretion, determine the manner in which all unexercised options granted under the Amended Plan
will be treated. For example, the Compensation Committee may elect to accelerate the vesting of
any or all outstanding options immediately prior to completion of a change of control, subject to
applicable regulatory approval, and may determine that outstanding options are to be purchased by
the Company or the new control person for a price determined based on the consideration paid in the
applicable transaction.
The Compensation Committee will have the rights to suspend, amend or terminate the Amended
Plan without approval of optionees or shareholders (provided that no such suspension, amendment or
termination will materially prejudice the rights of any optionee under any previously granted
option without the consent or deemed consent of such optionee), including, without limitation:
|
(a) |
|
to avoid any additional tax on optionees under Section 409A of the United
States Internal Revenue Code or other applicable tax legislation; |
|
|
(b) |
|
changing the eligibility for and limitations on participation in the
Amended Plan (other than participation by non-employee directors in the Amended
Plan); |
|
|
(c) |
|
making any addition to, deletion from or alteration of the provisions of
the Amended Plan that are necessary to comply with applicable law or the
requirements of any regulatory authority or stock exchange; |
|
|
(d) |
|
making any amendment of a typographical, grammatical, administrative or
clerical nature, or clarification correcting or rectifying any ambiguity, defective
provision, error or omission in the Amended Plan; and |
7
|
(e) |
|
changing the provisions relating to the administration of the Amended
Plan or the manner of exercise of the options, including: |
|
i. |
|
changing or adding any form of financial assistance
provided by the Company to the participants that would facilitate purchase
of Common Shares under the Amended Plan; and |
|
|
ii. |
|
adding provisions relating to a cashless exercise
(which will provide for a full deduction of the underlying Common Shares
from the maximum number reserved under the Amended Plan for issuance). |
Notwithstanding the foregoing powers of amendment accorded the Compensation Committee, none of
the following amendments to the Amended Plan may be made without shareholder approval:
|
(a) |
|
any increase in the maximum number of Common Shares that may be issued
pursuant to the exercise of options granted under the Amended Plan; |
|
|
(b) |
|
any reduction in exercise price or cancellation and reissue of options; |
|
|
(c) |
|
any amendment that extends the term of an option beyond the original
expiry date; |
|
|
(d) |
|
if at any time, the Amended Plan is further amended to exclude
participation by non-employee directors, any amendment to Eligible Participants
that may permit the introduction or reintroduction of non-employee directors on a
discretionary basis; |
|
|
(e) |
|
any amendment that increases limits previously imposed on non-employee
director participation; |
|
|
(f) |
|
any amendment which would permit equity based awards granted under the
Amended Plan to be transferable or assignable other than for normal estate
settlement purposes; |
|
|
(g) |
|
any amendment to increase the maximum limit of the number of securities
that may be: |
|
(i) |
|
issued to insiders of the Company within any one year period; or |
|
|
(ii) |
|
issuable to insiders of the Company at any time; |
under the Amended Plan, or when combined with all of the Companys other security
based compensation arrangements, which could exceed 10% of the total issued and
outstanding Common Shares of the Company, respectively;
|
(h) |
|
adding provisions relating to a cashless exercise (other than a surrender
of options for cash) which does not provide for a full deduction of the underlying
Common Shares from the maximum number reserved under the Amended Plan, for issuance;
and |
|
|
(i) |
|
any amendment to the amending provisions of the Amended Plan. |
Section 422 of the United States Internal Revenue Code, as amended, and the regulations
thereunder, require that in order for options to qualify for the United States income tax treatment
applicable to incentive stock options, they must be awarded under a plan approved by the
shareholders that specifically includes the maximum aggregate number of shares that may be issued
under incentive stock options. By including the fixed maximum number of 3,400,000, the Company
has complied with this requirement. The Amended Plan also contains other provisions that allow for
the grant of incentive stock options and nonqualified stock options as defined under the U.S.
Internal Revenue Code.
The Amended Plan also includes other housekeeping and clerical amendments, such as the
updating of statutory references and insertion of certain defined terms, for consistency of
language and correctness.
8
To date, no options have been granted under the Amended Plan and no options will be granted
under the Amended Plan prior to approval of the Amended Plan by shareholders.
The Plan Amendments are reflected in the Amended Plan. A copy of the Amended Plan will be
tabled at the Meeting, and will be provided to any shareholder upon request from the Corporate
Secretary of the Company at 6500 River Road, Richmond, British Columbia, V6X 4G5, telephone (604)
273-7564, prior to the day of the Meeting.
Under the requirements of the Toronto Stock Exchange, the Plan Amendments and the Amended Plan
must be approved by the shareholders of the Company. Consequently, at the Meeting shareholders
will be asked to consider and, if deemed appropriate, pass an ordinary resolution ratifying and
approving the Plan Amendments and approving the Amended Plan. The text of the proposed resolution
is set out in Schedule A. This resolution must be passed by a simple majority of the votes cast
by shareholders entitled to vote in person or by proxy at the Meeting. It is intended that all
proxies received by the Company will be voted in favour of the Plan Amendments and the Amended
Plan, unless a proxy contains express instructions to vote against the Plan Amendments and the
Amended Plan. The Board of the Company recommends that shareholders vote in favour of amending the
Plan.
Adoption of Shareholder Rights Plan
Effective February 22, 2007, the Board of Directors of the Company adopted a shareholder
rights plan agreement, with Computershare Investor Services Inc. as rights agent (the Rights
Plan). The Rights Plan has the following main objectives:
|
|
|
to provide the Board time to consider value-enhancing alternatives to a take-over
bid and to allow competing bids to emerge; |
|
|
|
|
to ensure that shareholders of the Company are provided equal treatment under a take-over bid; and |
|
|
|
|
to give adequate time for shareholders to properly assess a take-over bid without undue pressure. |
At the Meeting, shareholders will be asked to consider, and if thought fit, to pass an
ordinary resolution to approve the adoption of the Rights Plan, a copy of which is available upon
request from the Corporate Secretary of the Company at 6500 River Road, Richmond, British Columbia,
V6X 4G5, telephone (604) 273-7564, or from the Companys public disclosure documents found on SEDAR
at www.sedar.com or on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) EDGAR database at
www.sec.gov.
The Board has considered the terms of a number of recently adopted or amended shareholder
rights plans and the experience of other Canadian public companies in the context of an actual
take-over bid where a shareholder rights agreement was in place, and has determined that it is in
the best interests of the Company to adopt the Rights Plan. The Rights Plan is designed to maximize
shareholder value and protect shareholders interests in the event of an acquisition that may
result in a change of control. The Rights Plan is not intended to prevent take-over bids that treat
shareholders fairly, and the Rights Plan has not been adopted in response to any proposal to
acquire control of the Company.
Summary of the Principal Terms of the Rights Plan
The following is a summary of key terms of the Rights Plan. This summary is qualified in its
entirety by reference to the full text of the Rights Plan, which is available upon request from the
Corporate Secretary of the Company as indicated above or from the Companys public disclosure
documents found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com or on the SECs EDGAR database at www.sec.gov.
Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the
Rights Plan.
Issue of Rights
On February 22, 2007, the Company issued one right (a Right) in respect of each Common Share
outstanding at the close of business on that date (the Record Time). The Company will issue
Rights in respect of each Common Share issued after the Record Time but prior to the earliest of
the Separation Time (as defined below) and the redemption of the Rights pursuant to the Rights Plan
or termination of the Rights Plan as described below.
9
Rights Certificates, Trading and Transferability
Before the Separation Time, the Rights will be evidenced by the certificates representing
Common Shares and will not be transferable separate from the Common Shares. Accordingly, the
surrender for transfer of any certificate representing Common Shares will also constitute the
surrender for transfer of the Rights associated with such Common Shares. From and after the
Separation Time, the Rights will be evidenced by separate Rights certificates.
Acquiring Person
An Acquiring Person is a person that Beneficially Owns 20% or more of the outstanding Common
Shares. An Acquiring Person does not, however, include the Company or any Subsidiary of the
Company, or any person that becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the Common Shares as a
result of certain exempt transactions. These exempt transactions include where any person becomes
the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the Common Shares as a result of, among other things: (i)
specified acquisitions of securities of the Company, (ii) acquisitions pursuant to a Permitted Bid
or Competing Permitted Bid (as described below), (iii) specified distributions of securities of the
Company, and (iv) certain other specified exempt acquisitions. An Acquiring Person also does not
include any Person that owned 20% or more of the outstanding Common Shares at the Record Time
unless that person increases its percentage interest in the Common Shares other than pursuant to
one of the previously mentioned transactions.
Separation Time
Rights are not exercisable before the Separation Time. Separation Time means the close of
business on the tenth trading day after the earliest of:
|
(a) |
|
the first date of public announcement that a person has become an
Acquiring Person, as defined below (the Stock Acquisition Date); |
|
|
(b) |
|
the date of the commencement of, or first public announcement of, the
intent of any person (other than the Company or any of its subsidiaries) to commence
a Take-over Bid, as defined in the Rights Plan (other than a Permitted Bid or a
Competing Permitted Bid, as defined below), which is generally an offer for
outstanding Common Shares that could result in the offeror becoming the beneficial
owner of 20% or more of the Companys outstanding Common Shares; and |
|
|
(c) |
|
the date on which a Permitted Bid or Competing Permitted Bid ceases to be
such; |
or such later time as may be determined by the Board, in good faith, provided that if any bid
referred to above expires or is cancelled, terminated or otherwise withdrawn prior to the
Separation Time, such offer shall be deemed never to have been made.
Exercising Rights at such time until the tenth trading day after the first public announcement
of the occurrence of a Flip-in Event will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share at the
exercise price (the Exercise Price), which shall equal three times the market price per Common
Share determined at the Separation Time, subject to subsequent adjustment in accordance with the
Rights Plan.
Exercise of Rights
After the close of business on the tenth trading day after the first public announcement of
the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, which is a transaction or event pursuant to which any person
becomes an Acquiring Person, each Right will entitle the holder thereof to receive upon exercise of
the Right that number of Common Shares equal to twice the Exercise Price. However, any Rights
beneficially held by an Acquiring Person, including its affiliates, associates and joint actors, or
the transferee of any such person, will become null and void. Accordingly, such persons will be
unable to transfer or exercise any Rights.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder of the Right will have no rights as a Company
shareholder solely with respect to that Right.
10
In lieu of the issuance of fractional shares upon the issuance of any Rights, the Company will
make cash payments based on the market price of such shares in amounts exceeding U.S.$10.00.
Acquisitions that require shareholder approval or for which the Board has waived application
of the Rights Plan as described below, or acquisitions pursuant to a Permitted Bid or a Competing
Permitted Bid are among the transactions that do not constitute Flip-in Events.
Permitted Bids
Under the Rights Plan, those bids that meet certain requirements intended to protect the
interests of all shareholders are deemed to be Permitted Bids. Permitted Bids are offers to
acquire Common Shares made by way of a take-over circular and where the Common Shares subject to
the offer (together with shares owned by the offeror and its affiliates, associates and joint
actors) constitute 20% or more of the outstanding Common Shares, and which also comply with the
following conditions:
|
(a) |
|
the bid is made to all registered holders of Common Shares (other than
Common Shares owned by the offeror); |
|
|
(b) |
|
the bid provides that no Common Shares will be taken up or paid for
pursuant to the bid before the close of business on the date that is not less than
60 days following the date the take-over bid circular is sent to holders of Common
Shares, and that no Common Shares will be taken up or paid for unless at such date
more than 50% of the outstanding Common Shares held by shareholders other than the
offeror and certain related parties have been deposited pursuant to the bid and not
withdrawn; |
|
|
(c) |
|
the bid provides that any Common Shares may be deposited to and withdrawn
from the take-over bid at any time before such Common Shares are taken up and paid
for; and |
|
|
(d) |
|
the bid provides that, in the event that more than 50% of the outstanding
Common Shares are deposited and not withdrawn as described in clause (b) above, the
offeror will make a public announcement of that fact and the bid shall remain open
for an additional ten business days from the date of such announcement for the
deposit and tender of additional Common Shares. |
A Competing Permitted Bid is a take-over bid that is made after a Permitted Bid or other
Competing Permitted Bid has been made and prior to the expiration of such prior bid, and that
satisfies the definition of Permitted Bid except that Common Shares under such bid may not be
taken up or paid for until a date that is no earlier than the later of: (i) the earliest date that
Common Shares may be taken up and paid for under any prior Permitted Bid or other Competing
Permitted Bid outstanding on the date of commencement of such bid; and (ii) 35 days after the
commencement of the Competing Permitted Bid.
Protection Against Dilution
The Rights Plan contains detailed provisions regarding adjustments to the exercise price, the
number and nature of the securities that may be purchased upon exercise of Rights and the number of
Rights outstanding to prevent dilution in the event of certain declarations of dividends,
subdivisions or consolidations of outstanding Common Shares, issuances of Common Shares (or other
securities or rights) in respect of or in lieu of or in exchange for existing Common Shares or
other changes in the Common Shares.
Redemption
At any time prior to the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, the Board may (subject to the prior
consent of shareholders by a majority vote), at its option, elect to redeem all but not less than
all of the then-outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.000001 per Right, subject to
adjustment.
11
Waiver
The Board, acting in good faith, may waive application of the Rights Plan to any prospective
Flip-In Event which would occur by reason of a take-over bid made by a take-over bid circular to
all registered holders of Common Shares. However, if the Board waives the Rights Plan for a
particular bid, it will be deemed to have waived the Rights Plan for any other take-over bid made
by take-over bid circular to all registered holders of Common Shares before the expiry of the first
bid. The Board may also waive the application of the Rights Plan for any Flip-In Event if it has
determined that the Acquiring Person became an Acquiring Person through inadvertence, conditional
upon such person reducing its beneficial ownership below 20% of the Companys outstanding Common
Shares, generally within 14 days of the Board making such determination.
Amendments
Except for minor amendments to correct any clerical or typographical errors and amendments to
maintain the validity of the Rights Plan as a result of a change of law or regulatory requirements,
majority shareholder approval is required for amendments to the Rights Plan before the Separation
Time, after which the approval of holders of Rights is required.
Term
If the Rights Plan is not adopted at the Meeting, it will automatically terminate and the
Rights issued under it will become void. If the Rights Plan is adopted at the Meeting, it will
expire at the termination of the Companys annual meeting in 2010 unless extended upon
reconfirmation as described below. For the term of the Rights Plan to be extended, the Rights Plan
must be reconfirmed by a resolution passed by a majority of the votes cast by all holders of Common
Shares who vote in respect of such reconfirmation at the annual meeting of the Company held in 2010
and at every third annual general meeting of the Company thereafter.
Canadian Federal Income Tax Consequences
The following discussion generally summarizes certain Canadian federal income tax consequences
of the issuance of Rights. This discussion is not intended to be, nor should it be construed to be,
legal or tax advice. This summary is not exhaustive of all possible Canadian federal income tax
consequences and does not anticipate any changes in law, whether by legislative, governmental or
judicial action, nor does it take into account provincial, territorial or foreign income tax
legislation or considerations. This summary is of a general nature only and holders of Common
Shares should consult their own tax advisors with respect to their particular circumstances.
The Company has not received any income for Canadian federal income tax purposes as a result
of the issuance of the Rights. Generally, the value of a right, if any, to acquire additional
shares of a company is not a taxable benefit to a common shareholder of the Company under the
Income Tax Act (Canada) (the Act) and is not subject to non-resident withholding tax under the
Act if identical rights are conferred on all owners of Common Shares at that time. While the Rights
are conferred on all owners of Common Shares, the Rights may become void in the hands of certain
shareholders upon the occurrence of certain triggering events. Whether the issuance of the Rights
to shareholders of the Company will be deemed to be a taxable benefit which is required to be
included in computing their income or subject to non-resident withholding tax is not therefore free
of doubt, but only the amount or value of such benefit must be included in computing income. The
Company considers the Rights to have had no monetary value at their date of issue. Where Rights are
disposed of (other than on the exercise thereof), either separately or by virtue of the disposition
of the Common Shares to which they are attached, holders thereof may be subject to tax in respect
of the proceeds, if any, allocable to such Rights.
The foregoing does not address the Canadian income tax consequences of other events such as
the separation of the Rights from the Common Shares, the occurrence of a Flip-in Event or the
redemption of Rights. Shareholders are encouraged to consult their own tax advisors if they have
questions with respect to such tax consequences and their personal circumstances.
12
United States Federal Income Tax Consequences
The following discussion generally summarizes certain United States federal income tax
consequences of the issuance of Rights. This discussion is not intended to be, nor should it be
construed to be, legal or tax advice. This summary is not exhaustive of all possible United States
federal income tax consequences and does not anticipate any changes in law, whether by legislative,
governmental or judicial action, nor does it take into account any state, local or foreign income
tax considerations. This summary is of a general nature only and holders of Common Shares should
consult their own tax advisors with respect to their particular circumstances.
Because the possibility of the Rights becoming exercisable is both remote and speculative, the
adoption of the Rights Plan will not give rise to the realization of gross income by any holder of
Common Shares for United States federal income tax purposes. Where Rights are disposed of (other
than on the exercise thereof), either separately or by virtue of the disposition of the Common
Shares to which they are attached, holders thereof may be subject to tax in respect of the
proceeds, if any, allocable to such Rights.
The foregoing does not address the United States federal income tax consequences of other
events, such as the separation of the Rights from the Common Shares, the occurrence of a Flip-in
Event or the redemption of Rights. Shareholders may recognize gross income for United States
federal income tax purposes in connection with these events. Shareholders are encouraged to consult
their own tax advisors if they have questions with respect to such tax consequences and their
personal circumstances.
Voting of Proxies and Recommendation of Board
It is intended that all proxies received by the Company will be voted in favour of the
adoption of the Rights Plan, unless a proxy contains express instructions to vote against the
Rights Plan. The Rights Plan will continue in effect only if it is approved by greater than 50% of
the votes cast by shareholders present in person or by proxy at the Meeting. The text of the
resolution approving the Rights Plan is set forth in Schedule B hereto. If the Rights Plan is not
approved by shareholders at the Meeting it will terminate and the Rights issued under it will be
void.
The Board of Directors of the Company recommends that shareholders vote in favour of the
resolution approving the Rights Plan.
INTEREST OF CERTAIN PERSONS IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
None of the directors or senior officers of the Company, none of the persons who have been
directors or senior officers of the Company since January 1, 2006 and no associate or affiliate of
any of the foregoing has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership
of securities or otherwise, in any matter scheduled to be acted upon at the Meeting other than as
disclosed elsewhere in this Information Circular.
INTEREST OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS
Other than as set out herein, no informed person (as defined under Multilateral Instrument
51-102) of the Company, any proposed director of the Company or any associate or affiliate of such
persons, has had or has any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since January
1, 2006 or in any proposed transaction which, in either case, has materially affected or will
materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
During the 12-month period ended December 31, 2006, the Company paid approximately U.S.$0.7
million to D.E.R. Resorts Ltd. (Resorts), a company controlled by David E. Ritchie, the former
Chairman of the Companys Board of Directors who retired effective November 30, 2006. The costs
were incurred pursuant to agreements, approved by the Board, by which Resorts agreed to provide
meeting rooms, accommodations, meals and recreational activities at its facilities on Stuart Island
in British Columbia, Canada, for certain of the Companys customers and guests. The agreements set
forth the fees and costs per excursion, which were based on market prices for similar types of
facilities and excursions. The Company has entered into similar agreements with Resorts in the
past and intends to do so in the future.
13
OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THE COMPANY
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Compensation
The following table provides a summary of the compensation earned during each of the last
three fiscal years by the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and the Companys
three most highly compensated executive officers other than the Chief Executive Officer and the
Chief Financial Officer (such officers are hereafter collectively called the Named Executive
Officers).
Summary Compensation Table
(all amounts in U.S. dollars)
|
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|
|
Annual Compensation |
|
Long-Term Compensation Awards |
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Awards |
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Payouts |
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Share or |
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Securities |
|
Share Units |
|
|
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|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
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Under |
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Subject to |
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|
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Other Annual |
|
Options |
|
Resale |
|
LTIP |
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All Other |
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|
|
|
|
Salary |
|
Bonus (2) |
|
Compensation |
|
Granted |
|
Restrictions |
|
Payouts |
|
Compensation |
Name and Principal Position (1) |
|
Year |
|
($) |
|
($) |
|
($) |
|
(#)(4) |
|
(#) |
|
($) |
|
($) |
David E. Ritchie (3) |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
|
137,500 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
Chairman Emeritus |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
150,000 |
|
|
Nil |
|
|
17,906 |
|
|
|
37,400 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
400,000 |
|
|
|
330,000 |
|
|
|
18,800 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peter J. Blake (3) |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
|
350,000 |
|
|
|
505,000 |
|
|
|
8,070 |
|
|
|
24,000 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
280,000 |
|
|
|
487,700 |
|
|
|
6,936 |
|
|
|
20,800 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
213,333 |
|
|
|
360,000 |
|
|
|
6,530 |
|
|
|
22,400 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert S. Armstrong (3) |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
|
190,000 |
|
|
|
320,000 |
|
|
|
11,572 |
|
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
Vice-President Finance, Chief Financial
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
175,000 |
|
|
|
335,000 |
|
|
|
11,464 |
|
|
|
3,700 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
Officer and Corporate Secretary |
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
145,833 |
|
|
|
260,000 |
|
|
|
14,500 |
|
|
|
4,000 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Guylain Turgeon |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
|
256,000 |
|
|
|
364,000 |
|
|
|
88,518 |
|
|
|
11,200 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
Managing Director |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
240,750 |
|
|
|
394,000 |
|
|
|
94,138 |
|
|
|
6,400 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
European Operations |
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
217,500 |
|
|
|
343,000 |
|
|
|
114,475 |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Randall J. Wall |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
|
275,000 |
|
|
|
407,000 |
|
|
|
9,420 |
|
|
|
16,000 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
President Canada, |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
250,000 |
|
|
|
440,000 |
|
|
|
5,791 |
|
|
|
18,800 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
Europe and Middle East |
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
208,333 |
|
|
|
347,000 |
|
|
|
10,180 |
|
|
|
20,400 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert K. Mackay |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
|
275,000 |
|
|
|
407,000 |
|
|
|
11,096 |
|
|
|
16,000 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
President USA, |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
240,000 |
|
|
|
450,000 |
|
|
|
11,732 |
|
|
|
18,800 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
Asia and Australia |
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
206,667 |
|
|
|
348,000 |
|
|
|
9,485 |
|
|
|
22,400 |
|
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
|
|
(1) |
|
All Named Executive Officers are employed by wholly- owned subsidiaries of the Company. |
|
(2) |
|
All bonuses were earned by the Named Executive Officers in the fiscal year noted but were
paid subsequent to the end of the applicable year. Bonuses include additional bonus amounts
paid to the Named Executive Officer in accordance with the Companys Executive Long Term
Incentive Plan adopted in 2004 (see discussion below under Executive Long Term Incentive
Plan). All of the Named Executive Officers, except for Mr. Ritchie, received an additional
bonus award of $100,000 under the Plan during the three years presented above, which is
included in the bonus amount in this table. |
|
(3) |
|
David E. Ritchie retired from the position of Chief Executive Officer effective October
31, 2004 and from the position of Chairman of the Companys Board of Directors effective
November 30, 2006. Peter J. Blake, formerly the Companys Senior Vice-President and Chief
Financial Officer, was appointed Chief Executive Officer effective November 1, 2004. Robert
S. Armstrong was appointed Vice-President Finance, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate
Secretary effective November 1, 2004, having served previously as the Companys
Vice-President Finance and Corporate Secretary. |
|
(4) |
|
Securities under options granted have been retroactively adjusted in the table to reflect
the two-for-one stock split of the Common Shares that occurred on May 4, 2004. |
14
Stock Options Granted in the 2006 Financial Year
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Market Value of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
% of Total Options |
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying Options |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Granted to |
|
Exercise Price |
|
on the Date |
|
|
|
|
Securities Under |
|
Employees in 2006 |
|
(U.S.$ |
|
of Grant |
|
|
Name |
|
Options Granted |
|
Financial Year |
|
per share) |
|
(U.S.$ per share) |
|
Expiration Date |
David E. Ritchie |
|
Nil |
|
|
|
|
% |
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peter J. Blake |
|
|
24,000 |
|
|
|
11.7 |
% |
|
|
44.09 |
|
|
|
44.09 |
|
|
January 24, 2016 |
Robert S. Armstrong |
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
|
2.4 |
% |
|
|
44.09 |
|
|
|
44.09 |
|
|
January 24, 2016 |
Guylain Turgeon |
|
|
11,200 |
|
|
|
5.4 |
% |
|
|
44.09 |
|
|
|
44.09 |
|
|
January 24, 2016 |
Randall J. Wall |
|
|
16,000 |
|
|
|
7.8 |
% |
|
|
44.09 |
|
|
|
44.09 |
|
|
January 24, 2016 |
Robert K. Mackay |
|
|
16,000 |
|
|
|
7.8 |
% |
|
|
44.09 |
|
|
|
44.09 |
|
|
January 24, 2016 |
The options granted to the Named Executive Officers during the last three financial years
had the following fair values at the date of grant:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grant Date Fair |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Market Value (U.S.$ |
|
Aggregate Grant |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Securities Under |
|
|
|
|
|
per share) |
|
Date Fair Market |
Name |
|
Year |
|
Options Granted |
|
Vesting Date |
|
1 |
|
Value (U.S.$) |
David E. Ritchie |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
Nil |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
Nil |
|
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
37,400 |
|
|
January 25, 2006 |
|
|
6.98 |
|
|
|
261,052 |
|
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
Nil |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nil |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peter J. Blake |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
|
24,000 |
|
|
January 24, 2007 |
|
|
9.86 |
|
|
|
236,640 |
|
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
20,800 |
|
|
January 25, 2006 |
|
|
6.98 |
|
|
|
145,184 |
|
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
22,400 |
|
|
February 13, 2005 |
|
|
5.34 |
|
|
|
119,616 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert S. Armstrong |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
January 24, 2007 |
|
|
9.86 |
|
|
|
49,300 |
|
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
3,700 |
|
|
January 25, 2006 |
|
|
6.98 |
|
|
|
25,826 |
|
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
4,000 |
|
|
February 13, 2005 |
|
|
5.34 |
|
|
|
21,360 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Guylain Turgeon |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
|
11,200 |
|
|
January 24, 2007 |
|
|
9.86 |
|
|
|
110,432 |
|
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
6,400 |
|
|
January 25, 2006 |
|
|
6.98 |
|
|
|
44,672 |
|
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
February 13, 2005 |
|
|
5.34 |
|
|
|
53,400 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Randall J. Wall |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
|
16,000 |
|
|
January 24, 2007 |
|
|
9.86 |
|
|
|
157,760 |
|
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
18,800 |
|
|
January 25, 2006 |
|
|
6.98 |
|
|
|
131,224 |
|
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
20,400 |
|
|
February 13, 2005 |
|
|
5.34 |
|
|
|
108,936 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert K. Mackay |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
|
16,000 |
|
|
January 24, 2007 |
|
|
9.86 |
|
|
|
157,760 |
|
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
18,800 |
|
|
January 25, 2006 |
|
|
6.98 |
|
|
|
131,224 |
|
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
22,400 |
|
|
February 13, 2005 |
|
|
5.34 |
|
|
|
119,616 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
The grant date fair market value was determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing
model with the assumptions detailed in the Companys consolidated financial statements for
the year ended December 31, 2006. |
15
Aggregate Option Exercises during 2006 Financial Year and Option Value at December 31, 2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Value of Unexercised |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In-The-Money Options |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aggregate Value |
|
Unexercised Options |
|
at December 31, 2006 |
|
|
Securities Acquired |
|
Realized |
|
at December 31, 2006 |
|
(in U.S. dollars) |
Name |
|
on Exercise |
|
(in U.S. dollars) |
|
(Exercisable/Unexercisable) |
|
(Exercisable/Unexercisable)(1) |
David E. Ritchie |
|
|
37,400 |
|
|
$ |
955,196 |
|
|
Nil/Nil |
|
Nil/Nil |
Peter J. Blake |
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
327,702 |
|
|
|
57,800/24,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,601,115/$226,800 |
|
Robert S. Armstrong |
|
|
5,500 |
|
|
|
221,756 |
|
|
|
21,600/5,000 |
|
|
$ |
743,125/$47,250 |
|
Guylain Turgeon |
|
|
8,000 |
|
|
|
365,204 |
|
|
|
37,500/11,200 |
|
|
$ |
1,251,379/$105,840 |
|
Randall J. Wall |
|
|
51,600 |
|
|
|
1,920,613 |
|
|
|
49,200/16,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,329,826/$151,200 |
|
Robert K. Mackay |
|
Nil |
|
Nil |
|
|
41,200/16,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,003,836/$151,200 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
The closing price of the Common Shares on the NYSE on December 29, 2006 (the last trading
day of the year) was $53.54. |
Executive Long Term Incentive Plan
The Companys executive long term incentive plan (the ELTIP) encourages senior employees and
officers of the Company to use performance bonus payments to purchase and hold Common Shares
through the administrator of the plan. Under the ELTIP, a participant may choose to contribute up
to 100% of his performance bonus to the ELTIP and the administrator will use such contribution to
purchase Common Shares in open market purchases on the NYSE during a specific period within the
first trading window of the relevant fiscal year, as provided for under the Companys Policy
Regarding Securities Trades by Company Personnel. The Common Shares so purchased will be held by
the administrator for the participant and the participant agrees not to withdraw any Common Shares
so held by the administrator unless a certain event occurs or certain conditions are satisfied
(e.g. the termination, retirement or resignation of the participant). Under the ELTIP, the Company
agrees to pay to participants an additional cash bonus award that equals the amount of their
contributions under the ELTIP that year, subject to a maximum payment of U.S.$100,000 for the Named
Executive Officers.
The ELTIP does not involve any issuance of Common Shares from the Company. The Company has
also adopted share ownership guidelines, pursuant to which participants in the ELTIP are required
to hold Common Shares with a value at least equal to a certain multiple of their base salary. The
multiple of the base salary that is required of participants in the ELTIP depends on the
participants seniority with the Company, and ranges from one time salary to three times salary.
The Company believes that this plan, together with the Share Ownership Guidelines adopted by
the Company, will facilitate the alignment of the interests of the senior employees and officers of
the Company with those of the shareholders by promoting ownership of Common Shares of the Company
by senior employees and officers and rewarding the creation of shareholder value over the long
term.
Termination of Employment, Changes in Responsibility and Employment Contracts
The Company, through wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, has an employment agreement with
each of the Named Executive Officers. All such employment agreements may be terminated with eight
weeks notice (or less in certain circumstances) or payment in lieu thereof.
Composition of the Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee of the Company consists of Messrs. Croft, Murdoch and Cmolik. Mr.
Cmolik was employed by the Company in the position of President and Chief Operating Officer until
his retirement in July 2002. The Board has determined that all three members of the Compensation
Committee are independent directors (as defined under applicable securities legislation).
16
Report on Executive Compensation
The Companys policy with respect to the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer and the
other Named Executive Officers and other officers of the Company is based upon the principles that
total compensation must: (1) be competitive in order to help attract and retain the talent needed
to lead and grow the Companys business; (2) provide a strong incentive for executives and key
employees to work towards the achievement of the Companys goals; and (3) ensure that the interests
of management and the Companys shareholders are aligned.
The total compensation paid to each of the Chief Executive Officer and the other Named
Executive Officers of the Company consists primarily of base salary and a bonus based on the
financial performance of the Company. The Named Executive Officers also receive annual option
grants in accordance with the Companys stock option plan and are entitled to participate in the
Companys ELTIP. The imputed value of options granted is considered in the determination of total
compensation, as is the value of benefits and any other perquisites received by a particular
individual. The Company does not have a predetermined relative emphasis for each of the various
components of compensation.
Base salary levels for the Named Executive Officers have been determined primarily on the
basis of (i) the Compensation Committees review of the Chief Executive Officers assessment of
each Named Executive Officers performance during the prior year and (ii) the Compensation
Committees understanding of normal and appropriate salary levels for executives with
responsibilities and experience comparable to that of the Named Executive Officers of the Company.
In making such determination, external sources are consulted when deemed necessary by the
Compensation Committee. In February 2007, the Committee retained the services of Mercer Consulting
to conduct a formal review of the Companys executive compensation arrangements. Mercer concluded
that the Companys compensation programs are in line with comparable companies and result in total
cash compensation to the Named Executive Officers that is 4% behind the market median for similar
positions.
The Chief Executive Officers base salary has been determined after considering the salary
levels of other executives with similar responsibilities and experience and after general
discussions with outside advisors, including Mercer Consulting. The Chief Executive Officers base
salary was compared to salary levels of comparable executives at a variety of companies, with
particular emphasis on industrial equipment manufacturers and distributors. The Company has not
had pre-established factors and criteria upon which the Chief Executive Officers total
compensation is based. In light of the fact that a new Chief Executive Officer was appointed
during 2004, the Committee undertook a fresh investigation of the available information before
arriving at the current CEO salary structure.
Base salary levels for the other Named Executive Officers are benchmarked against salary
levels of senior operational management located in the Companys regional and divisional offices.
Operational management salaries are determined in accordance with a compensation plan that
considers both objective factors such as sales volume and profitability and subjective factors.
The Company started using a balanced scorecard system in 2006 for the purposes of determining
operational managements performance.
Awards of executive bonuses depend upon whether the Company has met pre-tax earnings targets
established by the Compensation Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. The pre-tax
earnings target for the purposes of the 2006 bonus calculation was $82.5 million. At that level,
the bonus pool available to the participants would have been equal to 50% of their combined base
salaries. The amount of such bonuses is not subject to any minimum amount but is subject to a
maximum of 150% of the combined base salaries of the participants. The amounts of the executive
bonus awards are linked directly to a formula that provides bonus amounts that increase as pre-tax
earnings (adjusted to exclude amounts not considered part of the Companys normal operations)
approach the target level and accelerated amounts if adjusted pre-tax earnings exceed the target
level. A similar formula is used to calculate a portion of the CEOs annual bonus award. The
Compensation Committee undertook a formal evaluation process involving interviews with members of
senior management to determine the remainder of the CEOs bonus in 2006.
The CEO and other Named Executive Officers, as well as all participants in the Companys
ELTIP, are subject to share ownership guidelines that specify the dollar value of Company stock
required to be held by all participants. The values are determined as a multiple of each
participants base salary. The share ownership guidelines in effect in 2006 were as
17
follows: members of the Executive Council, including the Named Executive Officers, were
required to hold Company stock with a cost of three times their base salary at February 1, 2006 and
all Vice-Presidents of the Company were required to hold Company stock with a cost of two times
their base salary at February 1, 2006.
Report presented by:
Charles E. Croft (Chairman)
Robert W. Murdoch
C. Russell Cmolik
Performance Graph
The following graph compares the percentage change in the value of U.S.$100 invested in Common
Shares of the Company with U.S.$100 invested in the Russell 2000 Index from December 31, 2001 to
December 31, 2006 (the Companys most recent financial year end).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dec. 31, 2001 |
|
Dec. 31, 2002 |
|
Dec. 31, 2003 |
|
Dec. 31, 2004 |
|
Dec. 31, 2005 |
|
Dec. 31, 2006 |
Ritchie Bros.
Auctioneers (RBA) |
|
|
100 |
|
|
|
130 |
|
|
|
213 |
|
|
|
266 |
|
|
|
340 |
|
|
|
430 |
|
Russell 2000 Index |
|
|
100 |
|
|
|
78 |
|
|
|
114 |
|
|
|
133 |
|
|
|
138 |
|
|
|
161 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Directors and Senior Executives Liability Insurance and Indemnity Agreements
The Company maintains directors and senior executives liability insurance which, subject to
the provisions contained in the policy, protects the directors and senior executives, as such,
against certain claims made against them during their term of office. Such insurance provides for
an aggregate of U.S.$20 million annual protection against liability (less a deductible of
U.S.$750,000 for securities claims and U.S.$250,000 for other claims) and U.S.$5 million of excess
coverage
18
for directors only. The annual premium paid by the Company in 2006 for this insurance was
U.S.$230,000. The Company also has entered into indemnity agreements with directors and senior
officers of the Company to provide certain indemnification to such directors and senior officers,
as permitted by the Canada Business Corporation Act.
SECURITIES AUTHORIZED FOR ISSUANCE UNDER EQUITY COMPENSATION PLANS
The Company has a stock option plan that provides for the award of stock options to employees,
directors and officers of the Company and to other persons approved by the Compensation Committee.
The maximum number of Common Shares reserved for issuance under the stock option plan is 3,000,000
Common Shares (being 9% of total issued and outstanding shares at the date of this Information
Circular), of which 1,286,468 Common Shares (being 4% of total issued and outstanding shares) have
been issued, 793,648 Common Shares are reserved for issuance upon exercise of options that have
been granted (2% of total issued and outstanding shares) and 919,884 Common Shares (3% of total
issued and outstanding shares) remain available for future options to be granted. Stock options
are granted at the closing market price of the Common Shares on the NYSE as of the grant date.
Options granted under the stock option plan are subject to vesting conditions imposed by the
Compensation Committee. Most of the options granted under the stock option plan are subject to
vesting one year from the grant date. The term of the options is generally 10 years from the date
of grant and all options are not transferable. Unless otherwise determined by the Compensation
Committee, the outstanding options will remain exercisable until the earliest of: (i) 10 years from
the date of grant, (ii) 30 days from the date on which the optionee ceases to be employed by, or
provide services to, the Company, or (iii) if the optionees employment or eligibility ceases by
reason of his or her death or if the optionee dies prior to the expiration of the 30-day period
described in clause (ii) above, 180 days from the date of death.
Please refer to the section entitled Amendments to the Stock Option Plan for a discussion of
the proposed amendments to the stock option plan.
The following table sets out the number of securities authorized for issuance under the
Companys stock option plan at the date of this Information Circular:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
|
Number of |
|
|
|
|
|
Securities |
|
|
Securities to be |
|
|
|
|
|
Remaining Available |
|
|
Issued upon |
|
|
|
|
|
for Future Issuance |
|
|
Exercise of |
|
Weighted-Average |
|
under Equity |
|
|
Outstanding Options |
|
Exercise Price of |
|
Compensation Plans |
|
|
(A) |
|
Outstanding Options |
|
(Excluding (A)) |
Equity compensation
plans approved by
security holders
stock option plan
(1)
|
|
793,648 (2%
of total issued and
outstanding shares)
|
|
$ |
22.05 |
|
|
919,884 (3% of
total issued and
outstanding shares) |
|
|
|
(1) |
|
This information does not reflect the proposed amendments to the Stock Option Plan as
described above. |
Equity-based Compensation Awards Grant Policy
The Companys Board of Directors has adopted a Stock Option Granting Policy (the Policy),
the terms of which establish guidelines for the granting of options to purchase Company stock to
the Named Executive Officers and other employees of the Company. Under the provisions of the
Policy, only the Compensation Committee of the Companys Board of Directors can authorize the
granting of stock options to the Named Executive Officers and other executives of the Company. The
Policy establishes an annual date for the granting of stock options, which falls on the fifth
business day following the release of the Companys results for the most recently completed fiscal
year. The Policy prohibits the granting of stock options during black out periods, as defined in
the Companys Policy Regarding Securities Trades by Company Personnel. The Compensation Committee
has delegated to the CEO the authority to grant options to purchase up to 50,000 common shares of
the Company per year to Company employees, provided no one individual is granted more than 15,000
options and provided options are not granted to employees at the Vice-President and above level.
Option grants by the CEO must fall within the Companys established trading windows. All stock
options granted in accordance with the Policy must have an exercise price equal to the closing
price of the Companys common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the date of grant.
19
REPORT ON CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The Board and the Company believe that good corporate governance practices are essential for
the effective and prudent operation of the Company and for enhancing shareholder value. The
Boards Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for reviewing and, if deemed
necessary, recommending changes to the Companys corporate governance practices.
In June 2005, National Instrument 58-101 Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices (the
Instrument), and a related National Policy 58-201, Corporate Governance Guidelines (the
Guidelines) established by the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), came into effect and
replaced the TSX guidelines for effective corporate governance. The table below sets out
disclosure requirements of Form 58-101F1 under the Instrument and the Companys corresponding
corporate governance disclosure.
In addition, any foreign private issuer listed on the NYSE is required to report any
significant ways in which its corporate governance practices differ from those required for United
States companies under NYSE listing standards. The Company is in conformance with the NYSE
corporate governance requirements (the NYSE Rules) applicable to United States companies.
Additional information about the Companys corporate governance practices, including copies of
the charters of the committees of the Companys Board of Directors, can be found on the Companys
website at www.rbauction.com.
|
|
|
Disclosure Requirements under 58-101F1 |
|
Company Disclosure |
|
|
|
1. Board of Directors
|
|
Directors during 2006: |
|
|
|
(a) Disclose the identity of directors who are
independent.
|
|
Charles E. Croft independent; |
|
|
|
(b) Disclose the identity of directors who are not
independent, and describe the basis for that
determination.
(c) Disclose whether or not a majority of directors
are independent. If a majority of directors are not
independent, describe what the board of directors (the
board) does to facilitate its exercise of independent
judgement in carrying out its responsibilities.
(d) If a director is presently a director of any
other issuer that is a reporting issuer (or the
equivalent) in a jurisdiction or a foreign
jurisdiction, identify both the director and the other
issuer.
|
|
Robert W. Murdoch independent;
Edward B. Pitoniak independent;
Eric Patel independent;
Beverley A. Briscoe independent;
C. Russell Cmolik independent Mr. Cmolik retired
from the position of President and COO of the Company in July
2002; however, he was deemed by the Board to be an independent
director effective August 2005;
|
|
|
|
|
|
David E. Ritchie non-independent director Mr.
Ritchie retired from his position as CEO effective October 31,
2004. Mr. Ritchie retired from his position as Chairman
effective November 30, 2006; and
Peter J. Blake non-independent director Mr. Blake
is an executive officer of the Company (CEO). |
|
|
|
|
|
The Board determined the independence of the foregoing directors in
accordance with applicable NYSE listing standards and corporate
governance rules and, with respect to the Audit Committee, SEC
independence standards. The directors who are noted as
independent above also satisfy the independence requirements
under the Instrument and the Guidelines. |
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Ritchie is a significant shareholder of the Company,
beneficially owning or controlling 9.8% of the outstanding Common
Shares as of the date of this Information Circular. Mr. Cmolik
beneficially owned 7.7% of the outstanding Common Shares as of the
date of this Information Circular. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Board is responsible for determining whether or not each
director is an independent director. To do this, the Board
analyzes all material relationships of the directors with the
Company and its subsidiaries. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Board considers Mr. Croft, Mr. Patel, Ms. Briscoe, Mr. Murdoch,
Mr. Cmolik and Mr. Pitoniak to be independent as none of them has
any material relationship with the Company. Mr. Cmolik served as
President and COO of the Company until July 2002 and was considered
independent effective August 2005. Mr. Ritchie is not independent
because he served as CEO of the Company until October 31, 2004 and
Mr. Blake is not independent as a result of his employment with the
Company as CEO. A majority of the directors are independent. |
|
|
|
|
|
None of the independent directors works in the day-to-day
operations of the Company, is party to any material contracts with
the Company, receive, directly or indirectly, any fees or
compensation from the Company other than as directors, or has any
other material relationships with the Company (either directly or
as a partner, |
20
|
|
|
Disclosure Requirements under 58-101F1 |
|
Company Disclosure |
|
|
|
shareholder or officer of an organization that has a
relationship with the Company). |
|
|
|
|
|
For directorships of the directors of the Company in other
reporting issuers (or equivalent), please refer to disclosure on
page 2. |
|
|
|
(e) Disclose whether or not the independent directors
hold regularly scheduled meetings at which
non-independent directors and members of management
are not in attendance. If the independent directors
hold such meetings, disclose the number of meetings
held since the beginning of the issuers most recently
completed financial year. If the independent directors
do not hold such meetings, describe what the board
does to facilitate open and candid discussion among
its independent directors.
|
|
The independent directors held four meetings and several informal
sessions in 2006 without management present. These meetings were
chaired by Mr. Croft. Such meetings are scheduled regularly during
the year, often immediately before the Boards Audit Committee or
Board meetings. |
|
|
|
(f) Disclose whether or not the chair of the board is
an independent director. If the board has a chair or
lead director who is an independent director, disclose
the identity of the independent chair or lead
director, and describe his or her role and
responsibilities. If the board has neither a chair
that is independent nor a lead director that is
independent, describe what the board does to provide
leadership for its independent directors.
|
|
Mr. Croft was the Lead Director of the Board until November 30,
2006, when he became Chairman. The Company no longer has a Lead
Director because Mr. Croft is an independent director. Mr. Croft
is responsible for coordinating the activities of the independent
directors and administering the Boards relationship with
management and the CEO. His role is to ensure greater independence
of the Board from management and to act as a liaison between
management and the Board. |
|
|
|
(g) Disclose the attendance record of each director
for all board meetings held since the beginning of the
issuers most recently completed financial year.
|
|
Please refer to disclosure on page 3 for Board and Committee
meeting attendance. The Board achieved an attendance record of 92%
in 2006. Agenda and materials in relation to Board and Committee
meetings are usually circulated to directors for their review in
advance of the meetings. |
|
|
|
2. Board Mandate
Disclose the text of the boards written mandate. If
the board does not have a written mandate, describe
how the board delineates its role and responsibilities.
|
|
The Board mandate is available on the Companys website
(www.rbauction.com). The mandate of the Board is to supervise
management of the Company and to act in the best interests of the
Company. The Board acts in accordance with: |
|
|
|
|
|
the Canadian Business Corporations Act; |
|
|
|
|
|
the Companys Articles of Amalgamation and By-laws; |
|
|
|
|
|
the Companys Code of Business Conduct and Ethics; |
|
|
|
|
|
the charters of the Board committees, including the Audit
Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee; |
|
|
|
|
|
the Companys Corporate Governance Guidelines; and |
|
|
|
|
|
other applicable laws and Company policies. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Board or designated Board Committees approve significant
decisions that affect the Company and its subsidiaries before they
are implemented. The Board or a designated committee supervises
the implementation of such decisions and reviews the results.
Copies of the Companys Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and
charters of the Board committees can be found on the Companys
website. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Board meets with the CEO and other executive officers of the
Company from time to time to discuss and review internal measures
and systems adopted by the management to ensure a culture of
integrity throughout the organization. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Board is involved in the Companys strategic planning process.
The Board is responsible for reviewing and approving strategic
initiatives, taking into account the risks and opportunities of the
business. Management updates the Board on the Companys
performance in relation to strategic initiatives at least
quarterly. Management has undertaken a strategic planning process,
with regular Board involvement in the process. During fiscal 2006,
there were ten meetings of the Board. The frequency of meetings
and the nature of agenda items change depending upon the state of
the Companys affairs. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Board, through the Audit Committee, is responsible for
overseeing the identification of the principal risks of the Company
and ensuring that risk management systems are implemented. The
principal risks of the Company include those related to the
Companys industry, the environment and foreign currencies. The
Audit Committee meets regularly to review reports from management
of the Company and discuss significant risk areas with management
and the external auditors. The Board, through the Audit Committee,
ensures that the Company adopts appropriate risk management
policies. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Board is responsible for choosing the CEO, appointing the
Executive Officers and for monitoring their performance. The
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for
developing guidelines and procedures for selection and long-range
succession planning for the Chief Executive Officer, and the
Committee also ensures that processes are in place to recruit
qualified senior managers, and to |
21
|
|
|
Disclosure Requirements under 58-101F1 |
|
Company Disclosure |
|
|
|
train, develop and retain them.
The Board encourages senior management to participate in
professional and personal development activities, courses and
programs. The Board supports managements commitment to training
and developing all employees. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Board reviews all the Companys major communications, including
annual and quarterly reports. The Company communicates with its
stakeholders through a number of channels including its web site.
The Board oversees the Companys communication policy, which
requires, among other things, the accurate and timely communication
of all material information as required by applicable law.
Shareholders can provide feedback to the Company in a number of
ways, including via e-mail or calling a toll-free telephone
number. Shareholders are also able to contact directly the
Chairman via email or telephone. The Company has implemented
procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints
received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting
controls or auditing matters, and for the confidential, anonymous
submission by employees of concerns regarding questionable
accounting or auditing matters or reports of wrongdoing or
violations of the Companys Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Board, through the Audit Committee, oversees the effectiveness
and integrity of the Companys internal control processes and
management information systems. The Companys Disclosure Committee
regularly reports to the Audit Committee on the quality of the
Companys internal control processes. The Company has also adopted
a disclosure policy. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible
for reviewing the governance principles of the Company,
recommending any changes to these principles, and monitoring their
disclosure. This committee is responsible for the report on
corporate governance included in the Companys Information
Circular. The committee monitors best practices among major
Canadian and U.S. companies to ensure the Company continues to
carry out high standards of corporate governance. The Board has
adopted corporate governance guidelines, which are available on the
Companys website. |
|
|
|
3. Position Descriptions
(a) Disclose whether or not the board has developed
written position descriptions for the chair and the
chair of each board committee. If the board has not
developed written position descriptions for the chair
and/or the chair of each board committee, briefly
describe how the board delineates the role and
responsibilities of each such position.
(b) Disclose whether or not the board and CEO have
developed a written position description for the CEO.
If the board and CEO have not developed such a
position description, briefly describe how the board
delineates the role and responsibilities of the CEO.
|
|
The entire Board is responsible for the overall governance of the
Company. Any responsibility that is not delegated to senior
management or a Board committee remains with the entire Board. The
Board mandate and the charters of the Committees of the Board of
Directors are considered to be position descriptions for the
Chairman of the Board and the chairs of the committees. In
addition, The Board has adopted a position description for the CEO
and the Chairman. The CEO has overall responsibility for all
Company operations.
The Board reviews and approves the corporate objectives that the
CEO is responsible for meeting and such corporate objectives form a
key reference point for the review and assessment of the CEOs
performance. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Board has defined the limits to managements authority. The
Board expects management, among other things, to: |
|
|
|
|
|
review the Companys strategies and their implementation in all
key areas of the Companys activities, provide relevant reports to
the Board related thereto and assist the Board in managements
strategic planning for the Company |
|
|
|
|
|
carry out a comprehensive planning process and monitor the
Companys financial performance against the annual plan approved by
the Board. |
|
|
|
|
|
identify opportunities and risks affecting the Companys
business, develop and provide relevant reports to the Board related
thereto and, with consultation of the Board, implement appropriate
mitigation strategies. |
|
|
|
4. Orientation and Continuing Education
(a) Briefly describe what measures the board takes to
orient new directors regarding
(i) the role of the board, its committees and its
directors, and
(ii) the nature and operation of the issuers business.
|
|
All new directors receive an orientation binder, which includes a
record of historical public information about the Company, a copy
of the Companys Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, the mandate
of the Board and the charters of the Board committees, and other
relevant corporate and business information. In addition, the
Companys orientation for directors involves meeting with senior
management of the Company and an interactive introductory
discussion about the Company, providing the directors with an
opportunity to ask questions. New directors are also encouraged to
attend a Company auction shortly after their appointment. |
|
|
|
(b) Briefly describe what measures, if any, the board
takes to provide continuing education for its
directors. If the board does not provide continuing
education, describe how the board ensures that its
directors maintain the skill and knowledge necessary
to meet their obligations as directors.
|
|
Senior management makes regular presentations to the Board on the
main areas of the Companys business and updates the Board
quarterly on the Companys financial and operating performance.
Periodically, directors tour the Companys various facilities and
are expected to attend Company auctions. |
22
|
|
|
Disclosure Requirements under 58-101F1 |
|
Company Disclosure |
|
|
|
Directors are encouraged to take relevant professional development
courses at the Companys expense. |
|
|
|
5. Ethical Business Conduct
(a) Disclose whether or not the board has adopted a
written code for the directors, officers and
employees. If the board has adopted a written code:
(i) disclose how a person or company may obtain a
copy of the code.
(ii) describe how the board monitors compliance with
its code, or if the board does not monitor
compliance, explain whether and how the board
satisfies itself regarding compliance with its
code; and
(iii) provide a cross-reference to any material
change report filed since the beginning of the
issuers most recently completed financial year
that pertains to any conduct of a director or
executive officer that constitutes a departure
from the code.
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The Board has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that
can be found on the Companys website and on www.sedar.com.
The Board and management review and discuss from time to time the
effectiveness of the Companys Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
and any areas or systems that may be further improved.
There has been no material change report that has been filed that
pertains to any conduct of a director or executive officer that
constitutes a departure of the code. |
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(b) Describe any steps the board takes to ensure
directors exercise independent judgement in
considering transactions and agreements in respect of
which a director or executive officer has a material
interest.
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The Company complies with the relevant provisions under the Canada
Business Corporations Act that deal with conflict of interest in
the approval of agreements or transactions and the Companys Code
of Business Conduct and Ethics sets out additional guidelines in
relation to conflict of interest situations. The Company, through
directors and officers questionnaires and other systems, also
gathers and monitors relevant information in relation to potential
conflicts of interest that a director or officer may have. |
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(c) Describe any other steps the board takes to
encourage and promote a culture of ethical business
conduct.
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The Company was founded on and the business continues to be
successful largely as a result of a commitment to ethical conduct
and doing what is right. Employees are regularly reminded about
their obligations in this regard and senior management demonstrates
a culture of integrity and monitors employees by being in
attendance at most of the Companys industrial auctions. This
culture is clearly articulated in the Companys strategy document,
which was approved by the Board. A summary of the Companys
strategy document was presented to all employees of the Company in
2006. |
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6. Nomination of Directors
(a) Describe the process by which the board identifies
new candidates for board nomination.
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The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews the
competencies and skills of the Board from time to time and
identifies any area where additional strength may be needed. When
considering and identifying potential candidates for new directors
to be added to the Board, the Committee considers those areas where
additional strength may be needed. The Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee also has adopted an assessment process for the
Board and Committees. |
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The Board reviews its composition and size on a regular basis. In
2003, the Board increased its size from five to six members and
added a seventh member prior to the 2005 Annual Meeting. The Board
feels that this size is reasonable given the current size and
complexity of the Company. In anticipation of certain existing
directors contemplating retirement, the Board continues to identify
suitable candidates for new directors. The Company believes that
the new directors that have been added to the Board in recent years
have brought additional experience to the Board and have allowed
the Board to increase the number of unrelated and independent
directors, while still permitting it to operate in an efficient
manner. |
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(b) Disclose whether or not the board has a
nominating committee composed entirely of independent
directors. If the board does not have a nominating
committee composed entirely of independent directors,
describe what steps the board takes to encourage an
objective nomination process.
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The Company currently has a Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee, composed entirely of independent directors. The
Committee has three members:
Chair: Eric Patel
Members: Charles E. Croft and Beverley A. Briscoe
The Committee is responsible for proposing new nominees to the
Board, in accordance with the guidelines articulated in the
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees charter, which is
available on the Companys website. |
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(c) If the board has a nominating committee, describe
the responsibilities, powers and operation of the
nominating committee.
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The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has the
responsibility for overseeing the evaluation of the effectiveness
of the Board as a whole, as well as the committees of the Board and
the contribution of individual directors, by virtue of its charter.
The charter of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
can be found on the Companys website. |
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Disclosure Requirements under 58-101F1 |
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7. Compensation
(a) Describe the process by which the board
determines the compensation for issuers directors and
officers.
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Please refer to the discussion included in the Report on Executive
Compensation on page 17 and to the discussion of director
compensation on page 3. |
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(b) Disclose whether or not the board has a
compensation committee composed entirely of
independent directors. If the board does not have a
compensation committee composed entirely of
independent directors, describe what steps the board
takes to ensure an objective process for determining
such compensation.
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The Board has appointed a compensation committee. This Committee
has three members:
Chair: Charles E. Croft
Members: C. Russell Cmolik and Robert W. Murdoch
The NYSE Rules for United States companies require that all of the
members of a Compensation Committee be independent. The Board
determined that the Company has been in compliance with this
requirement since August 2005.
This Committee met twice in 2006 and all members attended all
meetings.
The charter of the Compensation Committee can be found on the
Companys website. |
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(c) If the board has a compensation committee,
describe the responsibilities, powers and operation of
the compensation committee.
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The responsibilities, powers and operation of the Compensation
Committee are as described in its charter, a copy of which can be
found on the Companys website. |
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(d) If a compensation consultant or advisor has, at
any time since the beginning of the issuers most
recently completed financial year, been retained to
assist in determining compensation for any of the
issuers directors and officers, disclose the identity
of the consultant or advisor and briefly summarize the
mandate for which they have been retained. If the
consultant or advisor has been retained to perform any
other work for the issuer, state that fact and briefly
describe the nature of the work.
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The Compensation Committee reviews directors and executive
officers compensation on a regular basis. In 2007 the Committee
engaged outside advisors to assist with its review. To make its
recommendation on directors and executive officers compensation,
the Committee takes into account the types of compensation and the
amounts paid to directors and officers of other comparable
companies. See the Report on Executive Compensation on page 18
for further details.
See Compensation of Directors on page 3 for information about the
compensation received by the directors in 2006. |
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8. Other Board Committees
If the board has standing committees other than the
audit, compensation and nominating committees,
identify the committees and describe their function.
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The Board has no other standing committees. |
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9. Assessments
Disclose whether or not the board, its committees and
individual directors are regularly assessed with
respect to their effectiveness and contribution. If
assessments are regularly conducted, describe the
process used for the assessments. If assessments are
not regularly conducted, describe how the board
satisfies itself that the board, its committees, and
its individual directors are performing effectively.
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The Board has an annual assessment process for the Board and its
committees. The process is administered by the Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee. It considers Board and Committees
performances relative to the Board mandate or relevant Committee
charters, as appropriate, and provides a mechanism for all
directors to assess and provide comments on Board and Committee
performance. |
INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND SENIOR OFFICERS
No director, executive officer or senior officer of the Company, no proposed nominee for
election as a director of the Company, and no associate of any such director, officer or proposed
nominee, at any time during the most recently completed financial year has been indebted to the
Company or any of its subsidiaries or had indebtedness to another entity which is, or has been, the
subject of a guarantee, support agreement, letter of credit or other similar arrangement or
understanding provided by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
VOTING SHARES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS THEREOF
The Company is currently authorized to issue an unlimited number of Common Shares, an unlimited
number of junior preferred shares without par value and an unlimited number of senior preferred
shares without par value. As at February 21, 2007 according to the records of Computershare Trust
Company of Canada, the registrar and transfer agent of the Company, there are 34,683,800 Common
Shares and no preferred shares of the Company issued and outstanding. Holders of Common Shares are
entitled to one vote for each Common Share held. Holders of Common Shares of record at the close
of business on March 2, 2007 are entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Meeting. The
directors of the Company have fixed the close of business on March 2, 2007 as the record date for
determining shareholders entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Meeting.
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To the knowledge of the directors and senior officers of the Company, there are no
shareholders who beneficially own, directly or indirectly, or control or direct Common Shares
carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to all voting shares of the Company, other
than certain institutional shareholders who have filed Schedule 13Gs with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission.
GENERAL PROXY INFORMATION
Appointment and Revocation of Proxies
The persons named in the enclosed form of proxy for use at the Meeting are directors of the
Company.
A shareholder has the right to appoint a person to attend and act as proxyholder on the
shareholders behalf at the Meeting other than the persons named in the enclosed form of proxy. If
a shareholder does not wish to appoint either person so named, the shareholder should check the
second box on the proxy and insert in the blank space provided the name and address of the person
whom the shareholder wishes to appoint as proxyholder. That person need not be a shareholder of
the Company.
A shareholder who has given a proxy may revoke it by: (a) signing a proxy bearing a later date
and depositing it as provided under Deposit of Proxy below; (b) signing and dating a written
notice of revocation (in the same manner as required for the enclosed form of proxy to be executed,
as set out under Validity of Proxy below) and delivering such notice to the registered office of
the Company at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the day of the Meeting
or to the Chairman of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting; (c) attending the Meeting in person
and registering with the scrutineer thereat as a shareholder present in person and signing and
dating a written notice of revocation; or (d) any other manner permitted at law. Any such
revocation will have effect only in respect of those matters upon which a vote has not already been
cast pursuant to the authority conferred by a previously deposited proxy.
Voting of Shares Represented by Proxy
A proxy in the form of the enclosed form of proxy will confer discretionary authority upon the
proxyholder named therein with respect to the matters identified in the enclosed Notice of Meeting
and in the form of proxy for which no choice is specified (and with respect to amendments and
variations thereto and any other matter that may properly be brought before the Meeting).
If the instructions as to voting indicated on a proxy in the enclosed form and deposited as
provided for herein are certain, all of the shares represented by such proxy will be voted or
withheld from voting in accordance with the instructions of the shareholder on any ballot that may
be called for. If the shareholder specifies a choice in the proxy as to how his shares are to be
voted with respect to any matter to be acted upon, the shares will be voted accordingly.
If no choice is specified by a shareholder in a proxy in the form of the enclosed form of
proxy and one of the persons named in the enclosed form of proxy is appointed as proxyholder, the
shares represented by the proxy will be voted FOR each of the other matters identified therein.
Amendments or Variations and Other Matters
Management of the Company is not now aware of any amendments to or variations of any of the
matters identified in the enclosed Notice of the Meeting nor of any other matter which may be
brought before the Meeting. However, a proxy in the form of the enclosed form will confer
discretionary authority upon a proxyholder named therein to vote on any amendments to or variations
of any of the matters identified in the enclosed Notice of Meeting and on any other matter which
may properly be brought before the Meeting in respect of which such proxy has been granted.
Validity of Proxy
A form of proxy will not be valid unless it is dated and signed by the shareholder or by the
shareholders attorney duly authorized in writing. In the case of a shareholder that is a
corporation, a proxy will not be valid unless it is executed under its seal or by a duly authorized
officer or agent of, or attorney for, such corporate shareholder. If
25
a proxy is executed by an attorney or agent for an individual shareholder, or by an officer,
attorney, agent or authorized representative of a corporate shareholder, the instrument empowering
the officer, attorney, agent or representative, as the case may be, or a notarial copy thereof,
must be deposited along with the proxy.
A vote cast in accordance with the terms of a proxy will be valid notwithstanding the previous
death, incapacity or bankruptcy of the shareholder or intermediary on whose behalf the proxy was
given or the revocation of the appointment, unless written notice of such death, incapacity,
bankruptcy or revocation is received by the Chairman of the Meeting at any time before the vote is
cast.
Deposit of Proxy
In order to be valid and effective, an instrument appointing a proxy holder must be deposited
with Computershare Trust Company of Canada, Proxy Department, 100 University Avenue, 9th Floor,
Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2Y1, no later than 48 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays)
before the time of the Meeting or any adjournment thereof.
Non-registered Shareholders
Non-registered shareholders whose shares may be registered in the name of a third party, such
as a broker or trust company, may exercise voting rights attached to shares beneficially owned by
them. Applicable securities laws require intermediaries to seek voting instructions from
non-registered shareholders. Accordingly, unless a non-registered shareholder has previously
instructed their intermediaries that they do not wish to receive materials relating to
shareholders meetings, non-registered shareholders should receive or have already received from
their intermediary either a request for voting instructions or a proxy form. Intermediaries have
their own mailing procedures and provide their own instructions. These procedures may allow voting
by telephone, on the Internet, by mail or by fax. If non-registered shareholders wish to attend
and vote the shares owned by them directly at the Meeting, such non-registered holders should
follow the procedure in the directions and instructions provided by or on behalf of the
intermediary. For example, they can insert their name in the space provided on the request for
voting Instructions or proxy form or request a form of proxy which will grant the non-registered
holder the right to attend the meeting and vote in person. Non-registered shareholders should
carefully follow the directions and instructions of their intermediary, including those regarding
when and where the completed request for voting instructions or form of proxy is to be delivered.
Only registered shareholders as of March 2, 2007 (the record date for voting at the Meeting)
have the right to vote in person at the Meeting or to execute, deliver or revoke a proxy with the
Company in respect of voting at the Meeting.
The Company has not sent any proxy-related materials that solicit votes or voting instructions
directly to any non-registered shareholders. Non-registered shareholders who wish to vote or
change their vote must, in sufficient time in advance of the Meeting, arrange for their
intermediaries to make necessary voting arrangements, change the vote and if necessary revoke the
relevant proxy.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Company will provide to any person or company, upon request to the Corporate Secretary of
the Company, a copy of the Companys current Annual Information Form together with a copy of any
document, or the pertinent pages of any document, incorporated therein by reference, the Companys
consolidated comparative financial statements for its most recently completed fiscal year together
with the accompanying report of the auditor and managements discussion and analysis of financial
condition and results of operations (MD&A), any interim financial statements of the Company
subsequent to the financial statements of the Companys most recently completed fiscal year that
have been filed together with the relevant MD&A and the Companys information circular in respect
of its most recent annual meeting of shareholders. The Company may require the payment of a
reasonable charge if a person who is not a shareholder of the Company makes the request for
information. Additional information relating to the Company, including financial information
provided in the Companys comparative financial statements and MD&A, is available on the SEDAR
website at www.sedar.com.
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SHAREHOLDERS PROPOSALS
Shareholder proposals to be considered at the 2008 Annual Meeting of shareholders of the
Company must be received at the principal office of the Company no later than December 15, 2007 to
be included in the information circular and form of proxy for such Annual Meeting.
APPROVAL OF CIRCULAR
The contents and sending of this Information Circular have been approved by the Board of
Directors of the Company.
Dated at Richmond, British Columbia, this 14th day of March, 2007.
By Order of the Board of Directors
Robert S. Armstrong
Corporate Secretary
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SCHEDULE A
RESOLUTION IN RESPECT OF AMENDMENT OF STOCK OPTION PLAN
OF RITCHIE BROS. AUCTIONEERS INCORPORATED (the Company)
Amended and Restated Stock Option Plan
BE IT RESOLVED AS AN ORDINARY RESOLUTION THAT:
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The Amended and Restated Stock Option Plan of the Company as tabled at the meeting (the
Amended and Restated Stock Option Plan), and the proposed amendments contained therein as
substantially described in the Information Circular of the Company dated March 14, 2007
(the Plan Amendments), be and the same are hereby confirmed, adopted and approved. |
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Any one director or officer of the Company be and is hereby authorized and directed,
for and on behalf of the Company, to do or to cause to be done all such acts and things as
in such persons opinion may be necessary or desirable in order to carry out the intent of
the foregoing resolutions and to give effect to the Amended and Restated Stock Option Plan,
including without limitation making appropriate application to and filings with the Toronto
and New York stock exchanges to, inter alia, list the increase in the number of shares as
necessary, and executing and delivering such other documents as may be necessary or
desirable, such determination to be conclusively evidenced by the taking of any such
actions by such director or officer. |
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Notwithstanding that this resolution has been duly passed by the shareholders of the
Company, the Board of Directors, in its discretion, may choose not to implement any or all
of such amendments. |
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SCHEDULE B
RIGHTS PLAN RESOLUTION OF SHAREHOLDERS
OF RITCHIE BROS. AUCTIONEERS INCORPORATED (the Company)
Shareholder Rights Plan Agreement
BE IT RESOLVED AS AN ORDINARY RESOLUTION THAT:
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The shareholder rights plan agreement made between the Company and Computershare
Investor Services Inc. as rights agent dated February 22, 2007 (the Rights Plan), as more
particularly described in the Information Circular of the Company dated March 14, 2007, be
and the same is hereby confirmed and approved. |
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Any one or more of the directors or officers of the Company be and are hereby
authorized and directed, for and on behalf of the Company, to execute or cause to be
executed, under the seal of the Company or otherwise, and to deliver or to cause to be
delivered, all such other documents and to do or to cause to be done all such other acts
and things as in such persons or persons opinion may be necessary or desirable in order
to carry out the intent of the foregoing resolutions and to give effect to the Rights Plan,
such determination to be conclusively evidenced by the execution and delivery of such
document or the doing of such act or thing by such person or persons. |
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RITCHIE BROS. AUCTIONEERS INCORPORATED
Request for Annual and Interim Financial Statements and MD&A
Under National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations (NI 51-102), Ritchie
Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated (the Corporation) is only required to deliver annual and interim
financial statements and related Managements Discussion & Analysis form (MD&A) to a person or
company that owns shares of the Corporation that requests them. However, in compliance with the
requirements under the Canada Business Corporations Act, the Corporation will send to all
registered shareholders the annual financial statements and related MD&A.
So, if you are a non-registered holder and you wish to receive the Corporations annual financial
statements and annual MD&A or interim financial statements and interim MD&A, OR if you are a
registered shareholder and wish to receive interim financial statements and MD&A, you should
complete the Return Form (the Return Form) on the last page hereof. Please forward the completed
Return Form to the Corporation at the following address:
RITCHIE BROS. AUCTIONEERS
Attention: Corporate Secretary
6500 River Road
Richmond, BC, Canada V6X 4G5
The Corporation reserves the right, in its discretion, to determine to send annual financial
statements and MD&A, or any interim financial statements and MD&A, to all registered holders, or
all registered holders and beneficial owners who are identified under NI 54-101 as having chosen to
receive securityholder materials sent to beneficial owners of securities, notwithstanding elections
which such holders or beneficial owners may make under the Return Form.
Failure to return the Return Form or otherwise specifically request a copy of financial statements
or MD&A will override a beneficial owners standing instructions under National Instrument 54-101
in respect of such financial statements and MD&A. So, notwithstanding whether you have given
previous instructions regarding delivery of materials, if you would like to receive the annual or
interim financial statements together with MD&A, you should complete and return this form to the
Corporations registrar and transfer agent.
Please note that a Return Form will be mailed to you each year. This Return Form is a request to
receive (i) interim financial statements and MD&A which the Corporation may send to securityholders
in 2007 and any other period prior to the Corporation sending a new request form in 2008 and/or
(ii) annual financial statements and MD&A for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2007. If you
wish to receive copies of financial statements or MD&A for any earlier period, you should send a
separate request specifying the requested financial statements and MD&A.
A copy of the Corporations financial statements and MD&A may be accessed under the Corporations
profile at www.sedar.com.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Page 1
(COMPLETE AND RETURN THIS FORM)
RETURN FORM
RITCHIE BROS. AUCTIONEERS INCORPORATED (the Corporation)
(Please mark the appropriate box with a X)
Registered Holder
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The undersigned is a registered holder of common shares of the Corporation
and hereby requests that the undersigned be sent a copy of the Interim Financial
Statements and MD&A for such statements for all quarters in 2007 and any subsequent
quarters before a new Return Form is sent by the Corporation |
Non-Registered Holder
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The undersigned is a beneficial holder of common shares of the Corporation
and: |
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hereby requests that the undersigned be sent a copy of the Annual Financial
Statements for the year ended December 31, 2007 and MD&A for such statements
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(b)
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hereby requests that the undersigned be sent a copy of the Interim Financial
Statements and MD&A for such statements for all quarters in 2007 and any subsequent
quarters before a new Return Form is sent by the Corporation
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The undersigned acknowledges that this request shall expire and cease to have effect if the
undersigned ceases to be either a registered holder or beneficial owner of securities of the
Corporation.
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Address: |
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Signature:
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Date:
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Name and title of person signing if different from name above: |
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Name and address of broker or intermediary through which securities
are held, if applicable: |
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FOR BENEFICIAL HOLDERS WHO DO NOT WANT TO DISCLOSE THEIR NAMES AND ADDRESS BUT WHO WANT TO RECEIVE
A COPY OF THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND MD&A AND/OR INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND MD&A,
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR BROKER OR INTERMEDIARY.
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