EXHIBIT INDEX |
99.1 | Amended and Restated Shareholder Rights Plan Agreement dated as of May 3, 2019 between TransCanada Corporation and Computershare Trust Company of Canada. |
99.2 | A copy of the registrant’s News Release dated May 3, 2019. |
TRANSCANADA CORPORATION | ||
By: | /s/ Christine R. Johnston | |
Christine R. Johnston | ||
Vice-President, Law and Corporate Secretary | ||
Article 1 - INTERPRETATION | 2 | |
1.1 | Certain Definitions | 2 |
1.2 | Currency | 15 |
1.3 | Headings | 15 |
1.4 | Calculation of Number and Percentage of Beneficial Ownership of Outstanding Voting Shares | 15 |
1.5 | Acting Jointly or in Concert | 16 |
1.6 | Generally Accepted Accounting Principles | 16 |
Article 2 - THE RIGHTS | 16 | |
2.1 | Issue of Rights: Legend on Common Share Certificates | 16 |
2.2 | Initial Exercise Price; Exercise of Rights; Detachment of Rights | 17 |
2.3 | Adjustments to Exercise Price; Number of Rights | 20 |
2.4 | Date on Which Exercise Is Effective | 25 |
2.5 | Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating of Rights Certificates | 25 |
2.6 | Registration, Transfer and Exchange | 25 |
2.7 | Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Rights Certificates | 26 |
2.8 | Persons Deemed Owners of Rights | 27 |
2.9 | Delivery and Cancellation of Certificates | 27 |
2.10 | Agreement of Rights Holders | 27 |
2.11 | Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder | 28 |
Article 3 - ADJUSTMENTS TO THE RIGHTS | 29 | |
3.1 | Flip‑in Event | 29 |
Article 4 - THE RIGHTS AGENT | 30 | |
4.1 | General | 30 |
4.2 | Merger, Amalgamation or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent | 31 |
4.3 | Duties of Rights Agent | 31 |
4.4 | Change of Rights Agent | 33 |
Article 5 - MISCELLANEOUS | 34 | |
5.1 | Redemption and Waiver | 34 |
5.2 | Expiration | 36 |
5.3 | Issuance of New Rights Certificates | 36 |
5.4 | Supplements and Amendments | 36 |
5.5 | Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares | 38 |
5.6 | Rights of Action | 38 |
5.7 | Regulatory Approvals | 38 |
5.8 | Declaration as to Non‑Canadian or Non‑U.S. Holders | 38 |
5.9 | Notices | 39 |
5.10 | Costs of Enforcement | 40 |
5.11 | Successors | 40 |
5.12 | Benefits of this Agreement | 40 |
5.13 | Governing Law | 40 |
5.14 | Severability | 40 |
5.15 | Effective Date | 41 |
5.16 | Reconfirmation and Approval | 41 |
5.17 | Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors | 41 |
5.18 | Time of the Essence | 41 |
5.19 | Execution in Counterparts | 41 |
(a) | ensure, to the extent possible, that the shareholders of the Corporation and the Board of Directors have adequate time to consider and evaluate any unsolicited bid for the Voting Shares (as defined below); |
(b) | provide the Board of Directors with adequate time to identify, develop and negotiate value enhancing alternatives, if considered appropriate, to any such unsolicited bid; and |
(c) | encourage the fair treatment of shareholders in connection with any Take-over Bid (as defined below); |
1.1 | Certain Definitions |
(a) | “Acquiring Person” shall mean any Person who is the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares; provided, however, that the term “Acquiring Person” shall not include: |
(i) | the Corporation or any Subsidiary of the Corporation; |
(ii) | any Person who becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares as a result of one or any combination of (A) a Voting Share Reduction, (B) Permitted Bid Acquisitions, (C) an Exempt Acquisition or (D) Pro Rata Acquisitions; provided, however, that if a Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares by reason of one or any combination of the operation of Paragraphs (A), (B), (C) or (D) above and such Person’s Beneficial Ownership of Voting Shares thereafter increases by more than 1.0% of the number of Voting Shares outstanding (other than pursuant to one or any combination of a Voting Share Reduction, a Permitted Bid Acquisition, an Exempt Acquisition or a Pro Rata Acquisition), then as of the date such Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of such additional Voting Shares, such Person shall become an “Acquiring Person”; |
(iii) | for a period of ten days after the Disqualification Date (as defined below), any Person who becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares as a result of such Person becoming disqualified from relying on Clause 1.1(g)(v) solely because such Person or the Beneficial Owner of such Voting Shares is making or has announced an intention to make a Take‑over Bid, either alone or by acting jointly or in concert with any other Person. For the purposes of this definition, “Disqualification Date” means the first date of public announcement that any Person is making or has announced an intention to make a Take‑over Bid, either alone or by acting jointly or in concert with another Person. |
(iv) | an underwriter or member of a banking or selling group that becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the Voting Shares in connection with a distribution of securities of the Corporation; or |
(v) | a Person (a “Grandfathered Person”) who is the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares of the Corporation determined as at the Record Time, provided, however, that this exception shall not be, and shall cease to be, applicable to a Grandfathered Person in the event that such Grandfathered Person shall, after the Record Time, become the Beneficial |
(b) | “Affiliate” when used to indicate a relationship with a specific Person means a Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such specified Person; |
(c) | “Agreement” shall mean this shareholder rights plan agreement dated as of April 24, 2003 as amended and restated as of April 23, 2004, April 27, 2007 and April 26, 2013, and as further amended and restated on May 3, 2019 between the Corporation and the Rights Agent, as the same may be further amended or supplemented from time to time; “hereof”, “herein”, “hereto” and similar expressions mean and refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular part of this Agreement; |
(d) | “annual cash dividend” shall mean cash dividends paid in any fiscal year of the Corporation to the extent that such cash dividends do not exceed, in the aggregate, the greatest of: |
(i) | 200% of the aggregate amount of cash dividends declared payable by the Corporation on its Common Shares in its immediately preceding fiscal year; |
(ii) | 300% of the arithmetic mean of the aggregate amounts of the annual cash dividends declared payable by the Corporation on its Common Shares in its three immediately preceding fiscal years; and |
(iii) | 100% of the aggregate consolidated net income of the Corporation, before extraordinary items, for its immediately preceding fiscal year; |
(e) | “Arrangement Agreement” means the Arrangement Agreement made as of March 4, 2003 between TransCanada PipeLines Limited and TransCanada Corporation providing for the implementation of the Plan of Arrangement; |
(f) | “Associate” means, when used to indicate a relationship with a specified Person, a spouse of that Person, any Person of the same or opposite sex with whom that Person is living in a conjugal relationship outside marriage, a child of that Person or a relative of that Person if that relative has the same residence as that Person; |
(g) | A Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, and to have “Beneficial Ownership” of, and to “Beneficially Own”, |
(i) | any securities as to which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates is the owner at law or in equity; |
(ii) | any securities as to which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has the right to become the owner at law or in equity (where such right is exercisable within a period of 60 days and whether or not on condition or the happening of any contingency or the making of any payment) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement, pledge or understanding, whether or not in writing (other than (x) customary agreements with and between underwriters and/or banking group members and/or selling group members with respect to a public offering or private placement of securities and (y) pledges of securities in the ordinary course of business), or upon the exercise of any conversion right, exchange right, share purchase right (other than the Rights), warrant or option; or |
(iii) | any securities which are Beneficially Owned within the meaning of Clauses 1.1(g)(i) and (ii) by any other Person with whom such Person is acting jointly or in concert; |
(iv) | where such security has been or has been agreed to be deposited or tendered pursuant to a Lock‑up Agreement, or is otherwise deposited or tendered, to any Take‑over Bid made by such Person, made by any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates or made by any other Person acting jointly or in concert with such Person until such deposited or tendered security has been taken up or paid for, whichever shall first occur; |
(v) | where such Person, any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates or any other Person acting jointly or in concert with such Person holds such security provided that: |
(A) | the ordinary business of any such Person (the “Investment Manager”) includes the management of investment funds for others (which others, for greater certainty, may include or be limited to one or more employee benefit plans or pension plans) and such security is held by the Investment Manager in the ordinary course of such business in the performance of such Investment Manager’s duties for the account of any other Person (a “Client”) including non‑discretionary accounts held on behalf of a Client by a broker or dealer appropriately registered under applicable law; |
(B) | such Person is the manager or trustee (the “Manager”) of a mutual fund (a “Mutual Fund”) that is registered or qualified to issue its securities to investors under the securities laws of any Province of Canada or the laws of the United States of America or any State thereof, and such security is held in the ordinary course of business |
(C) | such Person is a Mutual Fund and holds such security in the ordinary course of business of the Mutual Fund; |
(D) | such Person (the “Trust Company”) is licensed to carry on the business of a trust company under applicable laws and, as such, acts as trustee or administrator or in a similar capacity in relation to the estates of deceased or incompetent Persons (each an “Estate Account”) or in relation to other accounts (each an “Other Account”) and holds such security in the ordinary course of such duties for the estate of any such deceased or incompetent Person or for such Other Accounts; |
(E) | such Person is established by statute for purposes that include, and the ordinary business or activity of such Person (the “Statutory Body”) includes, the management of investment funds for employee benefit plans, pension plans, insurance plans or various public bodies; |
(F) | such Person (the “Administrator”) is the administrator or trustee of one or more pension funds or plans (a “Plan”), or is a Plan, registered under the laws of Canada or any Province thereof or the laws of the United States of America or any State thereof and holds such security for the purposes of its activity as an Administrator or Plan; or |
(G) | such Person (the “Crown Agent”) is a Crown agent or agency; |
(vi) | where such Person is (A) a Client of the same Investment Manager as another Person on whose account the Investment Manager holds such security, (B) an Estate Account or an Other Account of the same Trust Company as another Person on whose account the Trust Company holds such security or (C) a Plan with the same Administrator as another Plan on whose account the Administrator holds such security; |
(vii) | where such Person is (A) a Client of an Investment Manager and such security is owned at law or in equity by the Investment Manager, (B) an Estate Account or an Other Account of a Trust Company and such security is owned at law or in equity by the Trust Company or (C) a Plan and such security is owned at law or in equity by the Administrator of the Plan; or |
(viii) | where such Person is a registered holder of such security as a result of carrying on the business of, or acting as a nominee of, a securities depositary, |
(h) | “Board of Directors” shall mean the board of directors of the Corporation or any duly constituted and empowered committee thereof; |
(i) | “Book Entry Form” means, in reference to securities, securities that have been issued and registered in uncertificated form and includes securities evidenced by an advice or other statement and securities which are maintained electronically on the records of the Corporation’s transfer agent but for which no certificate has been issued; |
(j) | “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in Calgary are authorized or obligated by law to close; |
(k) | “Canada Business Corporations Act” means the Canada Business Corporations Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-44, as amended, and the regulations made thereunder, and any comparable or successor laws or regulations thereto or, if applicable, the comparable legislation of any other jurisdiction pursuant to which the Corporation may be continued; |
(l) | “Canadian Dollar Equivalent” of any amount which is expressed in United States Dollars means, on any date, the Canadian dollar equivalent of such amount determined by multiplying such amount by the U.S. Canadian Exchange Rate in effect on such date; |
(m) | “close of business” on any given date shall mean the time on such date (or, if such date is not a Business Day, the time on the next succeeding Business Day) at which the principal transfer office in Calgary of the transfer agent for the Common Shares of the Corporation (or, after the Separation Time, the principal transfer office in Calgary of the Rights Agent) is closed to the public, provided, however, that for the purposes of the definitions of “Competing Permitted Bid” and “Permitted Bid”, “close of business” on any date means 11:59 p.m. (local time at the place of deposit) on such date (or, if such date is not a Business Day, 11:59 p.m. (local time at the place of deposit) on the next succeeding Business Day; |
(n) | “Common Shares” shall mean the Common Shares in the capital of the Corporation; |
(o) | “Competing Permitted Bid” means a Take‑over Bid that: |
(i) | is made after a Permitted Bid or another Competing Permitted Bid (each such Permitted Bid or Competing Permitted Bid in this definition, the “Prior Bid”) has been made and prior to the expiry, termination or withdrawal of the Prior Bid |
(ii) | satisfies all components of the definition of a Permitted Bid other than the requirements set out in Clause 1.1(ll)(ii)(A) of the definition of a Permitted Bid; and |
(iii) | contains, and the take up and payment for securities tendered or deposited is subject to, an irrevocable and unqualified condition that no Voting Shares will be taken up or paid for pursuant to the Take‑over Bid prior to the close of business on the last day of the minimum initial deposit period that such Take-over Bid must remain open for deposits of securities thereunder pursuant to NI 62-104 after the date of the Take‑over Bid constituting the Competing Permitted Bid; |
(p) | “controlled” a Person is “controlled” by another Person or two or more other Persons acting jointly or in concert if: |
(i) | in the case of a body corporate, securities entitled to vote in the election of directors of such body corporate carrying more than 50% of the votes for the election of directors are held, directly or indirectly, by or for the benefit of the other Person or Persons and the votes carried by such securities are entitled, if exercised, to elect a majority of the board of directors of such body corporate; or |
(ii) | in the case of a Person which is not a body corporate, more than 50% of the voting or equity interests of such entity are held, directly or indirectly, by or for the benefit of the other Person or Persons; |
(q) | “Co‑Rights Agents” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 4.1(a); |
(r) | “Disposition Date” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 5.1(i); |
(s) | “Dividend Reinvestment Acquisition” shall mean an acquisition of Voting Shares pursuant to a Dividend Reinvestment Plan; |
(t) | “Dividend Reinvestment Plan” means a regular dividend reinvestment or other plan of the Corporation made available by the Corporation to holders of its securities where such plan permits the holder to direct that some or all of: |
(i) | dividends paid in respect of shares of any class of the Corporation; |
(ii) | proceeds of redemption of shares of the Corporation; |
(iii) | interest paid on evidences of indebtedness of the Corporation; or |
(iv) | optional cash payments; |
(u) | “Election to Exercise” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Clause 2.2(d)(ii); |
(v) | “Effective Date” means the date the Plan of Arrangement took effect; |
(w) | “Exempt Acquisition” means a share acquisition in respect of which the Board of Directors has waived the application of Section 3.1 pursuant to the provisions of Subsection 5.1(a), (d) or (i); |
(x) | “Exercise Price” shall mean, as of any date, the price at which a holder may purchase the securities issuable upon exercise of one whole Right which, until adjustment thereof in accordance with the terms hereof, shall be equal to three times the Market Price per Common Share; |
(y) | “Expansion Factor” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Clause 2.3(a)(x); |
(z) | “Expiration Time” shall mean the date of termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 5.16; |
(aa) | “Flip‑in Event” shall mean a transaction in or pursuant to which any Person becomes an Acquiring Person; |
(bb) | “holder” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 2.8; |
(cc) | “Independent Shareholders” shall mean holders of Voting Shares, other than: |
(i) | any Acquiring Person; |
(ii) | any Offeror (other than any Person who by virtue of Clause 1.1(g)(v) is not deemed to Beneficially Own the Voting Shares held by such Person); |
(iii) | any Affiliate or Associate of any Acquiring Person or Offeror; |
(iv) | any Person acting jointly or in concert with any Acquiring Person or Offeror; and |
(v) | any employee benefit plan, deferred profit sharing plan, stock participation plan and any other similar plan or trust for the benefit of employees of the Corporation, or any Subsidiary of the Corporation, unless the beneficiaries of the plan or trust direct the manner in which the Voting Shares are to be voted or withheld from voting or direct whether the Voting Shares are to be tendered to a Take‑over Bid; |
(dd) | “Lock‑Up Agreement” means an agreement (the terms of which are publicly disclosed and a copy of which is made available to the public (including the Corporation): |
(i) | not later than the date on which the Lock-up Bid (as defined below) is publicly announced); or |
(ii) | if the Lock-up Bid has been made prior to the date on which such agreement has been entered into, forthwith and in any event not later than the Business Day following the date of such agreement; |
(iii) | (A) provides for a consideration for each Voting Share that is higher than the consideration contained in or proposed to be contained in the Lock-up Bid; or |
(B) | (a) provides for a consideration for each Voting Share that exceeds by as much as or more than a specified amount (“Specified Amount”) the consideration for each Voting Share contained in or proposed to be contained in the Lock-up Bid; and (b) does not by its terms provide for a Specified Amount that is greater than 7% over the consideration for each Voting Share contained in or proposed to be contained in the Lock-up Bid; or |
(C) | is for a number of Voting Shares that exceeds by as much as or more than a number (the “Specified Number”) specified in the Lock-up Agreement the number of Voting Shares that the Offeror has offered or proposes to offer to purchase under the Lock-up Bid at a price or value per Voting Share that is not less than the price or value per |
(iv) | the agreement does not provide for any “break-up fees”, “top‑up fees”, penalties, expenses reimbursement or other amounts that exceed in the aggregate the greater of: |
(A) | the cash equivalent of 2.5% of the consideration payable under the Lock-up Bid to the Locked‑up Person; and |
(B) | 50% of the amount by which the consideration payable under another Take‑over Bid or transaction to a Locked‑up Person exceeds the consideration that such Locked‑up Person would have received under the Lock-up Bid; |
(ee) | “Market Price” per security of any securities on any date of determination shall mean the average of the daily closing prices per security of such securities (determined as described below) on each of the 20 consecutive Trading Days through and including the Trading Day immediately preceding such date; provided, however, that if an event of a type analogous to any of the events described in Section 2.3 hereof shall have caused the closing prices used to determine the Market Price on any Trading Days not to be fully comparable with the closing price on such date of determination or, if the date of determination is not a Trading Day, on the immediately preceding Trading Day, each such closing price so used shall be appropriately adjusted in a manner analogous to the applicable adjustment provided for in Section 2.3 hereof in order to make it fully comparable with the closing price on such date of determination or, if the date of determination is not a Trading Day, on |
(i) | the closing board lot sale price or, in case no such sale takes place on such date, the average of the closing bid and asked prices for each of such securities as reported by the principal Canadian stock exchange (as determined by volume of trading) on which such securities are listed or admitted to trading; |
(ii) | if for any reason none of such prices is available on such day or the securities are not listed or posted for trading on a Canadian stock exchange, the last sale price or, in case no such sale takes place on such date, the average of the closing bid and asked prices for each of such securities as reported by the principal national United States securities exchange (as determined by volume of trading) on which such securities are listed or admitted to trading; |
(iii) | if for any reason none of such prices is available on such day or the securities are not listed or admitted to trading on a Canadian stock exchange or a national United States securities exchange, the last sale price or, in case no sale takes place on such date, the average of the high bid and low asked prices for each of such securities in the over the counter market, as quoted by any recognized reporting system then in use; or |
(iv) | if for any reason none of such prices is available on such day or the securities are not listed or admitted to trading on a Canadian stock exchange or a national United States securities exchange or quoted by any such reporting system, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a recognized professional market maker making a market in the securities; |
(ff) | “1934 Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 of the United States, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder as now in effect or as the same may from time to time be amended, re‑enacted or replaced; |
(gg) | “NI 62-104” means National Instrument 62-104 Take-Over Bids and Issuer Bids adopted by the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, as now in effect or as the same may from time to time be amended, re-enacted or replaced; |
(hh) | “Nominee” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 2.2(c); |
(ii) | “Offer to Acquire” shall include: |
(i) | an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell Voting Shares or a public announcement of an intention to make such an offer or solicitation; and |
(ii) | an acceptance of an offer to sell Voting Shares, whether or not such offer to sell has been solicited; |
(jj) | “Offeror” shall mean a Person who has announced, and has not withdrawn, an intention to make or who has made, and has not withdrawn, a Take‑over Bid, other than a Person who has completed a Permitted Bid, a Competing Permitted Bid or an Exempt Acquisition; |
(kk) | “Offeror’s Securities” means Voting Shares Beneficially Owned by an Offeror on the date of the Offer to Acquire; |
(ll) | “Permitted Bid” means a Take‑over Bid made by an Offeror by way of take‑over bid circular which also complies with the following additional provisions: |
(i) | the Take‑over Bid is made to all holders of Voting Shares as registered on the books of the Corporation, other than the Offeror; |
(ii) | the Take‑over Bid contains, and the take-up and payment for securities tendered or deposited is subject to, an irrevocable and unqualified provision that no Voting Shares will be taken up or paid for pursuant to the Take‑over Bid (A) prior to the close of business on the date which is not less than 105 days following the date of the Take‑over Bid or such shorter minimum period that a take-over bid that is not exempt from any of the requirements of Division 5 Bid Mechanics of NI 62-104 must remain open for deposits of securities, in the applicable of circumstances at such time, pursuant to NI 62-104, and (B) only if at the close of business on such date more than 50% of the Voting Shares held by Independent Shareholders shall have been deposited or tendered pursuant to the Take‑over Bid and not withdrawn; |
(iii) | unless the Take‑over Bid is withdrawn, the Take‑over Bid contains an irrevocable and unqualified provision that Voting Shares may be deposited pursuant to such Take‑over Bid at any time during the period of time described in Clause 1.1(ll)(ii) and that any Voting Shares deposited pursuant to the Take‑over Bid may be withdrawn until taken up and paid for; and |
(iv) | the Take‑over Bid contains an irrevocable and unqualified provision that in the event that the deposit condition set forth in Clause 1.1(ll)(ii) is satisfied the Offeror will make a public announcement of that fact and the Take‑over Bid will remain open for deposits and tenders of Voting Shares for not less than ten Business Days from the date of such public announcement; |
(mm) | “Permitted Bid Acquisition” shall mean an acquisition of Voting Shares made pursuant to a Permitted Bid or a Competing Permitted Bid; |
(nn) | “Person” shall include any individual, firm, partnership, association, trust, trustee, executor, administrator, legal personal representative, body corporate, corporation, unincorporated organization, syndicate, governmental entity or other similar entity; |
(oo) | “Plan of Arrangement” means the Plan of Arrangement set forth as Appendix 1 to the Arrangement Agreement; |
(pp) | “Pro Rata Acquisition” means an acquisition by a Person of Voting Shares pursuant to: |
(i) | a Dividend Reinvestment Acquisition; |
(ii) | a stock dividend, stock split or other event in respect of securities of the Corporation of one or more particular classes or series pursuant to which such Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of Voting Shares on the same pro rata basis as all other holders of securities of the particular class, classes or series; |
(iii) | the acquisition or the exercise by the Person of only those rights to purchase Voting Shares distributed to that Person in the course of a distribution to all holders of securities of the Corporation of one or more particular classes or series pursuant to a rights offering or pursuant to a prospectus, provided that the Person does not thereby acquire a greater percentage of Voting Shares than the Person’s percentage of Voting Shares Beneficially Owned immediately prior to such acquisition or exercise; or |
(iv) | a distribution of Voting Shares, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Voting Shares (and the conversion or exchange of such convertible or exchangeable securities), made pursuant to a prospectus or by way of a private placement or securities exchange take‑over bid, provided that the Person does not thereby acquire a greater percentage of such Voting Shares, or |
(qq) | “Record Time” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(a); |
(rr) | “Right” means a right to purchase a Common Share of the Corporation upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement; |
(ss) | “Rights Certificate” means the certificates representing the Rights after the Separation Time, which shall be substantially in the form attached hereto as Attachment 1; |
(tt) | “Rights Register” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 2.6(a); |
(uu) | “Securities Act (Alberta)” shall mean the Securities Act, R.S.A. 2000, c.S-4, as amended, and the regulations thereunder, and any comparable or successor laws or regulations thereto; |
(vv) | “Separation Time” shall mean the close of business on the tenth Trading Day after the earlier of: |
(i) | the Stock Acquisition Date; |
(ii) | the date of the commencement of or first public announcement or disclosure of the intent of any Person (other than the Corporation or any Subsidiary of the Corporation) to commence a Take‑over Bid (other than a Permitted Bid or a Competing Permitted Bid), or such later time as may be determined by the Board of Directors, provided that, if any Take‑over Bid referred to in this Clause (ii) expires, is cancelled, terminated or otherwise withdrawn prior to the Separation Time, such Take‑over Bid shall be deemed, for the purposes of this definition, never to have been made and, provided further, that if the Board of Directors determines, pursuant to Section 5.1, to waive this application of Section 3.1 to a Flip-in Event, then the Separation Time in respect of such Flip-in Event shall be deemed never to have occurred; and |
(iii) | the date on which a Permitted Bid or Competing Permitted Bid ceases to be such; |
(ww) | “Stock Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of public announcement or disclosure (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a report filed pursuant to Part 5 of NI 62-104 or Section 13(d) of the 1934 Exchange Act) by the Corporation or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such; |
(xx) | “Subsidiary”: a corporation is a Subsidiary of another corporation if: |
(i) | it is controlled by: |
(A) | that other; or |
(B) | that other and one or more corporations each of which is controlled by that other; or |
(C) | two or more corporations each of which is controlled by that other; or |
(ii) | it is a Subsidiary of a corporation that is that other’s Subsidiary; |
(yy) | “Take‑over Bid” shall mean an Offer to Acquire Voting Shares, or securities convertible into Voting Shares if, assuming that the Voting Shares or convertible securities subject to the Offer to Acquire are acquired and are Beneficially Owned at the date of such Offer to Acquire by the Person making such Offer to Acquire, such Voting Shares (including Voting Shares that may be acquired upon conversion of securities convertible into Voting Shares) together with the Offeror’s Securities, constitute in the aggregate 20% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares at the date of the Offer to Acquire; |
(zz) | “Trading Day”, when used with respect to any securities, shall mean a day on which the principal Canadian stock exchange on which such securities are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the securities are not listed or admitted to trading on any Canadian stock exchange, a Business Day; |
(aaa) | “U.S. Canadian Exchange Rate” means, on any date: |
(i) | if on such date the Bank of Canada sets an average noon spot rate of exchange for the conversion of one United States dollar into Canadian dollars, such rate; and |
(ii) | in any other case, the rate for such date for the conversion of one United States dollar into Canadian dollars calculated in such manner as may be determined by the Board of Directors from time to time acting in good faith; |
(bbb) | “Voting Share Reduction” means an acquisition or redemption by the Corporation of Voting Shares which, by reducing the number of Voting Shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of Voting Shares Beneficially Owned by any Person to 20% or more of the Voting Shares then outstanding; and |
(ccc) | “Voting Shares” shall mean the Common Shares and any other shares in the capital of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of all directors. |
1.2 | Currency |
1.3 | Headings |
1.4 | Calculation of Number and Percentage of Beneficial Ownership of Outstanding Voting Shares |
100 x A/B | |||||
where: | |||||
A | = | the number of votes for the election of all directors generally attaching to the Voting Shares Beneficially Owned by such Person; and | |||
B | = | the number of votes for the election of all directors generally attaching to all outstanding Voting Shares. |
1.5 | Acting Jointly or in Concert |
1.6 | Generally Accepted Accounting Principles |
2.1 | Issue of Rights: Legend on Common Share Certificates |
(a) | One Right shall be issued on the Effective Date in respect of each Common Share of the Corporation issued under the Plan of Arrangement (the time of issue of such Rights being herein called the “Record Time”) and one Right shall be issued in respect of each Common Share of the Corporation issued after the Record Time and prior to the earlier of the Separation Time and the Expiration Time. |
(b) | Certificates representing Common Shares which are issued and any written document that evidences the issuance of Common Shares that are issued and registered in Book Entry Form, each after the Record Time but prior to the earlier of the Separation Time and the Expiration Time, shall also evidence, in addition to Common Shares, one Right for each Common Share represented thereby and, to the extent possible and practicable, shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them the following legend: |
(c) | Certificates for Common Shares which by the terms of the Plan of Arrangement will represent, on the Effective Date, Common Shares of the Corporation that are issued and outstanding, and Common Shares that are issued in Book Entry Form and for which the inclusion of the foregoing legend is not practicable or possible, shall also evidence one Right for each Common Share represented thereby, notwithstanding the absence of the foregoing legend, until the close of business on the earlier of the Separation Time and the Expiration Time. |
2.2 | Initial Exercise Price; Exercise of Rights; Detachment of Rights |
(a) | Subject to adjustment as herein set forth, each Right will entitle the holder thereof, from and after the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time, to purchase one Common Share for the Exercise Price as at the Business Day immediately preceding the Separation Time (and the Exercise Price and number of Common Shares are subject to adjustment as set forth below). Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, any Rights held by the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries shall be void. |
(b) | Until the Separation Time, |
(i) | the Rights shall not be exercisable and no Right may be exercised; and |
(ii) | each Right will be evidenced by the certificate for the associated Common Share registered in the name of the holder thereof (which certificate shall also be deemed to represent a Rights Certificate) and will be transferable only together with, and will be transferred by a transfer of, such associated Common Share. |
(c) | From and after the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time: |
(i) | the Rights shall be exercisable; and |
(ii) | the registration and transfer of Rights shall be separate from and independent of Common Shares. |
(x) | a Rights Certificate appropriately completed, representing the number of Rights held by such holder at the Separation Time and having such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Corporation may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any law, rule or regulation or with any rule or regulation of any self regulatory organization, stock exchange or quotation system on which |
(y) | a disclosure statement prepared by the Corporation describing the Rights, |
(d) | Rights may be exercised, in whole or in part, on any Business Day after the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time by submitting to the Rights Agent: |
(i) | the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights; |
(ii) | an election to exercise such Rights (an “Election to Exercise”) substantially in the form attached to the Rights Certificate appropriately completed and executed by the holder or his executors or administrators or other personal representatives or his or their legal attorney duly appointed by an instrument in writing in form and executed in a manner satisfactory to the Rights Agent; and |
(iii) | payment by certified cheque, banker’s draft or money order payable to the order of the Corporation, of a sum equal to the Exercise Price multiplied by the number of Rights being exercised and a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates or the issuance or delivery of certificates for Common Shares in a name other than that of the holder of the Rights being exercised. |
(e) | Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate, together with a completed Election to Exercise executed in accordance with Clause 2.2(d)(ii), which does not indicate that such Right is null and void as provided by Subsection 3.1(b), and payment as set forth in Clause 2.2(d)(iii), the Rights Agent (unless otherwise instructed by the Corporation in the event that the Corporation is of the opinion that the Rights cannot be exercised in accordance with this Agreement) will thereupon promptly: |
(i) | requisition from the transfer agent certificates representing the number of such Common Shares to be purchased (the Corporation hereby irrevocably authorizing its transfer agent to comply with all such requisitions); |
(ii) | when appropriate, requisition from the Corporation the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuing fractional Common Shares; |
(iii) | after receipt of the certificates referred to in Clause 2.2(e)(i), deliver the same to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificates, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder; |
(iv) | when appropriate, after receipt, deliver the cash referred to in Clause 2.2(e)(ii) to or to the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate; and |
(v) | remit to the Corporation all payments received on exercise of the Rights. |
(f) | In case the holder of any Rights shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced by such holder’s Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate evidencing the Rights remaining unexercised (subject to the provisions of Subsection 5.5(a)) will be issued by the Rights Agent to such holder or to such holder’s duly authorized assigns. |
(g) | The Corporation covenants and agrees that it will: |
(i) | take all such action as may be necessary and within its power to ensure that all Common Shares delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Common Shares (subject to payment of the Exercise Price), be duly and validly authorized, executed, issued and delivered as fully paid and non‑assessable; |
(ii) | take all such action as may be necessary and within its power to comply with the requirements of the Canada Business Corporations Act, the Securities Act (Alberta) and the securities laws or comparable legislation of each of the provinces of Canada and any other applicable law, rule or regulation, in connection with the issuance and delivery of the Rights, Rights Certificates and the issuance of any Common Shares upon exercise of Rights; |
(iii) | use reasonable efforts to cause all Common Shares issued upon exercise of Rights to be listed on the stock exchanges on which such Common Shares were traded immediately prior to the Stock Acquisition Date; |
(iv) | cause to be reserved and kept available out of the authorized and unissued Common Shares, the number of Common Shares that, as provided in this Agreement, will from time to time be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights; |
(v) | pay when due and payable, if applicable, any and all federal, provincial and municipal transfer taxes and charges (not including any income or capital taxes of the holder or exercising holder or any liability of the Corporation to withhold tax) which may be payable in respect of the original issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates, or certificates for Common Shares to be issued upon exercise of any Rights, provided that the Corporation shall not be required to pay any transfer tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates or the issuance or delivery of certificates for Common Shares in a name other than that of the holder of the Rights being transferred or exercised; and |
(vi) | after the Separation Time, except as permitted by Section 5.1, not take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. |
2.3 | Adjustments to Exercise Price; Number of Rights |
(a) | In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the date of this Agreement: |
(i) | declare or pay a dividend on Common Shares payable in Common Shares (or other securities exchangeable for or convertible into or giving a right to acquire Common Shares or other securities of the Corporation) other than pursuant to any optional stock dividend program; |
(ii) | subdivide or change the then outstanding Common Shares into a greater number of Common Shares; |
(iii) | consolidate or change the then outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of Common Shares; or |
(iv) | issue any Common Shares (or other securities exchangeable for or convertible into or giving a right to acquire Common Shares or other securities of the Corporation) in respect of, in lieu of or in exchange for existing Common Shares except as otherwise provided in this Section 2.3, |
(x) | the Exercise Price in effect after such adjustment will be equal to the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment divided by the number of Common Shares (or other capital stock) (the “Expansion Factor”) that a holder of one Common Share immediately prior to such dividend, subdivision, change, consolidation or issuance would hold thereafter as a result thereof; and |
(y) | each Right held prior to such adjustment will become that number of Rights equal to the Expansion Factor, |
(b) | In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Record Time and prior to the Separation Time fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Common Shares entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Common Shares (or securities convertible into or exchangeable for or carrying a right to purchase Common Shares) at a price per Common Share (or, if a security convertible into or exchangeable for or carrying a right to purchase or subscribe for Common Shares, having a conversion, exchange or exercise price, including the price required to be paid to purchase such convertible or exchangeable security or right per share) less than the Market Price per Common Share on such record date, the Exercise Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction: |
(i) | the numerator of which shall be the number of Common Shares outstanding on such record date, plus the number of Common Shares that the aggregate offering price of the total number of Common Shares so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion, exchange or exercise price of the convertible or exchangeable securities or rights so to be offered, including the price required to be paid to purchase such convertible or exchangeable securities or rights) would purchase at such Market Price per Common Share; and |
(ii) | the denominator of which shall be the number of Common Shares outstanding on such record date, plus the number of additional Common Shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible or exchangeable securities or rights so to be offered are initially convertible, exchangeable or exercisable). |
(c) | In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Record Time and prior to the Separation Time fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of Common Shares (including any such distribution made in connection with a merger or amalgamation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other than an annual cash dividend or a dividend paid in Common Shares, but including any dividend payable in securities other than Common Shares), assets or rights, options or warrants (excluding those referred to in Subsection 2.3(b)), the Exercise Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction: |
(i) | the numerator of which shall be the Market Price per Common Share on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of Rights), on a per share basis, of the portion of the cash, assets, evidences of indebtedness, rights, options or warrants so to be distributed; and |
(ii) | the denominator of which shall be such Market Price per Common Share. |
(d) | Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no adjustment in the Exercise Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least one per cent in the Exercise Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Subsection 2.3(d) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under Section 2.3 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten thousandth of a share. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Subsection 2.3(d), any adjustment required by Section 2.3 shall be made no later than the earlier of: |
(i) | three years from the date of the transaction which gives rise to such adjustment; or |
(ii) | the Expiration Date. |
(e) | In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Record Time and prior to the Separation Time issue any shares of capital stock (other than Common Shares), or rights, options or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any such capital stock, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for any such capital stock, in a transaction referred to in Clause 2.3(a)(i) or (iv), if the Board of Directors acting in good faith determines that the adjustments contemplated by Subsections 2.3(a), (b) and (c) in connection with such transaction will not appropriately protect the interests of the holders of Rights, the Board of Directors may determine what other adjustments to the Exercise Price, number of Rights and/or securities purchasable upon exercise of Rights would be appropriate and, notwithstanding Subsections 2.3(a), (b) and (c), such adjustments, rather than the adjustments contemplated by Subsections 2.3(a), (b) and (c), shall be made. Subject to the prior consent of the holders of the Voting Shares or the Rights obtained as set forth in Subsection 5.4(b) or (c), the Corporation and the Rights Agent shall have authority to amend this Agreement as appropriate to provide for such adjustments. |
(f) | Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no adjustment of the Exercise Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in such Exercise Price, provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 2.3(f) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All adjustments to the Exercise Price made pursuant to this Section 2.3 shall be calculated to the nearest cent. |
(g) | Each Right originally issued by the Corporation subsequent to any adjustment made to the Exercise Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Exercise Price, the number of Common Shares purchasable from time to time |
(h) | Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Exercise Price or the number of Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Exercise Price per Common Share and the number of Common Shares which were expressed in the initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder. |
(i) | In any case in which this Section 2.3 shall require that an adjustment in the Exercise Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Corporation may elect to defer until the occurrence of such event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the number of Common Shares and other securities of the Corporation, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of Common Shares and other securities of the Corporation, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Exercise Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Corporation shall deliver to such holder an appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive such additional shares (fractional or otherwise) or other securities upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment. |
(j) | Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section 2.3 to the contrary, the Corporation shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Exercise Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 2.3, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board of Directors shall determine to be advisable, in order that any: |
(i) | consolidation or subdivision of Common Shares; |
(ii) | issuance (wholly or in part for cash) of Common Shares or securities that by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Common Shares; |
(iii) | stock dividends; or |
(iv) | issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this Section 2.3, |
2.4 | Date on Which Exercise Is Effective |
2.5 | Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating of Rights Certificates |
(a) | The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Corporation by its Chairman of the Board, President or any Vice President and by its Corporate Secretary or any Assistant Secretary under the corporate seal of the Corporation reproduced thereon. The signature of any of these officers on the Rights Certificates may be manual or facsimile. Rights Certificates bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Corporation shall bind the Corporation, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices either before or after the countersignature and delivery of such Rights Certificates. |
(b) | Promptly after the Corporation learns of the Separation Time, the Corporation will notify the Rights Agent of such Separation Time and will deliver Rights Certificates executed by the Corporation to the Rights Agent for countersignature, and the Rights Agent shall manually countersign (in a manner satisfactory to the Corporation) and send such Rights Certificates to the holders of the Rights pursuant to Subsection 2.2(c) hereof. No Rights Certificate shall be valid for any purpose until countersigned by the Rights Agent as aforesaid. |
(c) | Each Rights Certificate shall be dated the date of countersignature thereof. |
2.6 | Registration, Transfer and Exchange |
(a) | The Corporation will cause to be kept a register (the “Rights Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Corporation will provide for the registration and transfer of Rights. The Rights Agent is hereby appointed registrar for the Rights (the “Rights Registrar”) for the purpose of maintaining the Rights Register for the Corporation and registering Rights and transfers of Rights as herein provided and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. In the event that the Rights Agent shall cease to be the Rights Registrar, the Rights Agent will have the right to examine the Rights Register at all reasonable times. |
(b) | All Rights issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Rights Certificates shall be the valid obligations of the Corporation, and such Rights shall be entitled to the same benefits under this Agreement as the Rights surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange. |
(c) | Every Rights Certificate surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange shall be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Corporation or the Rights Agent, as the case may be, duly executed by the holder thereof or such holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing. As a condition to the issuance of any new Rights Certificate under this Section 2.6, the Corporation may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of the Rights Agent) connected therewith. |
2.7 | Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Rights Certificates |
(a) | If any mutilated Rights Certificate is surrendered to the Rights Agent prior to the Expiration Time, the Corporation shall execute and the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver in exchange therefor a new Rights Certificate evidencing the same number of Rights as did the Rights Certificate so surrendered. |
(b) | If there shall be delivered to the Corporation and the Rights Agent prior to the Expiration Time: |
(i) | evidence to their reasonable satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Rights Certificate; and |
(ii) | such security or indemnity as may be reasonably required by them to save each of them and any of their agents harmless; |
(c) | As a condition to the issuance of any new Rights Certificate under this Section 2.7, the Corporation may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of the Rights Agent) connected therewith. |
(d) | Every new Rights Certificate issued pursuant to this Section 2.7 in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Rights Certificate shall evidence the contractual obligation of the Corporation, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Rights Certificate shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Agreement equally and proportionately with any and all other Rights duly issued hereunder. |
2.8 | Persons Deemed Owners of Rights |
2.9 | Delivery and Cancellation of Certificates |
2.10 | Agreement of Rights Holders |
(a) | to be bound by and subject to the provisions of this Agreement, as amended from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof, in respect of all Rights held; |
(b) | that prior to the Separation Time, each Right will be transferable only together with, and will be transferred by a transfer of, the associated Common Share certificate representing such Right; |
(c) | that after the Separation Time, the Rights Certificates will be transferable only on the Rights Register as provided herein; |
(d) | that prior to due presentment of a Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Separation Time, the associated Common Share certificate) for registration of transfer, the |
(e) | that such holder of Rights has waived his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares or other securities upon exercise of a Right (except as provided herein); |
(f) | that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Corporation nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or any other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation; and |
(g) | that, subject to the provisions of Section 5.4, without the approval of any holder of Rights or Voting Shares and upon the sole authority of the Board of Directors, acting in good faith, this Agreement may be supplemented or amended from time to time to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be inconsistent with the intent of this Agreement or is otherwise defective, as provided herein. |
2.11 | Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder |
3.1 | Flip‑in Event |
(a) | Subject to Subsection 3.1(b) and Section 5.1, in the event that prior to the Expiration Time a Flip‑in Event shall occur, each Right shall constitute, effective at the close of business on the tenth Trading Day after the Stock Acquisition Date, the right to purchase from the Corporation, upon exercise thereof in accordance with the terms hereof, that number of Common Shares having an aggregate Market Price on the date of consummation or occurrence of such Flip‑in Event equal to twice the Exercise Price for an amount in cash equal to the Exercise Price (such right to be appropriately adjusted in a manner analogous to the applicable adjustment provided for in Section 2.3 in the event that after such consummation or occurrence, an event of a type analogous to any of the events described in Section 2.3 shall have occurred). |
(b) | Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, upon the occurrence of any Flip‑in Event, any Rights that are or were Beneficially Owned on or after the earlier of the Separation Time or the Stock Acquisition Date by: |
(i) | an Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any Person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person); or |
(ii) | a transferee of Rights, directly or indirectly, from an Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any Person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person), where such transferee becomes a transferee concurrently with or subsequent to the Acquiring Person becoming such in a transfer that the Board of Directors has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or scheme of an Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any Person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person), that has the purpose or effect of avoiding Clause 3.1(b)(i), |
(c) | From and after the Separation Time, the Corporation shall do all such acts and things as shall be necessary and within its power to ensure compliance with the provisions of this Section 3.1, including without limitation, all such acts and things as may be required to satisfy the requirements of the Canada Business Corporations Act, the Securities Act (Alberta) and the securities laws or comparable legislation of each of the provinces of Canada and of the United States and each of the states thereof in |
(d) | Any Rights Certificate that represents Rights Beneficially Owned by a Person described in either Clause 3.1(b)(i) or (ii) or transferred to any nominee of any such Person, and any Rights Certificate issued upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain the following legend: |
4.1 | General |
(a) | The Corporation hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Corporation and the holders of the Rights in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Corporation may from time to time appoint such co Rights Agents (“Co‑Rights Agents”) as it may deem necessary or desirable. In the event the Corporation appoints one or more Co‑Rights Agents, the respective duties of the Rights Agent and Co‑Rights Agents shall be as the Corporation may determine. The Corporation agrees to pay all reasonable fees and expenses of the Rights Agent in respect of the performance of its duties under this Agreement. The Corporation also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without negligence, bad faith or wilful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability, which right to indemnification will survive the termination of this Agreement. |
(b) | The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with its administration of |
4.2 | Merger, Amalgamation or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent |
(a) | Any corporation into which the Rights Agent may be merged or amalgamated or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, amalgamation, statutory arrangement or consolidation to which the Rights Agent is a party, or any corporation succeeding to the shareholder or stockholder services business of the Rights Agent, will be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 4.4 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent succeeds to the agency created by this Agreement any of the Rights Certificates have been countersigned but not delivered, any successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights have not been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates will have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement. |
(b) | In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent is changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement. |
4.3 | Duties of Rights Agent |
(a) | the Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Corporation) and the opinion of such counsel will be full and complete authorization |
(b) | whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Rights Agent deems it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Corporation prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by a Person believed by the Rights Agent to be the Chairman of the Board, President, any Vice President, Treasurer, Corporate Secretary, or any Assistant Secretary of the Corporation and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate will be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate; |
(c) | the Rights Agent will be liable hereunder for its own negligence, bad faith or wilful misconduct; |
(d) | the Rights Agent will not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement, or in the certificates for Common Shares or in the Rights Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and will be deemed to have been made by the Corporation only; |
(e) | the Rights Agent will not be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due authorization, execution and delivery hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any certificate for a Common Share or Rights Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor will it be responsible for any breach by the Corporation of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate; nor will it be responsible for any change in the exerciseability of the Rights (including the Rights becoming void pursuant to Subsection 3.1(b) hereof) or any adjustment required under the provisions of Section 2.3 hereof or responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights after receipt of the certificate contemplated by Section 2.3 describing any such adjustment); nor will it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization of any Common Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights or as to whether any Common Shares will, when issued, be duly and validly authorized, executed, issued and delivered and fully paid and non‑assessable; |
(f) | the Corporation agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement; |
(g) | the Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions in writing with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any individual believed by the Rights Agent to be the Chairman of the Board, President, any Vice President, Treasurer, Corporate Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Corporation, and to apply to such individuals for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such individual; |
(h) | the Rights Agent and any shareholder or stockholder, director, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in Common Shares, Rights or other securities of the Corporation or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Corporation may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Corporation or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Corporation or for any other legal entity; and |
(i) | the Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent will not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Corporation resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof. |
4.4 | Change of Rights Agent |
5.1 | Redemption and Waiver |
(a) | The Board of Directors acting in good faith may, until the occurrence of a Flip‑in Event, upon prior written notice delivered to the Rights Agent, determine to waive the application of Section 3.1 to a particular Flip‑in Event that would result from a Take‑over Bid made by way of take‑over bid circular to all holders of Voting Shares (which for greater certainty shall not include the circumstances described in Subsection 5.1(i)); provided that if the Board of Directors waives the application of Section 3.1 to a particular Flip‑in Event pursuant to this Subsection 5.1(a), the Board of Directors shall be deemed to have waived the application of Section 3.1 to any other Flip‑in Event occurring by reason of any Take‑over Bid which is made by means of a take‑over bid circular to all holders of Voting Shares prior to the expiry of any Take‑over Bid in respect of which a waiver is, or is deemed to have been, granted under this Subsection 5.1(a). |
(b) | Subject to the prior consent of the holders of the Voting Shares or the Rights obtained as set forth in Subsection 5.4(b) or (c), the Board of Directors acting in good faith may, at its option, at any time prior to the provisions of Section 3.1 becoming applicable as a result of the occurrence of a Flip‑in Event, elect to redeem all but not less than all of the outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.00001 per Right appropriately adjusted in a manner analogous to the applicable adjustment provided for in Section 2.3 if an event of the type analogous to any of the events described in Section 2.3 shall have occurred (such redemption price being herein referred to as the “Redemption Price”). |
(c) | Where a Person acquires pursuant to a Permitted Bid, a Competing Permitted Bid or an Exempt Acquisition under Subsection 5.1(a) outstanding Voting Shares, other than Voting Shares Beneficially Owned at the date of the Permitted Bid, the Competing Permitted Bid or the Exempt Acquisition under Subsection 5.1(a) by such Person, then the Board of Directors shall immediately upon the consummation of such acquisition without further formality and without any approval under Subsection 5.4(b) or (c) be deemed to have elected to redeem the Rights at the Redemption Price. |
(d) | The Board of Directors may, prior to the close of business on the tenth Business Day following a Stock Acquisition Date or such later Business Day as it may from time to time determine, upon prior written notice delivered to the Rights Agent, waive the application of Section 3.1 to the related Flip-in Event; provided that the Acquiring |
(e) | Where a Take‑over Bid that is not a Permitted Bid Acquisition is withdrawn or otherwise terminated after the Separation Time has occurred and prior to the occurrence of a Flip‑in Event, or if the Board of Directors grants a waiver under Subsection 5.1(d) after the Separation Time, then the Board of Directors may elect to redeem all the outstanding Rights at the Redemption Price. Upon the Rights being redeemed pursuant to this Subsection 5.1(e), all of the provisions of this Agreement shall continue to apply as if the Separation Time had not occurred and Rights Certificates representing the number of Rights held by each holder of record of Common Shares at the Separation Time had not been mailed to each such holder and for all purposes of the Agreement the Separation Time shall be deemed not have occurred and the Corporation shall be deemed to have issued replacement Rights to the holders of its then outstanding Common Shares. |
(f) | If the Board of Directors is deemed under Subsection 5.1(c) to have elected, or elects under either of Subsection 5.1(b) or (e), to redeem the Rights, the right to exercise the Rights will thereupon, without further action and without notice, terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. |
(g) | Within ten days after the Board of Directors is deemed under Subsection 5.1(c) to have elected, or elects under Subsection 5.1(b) or (e), to redeem the Rights, the Corporation shall give notice of redemption to the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to each such holder at his last address as it appears upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Separation Time, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Voting Shares. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made. |
(h) | Upon the Rights being redeemed pursuant to Subsection 5.1(e), all the provisions of this Agreement shall continue to apply as if the Separation Time had not occurred and Rights Certificates representing the number of Rights held by each holder of record of Common Shares as of the Separation Time had not been mailed to each such holder and for all purposes of this Agreement the Separation Time shall be deemed not to have occurred. |
(i) | The Board of Directors may waive the application of Section 3.1 in respect of the occurrence of any Flip‑in Event if the Board of Directors has determined within ten Trading Days following a Stock Acquisition Date that a Person became an Acquiring Person by inadvertence and without any intention to become, or knowledge that it would become, an Acquiring Person under this Agreement and, in the event that such a waiver is granted by the Board of Directors, such Stock Acquisition Date shall be deemed not to have occurred. Any such waiver pursuant to this Subsection 5.1(i) must be on the condition that such Person, within 14 days after the foregoing determination by the Board of Directors or such earlier or later date as the Board of Directors may determine (the “Disposition Date”), has reduced its Beneficial Ownership of Voting Shares such that the Person is no longer an Acquiring Person. If the Person remains an Acquiring Person at the close of business on the Disposition Date, the Disposition Date shall be deemed to be the date of occurrence of a further Stock Acquisition Date and Section 3.1 shall apply thereto. |
5.2 | Expiration |
5.3 | Issuance of New Rights Certificates |
5.4 | Supplements and Amendments |
(a) | The Corporation may make amendments to this Agreement to correct any clerical or typographical error or, subject to Subsection 5.4(e), which are required to maintain the validity of this Agreement as a result of any change in any applicable legislation, rules or regulations thereunder. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 5.4 to the contrary, no such supplement or amendment shall be made to the provisions of Article 4 except with the written concurrence of the Rights Agent to such supplement or amendment. |
(b) | Subject to Section 5.4(a), the Corporation may, with the prior consent of the holders of Voting Shares obtained as set forth below, at any time prior to the Separation Time, amend, vary or rescind any of the provisions of this Agreement and the Rights (whether or not such action would materially adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights generally). Such consent shall be deemed to have been given if the action requiring such approval is authorized by the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by Independent Shareholders present or represented at and entitled |
(c) | The Corporation may, with the prior consent of the holders of Rights, at any time on or after the Stock Acquisition Date, amend, vary or delete any of the provisions of this Agreement and the Rights (whether or not such action would materially adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights generally), provided that no such amendment, variation or deletion shall be made to the provisions of Article 4 except with the written concurrence of the Rights Agent thereto. Such consent shall be deemed to have been given if such amendment, variation or deletion is authorized by the affirmative votes of the holders of Rights present or represented at and entitled to be voted at a meeting of the holders (such meeting to be called and held in compliance with applicable laws and regulatory requirements and, to the extent possible, with the requirements in the articles and by‑laws of the Corporation applicable to meetings of holders of Voting Shares, applied mutatis mutandis) and representing 50% plus one of the votes cast in respect thereof (other than holders of Rights whose Rights have become null and void pursuant to Subsection 3.1(b)). |
(d) | Any approval of the holders of Rights shall be deemed to have been given if the action requiring such approval is authorized by the affirmative votes of the holders of Rights present or represented at and entitled to be voted at a meeting of the holders of Rights and representing a majority of the votes cast in respect thereof. For the purposes hereof, each outstanding Right (other than Rights which are void pursuant to the provisions hereof) shall be entitled to one vote, and the procedures for the calling, holding and conduct of the meeting shall be those, as nearly as may be, which are provided in the Corporation’s by laws and the Canada Business Corporations Act with respect to meetings of shareholders of the Corporation. |
(e) | Any amendments made by the Corporation to this Agreement pursuant to Subsection 5.4(a) which are required to maintain the validity of this Agreement as a result of any change in any applicable legislation, rule or regulation thereunder shall: |
(i) | if made before the Separation Time, be submitted to the shareholders of the Corporation at the next meeting of shareholders and the shareholders may, by the majority referred to in Subsection 5.4(b), confirm or reject such amendment; |
(ii) | if made after the Separation Time, be submitted to the holders of Rights at a meeting to be called for on a date not later than immediately following the next meeting of shareholders of the Corporation and the holders of Rights may, by resolution passed by the majority referred to in Subsection 5.4(d), confirm or reject such amendment. |
5.5 | Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares |
(a) | The Corporation shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. After the Separation Time, in lieu of issuing fractional Rights, the Corporation shall pay to the holders of record of the Rights Certificates (provided the Rights represented by such Rights Certificates are not void pursuant to the provisions of Subsection 3.1(b), at the time such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable), an amount in cash equal to the fraction of the Market Price of one whole Right that the fraction of a Right that would otherwise be issuable is of one whole Right. |
(b) | The Corporation shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares upon exercise of Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares. In lieu of issuing fractional Common Shares, the Corporation shall pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates, at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided, an amount in cash equal to the fraction of the Market Price of one Common Share that the fraction of a Common Share that would otherwise be issuable upon the exercise of such Right is of one whole Common Share at the date of such exercise. |
5.6 | Rights of Action |
5.7 | Regulatory Approvals |
5.8 | Declaration as to Non‑Canadian or Non‑U.S. Holders |
5.9 | Notices |
(a) | Notices or demands authorized or required by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights to or on the Corporation shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered, sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent), or sent by facsimile or other form of recorded electronic communication, charges prepaid and confirmed in writing, as follows: |
(b) | Notices or demands authorized or required by this Agreement to be given or made by the Corporation or by the holder of any Rights to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered, sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid (until another address is filed in writing with the Corporation), or sent by facsimile or other form of recorded electronic communication, charges prepaid and confirmed in writing, as follows: |
(c) | Notices or demands authorized or required by this Agreement to be given or made by the Corporation or the Rights Agent to or on the holder of any Rights shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered or sent by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as it appears upon the register of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Separation Time, on the register of the Corporation for its Common Shares. Any notice which is mailed or sent in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. |
(d) | Any notice given or made in accordance with this Section 5.9 shall be deemed to have been given and to have been received on the day of delivery, if so delivered, on the third Business Day (excluding each day during which there exists any general interruption of postal service due to strike, lockout or other cause) following the mailing thereof, if so mailed, and on the day of telegraphing, telecopying or sending of the same by other means of recorded electronic communication (provided such sending is during the normal business hours of the addressee on a Business Day and if not, on the first Business Day thereafter). Each of the Corporation and the Rights Agent may from time to time change its address for notice by notice to the other given in the manner aforesaid. |
5.10 | Costs of Enforcement |
5.11 | Successors |
5.12 | Benefits of this Agreement |
5.13 | Governing Law |
5.14 | Severability |
5.15 | Effective Date |
5.16 | Reconfirmation and Approval |
(a) | This Agreement must be reconfirmed and approved by a resolution passed by a majority of greater than 50% of the votes cast by all holders of Voting Shares who vote in respect of such reconfirmation and approval at a meeting of holders of Voting Shares to be held not earlier than February 1, 2022 and not later than the date on which the 2022 annual meeting of holders of Voting Shares terminates and thereafter at such a meeting to be held, mutatis mutandis, every three years thereafter. If this Agreement is not so reconfirmed and approved or is not presented for reconfirmation at any such meeting, this Agreement and all outstanding Rights shall terminate and be void and of no further force and effect on and from the close of business on that date which is the earlier of the date of termination of the meeting called to consider the reconfirmation and approval of this Agreement and the date of termination of the annual meeting of holders of Voting Shares in the applicable year; provided, that termination shall not occur if a Flip‑in Event has occurred (other than a Flip‑in Event |
(b) | This Agreement shall be reviewed by an independent committee of the Board of Directors at least once every three years. |
5.17 | Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors |
5.18 | Time of the Essence |
5.19 | Execution in Counterparts |
TRANSCANADA CORPORATION | |||||
By: | /s/ Patrick M. Keys | ||||
Patrick M. Keys Executive Vice-President, Stakeholder Relations and General Counsel | |||||
By: | /s/ Christine R. Johnston | ||||
Christine R. Johnston Vice-President, Law and Corporate Secretary | |||||
COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY OF CANADA | |||||
By: | /s/ Tara Israelson | ||||
Tara Israelson | |||||
General Manager – Client Services | |||||
By: | /s/ Stephen Bandola | ||||
Stephen Bandola | |||||
Relationship Manager |
Certificate No. | Rights |
Date: | ||||||
TRANSCANADA CORPORATION | ||||||
By: | By: | |||||
[President] | [Corporate Secretary] | |||||
Countersigned | ||||||
COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY OF CANADA | ||||||
By: | ||||||
Authorized Signature | ||||||
Dated: | |||||
Signature Guaranteed: | Signature | ||||
(Signature must correspond to name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.) |
Signature |
(To be attached to each Rights Certificate.) |
(Name) | |
(Address) | |
(City and Province) | |
Social Insurance Number or other taxpayer identification number. |
(Name) | ||||||
(Address) | ||||||
(City and Province) | ||||||
Social Insurance Number or other taxpayer identification number. | ||||||
Dated: | ||||||
Signature Guaranteed: | Signature | |||||
(Signature must correspond to name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.) |
Signature |
(To be attached to each Rights Certificate.) |
NewsRelease |
Nominee | # Votes For | % Votes For | # Votes Withheld | % Votes Withheld |
Stéphan Crétier | 598,634,895 | 99.77 | 1,365,426 | 0.23 |
Russell K. Girling | 598,964,473 | 99.83 | 1,035,542 | 0.17 |
S. Barry Jackson | 564,309,121 | 94.05 | 35,691,200 | 5.95 |
Randy Limbacher | 598,109,048 | 99.69 | 1,887,531 | 0.31 |
John E. Lowe | 596,309,489 | 99.38 | 3,690,612 | 0.62 |
Una Power | 598,076,424 | 99.68 | 1,923,677 | 0.32 |
Mary Pat Salomone | 598,073,376 | 99.68 | 1,926,945 | 0.32 |
Indira Samarasekera | 570,306,476 | 95.05 | 29,693,868 | 4.95 |
D. Michael G. Stewart | 592,814,246 | 98.80 | 7,186,075 | 1.20 |
Siim A. Vanaselja | 530,911,086 | 88.49 | 69,089,235 | 11.51 |
Thierry Vandal | 598,682,200 | 99.78 | 1,317,939 | 0.22 |
Steven W. Williams | 598,849,566 | 99.81 | 1,150,778 | 0.19 |