UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 6-K

 

 

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16

UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the month of March 2025

Commission File Number: 001-38885

 

 

ORGANIGRAM HOLDINGS INC.

(Translation of registrant’s name into English)

 

 

145 King Street West, Suite 1400

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 1J8

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

Form 20-F ☐   Form 40-F

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): ☐

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): ☐

 

 

 



SIGNATURE

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.

ORGANIGRAM HOLDINGS INC.

 

 

/s/ Greg Guyatt

  Greg Guyatt
  Chief Financial Officer
  Date: March 3, 2025

Exhibit 99.1

 

LOGO

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

to be held on March 24, 2025

and

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CIRCULAR

Dated: February 12, 2025


NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

to be held on March 24, 2025

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an annual general and special meeting (the “Meeting”) of the holders (“Shareholders”) of common shares (“Common Shares”) of Organigram Holdings Inc. (the “Company” or “Organigram”) will be held in a virtual-only format via live audio webcast at https://virtual-meetings.tsxtrust.com/en/1734 on Monday, March 24, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. (Toronto Time) for the following purposes:

 

  (a)

to receive and consider the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company for its fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, and the report of the auditor thereon;

 

  (b)

to elect directors of the Company for the ensuing year;

 

  (c)

to appoint PKF O’Connor Davies LLP as the auditor of the Company for the ensuing year and to authorize the directors of the Company to fix the remuneration of the auditor;

 

  (d)

to consider, and if deemed advisable, approve a special resolution, the full text of which is set forth in Appendix “A” to this Circular, authorizing an amendment to the articles of the Company to change the name of the Company to “Organigram Global Inc.”, when determined by the board of directors of the Company; all as more fully described in the accompanying management information circular (the “Circular”); and

 

  (e)

to consider other business that may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment thereof.

The circular contains specific details of the matters to be considered at the Meeting. No other matters are contemplated, however any permitted amendment to or variation of any matter identified in this notice may properly be considered at the Meeting. The Meeting may also consider the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment thereof.

Important Notice Regarding Virtual Meeting

The board of directors of the Company considers the appropriate format for our annual meeting of Shareholders on an annual basis. Similar to last year, we are pleased to continue to embrace the latest technology to provide expanded access, improved communication and cost savings for our Shareholders and the Company by conducting this year’s Meeting in a virtual-only format. A virtual-only meeting format will enfranchise and give all Shareholders an equal opportunity to participate at the Meeting regardless of their geographic location or their particular circumstance.

Shareholders who attend the Meeting will do so by accessing a live webcast of the Meeting via the internet. Shareholders will be able to access the Meeting using an internet connected device such as a laptop, computer, tablet or mobile phone, and the meeting platform will be supported across browsers and devices that are running the most updated version of the applicable software plugins. Only registered Shareholders and duly appointed proxyholders (including non-registered (beneficial) Shareholders who have appointed themselves as proxyholder) will be entitled to

 

(i)


attend, participate and vote at the Meeting, all in real time by visiting https://virtual-meetings.tsxtrust.com/en/1734 using the password “ogi2025” (case sensitive), however such non-registered Shareholders may still attend the Meeting as guests through the live audio webcast at https://virtual-meetings.tsxtrust.com/en/1734.

The audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 and the report of the auditor thereon will be made available at the Meeting and are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

Registered Shareholders may attend the Meeting online or may be represented by proxy. If you are a registered Shareholder and are unable to attend the Meeting online, please complete, date and sign the enclosed form of proxy and deliver it in accordance with the instructions set out in the form of proxy and in the Circular. To be valid, such proxies must be deposited with the Companys transfer agent, TSX Trust Company, located at 100 Adelaide Street West, Suite 301, Toronto, Ontario M5H 4H1 by 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time) on March 20, 2025 (or at least 48 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays, prior to any reconvened meeting in the event of an adjournment of the Meeting).

Non-registered beneficial Shareholders, whose Common Shares are registered in the name of a broker, securities dealer, bank, trust company or similar entity (an “Intermediary”) should carefully follow the voting instructions provided by their Intermediary. All non-registered Shareholders must follow the instructions set out in the voting instruction form and in the Circular to ensure that such Shareholders Common Shares will be voted at the Meeting. If you hold your Common Shares in a brokerage account, you are not a registered Shareholder.

Shareholders registered on the books of the Company at the close of business on February 12, 2025 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Meeting.

DATED at Toronto, Ontario this 12th day of February, 2025.

By Order of the Board of Directors

(signed) “Beena Goldenberg”

Beena Goldenberg

Chief Executive Officer

 

(ii)


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

INFORMATION CIRCULAR

   3

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

   3

VOTING INFORMATION

   4

Voting Shares and Record Date

   4

Solicitation of Proxies

   5

Voting and Asking Questions

   5

Appointment and Revocation of Proxies

   6

Notice to Shareholders in the United States

   8

Voting and Discretion of Proxies

   9

Principal Holders of Voting Shares

   9

BUSINESS OF THE MEETING

   9

Receipt of Financial Statements

   9

Election of Directors

   10

Appointment of Auditor

   23

The Change of Company Name

   24

INTEREST OF CERTAIN PERSONS OR COMPANIES IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON

   24

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DISCLOSURE

   24

Independence

   24

Skills of Director Nominees

   26

Mandate

   28

Orientation and Continuing Education

   28

Meetings

   28

Position Descriptions

   28

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

   29

Nomination of Directors

   29

Other Board Committees

   30

Assessments

   31

Director Tenure

   31

Board Interlocks

   32

Diversity

   32

Environmental, Social and Governance Initiatives

   33

Nasdaq Corporate Governance

   33

COMPENSATION OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

   34

Named Executive Officers

   34

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

   35

 

(i)


Compensation Philosophy and Objectives

     35  

Summary Compensation Table

     42  

Performance Graph

     44  

Equity Incentive Plans

     44  

Securities Authorized for Issuance under the Equity Compensation Plans

     57  

Burn Rate under the Equity Compensation Plans

     58  

Incentive Plan Awards

     58  

Group Retirement Programs

     60  

Benefits and Perquisites

     60  

Termination and Change of Control Benefits

     60  

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

     62  

Overview and Philosophy

     62  

Elements of 2024 Director Compensation Table

     62  

Director Summary Compensation Table

     63  

Incentive Plan Awards

     64  

Share Ownership Policy

     66  

Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance

     66  

INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

     66  

INTEREST OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS

     66  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

     66  

OTHER MATTERS

     67  

APPENDICES

Appendix A – Articles of Amendment Resolution

Appendix B – Reporting Package

Appendix C – Charter of the Board of Directors

 

(ii)


MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CIRCULAR

This management information circular (the “Circular”) is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the management of Organigram Holdings Inc. for use at the annual and special meeting (the “Meeting”) of the holders (the “Shareholders”) of common shares (“Common Shares”) in the capital of the Company to be held virtually via live audio webcast at https://virtual-meetings.tsxtrust.com/en/1734 on Monday, March 24, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time) or at any adjournment(s) or postponement(s) thereof. The Meeting has been called for the purposes set forth in the notice of annual and special meeting of Shareholders (the “Notice of Meeting”) that accompanies this Circular. Unless otherwise stated, all information in this Circular is current as of February 12, 2025.

Similar to last year, we are pleased to continue to embrace the latest technology to provide expanded access, improved communication and cost savings for our Shareholders and the Company by conducting this year’s Meeting in a virtual-only format, which will be conducted via live audio webcast over the internet. Shareholders will have an opportunity to participate at the Meeting online regardless of their geographic location. A summary of the information that Shareholders will need to attend the Meeting online is provided under Voting and Asking Questions at the Meeting, Appointment and Revocation of ProxiesRegistered Shareholders and Appointment and Revocation of ProxiesNon-Registered Shareholders.

In this Circular, references to the “Company”, “Organigram”, “we” and “our” refer to Organigram Holdings Inc. “Beneficial Shareholders” means Shareholders who do not hold Common Shares in their own name and “Intermediaries” refers to brokers, investment firms, clearing houses and similar entities that own securities on behalf of Beneficial Shareholders. Unless otherwise stated, all references to dollars, “$” or “C$” are to Canadian dollars.

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This Circular contains certain information that may constitute “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) which are necessarily based upon the Company’s current internal expectations, estimates, forecasts, assumptions and beliefs regarding, among other things, the future performance and results of the Company’s business and operations, general economic conditions, global events and applicable regulatory regime. Such statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “expect”, “likely”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “potential”, “proposed”, “estimate” and other similar words, including negative and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions “may”, “will” or “could” happen, or by discussions of strategy. Forward-looking statements include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, targets, guidance, and all other statements that are not statements of fact. The forward-looking statements included in this Circular are made only as of the date of this Circular. Forward-looking statements in this Circular include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the timing for completion of the Name Change (as defined below), including the final approval of the Name Change by the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”).

Forward-looking information involves numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the expectations, predictions, forecasts, projections and conclusions will not occur or prove accurate, that assumptions may not be correct, and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These and other factors may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information.


 

- 4 -

 

Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The Company’s forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. A number of factors could cause actual events, performance or results to differ materially from what is projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risk of failing to obtain regulatory or other approvals for the Name Change and the other risks described in the Company’s current annual information form under the heading “Risk Factors”. Material factors and assumptions used in establishing forward-looking information include the Company’s ability to obtain the required regulatory approval for the Name Change. The purpose of forward-looking statements is only to provide the reader with a description of management’s expectations relating to future periods, and, as such, forward-looking statements are not appropriate for any other purpose. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this Circular. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. The Company does not undertake to update any such forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Additional information about the assumptions, risks and uncertainties of the Company’s business and material factors or assumptions on which information contained in forward-looking information is based is provided in the Company’s disclosure materials, including in the Company’s current Annual Information Form under “Risk Factors”, filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and available under the company’s issuer profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, and filed with or furnished to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and available on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. All forward-looking information in this Circular is qualified by these cautionary statements.

VOTING INFORMATION

Voting Shares and Record Date

The record date for the Meeting is February 12, 2025 (the “Record Date”). The Company’s transfer agent has prepared a list, as of the close of business on the Record Date, of the registered holders of the Company’s Common Shares. A holder of the Company’s Common Shares whose name appears on such list is entitled to vote the Common Shares on such list at the Meeting. Each Common Share entitles the holder to one vote on each item of business identified in the Notice of Meeting. As of the date of this Circular, there were 126,217,036 Common Shares issued and outstanding, each carrying the right to one vote. Other than the contractual right to appoint three nominees currently held by BT DE Investments Inc. (the “Investor”), a wholly owned subsidiary of British American Tobacco plc (BAT), no group of Shareholders has the right to elect a specified number of directors, nor are there cumulative or similar voting rights attached to the Common Shares. Pursuant to the amended and restated investor rights agreement dated January 23, 2024 (the “Amended and Restated IRA”), the Investor and any other member of BAT and its affiliate are entitled to appoint (i) 30% of the Company’s Board for so long as their Partially Diluted Ownership Percentage (as defined in the Amended and Restated IRA) of the Company is at least 30%; (ii) 20% of the Board so long as their Partially Diluted Ownership Percentage of the Company is at least 20% from time to time; and (iii) 10% of the Board for so long as their Partially Diluted Ownership Percentage of the Company is at least at least 10% (but less than 15%).


 

- 5 -

 

Solicitation of Proxies

The solicitation of proxies is being made by or on behalf of management. It is expected that the solicitation of proxies will be primarily by mail, but proxies may also be solicited personally, by telephone or other form of correspondence. The Company may cause a soliciting dealer group to be formed for the purposes of soliciting proxies for the Meeting, for which the Company would pay customary fees. The cost of solicitation of proxies will be borne by the Company. With respect to non-registered Shareholders, in accordance with National Instrument 54-101Communication with Beneficial Owners of Securities of a Reporting Issuer (“NI 54-101”), the Company distributed copies of the proxy-related materials to intermediaries for onward distribution to non-registered Shareholders. The intermediaries are required to forward the materials to non-registered shareholders in advance of the Meeting unless the non-registered shareholders have waived the right to receive them. The Company will pay the fees and costs of intermediaries for their services in transmitting proxy-related material. This cost is expected to be nominal.

Voting and Asking Questions at the Meeting

Once again, this year we are holding the Meeting as a completely virtual meeting, which will be conducted via live audio webcast, where all Shareholders regardless of geographic location will have an opportunity to participate in the Meeting. Whether or not they are able to attend the virtual meeting, registered Shareholders and non-registered Shareholders are encouraged to vote in advance of the Meeting.

Given this format, all Shareholders are strongly advised to carefully read the voting instructions below that are applicable to them.

Voting as a Registered Shareholder

Registered Shareholders on the Record Date may vote online at the virtual meeting at https://virtual-meetings.tsxtrust.com/en/1734. Registered Shareholders should click on “I have a control number” and they will be prompted to enter their twelve digit control number (which is located on their proxy form) and enter the password “ogi2025” (case sensitive). The Shareholder has to be connected to the internet at all times to be able to vote – it is each Shareholder’s responsibility to make sure that they stay connected for the entire Meeting.

Voting as a Non-Registered Shareholder

For non-registered Shareholders, whose shares are registered in the name of an Intermediary, which is usually a trust company, securities broker or other financial institution, such non-registered Shareholder’s Intermediary is entitled to vote the shares held by it and beneficially owned by the non-registered Shareholder on the Record Date. However, the Intermediary must first seek the non-registered Shareholder’s instructions as to how to vote their shares or otherwise make arrangements so that they may vote their shares directly. Non-registered Shareholders may vote their shares through such non-Shareholder’s Intermediary or online at the virtual Meeting by duly appointing themselves as proxyholder as described under the heading “Appointment and Revocation of Proxies – Non-Registered Shareholders”.

Non-registered Shareholders that duly appoint themselves as proxyholder and obtain a control number as described under the heading “Appointment and Revocation of Proxies – Non-Registered Shareholders”, may vote online at the virtual meeting at https://virtual-meetings.tsxtrust.com/en/1734. Non-registered Shareholders should click on “I have a control number” and they will be prompted to enter their control number (obtained from TSX Trust


 

- 6 -

 

Company (“TSX Trust”)) and enter the password “ogi2025” (case sensitive). The Shareholder has to be connected to the internet at all times to be able to vote – it is the Shareholder’s responsibility to make sure that they stay connected for the entire Meeting.

Non-registered Shareholders who have not duly appointed themselves as proxyholder will not be able to vote or ask questions at the Meeting, however such non-registered Shareholders may still attend the Meeting as guests through the live audio webcast at https://virtual-meetings.tsxtrust.com/en/1734.

Asking Questions at the Meeting

Registered Shareholders and non-registered Shareholders who have appointed themselves as proxyholder and obtained a control number are eligible to ask questions during the Q&A portion of the Meeting in real time. In the event that any such Shareholder wishes to ask a question, the Shareholder should select the messaging icon and type their question within the chat box at the bottom of the messaging screen. Once satisfied with the question, the Shareholder should click the arrow button to submit the question to the Chair of the Board. All submitted questions will be moderated by the TSX Trust Virtual Meeting platform before being sent to the Chair of the Board. Questions can be submitted at any time during the Q&A session up until the Chair of the Board closes the session.

Any questions pertinent to the Meeting that cannot be answered during the Meeting due to time constraints will be posted online and answered at https://investors.organigram.ca/. The questions and answers will be available on the Company’s investor page at https://investors.organigram.ca/ as soon as practicable after the Meeting and will remain available until one week after posting. The Chair of the Board has broad authority in all matters pertaining to the Meeting. To ensure that the Meeting is conducted in a timely manner, the Chair of the Board may exercise broad discretion with respect to, for example and without limitation, the questions and topics that will be addressed at the Meeting and the amount of the devoted to any question or topic.

If there are any matters of individual concern to a Shareholder and not of general concern to all shareholders, or if a question posed was not otherwise answered, such matters may be raised separately after the meeting by contacting the Company’s Director of Investor Relations by sending an email to investors@organigram.ca.

Technical Assistance

Should a Shareholder require assistance with the use of the virtual meeting platform, the Shareholder can access additional information on TSX Trust’s website at https://www.tsxtrust.com/vagm-faq.

Appointment and Revocation of Proxies – Registered Shareholders

The following instructions are for registered Shareholders only. If a Shareholder is a non-registered beneficial Shareholder, the Shareholder should follow his, her, their or its Intermediary’s instructions on how to vote such Shareholder’s shares. Non-registered Shareholders should also refer to the discussion under “Appointment and Revocation of ProxiesNon-Registered Shareholders” in this Circular.


 

- 7 -

 

A registered Shareholder on the Record Date may vote at the Meeting or appoint a person to represent such Shareholder at the Meeting by proxy. A registered Shareholder may either instruct that person on how they want that person to vote, or let him, her, they or it determine how to vote the Shareholder’s shares. The persons named as proxyholders in the form of proxy are directors and/or officers of the Company. Each registered Shareholder has the right to appoint a person other than the person named in the accompanying form of proxy, who need not be a Shareholder, to attend and act for and on behalf of such registered Shareholder at the Meeting. Any registered Shareholder wishing to exercise such right may do so by inserting in the blank space provide in the applicable form of proxy the name of the person such registered Shareholder wishes to appoint as proxy holder and by duly delivering such proxy, or by duly completing and delivering another proper form of proxy, to the Companys transfer agent within the time period and at the address set out below.

Registered Shareholders wishing to be represented by proxy at the Meeting are requested to complete, sign and date the accompanying form of proxy and return such proxy to the Company’s transfer agent, TSX Trust, located at 100 Adelaide Street West, Suite 301, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 4H1, not later than 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time) on March 20, 2025 (or at least 48 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays, prior to any reconvened meeting in the event of an adjournment of the Meeting). Failure to complete or deposit a proxy properly may result in its invalidation. The time limit for the deposit of proxies may be waived by the Chair of the Company’s Board at his or her discretion without notice.

Registered Shareholders who wish to appoint a person other than the management nominees identified on the form of proxy, must carefully follow the instructions in this Circular and on their form of proxy. These instructions include the additional step of registering such proxyholder with our transfer agent, TSX Trust, by emailing tsxtrustproxyvoting@tmx.com the “Request for Control Number” form, which can be found at http://tsxtrust.com/resource/en/75, after submitting their form of proxy. Failure to register the proxyholder with TSX Trust will result in the proxyholder not receiving a control number to participate in the Meeting and only being able to attend as a guest. Guests will not be permitted to vote or ask questions at the Meeting.

Proxies given by Shareholders for use at the Meeting may be revoked at any time prior to their use by depositing an instrument in writing executed by the Shareholder or by their attorney authorized in writing or, if the Shareholder is a company, by an officer or attorney thereof duly authorized, with TSX Trust located at 100 Adelaide Street West, Suite 301, Toronto, Ontario M5H 4H1 not later than 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time) on March 20, 2025 (at least 48 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, prior to any reconvened in the event of an adjournment of the Meeting). Late proxies may be accepted or rejected by the chair of the Meeting in his or her discretion, and the chair is under no obligation to accept or reject any particular late proxy. The deadline for the deposit of proxies may be waived or extended by the chair of the Meeting at his or her discretion, without notice.

A registered Shareholder may also revoke their proxy at the Meeting provided that such Shareholder is a registered Shareholder whose name appeared on the Shareholders’ register of the Company as at the Record Date.

Appointment and Revocation of Proxies – Non-Registered Shareholders

The information set forth in this section is of significant importance to Shareholders who do not hold their Common Shares in their own name. A non-registered Shareholder is a Shareholder who beneficially owns shares that are registered in the name of an Intermediary such


 

- 8 -

 

as a securities broker, financial institution, trustee, custodian or other nominee who holds shares on behalf of the Shareholder, or in the name of a clearing agency in which the intermediary is a participant. Pursuant to NI 54-101, the Company will distribute copies of proxy-related materials in connection with this Meeting to Intermediaries for onward distribution to non-registered Shareholders. Intermediaries have obligations to forward Meeting materials to non-registered Shareholders unless otherwise instructed by the Shareholder (and as required by regulation in some cases, despite such instructions).

Only registered Shareholders or their duly appointed proxy holders are permitted to vote at the Meeting. A non-registered Shareholder should follow the directions of the Intermediary with respect to the procedures to be followed in order to permit the non-registered Shareholder to direct the voting of shares beneficially owned by such Shareholder. A non-registered Shareholder wishing to attend and vote at the Meeting must insert their own name in the space provided for the appointment of a proxyholder on the voting instruction form or proxy form provided by the Intermediary and return it in accordance with the Intermediary’s directions. By doing so, non-registered Shareholders are instructing their nominee to appoint them as proxyholder.

Non-registered Shareholders who wish to attend and vote at the Meeting must also take the additional step of registering with our transfer agent, TSX Trust, by emailing tsxtrustproxyvoting@tmx.com the “Request for Control Number” form, which can be found at http://tsxtrust.com/resource/en/75, after submitting their voting instruction form. Failure to register with the TSX Trust in advance of the proxy cut-off time will result in the non-registered Shareholder not receiving a control number to participate in the Meeting and only being able to attend as a guest. Guests will not be permitted to vote or ask questions at the Meeting.

Only registered Shareholders have the right to revoke a proxy. Non-registered Shareholders who wish to change their vote must, in sufficient time in advance of the Meeting, contact their Intermediaries and arrange for their Intermediaries to change the vote and, if necessary, revoke their proxy.

Notice to Shareholders in the United States

The solicitation of proxies involves securities of a foreign private issuer (as defined in Rule 3b-4 under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) located in Canada and is being effected in accordance with the corporate laws of Canada and securities laws of the provinces and territories of Canada. The proxy solicitation rules under the Exchange Act are not applicable to the Company or this solicitation, and this solicitation has been prepared in accordance with the disclosure requirements of the securities laws of the provinces and territories of Canada. Shareholders should be aware that disclosure requirements under the securities laws of the provinces and territories of Canada differ from the disclosure requirements under United States securities laws.

The enforcement by investors of civil liabilities under United States federal securities laws may be affected adversely because the Company is a corporation existing under the laws of Canada. The Company exists under the laws of Canada, and all of its executive offices, administrative activities and assets are located outside the United States. In addition, most of the directors and officers of the Company are residents of jurisdictions other than the United States and all or a substantial portion of the assets of those persons are or may be located outside the United States. Shareholders may not be able to sue a foreign company or its officers or directors in a foreign court for violations of United States federal securities laws. It may be difficult to compel a foreign


 

- 9 -

 

company and its officers and directors to subject themselves to the jurisdiction of, or judgment by, a United States court.

Voting and Discretion of Proxies

On any ballot that may be called for, the Company’s shares represented by a properly executed proxy will be voted or withheld from voting in accordance with the instructions given on the proxy, and if the Shareholder specifies a choice with respect to any matter to be acted upon, the shares will be voted accordingly. If no direction is given in a proxy with respect to any matter set out therein, the proxy will be voted FOR such matter. The form of proxy confers discretionary authority upon the person named in the proxy to vote as he or she sees fit with respect to amendments to matters identified in the Notice of Meeting and with respect to other matters that may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment of the Meeting. As of the date of this Circular, management of the Company is not aware of any such amendment or other matter to come before the Meeting.

Principal Holders of Voting Shares

The following table shows the names of the persons or companies who, to the knowledge of the directors and executive officers of the Company, as at the date hereof, beneficially own, or exercise control or direction, directly or indirectly, over voting securities of the Company carrying 10% or more of the voting rights of any class of voting securities.

 

Name of Shareholder

  

Number of Common

Shares Owned1

  

Percentage of Outstanding
Common Shares
2

 BT DE Investments Inc.

   32,571,942    25.81%

BUSINESS OF THE MEETING

To the knowledge of the directors and executive officers of the Company, the only matters to be brought before the Meeting are those set forth in the accompanying Notice of Meeting, which are set out in further detail below.

Receipt of Financial Statements

At the Meeting, Shareholders will receive and consider the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company for the twelve months ended September 30, 2024 (“Fiscal 2024”) and the auditor’s report on such statements. The Company’s audited consolidated financial statements have been filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. All Shareholders may request a paper copy of the audited consolidated financial statements by contacting TSX Trust Company toll free at 1-866-600-5869. The financial statements and the report of the auditor thereon do not require a vote at the Meeting.

 

 

1 Number of Common Shares held as of the date of this Circular.

2 Based on 126,217,036 issued and outstanding Common Shares as of the date of this Circular.


 

- 10 -

 

Election of the Board of Directors

At the Meeting, it will be proposed that ten directors be elected to hold office for a term expiring at the close of the next annual general meeting, or until their successors are elected or appointed in accordance with the provisions of the Canada Business Corporations Act (the “CBCA”).

Pursuant to the Amended IRA, the Investor and any other member of BAT and its affiliates are entitled to appoint (i) 30% of the Company’s Board for so long as their Partially Diluted Ownership Percentage (as defined in the Amended IRA) of the Company is at least 30%; (ii) 20% of the Company’s Board so long as their Partially Diluted Ownership Percentage (as defined in the Amended IRA) is at least 15%; and (iii) 10% of the Company’s Board for so long as their Partially Diluted Ownership Percentage (as defined in the Amended IRA) is at least at least 10% (but less than 15%).

The Investor’s Partially Diluted Ownership Percentage (as defined in the Amended IRA) is currently greater than 30%, and as a result the Investor has the right to designate 30% of the nominees to be elected to the Company’s Board. Simon Ashton, Karina Gehring and Craig Harris are the Investor’s nominees to the Company’s Board.

In the absence of contrary instruction, the management appointee acting as a proxyholder will vote FOR of the appointment of the nominees who are named below. If any of the proposed nominees should for any reason be unable to serve as a director, the persons named in the enclosed form of proxy reserve the right to nominate and vote for another nominee in their discretion.

Advance Notice Provision

The Company’s advance notice provision (the “Advance Notice Provision”), which is included in the Company’s Amended and Restated By-Law No. 1, fixes a deadline by which Shareholders must submit director nominations prior to any meeting of the Shareholders. In the case of annual general meetings, advance notice must be delivered to the Company not less than 30 days prior to the date of the annual general meeting, provided, however, that if (a) the annual general meeting of Shareholders is called for a date that is less than 50 days after the date on which the first public announcement of the date of the annual general meeting was made, notice must be received not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the date on which the public announcement of the date of the annual general meeting if first made by the Company, and (b) the Company uses “notice-and-access” (as defined in NI 54-101) to send proxy related materials to Shareholders in connection with an annual general meeting, notice must be received not less than 40 days prior to the date of the annual general meeting. In the case of a special meeting of the Shareholders (which is not also an annual general meeting of the Shareholders), advance notice must be delivered to the Company not later than the close of business on the 15th day following the day on which the public announcement of the date of the special meeting of Shareholders is first made by the Company.

The Advance Notice Provision requires any Shareholder making a director nomination to provide certain important information about its nominee(s) with its advance notice. The Board may, in its sole discretion, waive any advance notice requirement. The Board believes that all Shareholders should be provided with sufficient disclosure and time to make appropriate decisions on the election of their board representatives, allowing Shareholders to fully participate in the director election process in an informed and effective manner. The Advance Notice Provision provides a transparent, structured, and fair director nomination process, consistent with the guidelines published by leading proxy advisory firms.


 

- 11 -

 

The Advance Notice Provision includes a provision providing for a forum for adjudication of certain disputes, whereby unless the Company approves or consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the courts of the Province of Ontario and appellate courts shall be the sale and exclusive forum for (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, (b) any action asserting a claim for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director or officer of the Company to the Company, (c) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the CBCA or the articles or by-laws of the Company (as either may be amended from time to time), or (d) any action asserting a claim otherwise related to the relationships among the Company, its affiliates and their respective Shareholders, directors and/or officers, but does not include claims related to the business carried on by the Company or such affiliates. Any person or entity owning, purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest, including without limitation, any registered or beneficial ownership thereof, in the securities of the Company shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of the by-laws.

The Company did not receive notice of a nomination in compliance with the Advance Notice Provision, and as such, any nominations other than nominations by or at the direction of the Board or an authorized officer of the Company will be disregarded at the Meeting.

Majority Voting

Pursuant to the CBCA, Shareholders are required to vote “for” or “against” (as opposed to “for” and “withhold”) nominees for the Board at an uncontested meeting. If a nominee does not receive a majority of the votes cast for their election, the nominee will not be elected and the Board position will remain open or, if in the case of incumbent directors, such director may continue in office until the earlier of (i) the 90th day after the election, or (ii) the day on which his or her successor is appointed or elected.


 

- 12 -

 

   
     

Principal Occupation during the Past 5 Years and

Experience

   

Peter Amirault, Chair of the Board

 

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 

Age: 64

  

Director Since: June 2, 2016

 

Independent: Yes

 

Other Public Board Membership: N/A

Mr. Amirault has been the President of BML Group Limited in Toronto, a holding company with interests in real estate development and private investments, since 2009. Prior to joining BML Group, Mr. Amirault held varying executive roles including: President of Swiss Chalet North America for the Cara Group of Companies, CEO of Creemore Springs Brewery Ltd, Senior Vice President of Molson Coors Canada, Managing Director of Sleeman Brewing Ltd, along with senior roles at Nestlé Canada Inc. and The Premium Beer Company of Toronto. Mr. Amirault holds a BBA from Acadia University and an MBA from The Schulich School of Business. Mr. Amirault’s previous board experience and roles at senior management levels bring a wealth of knowledge to the Board and the Company.

     
   Board/Committee   
Memberships
  

Attendance at

Board Meetings

  

Attendance at

Committee Meetings3

  

Overall

Attendance

Chair of Board and Ex officio member at Committee Meetings    Number of meetings attended 7 of 7 (100%)    N/A    100%
 
Securities Controlled or Directed as of the date of the Circular
     
Common Shares    Options    RSUs
     
40,000    36,078    212,175

 

 

 

3 Mr. Amirault regularly attends committee meetings from time to time as a guest.


 

- 13 -

 

   
     

Principal Occupation during the Past 5 Years and

Experience

   

Beena Goldenberg, Director and Chief Executive Officer

 

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 

Age: 62

  

Director Since: November 19, 2021

 

Independent: No

 

Other Public Board Membership: N/A

Ms. Goldenberg has more than 30 years of experience in consumer-packaged goods manufacturing and marketing. Most recently, Ms. Goldenberg was President and CEO of The Supreme Cannabis Company Inc., where she achieved significant growth in the first year of her tenure through a focus on distribution, innovation, and brand portfolio development.

 

Ms. Goldenberg also served as Chief Executive Officer, President and General Manager at Hain-Celestial Canada, ULC where, among other notable accomplishments, she led the strategic growth of the company through the organic growth of existing brands by increasing distribution, launching on-trend innovations, integrating newly acquired US brands, and completing two Canadian acquisitions. During this time, Ms. Goldenberg also served two years as the Chief Executive Officer of Cultivate Ventures, the growth venture platform for The Hain Celestial Group, where she was responsible for investment in small portfolio brands and incubator opportunities with a focus on health and wellness. Before Hain-Celestial Canada, Ms. Goldenberg held senior leadership and marketing roles at other leading Canadian packaged goods companies, including Catelli Foods Corporation, Parmalat Canada and Pillsbury Company Limited. She also served on the Board of Food and Consumer Products of Canada, the largest CPG industry association, from 2008 to 2020. She holds a Bachelor and Master of Engineering (Chemical) from McGill University and holds the ICD.D designation.

       

   Board/Committee   

Memberships

  

Attendance at

Board Meetings

  

Attendance at

Committee Meetings4

  

Overall

Attendance

       
Board    Number of meetings attended 7 of 7 (100%)    N/A    100%
 
Securities Controlled or Directed as of the date of the Circular
     
Common Shares    Options    RSUs and PSUs
     
47,400    252,000    581,766

 

 

 

4 Ms. Goldenberg regularly attends committee meetings from time to time as a guest.


 

- 14 -

 

   
     

Principal Occupation during the Past 5 Years and

Experience

   

Dexter John, ICD.D, Director

 

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 

Age: 55

  

Director Since: December 17, 2018

 

Independent: Yes

 

Other Public Board Membership: CanPR Technology Inc.

 

Mr. John, LLB, is the President and CEO of Sodali & Co. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President of D.F. King (Canada) and was responsible for sales across the Canadian enterprise. Mr. John has over 20 years of experience in the capital markets and has spent six years in structured finance where he executed over $4 billion in transactions. He worked at a major Canadian law firm as a Securities Associate, focusing on the public equities market with emphasis on mergers and acquisitions. In addition, Mr. John also has regulatory experience through his tenure at Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, the Ontario Securities Commission and the TSX. Mr. John also holds the ICD.D designation and currently serves on the board of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario and The Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD).

       
   Board/Committee   
Memberships
  

Attendance at

Board Meetings

  

Attendance at

Committee Meetings

  

Overall

Attendance

Board

Audit Committee

CGNS Committee

Investment Committee

   Number of meetings attended 7 of 7 (100%)   

Number of Audit Committee meetings attended 5 of 6 (83%)

 

Number of CGNS Committee meetings attended 4 of 4 (100%)

 

Number of Investment Committee meetings attended 7 of 7 (100%)

   96%
 
Securities Controlled or Directed as of the date of the Circular
     
Common Shares    Options    RSUs
     
1,530    20,000    134,441


 

- 15 -

 

   
     

Principal Occupation during the Past 5 Years and

Experience

   

Geoffrey Machum, ICD.D, Director

 

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

 

Age: 64

  

Director Since: February 25, 2020

 

Independent: Yes

 

Other Public Board Membership: N/A

Mr. Machum is a Partner at Stewart McKelvey LLP, Atlantic Canada’s largest law firm and one of the top 15 largest firms in Canada. He previously served as Chairman of the firm’s Regional Partnership Board and on its Compensation Committee, its Human Resources and Governance Committee, as well as on its Audit and Finance Committee. Mr. Machum was awarded King’s Counsel (formerly Queen’s Counsel) in 2003, and has received repeated recognition by Lexpert, Best Lawyers, and Benchmark Canada for his extensive experience in practice areas including commercial litigation, directors and officers liability, corporate governance, insurance, construction law, and products liability. Mr. Machum also advises and presents on ESG related matters and currently serves as President and Member of the Board of Governors of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers’. Mr. Machum previously served on the board of WildBrain Ltd., where he was the Chair of its Governance and Nomination Committee and member of its Human Resources and Compensation Committee and previously served on its Special Strategic Review Committee. Previously, he chaired the board of Halifax Port Authority, and served on the Governance, Human Resources and Audit and Finance Committees. Mr. Machum holds a BA in Economics Political Science from Dalhousie University, and an LLB from University of New Brunswick. Mr. Machum also received ICD.D designation from Rotman School of Management in 2015.

       
  Board/ Committee  
Memberships
  

Attendance at

Board Meetings

   Attendance at
Committee Meetings
  

Overall

Attendance

       
Board CGNS Committee Compensation Committee    Number of meetings attended 7 of 7 (100%)   

Number of Compensation Committee meetings attended 6 of 6 (100%)

 

Number of CGNS Committee meetings attended 4 of 4 (100%)

   100%
 
Securities Controlled or Directed as of the date of the Circular
     
Common Shares    Options    RSUs
     
1,125    20,000    72,547


 

- 16 -

 

   
     

Principal Occupation during the Past 5 Years and

Experience

   

Sherry Porter, C.M., Director

 

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

 

Age: 69

  

Director Since: December 17, 2018

 

Independent: Yes

 

Other Public Board Membership: N/A

 

Ms. Porter is a seasoned executive with 30 years of experience with a myriad of organizations in Canada. She has held senior corporate roles with Sobeys Inc., Nova Scotia Power, Shoppers Drug Mart and The Caldwell Partners. She also has experience with trade associations in the grocery and retail drug area. She was the founding President & CEO of the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores, working with the CEOs of the traditional drug chains, mass merchants and grocery operations in Canada. Ms. Porter chaired the Board of Directors of the Nova Scotia Liquor Company from 2010-2017 and was a board member of Pharmasave Drugs (Atlantic) Ltd. From 2015 to 2023. She is currently a director and trustee of the National Arts Centre and serves as board member of the QEII Health Sciences Centre Foundation and the Symphony Nova Scotia Foundation. She is a past Vice Chair of Dalhousie University and a past Chair of the Human Resources, Governance and Nominating, and a past board member of the Halifax International Airport Authority.

       
  Board/ Committee  
Memberships
  

Attendance at

Board Meetings

  

Attendance at

Committee Meetings

  

Overall

Attendance

Board Compensation Committee CGNS Committee    Number of meetings attended 7 of 7 (100%)   

Number of Compensation Committee meetings attended 6 of 6 (100%)

 

Number of CGNS Committee meetings attended 4 of 4 (100%)

   100%
 
Securities Controlled or Directed as of the date of the Circular
     
Common Shares    Options    RSUs
     
4,875    20,000    142,955


 

- 17 -

 

   
     

Principal Occupation during the Past 5 Years and

Experience

   

Stephen A. Smith, Director

 

Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada

 

Age: 67

  

Director Since: February 25, 2020

 

Independent: Yes

 

Other Public Board Membership: Flow Beverage Corp. and CanPR Technology Inc.

Mr. Smith is an accomplished executive with extensive leadership and managerial experience in complex, low margin and highly competitive retail environments. He currently serves on the board of directors of CanPR Technology Inc. (Chairman) and Flow Beverage Corp. (Audit Committee Chair). From 2020 to 2023, Mr. Smith served on the board of directors of Freshii Inc. From 2018 to 2019, Mr. Smith served on the board of directors of Newstrike Brands Ltd. (Lead Director and Audit Committee Chair). From 2013 to 2017, Mr. Smith served on the board of directors of CST Brands Inc., an SEC registrant (Audit Committee and Executive Committee). From 2014 to 2018, Mr. Smith held the position of Executive Vice President and Advisory Board Director of Jackman Reinvention, Inc., a privately held brand and strategy consulting firm in Toronto. From 2007 until 2013, Mr. Smith served as co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Cara Operations Limited (now Recipe Unlimited), Canada’s oldest and largest full-service restaurant company. From 1985 to 2007, Mr. Smith held various senior and executive level positions, including Executive Vice President, from 1999 to 2006, with Loblaw Companies Limited, the leading food and pharmacy retailer in Canada. Mr. Smith is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA), and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto.

       
  Board/ Committee  
Memberships
  

Attendance at

Board Meetings

   Attendance at
Committee Meetings
  

Overall

Attendance

Board Audit Committee Investment Committee    Number of meetings attended 7 of 7 (100%)   

Number of Audit Committee meetings attended 6 of 6 (100%)

 

Number of Investment Committee meetings attended 7 of 7 (100%)

   100%
 
Securities Controlled or Directed as of the date of the Circular
     
Common Shares    Options    RSUs
     
2,575    20,000    150,805


 

- 18 -

 

   
     

Principal Occupation during the Past 5 Years and

Experience

   

Marni Wieshofer, ICD.D, Director

 

Santa Monica, CA, USA

 

Age: 62

  

Director Since: January 12, 2021

 

Independent: Yes

 

Other Public Board Membership: Hycroft Mining Holding Corporation

Ms. Wieshofer has served as the Head of Media and was a Managing Director in Houlihan Lokey’s TMT Corporate Finance Group, based out of Los Angeles, providing mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial advisory and financial restructuring services including the Weinstein Company and Relativity Media bankruptcies. Before joining Houlihan Lokey, Ms. Wieshofer was Partner and Managing Director at MESA, a boutique advisory investment bank, where she spearheaded investment banking, strategy, and valuation engagements for companies throughout the media space. Her background also includes Chief Financial Officer and EVP of Corporate Development at Lionsgate Entertainment where she oversaw the company’s mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic financial initiatives. Ms. Wieshofer’s experience also includes prominent roles at Media Rights Capital, Alliance Atlantis Communications and Coopers & Lybrand Chartered Accountants. Ms. Wieshofer is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Hycroft Mining Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: HYMC) and a member of the Board of Directors at Acceso Impact, Inc. (acceso.org). Ms. Wieshofer holds a BA from Western University, an MBA from the Rotman School of Management, is a Canadian Chartered Accountant and obtained the ICD.D designation in 2018. She was granted an Arbor Award in 2019 by the University of Toronto and was recognized by Variety Magazine in the 2018 Dealmakers Impact Report.

       

Board/Committee

Memberships

  

Attendance at

Board Meetings

  

Attendance at

Committee Meetings

  

Overall

Attendance

 

Board

Audit Committee

Investment Committee

   Number of meetings attended 7 of 7 (100%)   

Number of Audit Committee meetings attended 6 of 6 (100%)

 

Number of Investment Committee meetings attended 7 of 7 (100%)

   100%
 
Securities Controlled or Directed as of the date of the Circular
     
Common Shares    Options    RSUs
     
2,500    20,000    127,924


 

- 19 -

 

   
     

Principal Occupation during the Past 5 Years and

Experience

   

Simon Ashton,

Director

 

Staines-upon-Thames,
Surrey, England

 

Age: 56

  

Director Since: February 23, 2022

 

Independent: Yes

 

Other Public Board Membership: N/A

Mr. Ashton has extensive expertise in finance and business leadership and was recently Group Head of New Categories and Combustibles Finance at BAT. Throughout his nearly 30-year career with BAT, Mr. Ashton has led various Finance teams across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa driving revenue growth, leading business transformation initiatives and finding innovative solutions to economic challenges. In addition, he also spent time in M&A, Operations Finance, and Audit. Mr. Ashton is a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales.

 

       

Board/ Committee

Memberships

  

Attendance at

Board Meetings

  

Attendance at

Committee Meetings

  

Overall

Attendance

 

Board

Audit Committee

 

Investment Committee

   Number of meetings attended 7 of 7 (100%)   

Number of Audit Committee meetings attended 6 of 6 (100%)

 

Number of Investment Committee meetings attended 7 of 7 (100%)

   100%
 
Securities Controlled or Directed as of the date of the Circular
     
Common Shares    Options    RSUs
     
Nil    Nil    Nil


 

- 20 -

 

   
     

Principal Occupation during the Past 5 Years and

Experience

   

Karina Gehring,

Director

 

London, England

 

Age: 58

  

Director Since: January 18, 2024

 

Independent: Yes

 

Other Public Board Membership: N/A

 

Bringing over 25 years of experience in marketing and trade at BAT, Mrs. Gehring is a seasoned executive proficient in commercial delivery, brand management, strategy, consumer insights and key account management. Leading diverse teams, she has played a pivotal role in transformative initiatives across Europe and Canada. She has successfully executed full portfolio brand repositioning, deepened BAT’s consumer understanding to foster connections beyond surface insights, and introduced innovative key account management programs. In her current role as the Global Head of Innovation Insights for New Categories at BAT, Mrs. Gehring leverages extensive knowledge and leadership to advance BAT’s vision for new categories.

 

       

Board/ Committee

Memberships

  

Attendance at

Board Meetings

  

Attendance at

Committee Meetings

  

Overall

Attendance

 

Board
Compensation Committee

   Number of meetings attended 4 of 4 (100%)    Number of Compensation Committee meetings attended 3 of 4 (75%)    88%
 
Securities Controlled or Directed as of the date of the Circular
     
Common Shares    Options    RSUs
     
Nil    Nil    Nil


 

- 21 -

 

   
     

Principal Occupation during the Past 5 Years and

Experience

   

Craig Harris,

 

Director

Berkhamstead, England

 

Age: 42

  

Director Since: July 29, 2024

 

Independent: Yes

 

Other Public Board Membership: N/A

 

Mr. Harris brings over 20 years of experience as a commercial lawyer, with a background in private practice and legal and regulatory engagement roles for various corporations. He is currently the Assistant General Counsel – Corporate & Commercial Legal at BAT. In his role at BAT, Mr. Harris has contributed to a range of significant projects, including BAT’s US$49 billion merger with Reynolds American Inc., engaging for the creation of global regulations for BAT’s non-combustible nicotine products, and the establishment of BAT’s sponsorship and technology partnership with the McLaren Formula 1 team. Additionally, Mr. Harris sits on several BAT company boards, including B.A.T. International Finance plc, and is a member of the Investment Committee for Btomorrow Ventures, BAT’s venture capital arm. Prior to joining BAT, Mr. Harris qualified as a UK solicitor and practiced corporate law for eight years at the prestigious international law firm Allen & Overy (A&O). During his tenure at A&O, he completed secondments at GlaxoSmithKline plc and Petro-Canada. Furthermore, Mr. Harris served three full terms as a director and trustee of the London Borough funded charity Parks for London.

       

Board/ Committee

Memberships

  

Attendance at

Board Meetings

  

Attendance at

Committee Meetings5

  

Overall

Attendance

 

Board

   Number of meetings attended 1 of 1 (100%)    N/A    100%
 
Securities Controlled or Directed as of the date of the Circular
     
Common Shares    Options    RSUs
     
Nil    Nil    Nil

 

 

 

5 Mr. Harris has attended all of the CGNS Committee and Investment Committee meetings since his appointment as an observer.


 

- 22 -

 

Cease Trade Orders, Bankruptcies, Penalties or Sanctions

Except as disclosed herein, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the proposed directors is, or has been within 10 years before the date of this Circular, a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any other company (including the Company) that:

 

  (a)

was subject to an order that was issued while the director or executive officer was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer; or

 

  (b)

was subject to an order that was issued after the director or executive officer ceased to be a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer;

where “order” refers to a cease trade or similar order, or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation that was in effect for a period of more than 30 days.

Except as disclosed herein, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the directors of the Company:

 

  (a)

is, as at the date of this Circular, or has been within the 10 years before the date of this Circular, a director or executive officer of any company (including the Company) that, while that person was acting in that capacity, or within a year of that person ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets; or

 

  (b)

within the 10 years before the date of this Circular, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or became subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of the director.

None of the proposed directors has been subject to (i) any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation or by a securities regulatory authority or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority; or (ii) any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or a regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable securityholder in deciding whether to vote for a proposed director.

Mr. Stephen Smith was a director of MAV Beauty Brands Inc. (“MAV Beauty”) from 2018 to December 20, 2023. On November 14, 2023, MAV Beauty commenced voluntary proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada) CCAA in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) in order to facilitate a restructuring through a going-concern sale of substantially all of the assets of MAV Beauty. On November 20, 2023, the Ontario Securities Commission issued a cease trade order in respect of the trading of MAV Beauty’s securities for the failure to file certain periodic reports following the commencement of the CCAA proceedings. During the CCAA proceedings, on December 8, 2023, MAV Beauty completed a sale of substantially all of the assets of the company and its subsidiaries to an affiliate of Nexus Capital Management LP. The trading of MAV Beauty’s common shares on the TSX was halted and the


 

- 23 -

 

TSX delisted MAV Beauty’s common shares on December 21, 2023. Mr. Smith resigned as a director of MAV Beauty effective December 20, 2023.

Appointment of Auditor

KPMG LLP, the former auditors of the Company, provided the Company with notice that it would not stand for reappointment as auditors of the Company for the fiscal year 2025. KPMG LLP indicated that its notification was a result of its decision to cease providing financial statement audit services to companies in the cannabis industry, regardless of the jurisdiction in which they operate. The Board appointed PKF O’Connor Davies LLP as auditors of the Company on June 28, 2024, to fill the vacancy created thereby. Shareholders are being asked to confirm the actions of the Board and appoint PKF O’Connor Davies LLP as the auditors of the Company to hold office until the close of the next annual meeting of the Shareholders or until its successor is appointed, at the remuneration to be fixed by the Board.

In the absence of contrary instruction, the management appointee acting as a proxyholder will vote FOR the appointment of the firm of PKF O’Connor Davies LLP as auditors of the Company and to authorize the Board to fix PKF O’Connor Davies LLP’s remuneration.

Attached as Appendix “B” to this Circular are copies of the documents filed with the applicable securities regulatory authorities relating to the change of auditor of the Company, including the Notice of Change of Auditor and letters from KPMG LLP, as former auditors, and PKF O’Connor Davies LLP, as successor auditors (collectively, the “Reporting Package”). The Reporting Package was filed under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+. As indicated in the Notice of Change of Auditor dated June 28, 2024, there were no reportable events, as such term is defined in paragraph 4.11 of National Instrument 51-102Continuous Disclosure Obligations.


 

- 24 -

 

The Change of Company Name

At the Meeting, Shareholders will be asked to consider and, if deemed advisable, to pass a special resolution authorizing an amendment to the articles of the Company to change the name of the Company to “Organigram Global Inc.” (the “Name Change”), subject to regulatory approvals. The Company is proposing a change in name to better reflect the increasingly international nature of its business interests and ambitions. The Company proposes to maintain its stock trading symbols as “OGI” on both TSX and NASDAQ.

Although the approval of Shareholders for the Name Change is being sought at the Meeting, such Name Change will only become effective at a date in the future to be determined by the Board when it considers it to be in the best interest of the Company to implement such Name Change. The Board may, in its sole discretion, determine not to implement the Name Change at any time after the Meeting and after receipt of necessary regulatory approvals, but prior to the issuance of a certificate of amendment, without further notice to or action on the part of the Shareholders. Subject to the exercise of such discretion by the Board, the Company will file articles of amendment in the prescribed form with the Director appointed under the CBCA. The Name Change will become effective on the date shown on the certificate of amendment issued by the Director appointed under the CBCA.

The proposed Name Change is also subject to regulatory approvals, including the approval of the Director appointed under the CBCA and the approval of the TSX. The TSX has conditionally approved the Name Change subject to the Company fulfilling all requirements of the TSX.

To be effective, the special resolution authorizing the Name Change must be approved by the affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast in person or by proxy at the Meeting.

In the absence of contrary instruction, the management appointee acting as a proxyholder will vote FOR the adoption of the special resolution, the text of which is set forth in Appendix “A” to this Circular.

INTEREST OF CERTAIN PERSONS OR COMPANIES

IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON

To the knowledge of the directors and executive officers of the Company, other than as disclosed in this Circular, no person who has been a director or executive officer of the Company at any time since the beginning of the Company’s last financial year and each proposed nominee for election as a director of the Company, has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership or otherwise, in matters to be acted upon at the Meeting.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DISCLOSURE

In accordance with the corporate governance guidelines set out under National Instrument 58-101Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices (“NI 58-101”) and National Policy 58-201Corporate Governance Guideline (together with NI 58-101, the “CSA Governance Rules”), the following is a summary of the governance practices of the Company.

Independence

In accordance with NI 58-101, the Board considers a director to be “independent” if he or she has no direct or indirect material relationship with the Company or its subsidiaries, as determined by


 

- 25 -

 

the Board in consultation with the Corporate Governance, Nominating and Sustainability Committee (the “CGNS Committee”). A “material relationship” is a relationship which could, in the view of the Board, be reasonably expected to interfere with the exercise of a director’s independent judgment.

The Board facilitates its independent supervision over management by holding regular in camera sessions at meetings at which members of management or non-independent directors are not in attendance and by retaining independent consultants where it deems necessary.

Based on the definition of independence and a review of the applicable factual circumstances (including financial, contractual and other relationships), the Board, in consultation with the CGNS Committee, has determined that the following nine out of ten members of the Board are independent: Peter Amirault, Sherry Porter, Dexter John, Stephen Smith, Simon Ashton, Geoffrey Machum, Marni Wieshofer, Karina Gehring and Craig Harris. The Board, in consultation with the CGNS Committee, has also determined that the foregoing members of the Board and nominees to the Board are independent based on the criteria for independence prescribed by Rule 5605(a)(2) of the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules.

The only non-independent director is Beena Goldenberg due to her position as Chief Executive Officer of the Company.


 

- 26 -

 

Skills of Director Nominees

The Board skills matrix below represents some of the key skills that the Board, with input from the CGNS Committee, has identified as being valuable to the effective oversight of the Company and the execution of its business strategy.

 

                     

Experience,  

Expertise or  

Attribute  

 

Beena

 Goldenberg 

 

Peter

 Amirault 

 

 Dexter 

John

 

 Sherry 

Porter

 

 Steve 

Smith

 

Geoff

 Machum 

 

Marni

 Wieshofer 

 

Simon

 Ashton 

 

Karina

 Gehring 

 

Craig

 Harris 

                     
General Management & Business Operations   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X
                     
CEO Experience   X   X   X   X   X                    
                     
CFO Experience                   X       X   X        
                     
Other Executive Experience   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X       X
                     
Other Public Company Board   X       X       X   X   X            
                     
Industry Knowledge   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X
                     
Strategy Development   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X
                     
U.S. / Cross Border   X   X   X   X   X   X   X            
                     
Mergers & Acquisitions   X   X   X       X   X   X   X       X


 

- 27 -

 

                     

Experience,  

Expertise or  

Attribute  

 

Beena

 Goldenberg 

 

Peter

 Amirault 

 

 Dexter 

John

 

 Sherry 

Porter

 

 Steve 

Smith

 

Geoff

 Machum 

 

Marni

 Wieshofer 

 

Simon

 Ashton 

 

Karina

 Gehring 

 

Craig

 Harris 

                     
Capital Markets   X   X   X       X   X   X   X       X
                     
Accounting / Financial Literacy   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X
                     
Risk Management   X       X   X   X   X   X   X       X
                     
Legal / Regulatory   X       X       X   X   X       X   X
                     
Compensation / Human Resources / Talent Development   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X
                     
Corporate Governance   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X
                     
Investor Relations / PR   X   X   X   X   X       X       X   X
                     
Cybersecurity / IT   X                       X   X        
                     
Manufacturing / Supply Chain   X   X       X   X       X   X   X   X


 

- 28 -

 

Mandate

The mandate of the Board is set out in the Charter of the Board of Directors attached as Appendix C to this Circular.

Orientation and Continuing Education

When new directors are appointed, they receive an orientation, commensurate with their previous experience, on the Company’s properties, business, technology and industry and on the responsibilities of the Company’s directors including site visits.

Board meetings may also include presentations by the Company’s management and employees from various functional areas to give the directors additional insight into the Company’s business and operations.

The Company encourages (and provides suggestions and funding to) each of the directors to participate in continuing education activities in order to enable each director to better perform his or her duties and to recognize and appropriately handle issues that arise. The Company is also a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD). Many Board members have significant experience in the governance of public companies; and the Board believes this strengthens the effective operation and governance of the Board and the Company. In addition to formal director education activities, the Board committees work collaboratively by frequently sharing information and educational material, and by inviting Board members who do not sit on the relevant committee to committee meetings for observation or education purposes.

Meetings

The Board meets not less than four times per year: three meetings to review quarterly results and one meeting prior to the issuance of the annual financial results of the Company. At each Board meeting, unless otherwise determined by the Board, an in camera meeting of independent directors takes place, which sessions are chaired by the Chair of the Board. The Chair of the Board, Peter Amirault, is independent.

In discharging its mandate, the Board and any committee of the Board have the authority to retain and receive advice from outside financial, legal or other advisors (at the cost of the Company) as the Board or any such committee determines to be necessary to permit it to carry out its duties.

The Board appreciates having various members of senior management attend each Board meeting to provide information and opinions to assist the members of the Board in their deliberations. Management attendees who are not Board members are excused for any agenda items which are reserved for discussion among directors only.

Position Descriptions

The Board has developed position descriptions for each of the Chair of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer. The Board has not developed position descriptions for the Chair of each committee of the Board. However, the Board has developed a mandate for each of these committees and the Chair of each committee is responsible for ensuring that each mandate is followed.


 

- 29 -

 

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

The Board has adopted a written Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code”) that applies to all directors, officers and employees of the Company and its subsidiaries (collectively, “Organigram Personnel”). The objective of the Code is to provide guidelines for maintaining the integrity, reputation, honesty, objectivity and impartiality of the Company and its subsidiaries. The Code specifically addresses such matters as general conduct, conflicts of interest, and compliance with all laws, rules and regulations, among others. It does not cover every issue that may arise, but sets out basic principles to guide Organigram Personnel.

The Company is committed to conducting its business in a lawful and ethical manner. The Code encourages Organigram Personnel to talk to supervisors, managers or other appropriate personnel about observed illegal or unethical behavior and/or when in doubt about the best course of action in a particular situation. It is the policy of the Company and its subsidiaries not to allow retaliation for reports of misconduct by others made in good faith. Organigram Personnel who violate the standards in the Code will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of their employment or other relationship with the Company and its subsidiaries.

The CGNS Committee, alongside management, annually reviews compliance with the Code and reports to the Board on the subject. Any waiver of the Code for directors or officers may be made only by the directors of the Company (or a committee of the Board of the Company to whom that authority has been delegated) and will be promptly disclosed as required by law or stock exchange regulation. To date, no such waivers have been granted.

A copy of the Code is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

In the event that a director of the Company has a material interest or other conflict of interest in respect of any matter requiring the approval of the Board of the Company, such director must declare his or her interest in the matter under consideration and abstain from voting on such matter. The Board has adopted recusal guidelines for BAT nominee directors.

The Board has adopted a whistleblower policy to provide a confidential complaint procedure through a third-party reporting service so that employees can anonymously report concerns regarding compliance with the Code and applicable laws, harassment or discrimination as well as accounting or auditing matters. This procedure is designed to ensure that employee complaints are treated as confidential. The assessment, investigation and evaluation of complaints are conducted by or at the direction of the Audit Committee for accounting or auditing matters and otherwise at the direction of the Company’s legal counsel. The whistleblower policy is communicated to employees through the Company’s policies.

Nomination of Directors

The Board considers its size each year when it considers the number of directors to recommend to the Shareholders for election at the annual general meeting of Shareholders, taking into account the number required to carry out the Board’s duties effectively, satisfy the Investor’s nomination rights under the Amended IRA and to maintain a diversity of views and experience.

When directorships become vacant, or it is anticipated that they will be vacated, the CGNS Committee is responsible for identifying and recommending suitable candidates to be directors of the Company. Where the Investor’s nominee positions are vacated, the Investor proposes replacement nominees from time to time to the Company in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Amended IRA.


 

- 30 -

 

In seeking suitable candidates to be directors, the CGNS Committee seeks individuals qualified (in the context of the needs of the Company and any formal criteria established by the Board) to become members of the Board for recommendation to the Board. Recommendations concerning director nominations are to be, foremost, based on merit, performance and experience. When new directors are considered for appointment to the Board, diversity is also to be taken into consideration, as it is beneficial that a diversity of backgrounds, views and experiences be present on the Board (see “Diversity” below).

Other Board Committees

The Board has the following committees: (a) the Audit Committee, (b) the CGNS Committee, (c) the Compensation Committee, and (d) the Investment Committee.

Audit Committee

The members of the Audit Committee and its Chair are appointed by the Board for the purpose of overseeing the Company’s financial controls and reporting and monitoring whether the Company complies with financial covenants and legal and regulatory requirements governing financial disclosure matters and financial risk management. The members of the Audit Committee are currently Stephen Smith (Chair), Dexter John, Marni Wieshofer and Simon Ashton, all of whom are financially literate and considered “independent” within the meaning of National Instrument 52 110 – Audit Committees (“NI 52-110”), as required. The Board also determined that each member of the Audit Committee meets the requirements for independence under the applicable listing standards of the NASDAQ Stock Market (including Rule 5605(c)(2)(A) of the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules) and the rules of the SEC (including Rule 10A-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act).

The responsibilities and duties of the Audit Committee are set out in the Audit Committee Charter, the text of which is set forth in Appendix “A” to the Company’s Annual Information Form for the year ended September 30, 2024. The Annual Information Form is available on the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca , and has been filed as Exhibit 99.6 to, and incorporated by reference into, the Company’s Annual Report on Form 40-F for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, as filed with the SEC and available on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Upon request, the Company will provide a copy of the Annual Information Form free of charge to a Shareholder of the Company.

The SEC requires the Company, as a registrant that files periodic reports under the Exchange Act, to disclose annually whether its board of directors has determined that there is at least one “audit committee financial expert” on its audit committee, and if so, the name of the audit committee financial expert. The Board has determined that Stephen Smith is an “audit committee financial expert” as that term is defined by the SEC, and, as described above, meets the requirements for independence under the applicable listing standards of the Nasdaq Stock Market.

CGNS Committee

The members of the CGNS Committee and its Chair are appointed by the Board on an annual basis (or until their successors are duly appointed) and the CGNS Committee is charged with reviewing, overseeing and evaluating the governance and nominating responsibilities of the Board.


 

- 31 -

 

The CGNS Committee consists of a minimum of three members of the Board, a majority of whom must be “independent” within the meaning of NI 52-110. The members of the CGNS Committee are currently Geoffrey Machum (Chair), Sherry Porter and Dexter John, all of whom are independent. Each member of the CGNS Committee continues to be a member until a successor is appointed, unless the member resigns, is removed or ceases to be a director of the Company. The Board may fill vacancies by election from among the directors. If and whenever a vacancy exists on the CGNS Committee, the remaining members may exercise all powers of the CGNS Committee so long as a quorum remains.

Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee consists of a minimum of three members of the Board, a majority of whom must be “independent” within the meaning of NI 52-110. The purpose of the Compensation Committee is to review, oversee, and evaluate the compensation policies of the Company. The members of the Compensation Committee are currently Sherry Porter (Chair), Geoffrey Machum, and Karina Gehring, all of whom are independent.

Investment Committee

The Investment Committee consists of a minimum of three members of the Board, a majority of whom must be “independent” within the meaning of NI 52-110. The purpose of the Investment Committee is to assist the Board in discharging the Board’s oversight responsibilities relating to proposed acquisitions, dispositions, major capital investments and financing arrangements. The members of the Investment Committee are currently Dexter John (Chair), Stephen Smith, Marni Wieshofer and Simon Ashton, all of whom are independent.

Assessments

The Board monitors the adequacy and timeliness of information given to directors, communication between the Board and management and the strategic direction and processes of the Board and its committees. The Board conducts an annual assessment by way of evaluation survey with respect to the functioning, effectiveness and contribution of the Board, its committees and each director. Feedback is solicited from each director and aggregated by the Chair of the CGNS Committee and the Chair of the Board for communication to and actioning by the Board.

Director Tenure

The Board believes that existing directors provide valuable perspective into the operations of the Company based on their experience and understanding of the Company’s history, policies and objectives. The Board does, however, recognize the benefit of new approaches and ideas that a new director may introduce.

Accordingly, the Board has adopted the following terms, which are applicable to all directors who are not also executive officers of the Company, subject to being annually re-elected by Shareholders:

 

  (a)

a non-executive director shall not stand for re-election at the annual general meeting of Shareholders following the latter of their 75th birthday and 15 years of Board tenure; and

 

  (b)

the Board, with the approval of a majority of the incumbent directors, may extend the term of any such non-executive directors for up to a three-year period.


 

- 32 -

 

Board Interlocks

As of the date hereof, none of the directors of the Company are currently serving on boards of other reporting companies (or equivalent), except for Stephen Smith, Dexter John and Marni Wieshofer. Stephen Smith serves on the board of CanPR Technology Inc. and Flow Beverage Corp., Dexter John serves on the board of CanPR Technology Inc., and Marni Wieshofer serves on the board of Hycroft Mining Holding Corporation.

As of the date hereof, the Board has not adopted a formal policy with respect to board interlocks. However, the CGNS Committee actively monitors the number of public company memberships of the directors of the Company. The Board considers interlocking memberships on a case-by-case basis and considers recommendations from the CGNS Committee with respect thereto.

Diversity

The Company recognizes the importance of having diversity on its Board and in senior management. Diversity enriches discussions among the directors of the Board and members of senior management and better reflects the Company’s evolving relationships with its employees, Shareholders and other stakeholders. In furtherance of this purpose, the CGNS Committee and the Board are guided by the following principles when identifying candidates to recommend for election or appointment to the Board or to fill a senior management position, respectively:

 

  (a)

an intention that the Board and senior management be composed of individuals who possess extensive knowledge and competencies, diverse points of view, and relevant expertise, enabling each director and member of senior management to make an active, informed and positive contribution to the operation and oversight of the Company, the conduct of its business and its future development;

 

  (b)

seeking a balance in terms of the knowledge and competencies of directors and members of senior management to help the Board and senior management, respectively, fulfil their responsibilities in all respects; and

 

  (c)

considering diversity criteria by seeking directors and members of senior management who represent both genders, various ages, and geographic and ethnic diversity, as well as a broad range of business and educational experience, professional expertise, personal skills and perspectives.

As of the date of this Circular, the Company has four women on the Board representing 40% of its ten members and five female executive officers, including its CEO, representing 46% of the Company’s eleven executive officers. At present, there is one member of a visible minority on the Board, representing 10% of the proposed ten directors, and no members of a visible minority in an executive officer position. There are no Aboriginal peoples and no persons with disabilities on the Board or in executive officer positions. The number and proportion of members of the Board and of executive officer who self-identify as being a member of one or more of the aforementioned designated groups has generally been furnished by the respective individuals on a voluntary basis, and such responses have not been independently verified by the Company. The Company has not adopted any specific targets, but will promote its objectives through the initiatives set out the Company’s diversity policy with a view to identifying and fostering the development of a suitable pool of candidates for nomination or appointment over time.


 

- 33 -

 

As part of the annual performance evaluation of the effectiveness of the Board, its committees and individual directors, the CGNS Committee will consider the balance of skills, experience, independence and knowledge of directors as well as diversity representation on the Board, including gender. Similarly, as part of its evaluation of the performance and effectiveness of senior management, the Board will consider the balance of skills, experience, independence and knowledge of members of senior management as well as diversity representation of senior management, including with regards to gender. Reflective of the Company’s commitment to advance gender diversity on the Board and in senior management positions, the CGNS Committee previously retained Women Get on Board to provide a shortlist of qualified women candidates for the Board. The Company is maintaining this list for future consideration.

Environmental, Social and Governance Initiatives

During Fiscal 2024, Organigram has applied continued focus to environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) issues (including equity, diversity and inclusion (“EDI”) initiatives) with a focus on being a good corporate steward and a responsible member of the communities in which it operates. The Company has made efforts to support EDI within its workforce, and to create structures and corporate policies that support ethical, accountable and transparent practices.

The CGNS Committee provides oversight for environmental and social issues and risks facing the Company and receives regular updates from management on challenges, initiatives and progress in these areas. The Company is considering material environmental and social factors in various aspects of its operations and working to mitigate identified risks.

The Company released its inaugural ESG report in November 2022 and subsequent reports in December 2023 and December 2024 (the “ESG Report”), a copy of which is available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

NASDAQ Corporate Governance

As a registrant under section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, the Company is required to comply with certain provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules adopted by the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act, as well as the governance rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC, in each case, as applicable to foreign private issuers (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 3b-4). As a foreign private issuer, the Company is required to comply with some, but not all, of the NASDAQ corporate governance requirements. Notwithstanding certain accommodations available to foreign private issuers under the NASDAQ corporate governance standards, the Company adopts best practices consistent with domestic NASDAQ listed companies when appropriate to its circumstances. The Company has reviewed the NASDAQ corporate governance requirements and confirms that the Company is in compliance with the NASDAQ corporate governance standards that apply to it (taking into account the accommodations available for foreign private issuers) in all significant respects. The manner in which the Company’s corporate governance practice under applicable Canadian requirements differs from the NASDAQ corporate governance standards is described in the Company’s annual report on Form 40-F, filed with the SEC under the Exchange Act.


 

- 34 -

 

The following Board Diversity Matrix was prepared with reference to NASDAQ’s board diversity disclosure rules. On December 11, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated the SEC’s order approving those rules, on the basis that the SEC had exceeded its statutory authority. The Company has been informed by NASDAQ that it respects the Court’s decision, that NASDAQ does not intend to seek further review, and that, as a result, listed companies will no longer be required to follow NASDAQ’s board diversity disclosure rules. Accordingly, the Company is voluntarily providing the following disclosure but may in the future depart from the format formerly prescribed by NASDAQ:

 

Board Diversity Matrix
(As of February 12, 2025)

 

Country of Principal Executive Offices:

 

Canada

Foreign Private Issuer

 

Yes

Disclosure Prohibited under Home Country Law

 

No

Total Number of Directors

 

10

     Female     Male     

Non-

Binary   

 

Did not 

Disclose 

Gender

 

Part I:Gender Identity     

Directors

 

4

 

6

 

-

 

-

Part II: Demographic Background     

Underrepresented Individual in Home Country Jurisdiction

 

1

LGBTQ+

 

-

Did Not Disclose Demographic Background

 

-

COMPENSATION OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Named Executive Officers

For the purposes of this section, “Named Executive Officer” or “NEO” means each of the following individuals:

 

   

the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”);

 

   

the Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”);


 

- 35 -

 

   

each of the three most highly compensated executive officers, other than the CEO and the CFO, who were serving as executive officers at the end of the most recently completed financial year and whose total compensation exceeds $150,000; and

 

   

any additional individuals for whom disclosure would have been provided except that the individual was not serving as an officer of the Company at the end of the financial period ended September 30, 2024.

Named Executive Officers for the year ended September 30, 2024:

 

   

Beena Goldenberg, CEO;

   

Greg Guyatt, CFO;

   

Paolo De Luca, Chief Strategy Officer

   

Tim Emberg, Chief Commercial Officer;

   

Helen Martin, Chief Legal Officer; and

   

Derrick West, Former CFO.

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

The Company’s process for determining executive compensation is based largely on broad discussion between management, the Compensation Committee and the Board at large, with input from compensation consultants from time to time.

The Compensation Committee members are active in the business community and have experience in the determination of compensation packages. Proposed compensation is evaluated by the Compensation Committee based on current requirements of management and in reference to external experience.

The Compensation Committee has assessed the Company’s compensation plans and programs for its executive officers to ensure alignment with the Company’s business plan and to evaluate the potential risks associated with those plans and programs. The Compensation Committee has concluded that the compensation policies and practices do not create any risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Compensation Committee considers the risks associated with executive compensation and corporate incentive plans when designing and reviewing such plans and programs.

Compensation Philosophy and Objectives

Compensation Objectives

The Company, the Compensation Committee and management recognize the need to provide a compensation package that will attract and retain qualified and experienced executives, as well as align the compensation level of each executive to that executive’s level of responsibility.

Key objectives of the Company’s compensation program are:

 

   

to maximize the Company’s competitive advantage by attracting, motivating and retaining its most qualified employees;

   

to ensure a strong link between compensation and performance in order to align the senior management team’s interests with the interests of Shareholders; and

   

to reward meaningful results that support the Company’s strategic goals.


 

- 36 -

 

The Company’s policy is to provide target total compensation that is generally competitive with the median of a group of companies of a comparable size and industry when performance expectations are met. The compensation program is structured to provide compensation that is above the market median when results exceed the Company’s business objectives and below market median when results are not met. The Company believes that this approach will align the financial interests of the executive officers with the financial interests of Shareholders.

In compensating its senior management, the Company has employed a combination of base salary and equity participation through its 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, which replaced the Company’s equity incentive plan approved on December 19, 2017 (the “2017 Equity Incentive Plan”) and the Company’s stock option plan approved on August 2, 2011 (the “2011 Stock Option Plan”). Recommendations for senior management compensation are presented to the Board for review by the Compensation Committee.

Role of the Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

 

   

approving employment agreements for the Company’s executive officers;

   

reviewing executive succession planning;

   

setting policies for executive officer remuneration;

   

reviewing, approving, and recommending to the Board the salary, bonus, and other benefits, direct or indirect, and any change-of-control provisions of the CEO;

   

considering the recommendations of the CEO and setting the terms and conditions of employment for other executive officers, approving the salary, bonus, and other benefits, direct or indirect, and any change-of-control provisions; and

   

overseeing administration of the Company’s compensation plans.

Independent Compensation Consultants

The Compensation Committee’s charter grants the committee the authority to engage independent counsel and other advisors as it determines necessary to carry out its duties and to set and pay the compensation for any advisors employed by the Compensation Committee at the cost of the Company without obtaining the Board’s approval, based on its sole judgment and discretion. The Company previously engaged Hugessen Consulting (“Hugessen”) to provide compensation consulting services to the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee intends to procure such services every two years unless otherwise determined to be required more or less frequently. In Fiscal 2024 and Fiscal 2023, the fees paid to compensation consultants were as follows:

 

         

Compensation

Consultant

  

Date Originally

Retained

   Fiscal Year   

Executive

Compensation-
Related Fees

   All Other Fees
         
-    -    2024    Nil    Nil
         
Hugessen    May 2018    2023    $59,368    Nil


 

- 37 -

 

Compensation Policies and Risk Management

The Board considers the implications of the risks associated with the Company’s compensation policies and practices when determining rewards for its officers. The Board reviews at least once annually the risks, if any, associated with the Company’s compensation policies and practices at such time. Risks, if any, may be identified and mitigated through regular Board meetings during which financial and other information of the Company are reviewed. No risks have been identified arising from the Company’s compensation policies and practices that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.

The Company’s insider trading policy restricts: (a) all members of the Board, officers and senior management of the Company and its subsidiaries; (b) all employees of the Company and its subsidiaries; and (c) their respective associates (including immediate family members who reside in the same home as that person) from engaging in (i) short sales of securities of the Company, (ii) buying or selling put or call options on securities of the Company, or (iii) entering into other derivative contracts or hedging transactions with respect to securities of the Company. In addition, the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan contains restrictions on the purchase by participants of financial instruments such as prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, or units of exchange funds that are designed to hedge or offset a decrease in market value of awards granted to them.

In December 2023, the Board adopted a new policy for the recovery of erroneously awarded incentive-based compensation, or “clawback,” policy (the “Erroneously Awarded Incentive Compensation Recovery Policy”) providing for the recovery of certain incentive-based compensation from current and former executive officers of the Company in the event the Company is required to restate any of its financial statements filed with the SEC under the Exchange Act in order to correct an error that is material to the previously-issued financial statements, or that would result in a material misstatement if the error were corrected in the current period or left uncorrected in the current period. Adoption of the Erroneously Awarded Incentive Compensation Recovery Policy was mandated by new NASDAQ listing standards introduced pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 10D-1. The Erroneously Awarded Incentive Compensation Recovery Policy is in addition to Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 which permits the SEC to order the disgorgement of bonuses and incentive-based compensation earned by a registrant issuer’s chief executive officer and chief financial officer in the year following the filing of any financial statement that the issuer is required to restate because of misconduct, and the reimbursement of those funds to the issuer. A copy of the Erroneously Awarded Incentive Compensation Recovery Policy has been filed as exhibit 97.1 to the Company’s annual report on Form 40-F for Fiscal 2024.

Share Ownership Policy

The Board has adopted a minimum share ownership guideline for all directors and, certain executive officers of the Company. The purpose is to create alignment between directors, officers, and Shareholders interest. Pursuant to the Company’s share ownership policy, the CEO is encouraged to hold an equity ownership interest with a total value equal to at least three times his or her annual base salary; each of the CFO and other NEOs are encouraged to hold an equity ownership interest with a total value equal to at least two times their annual base salary; each member of senior management holding a Senior Vice President title is encouraged to hold an equity ownership interest with a total value equal to at least their annual base salary and each director is encouraged to hold an equity ownership interest with a total value equal to at least three times their annual cash retainer; in each case within the later of five years of (a) the date of


 

- 38 -

 

the policy, or (b) the date of becoming a member of senior management or director, as applicable. For purposes of these guidelines, share ownership includes any (a) Common Shares owned, directly or indirectly, by the director or employee or his or her immediate family members or held by such person or his or her immediate family members as part of a tax or estate plan, and (b) restricted share units (“RSU”) and performance share units (“PSU”) issued and vested pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plan. For purposes of determining compliance with the policy, the “value” of Common Shares held will be calculated using the higher of the (a) cost base or (b) current market price. Senior management and the directors are encouraged to comply with the ownership guidelines as soon as reasonably feasible barring any blackout period or other trading restriction.

Benchmarking

The Company generally performs its benchmarking exercise every two years. The Company last performed its benchmarking exercise in 2023 when the Compensation Committee, with the assistance of an external compensation consultant, compared the Company’s CEO and CFO and certain NEO compensation levels to those of a peer group to evaluate their competitiveness. The compensation peer group is intended to provide a balanced and objective view of broader compensation practices within the Company’s competitive market. The Compensation Committee used the 2023 benchmarking data to review the Company’s compensation levels in fiscal year 2023. The companies currently within the peer group exhibit similar characteristics to the Company, are publicly listed and are headquartered in Canada or the United States. The 2023 primary peer group was determined to be as follows:

 

     

Company

 

 

Sector

 

 

Headquarters

 

     
Vital Farms Inc.   Packaged Food and Meats   United States
     
Benson Hill Inc.   Agricultural Products and Services   United States
     
Village Farms Inc.   Agricultural Products and Services   Canada
     
Aurora Cannabis Inc.   Pharmaceuticals   Canada
     
HEXO Corp.   Pharmaceuticals   Canada
     
S&W Seed Company   Agricultural Products and Services   United States
     
Knight Therapeutics Inc.   Pharmaceuticals   Canada
     
Corby Spirit and Wine Limited   Distillers and Vintners   Canada

Notes:

(1) The Company removed Planet 13 Holdings Inc., Charlottes Web Holdings Inc., MGP Ingredients, Inc., Sundial Growers Inc., Harvest Health and Recreation Inc., The Valens Company Inc., Andrew Peller Limited from the Company’s fiscal year 2023 peer group.

(2) The Company included Vital Farms Inc., Benson Hill Inc., Village Farms Inc., Aurora Cannabis Inc., S&W Seed Company in the Company’s fiscal year 2023 peer group.


 

- 39 -

 

The Company’s goal is to generally set the target total direct compensation at or around the median of the peer group while allowing variable compensation to pay out above median when targets are exceeded. Compensation for any given executive may be set above or below the median to reflect the strategic importance of the executive’s role as well as individual performance and potential. Although market data is used to inform compensation decisions, the Company ultimately relies on its own experience, information and deliberations to determine individual compensation arrangements. The Compensation Committee intends to review the compensation peer group biennially to ensure the group is appropriate for compensation planning, with the next review scheduled to occur in 2025.

Based on benchmarking in fiscal year 2023, the total compensation of NEOs was found to be below the median of the peer group. The Compensation Committee approved an approach to move NEO pay closer to the median with a focus on “at risk pay”. Changes were made to the CEO and NEO compensation such that the maximum short-term incentive plan (“STIP”) payment was changed to the target with an opportunity to overachieve to 150%. This is more in line with best practice STIP design. The Company also increased the long-term incentive plan (“LTIP”) target for the CEO to 100% and for NEOs to 75% to more closely align with the chosen peer group, ultimately increasing “pay at risk”.

Principal Elements of the Compensation Plan

The Company’s executive compensation program includes three principal elements: (a) base salary; (b) STIP; and (c) LTIP. The combined total compensation framework is designed to support a pay for performance philosophy while achieving a market competitive total target compensation package:

BASE + STIP [corporate objectives + personal objectives] + LTIP [Options + RSUs + PSUs]

 

 

Compensation

Element

 

  

Objective and Rationale

 

  

Design Elements

 

     

Base Salary

 

Cash

(Not at Risk)

  

•   Aids in the attraction and retention of executive talent through a market competitive fixed rate of pay

  

•   Reflects an individual’s level of responsibility and authority

 

•   Individual salary recommendations based on reference group data and individual contribution and performance

 

•   Performance period: one year

 

     

STIP

 

Cash/Equity

(At Risk)

  

•   Motivates employees to achieve individual and corporate objectives over the current fiscal year

 

•   Supports a pay for performance philosophy where employees are compensated based on Company and individual performance

 

•   Attracts and retains top talent as part of the cash component of a

  

•   Each participant has a target annual incentive calculated as a percentage of salary.

 

•   Payouts determined based on the achievement of corporate


 

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Compensation

Element

 

  

Objective and Rationale

 

  

Design Elements

 

    

market competitive compensation strategy

 

    
     

LTIP

 

Equity

(At Risk)

  

•   Provides an opportunity to reward achievement of long-term plans and promote buy-in on the Company’s strategy

 

•   Awards for outstanding performance and a vehicle for capital accumulation

 

•   Provides a vehicle that aligns employees with the performance of shares and long-term vision of the Company

  

•   Combination of RSUs and PSUs: vesting conditions as determined by the Board

 

•   Options: no value to recipient unless shareholder value created from time of grant

 

•   Performance period: up to 10 years

Compensation Decisions for Fiscal 2024

Pay Mix

To support the alignment of interests of executives with the short-term and long-term performance of the organization, the Company’s executive compensation framework provides for a portion of total compensation to be at risk. In Fiscal 2024, 60% of the CEO’s compensation was “at risk” and 56% of the NEO compensation was “at risk”. This is unchanged for Fiscal 2025.

 

LOGO

 


 

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Base Salaries

The base salary of executives is reviewed annually by the Board. In determining the base salary of an executive officer, the Board considers the following factors:

 

  (a)

the particular responsibilities related to the position;

 

  (b)

salaries paid by other companies in the same industry as well as other industries which are similar in size as the Company;

 

  (c)

the experience level of the executive officer;

 

  (d)

the commitment which the executive officer has demonstrated to the Company; and

 

  (e)

the executive officer’s overall performance and performance in relation to the achievement of corporate milestones and objectives.

STIP

The STIP is designed to motivate executives to achieve certain corporate and individual objectives. The STIP scorecard is recommended by the Compensation Committee and approved by the Board. In Fiscal 2024 the decision was made and approved by the Board to tie 100% of the executive STIP award to the STIP scorecard which is based on corporate objectives. This decision was made to create optimal collaboration between departments and focus on the Company’s most critical metrics. Corporate objectives are financial in nature and equally weighted between budgeted values for the metrics net revenue and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“Adjusted EBITDA”).6

 

     

CEO

 

  

Other NEOs

 

Target STIP

  

50%

  

40%

STIP Award Range

  

0%-150%

  

0%-60%

Corporate Objective Weight

  

100%

  

100%

 

 

6 Adjusted EBITDA is a key indicator used by the Company to measure performance against internal targets and prior period results and is commonly used by financial analysts and investors to assess performance. This measure is specific to the Company and has no standardized meaning prescribed by International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). Therefore, Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Adjusted EBITDA is the Company’s adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. This measure also excludes the impact of certain other adjustments related to events that are non-recurring or unusual in nature that the Company believes are not otherwise reflective of its ongoing operations and would make comparisons of underlying financial performance between periods difficult. For further information on the key metric, its computation and a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net loss, the most directly comparable measure determined under IFRS, please see “Financial Results and Review of Operations” in the Company’s Fiscal 2024 Management’s Discussion and Analysis (“Fiscal 2024 MD&A”). The Fiscal 2024 MD&A is incorporated by reference herein and is available on the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and EDGAR at www.sec.gov.


 

- 42 -

 

In Fiscal 2024, the Company achieved a payout of 71% on the net revenue and Adjusted EBITDA metric as the Company achieved above threshold on all metrics, including the financial metrics of net revenue and Adjusted EBITDA, and above target on many of the operational metrics including “on time in full”, quality, cash management and continuous improvement. The Company intends to continue to use solely corporate objectives for the STIP program in fiscal 2025. The corporate objectives were revised to reflect the goals for Fiscal 2025 and the plan was approved by the Compensation Committee. For Fiscal 2025 the metrics within the STIP scorecard are both financial and operational with net revenue and Adjusted EBITDA achieving the highest weighting.

LTIP

Long term incentives are awarded to named executives as part of a competitive total compensation package. The intention of the LTIP is to reward achievement and promote buy-in of the long-term plans of the Company, to award employees for outstanding performance against those long-term plans and to align employees’ interest with the performance of shares and interests of Shareholders while supporting capital accumulation.

Target long-term grants are recommended by the Compensation Committee and approved by the Board, taking into consideration various factors including previous grants. For Fiscal 2024, the LTIP for NEOs consists of 50% RSUs and 50% PSUs. RSUs, including those granted to the CEO, vest in thirds over a three-year time horizon. PSUs, including those granted to the CEO, vest wholly after a 3-year time horizon and are tied to the achievement of certain business objectives. For Fiscal 2024, the PSU grants are tied to 3-year cumulative goals of net revenue and Adjusted EBITDA. The PSU grant provides for the opportunity to achieve more or less than the targeted payout based on actual performance against objectives allowing for executives to earn more than the median of total compensation in the market. As such, the PSUs granted will be between 0% and 150% of target based on actual results.

Stock Options

While the Company’s normal course annual LTIP is comprised of 50% PSUs and 50% RSUs, as a matter of policy, the Compensation Committee considers stock option awards on a periodic basis (e.g., every few years). No stock options (each, an “Option”) were awarded to any NEOs in Fiscal 2024.

Summary Compensation Table

The following table provides a summary of the compensation earned by the NEOs for services rendered in all capacities during the previous three completed financial years, with fiscal year 2023 being a thirteen month period instead of a twelve month period:

 

Names and

Principal

Position

   Year(1)   

Salary

($)

  

Share-

based

awards(2)
($)

  

Option

-based

awards(3)
($)

  

Non-equity incentive

plan compensation

($)

  

Pension

value
($)

  

All other

compensation(5) 

($)

  

Total

compensation 

($)

  

Annual

incentive

plan(4)
($)

  

Long-

term
incentive

plan
($)

                   
Beena Goldenberg,
CEO and Director
   2024    578,086    821,837    -    183,212    -    17,232    -    1,600,367
   2023    515,813    236,249    -    -    -    -    9,233    761,295
   2022    441,354    222,672    1,514,561    120,699    -    -    13,327    2,312,613


 

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Names and

Principal

Position

   Year(1)   

Salary

($)

  

Share-

based

awards(2)

($)

  

Option-

based

awards(3)

($)

  

Non-equity incentive

plan compensation

($)

  

Pension

value
($)

  

All other

compensation(5)

($)

  

Total

compensation

($)

  

Annual

incentive

plan(4)

($)

  

Long-

term

incentive

plan

($)

 

Greg Guyatt, (6)

CFO

  

 

2024

 

  

 

237,500

 

  

 

200,000

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

66,905

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

7,000

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

511,405

 

  

 

2023

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

2022

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

-

 

  

-

 

  

-

 

  

-

 

  

-

 

  

-

 

Derrick West,(7)
Former CFO
  

 

2024

 

  

 

296,592

 

  

 

 

256,051

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

2,294

 

  

 

1,500

 

  

 

565,937

 

  

 

2023

 

  

 

343,623

 

  

 

126,877

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

43,956

 

  

 

867,443

 

  

 

2022

 

  

 

305,000

 

  

 

120,735

 

  

 

342,852

 

  

 

54,900

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

43,956

 

  

 

867,443

 

Paolo De Luca,(8)
Chief Strategy Officer
  

 

2024

 

  

 

295,867

 

  

 

413,974

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

83,086

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

11,813

 

  

 

12,000

 

  

 

816,740

 

  

 

2023

 

  

 

305,153

 

  

 

112,245

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

25,048

 

  

 

442,446

 

  

 

2022

 

  

 

267,240

 

  

 

53,078

 

  

 

300,993

 

  

 

60,931

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

67,353

 

  

 

749,595

 

Helen Martin,
Chief Legal Officer
  

 

2024

 

  

 

317,792

 

  

 

419,347

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

88,905

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

5,364

 

  

 

12,000

 

  

 

843,408

 

  

 

2023

 

  

 

312,878

 

  

 

114,646

 

  

 

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

19,162

 

  

 

446,686

 

  

 

2022

 

  

 

272,950

 

  

 

108,050

 

  

 

306,973

 

  

 

61,687

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

55,895

 

  

 

805,555

 

Tim Emberg, (9)

Chief Commercial Officer

  

 

2024

 

  

 

305,777

 

  

 

402,882

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

85,869

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

9,859

 

  

 

12,000

 

  

 

816,387

 

  

 

2023

 

  

 

315,375

 

  

 

116,004

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

22,325

 

  

 

453,704

 

  

 

2022

 

  

 

252,350

 

  

 

99,893

 

  

 

284,049

 

  

 

60,564

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

-

 

  

 

47,435

 

  

 

744,291

 

 

Notes:

(1)

Compensation for Fiscal 2024 represents the twelve-month period from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024. Compensation for fiscal year 2023 represents the thirteen-month period from September 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023 due to a change to the Company’s fiscal year end from August 31 to September 30. Compensation for fiscal year 2022 represents the twelve-month period from September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022.

(2)

Grant prices for 2023 and 2022 under this column are presented on a pre Share-Consolidation basis. 2024: Represents RSUs and PSUs granted at $1.75 and $2.73. 2023: Represents RSUs and PSUs granted at $1.23 in September 2022 as described in other tables. 2022: Represents RSUs and PSUs granted at $2.87 in October 2021 and May 2022 as described in other tables. The Board issued a one-time Discretionary RSU Grant in recognition of personal performance in fiscal year 2023, following determination that the STIP gating requirement for fiscal year 2023 was not met.

(3)

These amounts represent the fair value of the Options at the date of grant. Option-based awards are valued using the Black-Scholes stock option valuation methodology for the year ended August 31, 2022, consistent with the values used in the Company’s financial statements.

(4)

Cash bonus accrued at year end and paid subsequent to year end.

(5)

Includes perquisite of a car allowance, employer’s contribution under the Company’s deferred profit sharing plan, vacation payment, signing bonus and parking allowance, which perquisites vary by NEO.

(6)

Greg Guyatt was appointed Chief Financial Officer January 8, 2024.

(7)

Derrick West, who was the Chief Financial Officer of the Company since March 4, 2020, departed on November 12, 2023.

(8)

Paolo De Luca acted as interim Chief Financial Officer from November 13, 2023 to January 7, 2024.

(9)

Tim Emberg was appointed Chief Commercial Officer on October 6, 2022. Prior to that, he served as Chief Revenue Officer from July 15, 2021 to October 5, 2022.


 

- 44 -

 

Performance Graph

The following graph compares the Company’s performance since inception and ending on September 30, 2024 (with all dividends and distributions reinvested) to the S&P/TSX Composite Index, each starting with an investment of C$100:

 

LOGO

The trend shown by the above performance graph does not directly correlate to the compensation received by the Company’s NEOs. The Company’s cumulative shareholder return performance reflects both operational and financial performance within the Company’s control as well as the impact of economic, industry, and market factors that are beyond the Company’s control. The Compensation Committee and the Board generally evaluate performance by reference to the achievement of corporate objectives rather than by short-term changes in the market price of the Common Shares.

Equity Incentive Plans

As of the date of this Circular, there are 8,137,208 awards outstanding under the Company’s equity incentive plans, each of which could be exercised or settled for one Common Share, which represents 6.45% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Shares as at the date of this Circular. Of these, 7,349,669 awards are governed by the terms of the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, 691,140 awards are governed by the terms of the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan, and 96,399 awards are governed by the terms of the 2011 Stock Option Plan.

As a result, there remains an aggregate of 5,272,034 Common Shares (plus any awards forfeited or cancelled) available for issuance under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, representing approximately 4.18% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Shares as of the date of this Circular. No additional awards can be made under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan and 2011 Stock Option Plan. All awards made from January 23, 2020 onwards are governed by the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan. The 2017 Equity Incentive Plan and the 2011 Stock Option Plan remain in effect only in respect of outstanding equity-based awards.


 

- 45 -

 

2020 Equity Incentive Plan

Overview

On January 23, 2020, the Board approved the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, pursuant to which the Company is able to grant equity-based incentive awards in the form of Options, RSUs, PSUs and deferred share units (each, a “DSU”), as further described below. The Board re-approved the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan on January 17, 2023, and the Shareholders approved the same on February 28, 2023.

The purpose of the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan is to, among other things, provide the Company with a share-related mechanism to attract, retain and motivate qualified directors, employees and consultants of the Company and its subsidiaries, to reward such of those directors, employees and consultants as may be granted awards under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan by the Board from time to time for their contributions toward the long-term goals and success of the Company and to enable and encourage such directors, employees and consultants to acquire Common Shares as long-term investments and proprietary interests in the Company.

Material Terms of the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan

The 2020 Equity Incentive Plan is a rolling plan which, subject to the adjustment provisions provided for therein (including a subdivision or consolidation of Common Shares), provides that the aggregate maximum number of Common Shares that may be issued upon the exercise or settlement of awards granted under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan shall not exceed 10% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Shares from time to time, such number being 12,621,703 as at February 12, 2025. The capacity provided under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan is in addition to the 819,083 awards outstanding under the Company’s previous equity incentive plans.

The 2020 Equity Incentive Plan is considered an “evergreen” plan, since the Common Shares covered by awards which have been exercised, settled or terminated shall be available for subsequent grants under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan and the number of awards available to grant increases as the number of issued and outstanding Common Shares increases.

Insider Participation Limit

The 2020 Equity Incentive Plan also provides that the aggregate number of Common Shares (a) issuable to insiders at any time (under all of the Company’s security-based compensation arrangements) cannot exceed 10% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Shares and (b) issued to insiders within any one-year period (under all of the Company’s security-based compensation arrangements) cannot exceed 10% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Shares.

Furthermore, the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan provides that (i) the Company shall not make grants of awards to non-employee directors if, after giving effect to such grants of awards, the aggregate number of Common Shares issuable to non-employee directors, at the time of such grant, under all of the Company’s security based compensation arrangements would exceed 1% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis, and (ii) within any one financial year of the Company, (a) the aggregate fair value on the date of grant of all Options granted to any one non-employee director shall not exceed $100,000, and (b) the aggregate fair market value on the date of grant of all awards (including, for greater certainty, the fair market value of the Options) granted to any one non-employee director under all of the Company’s security based


 

- 46 -

 

compensation arrangements shall not exceed $150,000; provided that such limits shall not apply to (i) awards taken in lieu of any cash retainer or meeting director fees, and (ii) a one-time initial grant to a non-employee director upon such non-employee director joining the Board.

Any Common Shares issued by the Company through the assumption or substitution of outstanding Options or other equity-based awards from an acquired company shall not reduce the number of Common Shares available for issuance pursuant to the exercise of awards granted under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan.

Administration of the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan

The Plan Administrator (as defined in the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan) is determined by the Board, and is currently the Compensation Committee. The 2020 Equity Incentive Plan may in the future be administered by the Board itself or delegated to a committee of the Board. The Plan Administrator determines which directors, officers, consultants and employees are eligible to receive awards under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, the time or times at which awards may be granted, the conditions under which awards may be granted or forfeited to the Company, the number of Common Shares to be covered by any award, the exercise price of any award, whether restrictions or limitations are to be imposed on the Common Shares issuable pursuant to grants of any award, and the nature of any such restrictions or limitations, any acceleration of exercisability or vesting, or waiver of termination regarding any award, based on such factors as the Plan Administrator may determine.

In addition, the Plan Administrator interprets the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan and may adopt guidelines and other rules and regulations relating to the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, and make all other determinations and take all other actions necessary or advisable for the implementation and administration of the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan.

Eligibility

All directors, employees and consultants are eligible to participate in the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan. The extent to which any such individual is entitled to receive a grant of an award pursuant to the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan will be determined in the sole and absolute discretion of the Plan Administrator.

Types of Awards

Awards of Options, RSUs, PSUs and DSUs may be made under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan. All of the awards described below are subject to the conditions, limitations, restrictions, exercise price, vesting, settlement and forfeiture provisions determined by the Plan Administrator, in its sole discretion, subject to such limitations provided in the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, and will generally be evidenced by an award agreement. In addition, subject to the limitations provided in the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan and in accordance with applicable law, the Plan Administrator may accelerate or defer the vesting or payment of awards, cancel or modify outstanding awards, and waive any condition imposed with respect to awards or Common Shares issued pursuant to awards.

Options

An Option entitles a holder thereof to purchase a prescribed number of treasury Common Shares at an exercise price set at the time of the grant. The Plan Administrator will establish the exercise price at the time each Option is granted, which exercise price must in all cases be not less than


 

- 47 -

 

the volume weighted average closing price of the Common Shares on the TSX for the five trading days immediately preceding the date of grant (the “Market Price”). Subject to any accelerated termination as set forth in the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, each Option expires on its respective expiry date. The Plan Administrator will have the authority to determine the vesting terms applicable to grants of Options. Once an Option becomes vested, it shall remain vested and shall be exercisable until expiration or termination of the Option, unless otherwise specified by the Plan Administrator, or as otherwise set forth in any written employment agreement, award agreement or other written agreement between the Company or a subsidiary of the Company and the participant. The Plan Administrator has the right to accelerate the date upon which any Option becomes exercisable. The Plan Administrator may provide at the time of granting an Option that the exercise of that Option is subject to restrictions, in addition to those specified in the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, such as vesting conditions relating to the attainment of specified performance goals.

Unless otherwise specified by the Plan Administrator at the time of granting an Option and set forth in the particular award agreement, an exercise notice must be accompanied by payment of the exercise price. A participant may, in lieu of exercising an Option pursuant to an exercise notice, elect to surrender such Option to the Company (a “Cashless Exercise”) in consideration for an amount from the Company equal to (i) the Market Price of the Common Shares issuable on the exercise of such Option (or portion thereof) as of the date such Option (or portion thereof) is exercised, less (ii) the aggregate exercise price of the Option (or portion thereof) surrendered relating to such Common Shares (the “In-the-Money Amount”) by written notice to the Company indicating the number of Options such participant wishes to exercise using the Cashless Exercise, and such other information that the Company may require. Subject to the provisions of the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, the Company will satisfy payment of the In-the-Money Amount by delivering to the participant such number of Common Shares having a fair market value equal to the In-the-Money Amount.

Restricted Share Units

An RSU is a unit equivalent in value to a Common Share credited by means of a bookkeeping entry in the books of the Company which entitles the holder to receive one Common Share (or the value thereof) for each RSU after a specified vesting period. The Plan Administrator may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Plan Administrator may prescribe, grant RSUs to any participant in respect of a bonus or similar payment in respect of services rendered by the applicable participant in a taxation year (the “RSU Service Year”).

The number of RSUs (including fractional RSUs) granted at any particular time under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan will be calculated by dividing (a) the amount of any bonus or similar payment that is to be paid in RSUs, as determined by the Plan Administrator, by (b) the greater of (i) the Market Price of a Common Share on the date of grant and (ii) such amount as determined by the Plan Administrator in its sole discretion. The Plan Administrator shall have the authority to determine any vesting terms applicable to the grant of RSUs, provided that the terms comply with Section 409A of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, to the extent applicable.

Upon settlement, holders will redeem each vested RSU for the following at the election of such holder but subject to the approval of the Plan Administrator: (a) one fully paid and non-assessable Common Share in respect of each vested RSU, (b) a cash payment, or (c) a combination of Common Shares and cash. Any such cash payments made by the Company shall be calculated by multiplying the number of RSUs to be redeemed for cash by the Market Price per Common Share as at the settlement date.


 

- 48 -

 

The RSUs granted to the NEOs in Fiscal 2024 vest in thirds over a three-year time horizon as described in the Compensation Decisions for 2024 section of this Circular.

Performance Share Units

A PSU is a unit equivalent in value to a Common Share credited by means of a bookkeeping entry in the books of the Company which entitles the holder to receive one Common Share (or the value thereof) for each PSU after specific performance-based vesting criteria determined by the Plan Administrator, in its sole discretion, have been satisfied. The performance goals to be achieved during any performance period, the length of any performance period, the amount of any PSUs granted, the effect of termination of a participant’s service and the amount of any payment or transfer to be made pursuant to any PSU will be determined by the Plan Administrator and by the other terms and conditions of any PSU, all as set forth in the applicable award agreement. The Plan Administrator may, from time to time, subject to the provisions of the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan and such other terms and conditions as the Plan Administrator may prescribe, grant PSUs to any participant in respect of a bonus or similar payment in respect of services rendered by the applicable participant in a taxation year (the “PSU Service Year”).

The Plan Administrator shall have the authority to determine any vesting terms applicable to the grant of PSUs. Upon settlement, holders will redeem each vested PSU for the following at the election of such holder but subject to the approval of the Plan Administrator: (a) one fully paid and non-assessable Common Share in respect of each vested PSU, (b) a cash payment, or (c) a combination of Common Shares and cash. Any such cash payments made by the Company to a participant shall be calculated by multiplying the number of PSUs to be redeemed for cash by the Market Price per Common Share as at the settlement date.

The PSUs granted to the NEOs in Fiscal 2024 vest wholly after a 3-year time horizon and are tied to the achievement of certain business objectives as described in the Compensation Decisions for 2024 section of this Circular.

Deferred Share Units

A DSU is a unit equivalent in value to a Common Share credited by means of a bookkeeping entry in the books of the Company which entitles the holder to receive one Common Share (or, at the election of the holder and subject to the approval of the Plan Administrator, the cash value thereof) for each DSU on a future date. The Board may fix from time to time a portion of the total compensation (including annual retainer) paid by the Company to a director in a calendar year for service on the Board (the “Director Fees”) that are to be payable in the form of DSUs. In addition, each director is given, subject to the provisions of the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, the right to elect to receive a portion of the cash Director Fees owing to them in the form of DSUs.

Except as otherwise determined by the Plan Administrator or as set forth in the particular award agreement, DSUs shall vest immediately upon grant. The number of DSUs (including fractional DSUs) granted at any particular time will be calculated by dividing (a) the amount of Director Fees that are to be paid in DSUs, as determined by the Plan Administrator, by (b) the Market Price of a Share on the date of grant. Upon settlement, holders will redeem each vested DSU for: (a) one fully paid and non-assessable Common Share issued from treasury in respect of each vested DSU, or (b) at the election of the holder and subject to the approval of the Plan Administrator, a cash payment on the date of settlement. Any cash payments made under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan by the Company to a participant in respect of DSUs to be redeemed for cash shall be calculated by multiplying the number of DSUs to be redeemed for cash by the Market Price per Common Share as at the settlement date.


 

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Dividend Equivalents

Except as otherwise determined by the Plan Administrator or as set forth in the particular award agreement, RSUs, PSUs and DSUs shall be credited with dividend equivalents in the form of additional RSUs, PSUs and DSUs, as applicable, as of each dividend payment date in respect of which normal cash dividends are paid on Common Shares. Dividend equivalents shall vest in proportion to, and settle in the same manner as, the awards to which they relate. Such dividend equivalents shall be computed by dividing: (a) the amount obtained by multiplying the amount of the dividend declared and paid per Common Share by the number of RSUs, PSUs and DSUs, as applicable, held by the participant on the record date for the payment of such dividend, by (b) the Market Price at the close of the first business day immediately following the dividend record date, with fractions computed to three decimal places.

Black-out Periods

In the event an award expires, at a time when a scheduled blackout is in place or an undisclosed material change or material fact in the affairs of the Company exists, the expiry of such award will be the date that is 10 business days after which such scheduled blackout terminates or there is no longer such undisclosed material change or material fact.

Term

While the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan does not stipulate a specific term for awards granted thereunder, as discussed below, awards may not expire beyond 10 years from its date of grant, except where Shareholder approval is received or where an expiry date would have fallen within a blackout period of the Company. All awards must vest and settle in accordance with the provisions of the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan and any applicable award agreement, which award agreement may include an expiry date for a specific award.

Termination of Employment or Services

The following table describes the impact of certain events upon the participants under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, including termination for cause, resignation, termination without cause, disability, death or retirement, subject, in each case, to the terms of a participant’s applicable employment agreement, award agreement or other written agreement:

 

   
Event    Provisions
   

Termination for Cause

 

  

  Any Option or other award held by the participant that has not been exercised, surrendered or settled as of the Termination Date (as defined in the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan) shall be immediately forfeited and cancelled as of the Termination Date.

 

Resignation

 

   
Termination without Cause   

  A portion of any unvested Options or other awards shall immediately vest, such portion to be equal to the number of unvested Options or other awards held by the participant as of the Termination Date multiplied by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of days between the date of grant and the Termination Date and the denominator of which is the number of days between the date of grant and the date any unvested Options or other awards were originally scheduled to vest. Any vested Options may be exercised by the


 

- 50 -

 

   
Event    Provisions
    

participant at any time during the period that terminates on the earlier of: (A) the expiry date of such Option; and (B) the date that is 90 days after the Termination Date. If an Option remains unexercised upon the earlier of (A) or (B), the Option shall be immediately forfeited and cancelled for no consideration upon the termination of such period. In the case of a vested award other than an Option, such award will be settled within 90 days after the Termination Date.

   
Disability   

  Any award held by the participant that has not vested as of the date of such participant’s Termination Date shall vest on such date. Any vested Option may be exercised by the participant at any time until the expiry date of such Option. Any vested award other than an Option will be settled within 90 days after the Termination Date.

   
Death   

  Any award that is held by the participant that has not vested as of the date of the death of such participant shall vest on such date. Any vested Option may be exercised by the participant’s beneficiary or legal representative (as applicable) at any time during the period that terminates on the earlier of: (a) the expiry date of such Option, and (b) the first anniversary of the date of the death of such participant. If an Option remains unexercised upon the earlier of (A) or (B), the Option shall be immediately forfeited and cancelled for no consideration upon the termination of such period. In the case of a vested award other than an Option, such award will be settled with the participant’s beneficiary or legal representative (as applicable) within 90 days after the date of the participant’s death.

   
Retirement   

  Any (i) outstanding award that vests or becomes exercisable based solely on the participant remaining in the service of the Company or its subsidiary will become 100% vested, and (ii) outstanding award that vests based on the achievement of Performance Goals (as defined in the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan) that has not previously become vested shall continue to be eligible to vest based upon the actual achievement of such Performance Goals. Any vested Option may be exercised by the participant at any time during the period that terminates on the earlier of: (A) the expiry date of such Option; and (B) the third anniversary of the participant’s date of retirement. If an Option remains unexercised upon the earlier of (A) or (B), the Option shall be immediately forfeited and cancelled for no consideration upon the termination of such period. In the case of a vested award other than an Option that is described in (i), such award will be settled within 90 days after the participant’s retirement. In the case of a vested award other than an Option that is described in (ii), such award will be settled at the same time the award would otherwise have been settled had the participant remained in active service with the Company or its subsidiary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if, following his or her retirement, the participant commences (the “Commencement Date”) employment, consulting or acting as a director of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (or in an analogous capacity) or otherwise as a service provider to any person that carries on or proposes to carry on a business competitive with the Company or any of its subsidiaries, any


 

- 51 -

 

   
Event    Provisions
    

Option or other award held by the participant that has not been exercised or settled as of the Commencement Date shall be immediately forfeited and cancelled as of the Commencement Date.

Change in Control

Under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, except as may be set forth in an employment agreement, award agreement or other written agreement between the Company or a subsidiary of the Company and a participant:

 

  (a)

If within 12 months following the completion of a transaction resulting in a Change in Control (as defined below), a participant’s employment, consultancy or directorship is terminated by the Company or a subsidiary of the Company without Cause (as defined in the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan), without any action by the Plan Administrator:

 

  (i)

any unvested awards held by the participant at Termination Date shall immediately vest; and

 

  (ii)

any vested awards may be exercised, surrendered to the Company, or settled by the participant at any time during the period that terminates on the earlier of: (A) the expiry date of such award; and (B) the date that is 90 days after the Termination Date. Any award that has not been exercised, surrendered or settled at the end of such period being immediately forfeited and cancelled.

 

  (b)

Unless otherwise determined by the Plan Administrator, if, as a result of a Change in Control, the Common Shares will cease trading on the TSX, the Company may terminate all of the awards, other than an Option held by a participant that is a resident of Canada for the purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada), granted under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan at the time of and subject to the completion of the Change in Control transaction by paying to each holder at or within a reasonable period of time following completion of such Change in Control transaction an amount for each Award (as defined in the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan) equal to the fair market value of the Award held by such participant as determined by the Plan Administrator, acting reasonably, provided that any vested awards granted to U.S. Taxpayers (as defined in the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan) will be settled within 90 days of the Change in Control.

Subject to certain exceptions, a “Change in Control” includes (a) any transaction pursuant to which a person or group acquires more than 50% of the outstanding Common Shares, (b) the sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, (c) the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, (d) the acquisition of the Company via consolidation, merger, exchange of securities,


 

- 52 -

 

purchase of assets, amalgamation, statutory arrangement or otherwise, (e) individuals who comprise the Board at the last annual general meeting of Shareholders (the “Incumbent Board”) cease to constitute at least a majority of the Board, unless the election, or nomination for election by the Shareholders, of any new director was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the Incumbent Board, in which case such new director shall be considered as a member of the Incumbent Board, or (f) any other event which the Board determines to constitute a change in control of the Company.

Non-Transferability of Awards

Except as permitted by the Plan Administrator and to the extent that certain rights may pass to a beneficiary or legal representative upon death of a participant, by will or as required by law, no assignment or transfer of awards, whether voluntary, involuntary, by operation of law or otherwise, vests any interest or right in such awards whatsoever in any assignee or transferee and immediately upon any assignment or transfer, or any attempt to make the same, such awards will terminate and be of no further force or effect. To the extent that certain rights to exercise any portion of an outstanding award pass to a beneficiary or legal representative upon the death of a participant, the period in which such award can be exercised by such beneficiary or legal representative shall not exceed one year from the participant’s death.

Amendments to the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan

The Plan Administrator may also from time to time, without notice and without approval of the holders of voting Common Shares, amend, modify, change, suspend or terminate the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan or any awards granted pursuant thereto as it, in its discretion, determines appropriate, provided that (a) no such amendment, modification, change, suspension or termination of the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan or any award granted pursuant thereto may materially impair any rights of a participant or materially increase any obligations of a participant under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan without the consent of such participant, unless the Plan Administrator determines such adjustment is required or desirable in order to comply with any applicable securities laws or stock exchange requirements, and (b) any amendment that would cause an award held by a U.S. taxpayer to be subject to the income inclusion under Section 409A of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, shall be null and void ab initio.

Notwithstanding the above, and subject to the rules of the TSX, the approval of Shareholders is required to effect any of the following amendments to the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan:

 

  (a)

increasing the number of Common Shares reserved for issuance under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, except pursuant to the provisions in the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan which permit the Plan Administrator to make equitable adjustments in the event of transactions affecting the Company or its capital;

 

  (b)

increasing or removing the 10% limits on Common Shares issuable or issued to insiders;

 

  (c)

reducing the exercise price of an option award (for this purpose, a cancellation or termination of an award of a participant prior to its expiry date for the purpose of reissuing an award to the same participant with a lower exercise price shall be treated as an amendment to reduce the exercise price of an award) except pursuant to the provisions in the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan which permit the Plan Administrator to make equitable adjustments in the event of transactions affecting the Company or its capital;


 

- 53 -

 

  (d)

extending the term of an Option award beyond the original expiry date (except where an expiry date would have fallen within a blackout period applicable to the participant or within 10 business days following the expiry of such a blackout period);

 

  (e)

permitting an Option award to be exercisable beyond 10 years from its date of grant (except where an expiry date would have fallen within a blackout period);

 

  (f)

increasing or removing the limits on the participation of non-employee directors;

 

  (g)

permitting awards to be transferred to a person;

 

  (h)

changing the eligible participants; and

 

  (i)

deleting or otherwise limiting the amendments which require approval of the Shareholders.

Except for the items listed above, amendments to the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan will not require Shareholder approval. Such amendments include (but are not limited to): (a) amending the general vesting provisions of an award, (b) amending the provisions for early termination of awards in connection with a termination of employment or service, (c) adding covenants of the Company for the protection of the participants, (d) amendments that are desirable as a result of changes in law in any jurisdiction where a participant resides, and (e) curing or correcting any ambiguity or defect or inconsistent provision or clerical omission or mistake or manifest error.

Anti-Hedging Policy

Participants are restricted from purchasing financial instruments such as prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, or units of exchange funds that are designed to hedge or offset a decrease in market value of awards granted to them.

2017 Equity Incentive Plan

Overview

On November 7, 2017, the Board approved the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan of the Company pursuant to which the Company is able to issue share-based long-term incentives. All directors, officers, employees and independent contractors of the Company and/or its affiliates (“Participants”) are eligible to receive RSUs or PSUs, under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan.

The purpose of the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan is to assist with the recruitment of and retention of high-caliber directors, executives, employees and consultants to serve the Company and to permit the Company to preserve its cash-flow to better align the interests of the Participants with the long-term interests of the Shareholders (as defined in the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan).

The use of equity-based compensation as part of a competitive total compensation package for employees in certain roles also allows the Company to offer lower base salaries thereby lowering its fixed cash compensation costs.

Under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan, a maximum of 2,500,000 Common Shares are reserved for issuance from treasury (the “Reserved Shares”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the number of Reserved Shares reserved for issuance pursuant to both RSUs and PSUs shall not (under all


 

- 54 -

 

of the Company’s security-based compensation arrangements) equal more than 10% of the number of Common Shares then issued and outstanding.

The aggregate number of Common Shares issuable from treasury to any one Participant under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan and all other security-based compensation arrangements of the Company shall not exceed 5% of issued and outstanding Common Shares.

The aggregate number of Common Shares issuable to insiders, at any time, under all security-based compensation arrangements of the Company, may not exceed 10% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Shares; and the aggregate number of Common Shares issued to insiders within any one-year period, under all security-based compensation arrangements of the Company, may not exceed 10% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Shares. Further, the aggregate number of Common Shares that may be issuable to any one insider or Eligible Consultant (as defined in the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to PSUs in any 12-month period must not exceed 2% of issued and outstanding Common Shares.

The aggregate number of Common Shares issuable to directors who are not employees or officers shall be limited to 1% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Shares.

The interest of any Participant under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan or in any PSU or RSU shall not be transferable or assignable other than by operation of law, except, if and on such terms as the Company may permit, to a spouse or children or grandchildren or a personal holding company or family trust controlled by a Participant, the Shareholders or beneficiaries of which, as the case may be, are any combination of the Participant, the Participant’s spouse, the Participant’s children or the Participant’s grandchildren, and after his or her lifetime shall enure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Participant’s Beneficiary (as defined in the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan).

While the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan does not stipulate a specific term for RSUs or PSUS granted thereunder, awards may not expire beyond the date which is two years after the Participant’s Termination Date (as defined in the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan), except where Shareholder approval is received, as outlined below. All awards must vest and settle in accordance with the provisions of the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan and any applicable grant agreement.

Subject to certain exceptions included in the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan, the occurrence of a Change of Control (as such term is defined in the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan) will not result in the vesting of unvested RSUs or PSUs nor the lapse of any period of restriction pertaining to any RSUs. In October 2019, the Board amended the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan in accordance with the amendment procedures of the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan such that in the event that: (a) a Change of Control (as defined in the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan) occurs and; (b) within 12 months of the date of the Change of Control, (i) the employment of the Participant is terminated without Cause (as defined in the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan), or (ii) the employment of the Participant by the Company does not continue at the level of responsibility or level of compensation at least commensurate with the Participant’s level or responsibility or compensation immediately prior to the Change of Control, and the Participant provides written notice to the Company within such 12 month period to treat the Participant’s employment as being terminated as a result of either such reduction with the Participant’s termination being effective as at the date of the said written notice, then at the time that the termination of the Participant is effective all of the unvested RSUs and the PSUs then held by the Participant shall automatically and irrevocably become vested in full.

The Board may, without notice, at any time and from time to time, amend the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan or any provisions thereof in such manner as the Board, in its sole discretion and


 

- 55 -

 

without Shareholder approval. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following amendments to the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan require the approval of Shareholders of the Company: (a) an increase in the maximum number of Common Shares issuable pursuant to the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan; (b) an extension of the expiry date for PSUs or RSUs granted to insiders; (c) the addition of additional categories of Participants; or (d) any amendment to the terms governing the amendment, suspension or termination of the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan. Further, if an amendment adversely affects the right under any previously granted PSU and/or RSU, such amendment shall not be effective on such previously granted PSU and/or RSU without the consent of each affected Participant.

Termination of Employment or Services

The following table describes the impact of certain events upon the Participants under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan, including termination for cause, resignation, death, disability, termination without cause, or retirement:

 

   
Event    Provisions
   
Termination for
Cause/Resignation/
Death/Disability
  

   Any unvested PSUs or RSUs, as applicable, shall terminate and be forfeited.

   
Termination without Cause   

   At the Company’s discretion, all or a portion of such Participant’s PSUs or RSUs, where applicable, may be made fully vested, or may be permitted to con

   tinue to vest, in accordance with their terms, during any statutory or common law severance period or any period of reasonable notice required by law or as otherwise may be determined by the Company in its sole discretion.

   
Retirement   

   All outstanding PSUs or RSUs held by such Participant that are not vested shall immediately and automatically terminate, other than those PSUs or RSUs which would have become vested within the one year period following the Participant’s Termination Date (as defined in the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan), which shall for this purpose continue to vest (and be paid out) in accordance with the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan.

The 2017 Equity Incentive Plan did not replace the Company’s 2011 Stock Option Plan. Rather, the two work in combination.

2011 Stock Option Plan

The Company adopted the 2011 Stock Option Plan on August 2, 2011. The 2011 Stock Option Plan was established to provide an incentive to qualified parties to increase their proprietary interest in the Company and thereby encourage their continuing association with the Company. The 2011 Stock Option Plan is administered by the Board and provides that Options will be issued to directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Company or a subsidiary of the Company. The 2011 Stock Option Plan also provides that the number of Common Shares issuable under the 2011 Stock Option Plan, together with all of the Company’s other previously established or proposed share compensation arrangements, including the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan, may not exceed 10% of the total number of issued and outstanding Common Shares. Pursuant to the 2011


 

- 56 -

 

Stock Option Plan all Options expire on a date not later than 10 years after the date of grant of an Option. The 2011 Stock Option Plan was established to provide incentive to qualified parties to increase their proprietary interest in the Company and thereby encourage their continuing association with the Company.

Material Terms of the Plan

The following is a summary of the material terms of the Plan:

 

  (a)

Persons who are Service Providers (as defined in the 2011 Stock Option Plan) to the Company or its affiliates, or who are providing services to the Company or its affiliates, are eligible to receive grants of Options under the 2011 Stock Option Plan;

 

  (b)

Options granted under the 2011 Stock Option Plan are non-assignable, and non-transferable for a period of up to 10 years;

 

  (c)

For Options granted to Service Providers, the Company must ensure that the proposed Optionee (as defined in the 2011 Stock Option Plan) is a bona fide Service Provider of the Company or its affiliates;

 

  (d)

An Option granted to any Service Provider will expire within one year (or such other time, not to exceed one year, as shall be determined by the Board as at the date of grant or agreed to by the Board and the Optionee at any time prior to expiry of the Option), after the date the Optionee ceases to be employed by or provide services to the Company, but only to the extent that such Option was vested at the date the Optionee ceased to be so employed by or to provide services to the Company;

 

  (e)

The 2011 Stock Option Plan does not contain restrictions on insider participation.

 

  (f)

If an Optionee dies, any vested Option held by him or her at the date of death will become exercisable by the Optionee’s lawful personal representatives, heirs or executors until the earlier of one year after the date of death of such Optionee and the date of expiration of the term otherwise applicable to such Option;

 

  (g)

In the case of an Optionee being dismissed from employment or service for cause, such Optionee’s Options, whether or not vested at the date of dismissal, will immediately terminate without right to exercise same;

 

  (h)

The exercise price of each Option will be set by the Board on the effective date of the Option and will not be less than the Discounted Market Price (as defined in the 2011 Stock Option Plan);

 

  (i)

Vesting of Options shall be at the discretion of the Board, and will generally be subject to: (i) the Service Provider remaining employed by or continuing to provide services to the Company or its affiliates, as well as, at the discretion of the Board, achieving certain milestones which may be defined by the Board from time to time or receiving a satisfactory performance review by the Company or its affiliates during the vesting period; or (ii) the Service Provider remaining as a Director of the Company or its affiliates during the vesting period;


 

- 57 -

 

  (j)

In the event of a Change of Control (as defined in the 2011 Stock Option Plan) occurring, Options granted and outstanding, which are subject to vesting provisions, shall be deemed to have immediately vested upon the occurrence of the Change of Control, subject to the approval of the TSX-V (or the NEX, as the case may be) for vesting requirements imposed by the TSX; and

 

  (k)

The Board reserves the right in its absolute discretion to amend, suspend, terminate or discontinue the 2011 Stock Option Plan with respect to all 2011 Stock Option Plan shares in respect of Options which have not yet been granted under the 2011 Stock Option Plan.

Securities Authorized for Issuance under the Equity Compensation Plans

The following table sets forth details of the Company’s compensation plans under which equity securities are authorized for issuance as at the end of Fiscal 2024:

 

       
Plan Category   

Number of

securities to be

issued upon

exercise of

outstanding

Options, RSUs,

PSUs and DSUs

  

Weighted-average

exercise price of

outstanding Options,

RSUs, PSUs and DSUs

  

Number of securities

remaining available for

future issuance under

equity compensation

plans (1)(2)

       
Equity compensation plans approved by securityholders    6,788,755    $3.93    4,888,877
       
Equity compensation plans not approved by securityholders    Nil    Nil    Nil
       

Total

   6,788,755    $3.93    4,888,877

 

Notes:

 

(1)

Assumes all Options, RSUs, PSUs and DSUs available for future grants are to be settled for Common Shares issued from treasury.

 

(2)

Excludes securities reflected in other columns in this chart.

The following table provides information regarding the number of equity securities awarded as incentive plan awards as of September 30, 2024:

 

     
     Number  

 Percentage of 

Shares

Outstanding

     

Shares issued from treasury pursuant to exercise of Options or settlement of RSUs, PSUs and DSUs

   1,092,208     1.01%
     

Options, RSUs, PSUs and DSUs granted and outstanding

   6,788,755     6.25%
     

Options, RSUs, PSUs and DSUs available for future grants(1)

   4,888,877     4.51%
     

Total number of Common Shares reserved for issue

   11,677,632     10.76%


 

- 58 -

 

Notes:

 

(1)

Assumes all Options, RSUs, PSUs and DSUs available for future grants are to be settled for Common Shares issued from treasury.

Burn Rate under the Equity Compensation Plans

The following table shows the number of Options, RSUs and PSUs granted as a percentage of average shares outstanding (the “burn rate”) for the previous three fiscal years:

 

       
         2022           2023           2024    
       

Grants under the 2011 Stock Option Plan

  -   -   -
       

Grants under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan

  -   -   -
       

Grants under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan

  1,777,488   903,861   3,209,338
       

Burn rate(1)

  2.30%   1.11%   2.96%

 

Notes:

 

(1)

The burn rate for the year is calculated based on the number of Options, RSUs and PSUs issued in a year, including any dividend equivalents awards issued, divided by the weighted average number of Common Shares outstanding for such year.

Incentive Plan Awards

Outstanding Option-Based and Share-Based Awards

The following table provides information regarding the outstanding Option-based awards and share-based awards for each NEO as of September 30, 2024.

 

     
Name    Option-based Awards    Share-based Awards
  

Number of

securities

underlying

unexercised

options

(#)

  

Option 

exercise 

price 

($)(1)

  

Option

expiry date

  

Value of

unexercised

in-the-

money

options
($)
(1)

  

Number of

shares or

units of

shares

that have

not vested
(#)

  

Market or

payout

value of

share-

based
awards

that have

not

vested(2)
($)

  

 

Market or

payout

value of

vested

share-

based
awards not

paid out or

distributed

(2)
($)

         

Beena Goldenberg

  

125,000

  

11.40

   October 14, 2031   

Nil

  

370,377

  

940,758

  

288,183

  

127,000

  

5.60

  

July 21, 2032

  

Nil

         

Greg Guyatt

  

Nil

  

Nil

  

Nil

  

Nil

  

73,260

  

186,080

  

Nil

         

Derrick West (3)

  

10,000

  

14.60

   December 22, 2027   

Nil

  

158,389

  

402,308

  

123,172


 

- 59 -

 

     
Name    Option-based Awards    Share-based Awards
  

Number of

securities

underlying

unexercised

options

(#)

  

Option

exercise

price
($)
(1)

  

Option

expiry date

  

Value of

unexercised

in-the-

money

options
($)
(1)

  

Number of

shares or

units of

shares

that have

not vested
(#)

  

Market or

payout

value of

share-

based
awards

that have

not

vested(2)
($)

  

 

Market or

payout

value of

vested

share-

based
awards not

paid out or

distributed

(2)
($)

               
    

12,500

  

19.00

   December 17, 2028   

Nil

            
  

75,000

  

8.68

   April 23, 2030   

Nil

  

12,500

  

8.76

   January 18, 2031   

Nil

  

86,000

  

5.60

   July 21, 2032   

Nil

               

Paolo De Luca

  

75,000

  

14.60

   December 22, 2027   

Nil

  

164,087

  

416,781

  

269,530

  

12,500

  

19.00

   December 17, 2028   

Nil

  

12,500

  

8.76

   January 18, 2031   

Nil

  

75,500

  

5.60

   July 21, 2032   

Nil

               

Tim Emberg

  

75,000

  

14.60

   December 22, 2027   

Nil

  

169,236

  

429,859

  

206,207

  

6,250

  

19.00

   December 17, 2028   

Nil

  

12,500

  

8.76

   January 18, 2031   

Nil

  

71,250

  

5.60

   July 21, 2032   

Nil

               

Helen Martin

  

25,000

  

19.00

   December 17, 2028   

Nil

  

174,687

  

443,705

  

183,124

  

37,500

  

12.60

   December 30, 2029   

Nil

  

12,500

  

8.76

   January 18, 2031   

Nil

  

77,000

  

5.60

   July 21, 2032   

Nil

 

Notes:

 

(1)

The value is the difference between the closing price of the Company’s Common Shares on the TSX of $2.45 on September 30, 2024 and the exercise price of the applicable options.

(2)

Based on the closing price of the Company’s Common Shares on the TSX of $2.45 on September 30, 2024.


 

- 60 -

 

(3)

Derrick West was the Chief Financial Officer of the Company from March 4, 2020 until he departed effective November 12, 2023.

Incentive Plan Awards Vested or Earned in 2024

The following table provides information regarding the value on pay-out or vesting of incentive plan awards for the twelve months ended September 30, 2024.

 

       
Name   

Option-based awards – 

Value vested during the 

year 

($)(1)

  

Share-based awards – 

Value vested during the 

year(2)

($) 

  

Non-equity incentive 

plan compensation — 

Value earned during the 

year (3) ($) 

       

Beena Goldenberg

   -    242,523.05    183,211.92
       

Greg Guyatt

   -    -    66,904.50
       

Derrick West(3)

   -    40,248.60    -
       

Paolo De Luca

   -    154,938.00    83,085.71
       

Tim Emberg

   -    134,923.95    85,869.01
       

Helen Martin

   -    142,472.40    88,905.20

 

Notes:

 

(1)

The value is the difference between closing price of the Company’s Common Shares on the TSX of $2.45 on September 30, 2024 and the exercise price of the applicable options.

(2)

Based on the closing price of the Company’s Common Shares on the TSX of $2.45 on September 30, 2024.

(3)

Cash bonus accrued at year end and paid subsequent to year end.

(4)

Derrick West was the Chief Financial Officer of the Company from March 4, 2020 until he departed effective November 12, 2023.

Group Retirement Programs

The Company offers two group retirement programs through Desjardins. The first is a retirement savings plan (RRSP) plan, pursuant to which full-time employees (including NEOs) who have been employed for six months or longer (“Eligible Employees”) contribute 2% of their earnings into the plan. The second is a deferred profit sharing plan (DPSP), pursuant to which the Company contributes 2% of the applicable Eligible Employee earnings into the plan. Withdrawal of funds is not permitted unless there are additional employee voluntary contributions. These contribution amounts were increased to 3% effective Fiscal 2021 and subsequently increased to 4% effective Fiscal 2022.

Benefits and Perquisites

The Company does not, as of the date of this Circular, offer any material benefits or perquisites to its NEOs other than potential grants of Options, RSUs, DSUs and PSUs and as otherwise disclosed and discussed herein.

Termination and Change of Control Benefits

The Company has employment contracts with its NEOs that provide for, among other things, the payment of severance in connection with certain termination events. The following are brief descriptions of certain relevant provisions of the employment contracts with those NEOs that continue to be employees of the Company as at the date of this Circular.


 

- 61 -

 

Beena Goldenberg

Ms. Goldenberg’s employment contract states that, in the event that her employment is terminated by the Company, at any time without cause, Ms. Goldenberg is entitled to receive payments equal to a pro rata share of the bonus owed under the agreement, and salary continuation for 12 months, increasing to 24 months effective September 2026. Should termination follow a change of control, the salary continuation period is 24 months of base salary and 24 months of the annual bonus paid in the fiscal year prior to the date upon which the change of control occurs. In the event that the beneficial owner is BAT (or any related entity), the salary continuation and bonus period is limited to 12 months.

Greg Guyatt

Mr. Guyatt’s employment contract states that, in the event his employment is terminated by the Company, at any time without cause, Mr. Guyatt is entitled to receive payments equal to a pro rata share of the bonus owed under the agreement, and salary continuation for 12 months. Should his termination follow a change of control, the salary continuation period will remain unchanged.

Paolo De Luca

Mr. De Luca’s employment contract states that, in the event his employment is terminated by the Company, at any time without cause, Mr. De Luca is entitled to receive payments equal to a pro rata share of the bonus owed under the agreement, and salary continuation for 12 months. Should his termination follow a change of control, the salary continuation period will remain unchanged.

Helen Martin

Ms. Martin’s employment contract states that, in the event her employment is terminated by the Company, at any time without cause, Ms. Martin is entitled to receive payments equal to a pro rata share of the bonus owed under the agreement, and salary continuation for 12 months. Should termination follow a change of control, the salary continuation period remains unchanged.

Tim Emberg

Mr. Emberg’s employment contract states that, in the event his employment is terminated by the Company, at any time without cause, Mr. Emberg is entitled to receive payments equal to a pro rata share of the bonus owed under the agreement, and salary continuation for 12 months. Should termination follow a change of control, the salary continuation period remains unchanged.

The following table provides details regarding the estimated incremental payments that the Company would have had to make to each of the above noted NEO, assuming that such executive’s employment agreement was terminated by the Company without cause on September 30, 2024, the last business day of the fiscal year:

 

     
NEO   

Incremental Payment for

Termination Without Cause(1), (2), (3)
($)

  

Incremental Payment for

Termination Without Cause

Following a Change of Control(1),

(2), (3)
($)

     
Beena Goldenberg    718,555    1,437,109
     
Greg Guyatt    401,655    401,655


 

- 62 -

 

     
NEO   

Incremental Payment for

Termination Without Cause(1), (2), (3)
($)

  

Incremental Payment for

Termination Without Cause

Following a Change of Control(1),

(2), (3)
($)

     
Paolo De Luca    390,974    390,974
     
Helen Martin    414,576    414,576
     
Tim Emberg    401,027    401,027

 

Notes:

 

(1)

Amounts do not include the value associated with the acceleration of vesting of outstanding awards.

(2)

Amounts include a pro rata bonus payment owed under each NEO’s employment agreement, if applicable, assuming a non-discretionary bonus at applicable base salary target.

(3)

Amounts assume that all reimbursements have been paid and no benefits have accrued.

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Overview and Philosophy

The Company’s director compensation practices are overseen by the Compensation Committee, as well as by the Board as a whole. The Compensation Committee also relies on third party advisors as required to assist it in determining its director compensation practices.

The compensation of directors is designed to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve on the Board, align the interests of the directors with the interests of the Company’s Shareholders, and provide competitive compensation in line with the risks and responsibilities inherent in the role of director.

Elements of 2024 Director Compensation

For Fiscal 2024, the Company’s directors received the following amounts for their services as directors of the Board and as members of the committees of the Board.

 

Role    Cash Retainer    Equity Retainer

Basic Board Member

  

$60,000

  

$97,000

Audit Committee Chair

  

$12,500

  

$7,500

Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee Chair

  

$6,000

  

$6,000

Compensation Committee Chair

  

$9,000

  

$6,000

Investment Committee Chair

  

$6,000

  

$6,000

Committee Member

  

$3,000

  

$3,000

Chairman of the Board

  

$95,000

  

$134,000


 

- 63 -

 

The Board, with assistance from the Compensation Committee, annually reviews the Company’s approach to director compensation. The Compensation Committee considers many factors, including whether compensation fairly reflects the responsibilities and risks involved. The review of the Company’s director compensation includes benchmarking against other cannabis and consumer goods companies in Canada. Annual retainers are intended to provide an appropriate level of fixed compensation that will assist in director retention and recruitment.

Currently, the directors do not benefit from pension plan participation. In Fiscal 2024, the Company allowed directors to participate in the Company’s health and dental plans. To date, Stephen Smith has opted to participate. The Compensation Committee believes that it has established an appropriate comparator group for purposes of setting the future compensation of the directors and intends to continue to monitor such comparator group as it reviews its future compensation amounts.

Director Summary Compensation Table

The following table sets forth the value of all compensation provided to the directors of the Company for Fiscal 2024.

 

Name(1)

 

 

Fees

earned
($)

 

Share-

based

awards(2)
($)

 

Option-
based

awards
($)

 

Non-

equity

incentive

plan

compensation 

($)

 

Pension

value
($)

 

All other

compensation 
($)

  Total
($)
               

Peter Amirault

  95,000   145,166   -   -   -   -   240,166
               

Sherry Porter

  72,000   107,249   -   -   -   -   179,249
               

Dexter John

  72,000   110,499   -   -   -   -   182,499
               

Geoffrey Machum

  69,000   107,249   -   -   -   -   176,249
               

Stephen Smith

  75,500   128,871   -   -   -   -   204,371
               

Marni Wieshofer

  66,000   103,999   -   -   -   -   169,999
               

Simon Ashton(3)

  -   -   -   -   -   -   -
               

Karina Gehring(3)(4)

  -   -   -   -   -   -   -
               

Craig Harris(3)(5)

  -   -   -   -   -   -   -
               

Ken Manget(6)

  17,250   38,085   -   -   -   -   55,335

 

Notes:

 

(1)

The relevant disclosure for Beena Goldenberg’s compensation as CEO has been included in the Summary Compensation Table for NEOs above. Beena Goldenberg did not receive any compensation for her role as director.

(2)

Based on the units issued multiplied by the share price on the date of grant.

(3)

BAT nominees are not entitled to compensation from the Company for their service.

(4)

Karina Gehring was appointed to the Board effective January 18, 2024.

(5)

Craig Harris was appointed to the Board effective July 29, 2024.


 

- 64 -

 

(6)

As Ken Manget did not stand for re-election at the January 18, 2024 shareholder meeting, the compensation above is for the period of October 1, 2023, to January 18, 2024.

Incentive Plan Awards

Outstanding Option-Based and Share-Based Awards

The following table provides information regarding the Option-based and share-based awards for each director outstanding as of September 30, 2024. This includes awards granted prior to Fiscal 2024.

 

     

Name

 

   Option-based Awards      Share-based Awards  
  

Number of 

securities 

underlying 

unexercised 

options 

(#) 

    

Option 

exercise 

price 

($)(1)

    

Option 

expiry date 

    

Value of 

unexercised 

in-the- 

money 

options 

($)(1)

    

Number of 

shares or 

units of 

shares 

that have 

not vested 

(#) 

    

Market or 

payout 

value of 

share- 

based 
awards 

that have 

not 

vested(2)

($) 

   

Market 

or 

payout 

value of 

vested 

share- 

based 

awards 

not paid 

out or 

distributed  (2)

($) 

 
               

Peter Amirault

     10,000        5.00       
June 28,
2026
 
 
     Nil      Nil      Nil     390,584   
   3,750      5.68      September 1,
2026
     Nil  
   9,828      10.36      September 21,
2027
     Nil  
   12,500      19.00      December 17,
2028
     Nil   
               

Sherry Porter

     20,000        19.00       
December 17,
2028
 
 
     Nil      Nil      Nil     254,751  
               

Dexter John

     20,000        19.00       
December 17,
2028
 
 
     Nil      Nil      Nil     230,998  
               

Geoffrey Machum

     20,000        8.68        April 23, 2030        Nil      Nil      Nil     82,249  
               

Stephen Smith

     20,000         8.68         April 23, 2030        Nil      Nil      Nil     272,536  
               

Marni Wieshofer

     20,000      9.00       
January 25,
2031
 
     Nil      Nil      Nil     220,816  
               

Simon Ashton(3)

     Nil      Nil      Nil      Nil      Nil      Nil     Nil
               

Karina Gehring(3)(4)

              Nil      Nil      Nil      Nil      Nil     Nil


 

- 65 -

 

     
Name    Option-based Awards      Share-based Awards  
  

Number of 

securities 

underlying 

unexercised 

options 

(#) 

    

Option 

exercise 

price 

($)(1)

    

Option 

expiry date 

    

Value of 

unexercised 

end in-the- 

money 

options 

($)(1)

    

Number of 

shares or 

units of 

shares 

that have 

not vested 

(#) 

    

Market or 

payout 

value of 

share- 

based 
awards 

that have 

not 

vested(2)

($) 

   

Market 

or 

payout 

value of 

vested 

share- 

based 
awards 

not paid 

out or 

distributed(2)

($) 

 
               

Craig Harris(3)(5)

     Nil         Nil         Nil         Nil         Nil         Nil        Nil   

 

 

Notes:

 

(1)

The value is the difference between closing price of the Company’s Common Shares on the TSX of $2.45 on September 30, 2024 and the exercise price of the applicable options.

(2)

Based on the closing price of the Company’s Common Shares on the TSX of $2.45 on September 30, 2024.

(3)

BAT nominees are not entitled to compensation from the Company for their service.

(4)

Karina Gehring was appointed to the Board on January 18, 2024.

(5)

Craig Harris was appointed to the Board on July 29, 2024.

Incentive Plan Awards Vested or Earned in 2024

The following table provides information regarding the value vested or earned on incentive plan awards for directors for Fiscal 2024.

 

Name   

Option-based awards –

Value vested during the

year(1)
($)

  

Share-based awards –

Value vested during the

year(2)
($)

  

Non-equity incentive

plan compensation —

Value earned during the

year
($)

       

Peter Amirault

   Nil    203,232.40    Nil
       

Sherry Porter

   Nil    150,148.25    Nil
       

Dexter John

   Nil    154,697.90    Nil
       

Geoffrey Machum

   Nil    150,148.25    Nil
       

Stephen Smith

   Nil    170,980.60    Nil
       

Marni Wieshofer

   Nil    145,598.60    Nil
       

Simon Ashton(3)

   Nil    Nil    Nil
       

Karina Gehring(3)(4)

   Nil    Nil    Nil
       

Craig Harris(3)(5)

   Nil    Nil    Nil

 

 

 

(1)

The value is the difference between closing price of the Company’s Common Shares on the TSX of $2.45 on September 30, 2024 and the exercise price of the applicable options.

(2)

Based on the closing price of the Company’s Common Shares on the TSX of $2.45 on September 30, 2024.

(3)

BAT nominees are not entitled to compensation from the Company for their service.


 

- 66 -

 

(4)

Karina Gehring was appointed to the Board effective January 18, 2024.

(5)

Craig Harris was appointed to the Board effective July 29, 2024.

Share Ownership Policy

Please see “Share Ownership Policy” under Compensation of Executive Officers.

Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance7

The Company has directors’ and officers’ liability insurance. The Company’s aggregate annual premium is currently $2,244,500 (US$1,675,000). No part of this premium is paid by the directors or officers of the Company. The aggregate insurance coverage under the policy is limited to $33,500,000 (US$25,000,000) per claim and $33,500,000 (US$25,000,000) per policy year for certain claims. A deductible is not payable by any director or officer making a claim under the policy. This insurance coverage is in addition to the Company’s general third-party liability risk insurance.

INDEBTEDNESS OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

At the date of this Circular, there are no directors, proposed nominees for election as directors, executive officers or their respective associates or affiliates, or other management of the Company that are indebted to the Company.

INTEREST OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS

Other than the Investor’s rights under the Amended IRA and the subscription agreement between the Company and the Investor dated November 5, 2023, the Company is not aware of any material interest, direct or indirect, of any informed person of the Company, any proposed director of the Company, or any associate or affiliate of any informed person or proposed director, in any transaction since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year ended September 30, 2024, or in any proposed transaction which has materially affected or would materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

The Investor’s address is 103 Foulk Road, Suite 111, Wilmington, Delaware, 19803.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Additional information relating to the Company is filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and filed or furnished on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Shareholders may contact the Company 1400-145 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5H 1J8, at telephone number: (844) 644-4726 to obtain copies of the Company’s annual information form, consolidated financial statements, and management’s discussion and analysis for the most recently completed fiscal year. Financial information of the Company is provided in the Company’s comparative consolidated financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis for its most recently completed financial year ended September 30, 2024. Copies of documents will be provided free of charge to security holders of the Company. The Company may require the payment of a reasonable charge from any person

 

 

7 U.S. dollars converted into Canadian dollars based on the daily average rate of exchange posted by the Bank of Canada on the date of invoicing, being USD$1.00 equals CAD$1.34.


 

- 67 -

 

or company who is not a securityholder of the Company, who requests a copy of any such document.

OTHER MATTERS

The Board is not aware of any other matters which it anticipates will come before the Meeting as of the date of mailing of this Circular.

The contents of this Circular and its distribution to Shareholders have been approved by the Board.

DATED at Toronto, Ontario, February 12, 2025.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD

(signed) “Beena Goldenberg”

Beena Goldenberg

Chief Executive Officer


APPENDIX A

NAME CHANGE RESOLUTION

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY A SPECIAL RESOLUTION THAT:

 

1.

The articles of Organigram Holdings Inc. (the “Company”) be amended to change the name of the Company to “Organigram Global Inc.”, subject to regulatory approvals.

 

2.

Any director or officer of the Company is hereby authorized and directed to execute and deliver, or cause to be delivered, the articles of amendment pursuant to the Canada Business Corporations Act, and for and in the name of and on behalf of the Company to execute or cause to be executed, and to deliver or cause to be delivered all such documents, under corporate seal of the Company or otherwise, and to do or cause to be done all such acts and things, as in the opinion of such director or officer may be necessary or desirable in order to carry out the terms of this resolution, such determination to be conclusively evidenced by the execution and delivery of such documents or the doing of any such act or thing.

 

3.

Notwithstanding the approval of this special resolution by the shareholders of the Company, the directors of the Company are hereby authorized and empowered, if they decide not to proceed with the aforementioned resolution, to revoke this resolution at any time prior to the implementation of the name change, without further notice to, or approval of, the shareholders of the Company.


APPENDIX B

REPORTING PACKAGE


NOTICE OF CHANGE OF AUDITOR

(National Instrument 51-102)

 

TO:

  

PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP (“Successor Auditor”)

AND TO:

  

KPMG LLP (“Predecessor Auditor”)

AND TO:

Ontario Securities Commission

New Brunswick Financial and Consumer Services Commission

British Columbia Securities Commission

Alberta Securities Commission

Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan

The Manitoba Securities Commission

 

Autorité des marchés financiers

Nova Scotia Securities Commission

Office of the Superintendent of Securities, Government of Prince Edward Island

Service NL, Financial Services Regulation Division

Office of the Superintendent of Securities, Government of the Northwest Territories

Office of the Superintendent of Securities, Government of Nunavut

Office of the Superintendent of Securities, Government of Yukon

 

  

Organigram Holdings Inc. (the “Corporation”) hereby gives the following notice of a change of auditor of the Corporation in accordance with Section 4.11(6) of Part 4 of National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations (“NI 51-102”):

1. On April 16, 2024 KPMG LLP provided the Corporation with notice that it would not stand for reappointment as auditor of the Corporation for the 2025 Fiscal Year. KPMG LLP indicated that its notification was a result of its decision to cease providing financial statement audit services to companies in the cannabis industry, regardless of the jurisdiction in which they operate.

2. KPMG LLP did not seek the Company’s consent to its decision to not stand for re-appointment as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. As a result, neither the Company’s Board of Directors nor the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors participated in KPMG LLP’s decision.

3. The Company’s Board of Directors and Audit Committee have approved the appointment of PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP as Successor Auditor effective June 28, 2024.

4. KPMG LLP issued unqualified reports on the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2023 and August 31, 2022. KPMG LLP issued an adverse opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2023 and August 31, 2022 due to the existence of material weaknesses.


5. There have been no “reportable events” (as defined in Section 4.11 of NI 51-102).

The Company has requested from PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP a letter addressed to the securities regulatory authorities of each of the provinces and territories of Canada, stating whether or not they agree, disagree or have no basis to agree or disagree with the above statements. The Company has requested from KPMG LLP a similar letter. A copy of such letters will be filed on SEDAR+. The Audit Committee has approved this Notice of Change of Auditor.

DATED at the City of Toronto, in the Province of Ontario, this 28th day of June, 2024.

 

ORGANIGRAM HOLDINGS INC.   

“Greg Guyatt”

  

    

  

Greg Guyatt

  
Chief Financial Officer   


LOGO

KPMG LLP

100 New Park Place, Suite 1400

Vaughan, ON L4K 0J3

Tel 905-265 5900

Fax 905-265 6390

www.kpmg.ca

Alberta Securities Commission

Autorité des marchés financiers

British Columbia Securities Commission

Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan

New Brunswick Financial and Consumer Services Commission

Nova Scotia Securities Commission

Office of the Superintendent of Securities, Government of Prince Edward Island

Office of the Superintendent of Securities, Government of the Northwest Territories

Office of the Superintendent of Securities, Government of Nunavut

Office of the Superintendent of Securities, Government of Yukon

Ontario Securities Commission

Service NL, Financial Services Regulation Division

The Manitoba Securities Commission

July 5, 2024

Dear Sir/Madam

Re: Notice of Change of Auditors of Organigram Holdings Inc.

We have read the Notice of Organigram Holdings Inc. dated June 28, 2024, and are in agreement with the statements contained in such Notice except that we are not in a position to agree or disagree with Organigram Holdings Inc.’s statement that there have been no “consultations” as defined in Section 4.11 of NI 51-102.

Yours very truly,

 

LOGO

Chartered Professional Accountants, Licensed Public Accountants

 

            

   KPMG LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership and member firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Limited, a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG Canada provides services to KPMG LLP. Document classification: KPMG Confidential   

               


LOGO

July 5, 2024

Ontario Securities Commission

New Brunswick Financial and Consumer Services Commission

British Columbia Securities Commission

Alberta Securities Commission

Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan

The Manitoba Securities Commission

Autorité des marchés financiers

Nova Scotia Securities Commission

Office of the Superintendent of Securities, Government of Prince Edward Island

Service NL, Financial Services Regulation Division

Office of the Superintendent of Securities, Government of the Northwest Territories

Office of the Superintendent of Securities, Government of Nunavut

Office of the Superintendent of Securities, Government of Yukon

(collectively, the “Securities Regulators”)

Dear Sir/Madam

Re: Notice of Change of Auditors of Organigram Holdings Inc.

We have read the Notice of Organigram Holdings Inc. dated June 28, 2024 and, based on our knowledge of such information at this time, we agree with the statement 3 as it relates to us, and we have no basis to agree or disagree with statements 1, 2, 4 and 5 contained in the Notice.

Very truly yours,

 

LOGO

PKF O’CONNOR DAVIES, LLP

245 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10167 I Tel: 212.867.8000 or 212.286.2600 I Fax: 212.286.4080 I  www.pkfod.com

PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP is a member firm of the PKF International Limited network of legally independent firms and does not accept any responsibility or liability for the actions or inactions on the part of any other individual member firm or firms.


APPENDIX C

CHARTER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS


LOGO

ORGANIGRAM HOLDINGS INC.

(the “Corporation”)

CHARTER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

This Charter of the Board of Directors (the “Charter”) was adopted by the board of directors of the Corporation (the “Board”) on August 26, 2019 and last reviewed and revised on September 16, 2024.

 

1.

Purpose

The purpose of this Charter is to set out the mandate and responsibilities of the Board of the Corporation. Pursuant to the Canada Business Corporations Act (the “Act”) governing the Corporation, the Board is responsible for managing, or supervising the management of, the business and affairs of the Corporation. By approving this Charter, the Board confirms its responsibility for the stewardship of the Corporation and its affairs. This stewardship function includes responsibility for the matters set out in this Charter. This Charter is a broad policy statement and is intended to be part of the Board’s flexible governance framework. The responsibilities of the Board described herein are pursuant to, and subject to, the Act and the by-laws of the Corporation in effect from time to time and do not impose any additional responsibilities or liabilities on the directors at law or otherwise.

 

2.

Composition

The Board shall be constituted with a majority of individuals who qualify as “independent” within the meaning of National Instrument 58-101Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices (“NI 58-101”). If at any time a majority of the Corporation’s directors are not independent because of the death, resignation, bankruptcy, adjudicated incompetence, removal or change in circumstance of any director who was an independent director within the meaning of NI 58-101, the remaining directors shall appoint a sufficient number of directors who qualify as “independent” to comply with this requirement at their earliest convenience. Pursuant to NI 58-101, an independent director is one who is free from any direct or indirect relationship which could, in the view of the Board, be reasonably expected to interfere with a director’s independent judgment.

The Board shall elect an independent director, within the meaning of NI 58-101, to act as Chair of the Board. The Board shall provide the Chair with a written mandate. If the Chair is not an independent director, then the Board shall elect an independent director to act as Lead Director of the Board and shall provide such Lead Director with a written mandate.

 

3.

Responsibilities of the Board of Directors

The Board is responsible for the stewardship and oversight of the Corporation and its business and in that regard shall be specifically responsible for:

Strategic Direction of the Corporation

 

  (a)

The development and adoption of the strategic direction of the Corporation.


 

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  (b)

Reviewing and approving the Corporation’s financial objectives, long and short-term business plans, and objectives, including significant capital allocations, expenditures and debt strategy.

 

  (c)

With the assistance of the Investment Committee, reviewing and approving material transactions not in the ordinary course of business, including significant capital allocations and expenditures and all matters that would be expected to have a major impact on shareholders, creditors or employees.

 

  (d)

Issuing shares, debt securities, convertible securities and other securities of the Corporation for such consideration as the Board may deem appropriate, subject to the Act and applicable securities laws and stock exchange rules.

 

  (e)

Other than in the ordinary course, approving the incurrence of indebtedness by the Corporation.

 

  (f)

Approving the re-purchase of securities of the Corporation, subject to the Act, and applicable securities laws and stock exchange rules.

Risk Management

 

  (g)

With the assistance of the Audit Committee, identifying the principal risks of the Corporation’s business and ensuring that appropriate systems have been implemented to monitor and manage risk with a view to the long-term success of the Corporation and regularly evaluating risk exposure against the potential returns for the Corporation’s shareholders.

 

  (h)

Monitoring the Canadian regulatory environment with respect to the marketing, acquisition, production, storage, sale and shipment of cannabis and any related controlled substance regulations, including the Corporation’s ongoing relationship with Health Canada and its continuing status as a “Licensed Producer” of cannabis in Canada, which is recognized as a key risk area of the Corporation.

 

  (i)

With the assistance of the Corporate Governance, Nominating and Sustainability Committee, ensuring that the Corporation carries an appropriate level of director and officer insurance and reviewing and approving the terms of such insurance annually.

Officers and Management

 

  (j)

Appointing senior members of the Corporation’s management (“Management”), who collectively shall be responsible for general day-to-day management of the Corporation and for making recommendations to the Board with respect to long-term strategic, financial, organizational and related objectives.

 

  (k)

With the assistance of the Compensation Committee, reviewing the compensation of directors, officers and senior members of Management to


 

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ensure that they are competitive within the industry and that the form of compensation aligns the interests of each such individual with those of the Corporation.

 

  (l)

Selecting, monitoring and evaluating the senior members of Management, and ensuring there is in place appropriate Management succession. In connection with Management succession, the Board shall ensure that programs are in place to train and develop new Management.

 

  (m)

Satisfying itself as to the integrity of the senior members of Management and that the senior members of Management create a culture of integrity throughout the organization. The Board is responsible for developing and approving the goals and objectives which the senior members of Management will collectively be responsible for meeting.

Financial Information, Reporting Matters and Policies

 

  (n)

Maintaining harmony between shareholder expectations, the Corporation’s strategic goals, the financial performance of the Corporation, and the performance of Management.

 

  (o)

With the assistance of the Audit Committee, monitoring and ensuring the integrity of the internal controls and procedures (including adequate management information systems) within the Corporation and the financial reporting procedures of the Corporation.

 

  (p)

With the assistance of the Audit Committee, ensuring the accurate and timely reporting of financial information to shareholders and all regulatory bodies, including the review and approval of quarterly and annual financial statements, management’s discussion and analysis related to such financial statements, and budgets and forecasts.

 

  (q)

Overseeing any related party matters, and ensuring that they are effected in compliance with all legal, regulatory and policy requirements.

 

  (r)

Distributions, normally in the form of dividends, to shareholders.

Conduct and Confidentiality

 

  (s)

With the assistance of the Corporate Governance, Nominating and Sustainability Committee, ensuring appropriate standards of conduct including adopting a corporate code of conduct for all employees and Management, and monitoring compliance with such code and all applicable laws and regulations. Only the full Board may grant waivers of the Corporation’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics which would be to the benefit of directors and/or officers of the Corporation.

 

  (t)

Enforcing confidentiality policies with regard to the Corporation’s proprietary information and all Board deliberations.


 

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Communications and Board Resources

 

  (u)

Ensuring effective and adequate communication with the shareholders and other stakeholders as well as the public at large. The Board shall periodically review the methods by which shareholders can communicate with the Corporation and Management, as well as the Corporation’s ability to effectively respond to communications from shareholders.

 

  (v)

Evaluating the adequacy of its resources in its oversight of the Corporation and Management.

Board and Committee Evaluation

 

  (w)

From time to time, evaluating its effectiveness and the effectiveness of its committees with respect to its (and their) contribution to the Corporation.

Other Responsibilities and Functions

 

  (x)

Performing such other functions as prescribed by law or assigned to the Board in the Corporation’s governing documents, including compliance with the provisions of the by-laws of the Corporation.

It is recognized that every member of the Board, in exercising their powers and discharging their duties, must act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Corporation. Directors must exercise the degree of care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances. In this regard, they will comply with their duties of honesty, loyalty, care, diligence, skill and prudence.

In addition, members of the Board are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with policies and regulations adopted by the Board from time to time.

It is expected that Management will co-operate in all ways to facilitate compliance by the Board with its legal duties by causing the Corporation and its subsidiaries to take such actions as may be necessary in that regard and by promptly reporting any data or information to the Board that may affect such compliance.

 

4.

Expectations of Directors

The Board has developed a number of specific expectations of directors to promote the discharge by the directors of their responsibilities and to promote the proper conduct of the Board.

 

  (a)

Commitment and Attendance. All directors are expected to maintain a high attendance record at meetings of the Board and the committees of which they are members. Attendance by telephone or video conference may be used to facilitate a director’s attendance.

 

  (b)

Preparation for Meetings. All directors are expected to review the materials circulated in advance of meetings of the Board and its committees and should arrive prepared to discuss the issues presented. Directors are


 

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encouraged to contact the Chair of the Board, and if one has been appointed and if appropriate, the Lead Director, and any other appropriate executive officer(s) of the Corporation to ask questions and discuss agenda items prior to meetings.

 

  (c)

Participation in Meetings. Each director is expected to be sufficiently knowledgeable of the business of the Corporation, including its financial statements, and the risks it faces, to ensure active and effective, and candid and forthright participation in the deliberations of the Board and of each committee on which he or she serves.

 

  (d)

Loyalty, Ethics and Personal Conduct. In their roles as directors, all members of the Board owe a duty of loyalty to the Corporation. This duty of loyalty mandates that the best interests of the Corporation take precedence over any other interest possessed by a director. Directors are expected to: (i) exhibit high standards of personal integrity, honesty and loyalty to the Corporation; (ii) project a positive image of the Corporation to news media, the financial community, governments and their agencies, Shareholders and employees; (iii) be willing to contribute extra efforts, from time to time, as may be necessary including, among other things, being willing to serve on committees of the Board; and (iv) disclose any potential conflict of interest that may arise with the affairs or business of the Corporation and, generally, avoid entering into situations where such conflicts could arise or could reasonably be perceived to arise.

 

  (e)

Other Board Memberships and Significant Activities. The Corporation values the experience directors bring from other boards on which they serve and other activities in which they participate, but recognizes that those boards and activities also may present demands on a director’s time and availability and may present conflicts or legal issues, including independence issues. Each member of the Board should, when considering membership on another board or committee, make every effort to ensure that such membership will not impair the member’s time and availability for his or her commitment to the Corporation. Directors should advise the chair of the Corporate Governance, Nominating and Sustainability Committee before accepting membership on other public company boards or any audit committee or other significant committee assignment on any other board, or establishing other significant relationships with businesses, institutions, governmental units or regulatory entities, particularly those that may result in significant time commitments or a change in the member’s relationship to the Corporation.

 

  (f)

Contact with Management and Employees. All members of the Board should be free to contact Management at any time to discuss any aspect of the Corporation’s business. Directors should use their judgement to ensure that any such contact is not disruptive to the operations of the Corporation. The Board expects that there will be frequent opportunities for members of


 

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the Board to meet with Management in meetings of the Board and committees, or in other formal or informal settings.

 

  (g)

Confidentiality. The proceedings and deliberations of the Board and its committees are confidential. Each member of the Board will maintain the confidentiality of information received in connection with his or her service as a director.

 

  (h)

Cannabis Legislation. Board members shall maintain a current knowledge of the Cannabis Act (Canada) and other Canadian regulations governing the marketing, acquisition, production, storage, sale and shipment of cannabis in Canada.

 

5.

Meetings

The Board will meet not less than four times per year: three meetings to review quarterly results and one meeting prior to the issuance of the annual financial results of the Corporation. The Board shall meet periodically without Management present to ensure that the Board functions independent of Management. At each Board meeting, unless otherwise determined by the Board, an in camera meeting of independent directors will take place, which session will be chaired by the Chair of the Board or, if the Chair is not independent within the meaning of NI 58-101 and one has been appointed, the Lead Director. The Board will keep minutes of each meeting of the Board. A copy of the minutes will be provided to each member of the Board.

In discharging its mandate, the Board and any committee of the Board will have the authority to retain and receive advice from outside financial, legal or other advisors (at the cost of the Corporation) as the Board or any such committee determines to be necessary to permit it to carry out its duties. Any director may, subject to the prior approval of the Board, retain an outside advisor at the expense of the Corporation.

The Board appreciates having certain members of Management attend each Board meeting to provide information and opinions to assist the members of the Board in their deliberations. Management attendees who are not Board members will be excused for any agenda items which are reserved for discussion among directors only.

 

6.

Board Meeting Agendas and Information

The Chair and, if one has been appointed, the Lead Director, in consultation with Management of the Corporation, will develop the agenda for each Board meeting. Agendas will be distributed to the members of the Board before each meeting, and all Board members shall be free to suggest additions to the agenda in advance of the meeting.

Whenever practicable, information and reports pertaining to Board meeting agenda items will be circulated to the directors in advance of the meeting. Reports may be presented during the meeting by members of the Board, Management and/or staff, or by invited outside advisors. It is recognized that under some circumstances, due to the confidential nature of matters to be discussed at a meeting, it will not be prudent or appropriate to distribute written materials in advance.


 

- 7 -

 

7.

Telephone/Electronic Board Meetings

A director may participate in a meeting of the Board or in a committee meeting by means of telephone, electronic or such other communications facilities as permit all persons participating in the meeting to communicate with each other, and a director participating in such a meeting by such means is deemed to be present at the meeting.

While it is the intent of the Board to follow an agreed meeting schedule as closely as possible, from time to time, telephone board meetings may be called in order for directors to be in a position to better fulfill their legal obligations. Alternatively, Management may request that the directors approve certain matters by unanimous written consent.

 

8.

Measures for Receiving Shareholder Feedback

All publicly disseminated materials of the Corporation shall where possible and subject to applicable law provide for a mechanism for feedback of Shareholders.

 

9.

Expectations of Management

Management shall be required to report to the Board at the request of the Board on the performance of the Corporation, new and proposed initiatives, the Corporation’s business and investments, Management concerns and any other matter the Board or its Chair may deem appropriate. In addition, the Board expects Management to promptly report to the Chair or, if one has been appointed and if appropriate, the Lead Director, any significant developments, changes, transactions or proposals respecting the Corporation or its subsidiaries.

 

10.

Communications Policy

The Board shall approve the content of the Corporation’s major communications to Shareholders and the investing public including any annual report, management information circular, annual information form and any prospectuses which may be issued. The Audit Committee shall review and recommend to the Board the approval of the quarterly and annual financial statements (including the management’s discussion & analysis) and press releases relating to financial matters. The Board also has responsibility for monitoring all of the Corporation’s external communications. However, the Board believes that it is the function of Management to speak for the Corporation in its communications with the investment community, the media, customers, suppliers, employees, governments and the general public.

The Board shall have responsibility for reviewing the Corporation’s policies and practices with respect to disclosure of financial and other information including insider reporting and trading. The Board shall approve and monitor the disclosure policies designed to assist the Corporation in meeting its objective of providing timely, consistent and credible dissemination of information, consistent with disclosure requirements under applicable securities law. The Board shall review the Corporation’s policies relating to communication and disclosure on an annual basis.

Generally, communications from Shareholders and the investment community will be directed to Management, who will coordinate an appropriate response depending on the nature of the communication. It is expected, if communications from stakeholders are made to any individual


 

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members of the Board, that Management will be informed, if appropriate, and consulted to determine any appropriate response.

 

11.

Internal Control and Management Information Systems

The Board has oversight for the integrity of the Corporation’s internal control and management information systems. All material matters relating to the Corporation and its business require the prior approval of the Board, subject to the Board’s ability to delegate such matters to, among others, the Corporation’s Audit Committee, Corporate Governance, Nominating and Sustainability Committee, Compensation Committee, Investment Committee and Management. Management is authorized to act, without Board approval, on all ordinary course matters relating to the Corporation’s business.

The Audit Committee has responsibility for ensuring internal controls are appropriately designed, implemented and monitored and for ensuring that Management and financial reporting is complete and accurate, even though Management may be charged with developing and implementing the necessary procedures.

 

12.

Delegation of Powers

The directors may establish one or more committees and may, subject to the Act and other applicable laws, delegate to such committees any of the powers of the Board. The directors may also, subject to the Act and other applicable laws, delegate powers to manage the business and affairs of the Corporation to such of the officers of the Corporation as they, in their sole and absolute discretion, may deem necessary or desirable to appoint, and define the scope of and manner in which such powers will be exercised by such persons as they may deem appropriate.

The Board retains responsibility for oversight of any matters delegated to any director(s) or any committee of the Board, to Management or to other persons.

 

13.

Board Effectiveness

The Board shall review and, if determined appropriate, approve the recommendations of the applicable committee of the Board, if any, concerning formal position descriptions for the Chair of the Board and, if one has been appointed, the Lead Director, and for each committee of the Board, and for the Chief Executive Officer, provided that in approving a position description for the Chief Executive Officer, the Board shall consider the input of the Chief Executive Officer and shall develop and approve corporate goals and objectives that the Chief Executive Officer is responsible for meeting (which may include goals and objectives relevant to the Chief Executive Officer’s compensation, as recommended by the applicable committee of the Board, if any).

The Board shall review and, if determined appropriate, adopt a process recommended by the Corporate Governance, Nominating and Sustainability Committee of the Board, if any, for reviewing the performance and effectiveness of the Board as a whole, the committees of the Board and the contributions of individual directors on a periodic basis.


 

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14.

Director Tenure Policy

The following terms are applicable to all directors who are not also executive officers of the Corporation (“Non-Executive Directors”) subject to being annually re-elected by Shareholders:

 

  (a)

Non-Executive Directors shall not stand for re-election at the annual general meeting of Shareholders following the latter of his or her 75th birthday and 15 years of Board tenure.

 

  (b)

The Board, with the approval of a majority of the incumbent directors, may extend the term of any such Non-Executive Director for up to a three year period.

 

15.

Education and Training

The Board will provide newly elected directors with an orientation program to educate them on the Corporation, their roles and responsibilities on the Board or committees, as well as the Corporation’s internal controls, financial reporting and accounting practices. In addition, directors will, from time to time, as required, receive: (a) training to increase their skills and abilities, as it relates to their duties and their responsibilities on the Board; and (b) continuing education about the Corporation to maintain a current understanding of the Corporation’s business, including its operations, internal controls, financial reporting and accounting practices. The Corporation shall also provide corporate membership to the Institute of Corporate Directors (“ICD”) for its Board members and Directors shall keep abreast of the routine publications of the ICD.

 

16.

Inconsistencies with Applicable Laws

In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between this Charter and the provisions of the Act or other applicable laws, in each case as amended, restated or amended and restated from time to time, the provisions hereof shall be ineffective and shall be superseded by the provisions of the Act or such other applicable laws to the extent necessary to resolve such conflict or inconsistency.

Exhibit 99.2

 

LOGO

ORGANIGRAM HOLDINGS INC (the “Corporation”) Annual and Special Meeting March 24, 2025 at 10:00AM (Canada/Eastern Standard) Virtual Meeting at 10am EST (the “Meeting”) Proxy Voting – Guidelines and Conditions 1. THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED BY OR ON BEHALF OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE CORPORATION. 2. THIS PROXY SHOULD BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MEETING MATERIALS PRIOR TO VOTING. 3. If you appoint the Management Nominees indicated on the reverse to vote on your behalf, they must also vote in accordance with your instructions or, if no instructions are given, in accordance with the Voting Recommendations highlighted for each Resolution on the reverse. If you appoint someone else to vote your securities, they will also vote in accordance with your instructions or, if no instructions are given, as they in their discretion choose. 4. This proxy confers discretionary authority on the person named to vote in their discretion with respect to amendments or variations to the matters identified in the Notice of the Meeting accompanying the proxy or such other matters which may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. 5. The securityholder has a right to appoint a person or company to represent the securityholder at the Meeting other than the person or company designated in the form of proxy. Such right may be exercised by inserting, on the reverse of this form, in the space labeled “Please print appointee name”, the name of the person to be appointed, who need not be a securityholder of the Corporation. 6. To be valid, this proxy must be signed. Please date the proxy. If the proxy is not dated, it is deemed to bear the date of its mailing to the securityholders of the Corporation. 7. To be valid, this proxy must be filed using one of the Voting Methods and must be received by TSX Trust Company before the Filing Deadline for Proxy, noted on the reverse or in the case of any adjournment or postponement of the Meeting not less than 48 hours (Saturdays, Sundays and holidays excepted) before the time of the adjourned or postponed meeting. Late proxies may be accepted or rejected by the Chair of the Meeting in their discretion, and the Chair is under no obligation to accept or reject any particular late proxy. 8. If the holder is a corporation, the proxy must be executed by an officer or attorney thereof duly authorized, and the holder may be required to provide documentation evidencing the signatory’s power to sign the proxy. 9. Guidelines for proper execution of the proxy are available at www.stac.ca. Please refer to the Proxy Protocol. Electronic Delivery If you are a registered securityholder and wish to enroll for electronic delivery for future issuer communications including meeting related materials, financial statements, DRS, etc., where applicable, you may do so: 1. After you vote online at www.voteproxyonline.com using your control number. 2. Through TSX Trust’s online portal, Investor Insite. You may log in or enroll at https://www.tsxtrust.com/investor-login For details go to www.tsxtrust.com/consent-to-electronic-delivery VOTING METHOD Internet Go to www.voteproxyonline.com and enter the 12 digit control number FACSIMILE 416-595-9593 MAIL or HAND DELIVERY TSX Trust Company 301-100 Adelaide Street West Toronto, Ontario, M5H 4H1 Investor inSite TSX Trust Company offers at no cost to holders, the convenience of secure 24-hour access to all data relating to their account including summary of holdings, transaction history, and links to valuable holder forms and Frequently Asked Questions. To register, please visit: https://tsxtrust.com/t/investor-hub/forms/investor-insite-registration and complete the registration form. For assistance, please contact TSX TRUST INVESTOR SERVICES. Mail: 301 - 100 Adelaide Street West Toronto, ON, M5H 4H1 Tel: 1-866-600-5869 Email: tsxtis@tmx.com


LOGO

FORM OF PROXY (“PROXY”) ORGANIGRAM HOLDINGS INC (the “Corporation”) CONTROL NUMBER: «CONTROL_NUMBER» Annual and Special Meeting March 24, 2025 at 10:00 AM (Canada/Eastern Standard) Virtual Meeting at 10am EST SECURITY CLASS: Common Shares RECORD DATE: Feb. 12, 2025 FILING DEADLINE FOR PROXY: March 20, 2025 at 10:00 AM (Canada/Eastern Standard) APPOINTEES The undersigned hereby appoints Beena Goldenberg, Chief Executive Officer whom failing Greg Guyatt, Chief Financial Officer (the “Management Nominees”) or instead of any of them, the following Appointee PLEASE PRINT APPOINTEE NAME as proxyholder on behalf of the undersigned with the power of substitution to attend, act and vote for and on behalf of the undersigned in respect of all matters that may properly come before the Meeting and at any adjournment(s) or postponement(s) thereof, to the same extent and with the same power as if the undersigned were personally present at the said Meeting or such adjournment(s) or postponement(s) thereof in accordance with voting instructions, if any, provided below. - SEE VOTING GUIDELINES ON REVERSE - RESOLUTIONS - VOTING RECOMMENDATIONS ARE INDICATED BY HIGHLIGHTED TEXT ABOVE THE BOXES 1. Election of Directors FOR AGAINST A) Peter Amirault [ ] [ ] B) Dexter John [ ] [ ] C) Stephen Smith [ ] [ ] D) Geoffrey Machum[ ] [ ] E) Sherry Porter [ ] [ ] F) Marni Wieshofer [ ] [ ] G) Simon Ashton [ ] [ ] H) Karina Gehring [ ] [ ] I) Craig Harris [ ] [ ] J) Beena Goldenberg [ ] [ ] 3. Company Name Change Resolution FOR AGAINST To consider and, if deemed advisable, to approve a special resolution authorizing an amendment to the articles of the corporation to change the name of the corporation to “Organigram Global Inc”. as more particularly described within the information circular. 2. Appointment of Auditor FOR WITHHOLD To appoint PKF O’Connor Davies LLP as Auditor of the Corporation for the ensuing year and to [ ] [ ] authorize the Directors to fix their remuneration. The Proxy revokes and supersedes all earlier dated proxies and MUST BE SIGNED PLEASE PRINT NAME Signature of registered owner(s) Date(MM/DD/YYYY) [  ] Interim Financial Statements – Mark this box if you would like to receive Interim Financial Statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis. [  ] Annual Financial Statements – Mark this box if you would NOT like to receive Annual Financial Statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis. If you are casting your vote online and wish to receive financial statements, please complete the online request for financial statements following your voting instructions. If the cut-off time has passed, please fax this side to 416-595-9593

Exhibit 99.3

 

LOGO

TSX TRUST Virtual Meeting Guide 1/2 Issuer Name ORGANIGRAM HOLDINGS INC. Meeting Date Time March 24, 2025 10:00AM EST This year we will be conducting a virtual meeting, giving you the opportunity to attend the meeting online, using your smartphone, tablet or computer. You will be able to view a live webcast of the Meeting, ask questions and submit your votes in real time (where applicable). APPOINTING SOMEONE TO BE YOUR PROXYHOLDER An additional step is required, if you appoint someone to be your proxy, other than the individual(s) named on the form of proxy or voting instruction form, you or your proxy will be required to register with TSX Trust to receive a Meeting Access Number, in order to participate at the Meeting. To Register, please go the URL below. NON-REGISTERED HOLDERS, holding securities through a broker or financial institution, should carefully follow the instructions set out on the voting instruction form and in the information circular. Please note that only registered securityholders and proxyholders are permitted to vote at the meeting. A non-registered securityholder wishing to vote at the meeting, should appoint themselves as a proxyholder, and will be required to register with TSX Trust to receive Meeting Access Number in order participate at the Meeting. NOTE: If you do not register with TSX Trust to receive your Meeting Access Number, you will NOT be able to participate at the Meeting. To Register with TSX Trust go to: tsxtrust.com/resource/en/75 ATTENDING THE MEETING VIRTUALLY Simply go to the following website in your web browser (not a Google search) on your smartphone, tablet or computer. You will need the latest versions of Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox. Please ensure your browser is compatible by logging in early. URL https://virtual-meetings.tsxtrust.com/en/1734 I HAVE A CONTROL NUMBER / MEETING ACCESS NUMBER If you have received a form of proxy from our transfer agent, TSX Trust Company, with a control number, or you are a proxyholder with a Meeting Access Number, select “I have a Control Number / Meeting Access Number” and enter the numbers and the password below (case sensitive): If you do not have a control number select “I am a Guest” and fill in the required information. Meeting Password (case sensitive) ogi2025 I AM A GUEST Please login at least 15 minutes before the start of the meeting and ensure your web browser and internet connection are working properly. tsxtrust.com


LOGO

TSX TRUST Virtual Meeting Guide 2/2 NAVIGATION When successfully authenticated, the info screen will be displayed. You can view the company information, ask questions and watch the webcast. If you would like to watch the webcast press the play icon. If viewing on a computer, the webcast will appear automatically once the meeting has started. VOTING Once the voting is announced, click the voting icon on the left hand side. VOTING To vote, simply select your voting direction from the options shown on screen and click SUBMIT. A confirmation message will appear to show your vote has been received. If you have additional control numbers to vote, click at the top to enter the additional credential. + I HAVE ADDITIONAL CONTROL NUMBERS To change your vote, simply click REFRESH VOTING RESOLUTIONS Voting will remain open until the voting on the ballot is closed. QUESTIONS Eligible securityholders (registered securityholder and proxyholders) attending the meeting, with their control number / Meeting Access Number may ask questions during the meeting. Messages can be submitted at any time during the Q&A session up until the Chair closes the session. If you would like to ask a question, select the icon on the left. ASK A QUESTION Type your message within the chat box in the messaging screen. Once you are happy with your message click the “Ask Now” button Questions sent via TSX Trust Virtual Meeting platform will be moderated before being sent to the Chair ADDITIONAL NOTES This document should be read in conjunction with the Information Circular. Registered and Non-registered securityholders should carefully follow the instructions on the Form of Proxy / Voting Instruction Form, and ensure that Votes / Proxy Appointments are submitted by the Proxy Filing Deadline. It is important that you are connected to the internet at all times during the Meeting. It is your responsibility to ensure connectivity for the duration of the Meeting. We encourage you to log-in to the Meeting at least 15 minutes before the start of the Meeting to check your connectivity and audio settings. tsxtrust.com


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