RISK FACTORS
Investing in the Shares involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information contained and incorporated by reference in this prospectus, before deciding to invest in the Shares. If any of the following risks materialize, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and future prospects will likely be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the market price of the Shares could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Company
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic may negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
On March 11, 2020, the novel coronavirus outbreak (“COVID-19”) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. governmental authorities around the world have implemented measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. These measures have adversely affected workforces, customers, supply chains, consumer sentiment, economies, and financial markets, and, along with decreased consumer spending, have led to an economic downturn across many global economies.
The extent to which COVID-19 ultimately impacts our business, financial condition and results of operations will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and unpredictable, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effectiveness of actions taken to contain the COVID-19 pandemic or treat its impact. The COVID-19 pandemic is evolving and new information emerges regularly, and as a result, the ultimate duration and magnitude of the impact on the economy and our business are not known at this time. These conditions may affect our ability to obtain debt and equity financing to fund ongoing exploration activities, as well as conduct business more efficiently.
We have taken action to minimize the risks of the COVID-19 virus for our employees, contractors and other people participating in our operations, programs and activities. Although there have been no known or suspected cases of the virus reported at any of our workplaces, either in Canada or the United States, the health and safety of our work force remains a priority. We are closely monitoring the rapid developments of the outbreak and continually assessing the potential impact on our business. We continue to follow government health protocols including our continued “work from home” protocol for personnel whose attendance at the office or work sites is not critical.
Our ability to operate as a going concern is in doubt.
The ability of the Company to continue as a going concern is dependent on the Company’s ability to maintain continued support from its shareholders and creditors and to raise additional capital and implement its business plan.
There is no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain adequate financing in the future or that such financing will be on terms advantageous to the Company. However, management believes that the Company has sufficient working capital to meet its projected minimum financial obligations for the next fiscal year. The accompanying
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financial statements have been prepared under the assumption that we will continue as a going concern. We are an exploration stage company and we have incurred losses since our inception.
Our plans for the long-term return to and continuation as a going concern include financing our future operations through sales of our Common Stock and/or debt and the eventual profitable exploitation of our I-M Mine Property.
We will require significant additional capital to fund our business plan.
We will be required to expend significant funds to determine whether proven and probable mineral reserves exist at our properties, to continue exploration and, if warranted, to develop our existing properties, and to identify and acquire additional properties to diversify our property portfolio. We anticipate that we will be required to make substantial capital expenditures for the continued exploration and, if warranted, development of our I-M Mine Property. We have spent and will be required to continue to expend significant amounts of capital for drilling, geological, and geochemical analysis, assaying, permitting, and feasibility studies with regard to the results of our exploration at our I-M Mine Property. We may not benefit from some of these investments if we are unable to identify commercially exploitable mineral reserves.
Our ability to obtain necessary funding for these purposes, in turn, depends upon a number of factors, including the status of the national and worldwide economy and the price of metals. Capital markets worldwide were adversely affected by substantial losses by financial institutions, caused by investments in asset-backed securities and remnants from those losses continue to impact the ability for us to raise capital. We may not be successful in obtaining the required financing or, if we can obtain such financing, such financing may not be on terms that are favorable to us.
Our inability to access sufficient capital for our operations could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, or prospects. Sales of substantial amounts of securities may have a highly dilutive effect on our ownership or share structure. Sales of a large number of shares of our Common Stock in the public markets, or the potential for such sales, could decrease the trading price of those shares and could impair our ability to raise capital through future sales of Common Stock. We have not yet commenced commercial production at any of our properties and, therefore, have not generated positive cash flows to date and have no reasonable prospects of doing so unless successful commercial production can be achieved at our I-M Mine Property. We expect to continue to incur negative investing and operating cash flows until such time as we enter into successful commercial production. This will require us to deploy our working capital to fund such negative cash flow and to seek additional sources of financing. There is no assurance that any such financing sources will be available or sufficient to meet our requirements. There is no assurance that we will be able to continue to raise equity capital or to secure additional debt financing, or that we will not continue to incur losses.
We have a limited operating history on which to base an evaluation of our business and prospects.
Since our inception, we have had no revenue from operations. We have no history of producing products from any of our properties. Our I-M Mine Project is a historic, past-producing mine with apart from the exploration work that we have completed since 2016 has had very little recent exploration work since 1956. Advancing our I-M Mine Property into the development stage will require significant capital and time, and successful commercial production from the I-M Mine Property will be subject to completing feasibility studies, permitting and re-commissioning of the mine, constructing processing plants, and other related works and infrastructure. As a result, we are subject to all of the risks associated with developing and establishing new mining operations and business enterprises including:
·completion of feasibility studies to verify reserves and commercial viability, including the ability to find sufficient ore reserves to support a commercial mining operation;
·the timing and cost, which can be considerable, of further exploration, preparing feasibility studies, permitting and construction of infrastructure, mining and processing facilities;
·the availability and costs of drill equipment, exploration personnel, skilled labor, and mining and processing equipment, if required;
·the availability and cost of appropriate smelting and/or refining arrangements, if required;
·compliance with stringent environmental and other governmental approval and permit requirements;
·the availability of funds to finance exploration, development, and construction activities, as warranted;
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·potential opposition from non-governmental organizations, local groups or local inhabitants that may delay or prevent development activities;
·potential increases in exploration, construction, and operating costs due to changes in the cost of fuel, power, materials, and supplies; and
·potential shortages of mineral processing, construction, and other facilities related supplies.
The costs, timing, and complexities of exploration, development, and construction activities may be increased by the location of our properties and demand by other mineral exploration and mining companies. It is common in exploration programs to experience unexpected problems and delays during drill programs and, if commenced, development, construction, and mine start-up. In addition, our management and workforce will need to be expanded, and sufficient support systems for our workforce will have to be established. This could result in delays in the commencement of mineral production and increased costs of production. Accordingly, our activities may not result in profitable mining operations and we may not succeed in establishing mining operations or profitably producing metals at any of our current or future properties, including our I-M Mine Property.
We have a history of losses and expect to continue to incur losses in the future.
We have incurred losses since inception, have had negative cash flow from operating activities, and expect to continue to incur losses in the future. We have incurred the following losses from operations during each of the following periods:
·$5,471,535 for the year ended July 31, 2020; and
·$4,412,213 for the year ended July 31, 2019.
We expect to continue to incur losses unless and until such time as one of our properties enters into commercial production and generates sufficient revenues to fund continuing operations. We recognize that if we are unable to generate significant revenues from mining operations and/or dispositions of our properties, we will not be able to earn profits or continue operations. At this early stage of our operation, we also expect to face the risks, uncertainties, expenses, and difficulties frequently encountered by companies at the start-up stage of their business development. We cannot be sure that we will be successful in addressing these risks and uncertainties and our failure to do so could have a materially adverse effect on our financial condition.
Risks Related to Mining and Exploration
The I-M Mine Property is in the exploration stage. There is no assurance that we can establish the existence of any mineral reserve on the I-M Mine Property or any other properties we may acquire in commercially exploitable quantities. Unless and until we do so, we cannot earn any revenues from these properties and if we do not do so we will lose all of the funds that we expend on exploration. If we do not discover any mineral reserve in a commercially exploitable quantity, the exploration component of our business could fail.
We have not established that any of our mineral properties contain any mineral reserve according to recognized reserve guidelines, nor can there be any assurance that we will be able to do so.
A mineral reserve is defined by the SEC in its Industry Guide 7 as that part of a mineral deposit that could be economically and legally extracted or produced at the time of the reserve determination. In general, the probability of any individual prospect having a “reserve” that meets the requirements of the SEC’s Industry Guide 7 is small, and our mineral properties may not contain any “reserves” and any funds that we spend on exploration could be lost. Even if we do eventually discover a mineral reserve on one or more of our properties, there can be no assurance that they can be developed into producing mines and that we can extract those minerals. Both mineral exploration and development involve a high degree of risk, and few mineral properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines.
The commercial viability of an established mineral deposit will depend on a number of factors including, by way of example, the size, grade, and other attributes of the mineral deposit, the proximity of the mineral deposit to infrastructure such as processing facilities, roads, rail, power, and a point for shipping, government regulation, and
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market prices. Most of these factors will be beyond our control, and any of them could increase costs and make extraction of any identified mineral deposit unprofitable.
The nature of mineral exploration and production activities involves a high degree of risk and the possibility of uninsured losses.
Exploration for and the production of minerals is highly speculative and involves greater risk than many other businesses. Most exploration programs do not result in the discovery of mineralization, and any mineralization discovered may not be of sufficient quantity or quality to be profitably mined. Our operations are, and any future development or mining operations we may conduct will be, subject to all of the operating hazards and risks normally incidental to exploring for and development of mineral properties, such as, but not limited to:
·economically insufficient mineralized material;
·fluctuation in production costs that make mining uneconomical;
·labor disputes;
·unanticipated variations in grade and other geologic problems;
·environmental hazards;
·water conditions;
·difficult surface or underground conditions;
·industrial accidents;
·metallurgic and other processing problems;
·mechanical and equipment performance problems;
·failure of dams, stockpiles, wastewater transportation systems, or impoundments;
·unusual or unexpected rock formations; and
·personal injury, fire, flooding, cave-ins and landslides.
Any of these risks can materially and adversely affect, among other things, the development of properties, production quantities and rates, costs and expenditures, potential revenues, and production dates. If we determine that capitalized costs associated with any of our mineral interests are not likely to be recovered, we would incur a write-down of our investment in these interests. All of these factors may result in losses in relation to amounts spent that are not recoverable, or that result in additional expenses.
Commodity price volatility could have dramatic effects on the results of operations and our ability to execute our business plan.
The price of commodities varies on a daily basis. Our future revenues, if any, will likely be derived from the extraction and sale of base and precious metals. The price of those commodities has fluctuated widely, particularly in recent years, and is affected by numerous factors beyond our control including economic and political trends, expectations of inflation, currency exchange fluctuations, interest rates, global and regional consumptive patterns, speculative activities and increased production due to new extraction developments and improved extraction and production methods. The effect of these factors on the price of base and precious metals, and therefore the economic viability of our business, could negatively affect our ability to secure financing or our results of operations.
Estimates of mineralized material and resources are subject to evaluation uncertainties that could result in project failure.
Our exploration and future mining operations, if any, are and would be faced with risks associated with being able to accurately predict the quantity and quality of mineralized material and resources/reserves within the earth using statistical sampling techniques. Estimates of any mineralized material or resource/reserve on any of our properties would be made using samples obtained from appropriately placed trenches, test pits, underground workings, and intelligently designed drilling. There is an inherent variability of assays between check and duplicate samples taken adjacent to each other and between sampling points that cannot be reasonably eliminated. Additionally, there also may be unknown geologic details that have not been identified or correctly appreciated at the current level of accumulated knowledge about our properties. This could result in uncertainties that cannot be reasonably eliminated
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from the process of estimating mineralized material and resources/reserves. If these estimates were to prove to be unreliable, we could implement an exploitation plan that may not lead to commercially viable operations in the future.
Any material changes in mineral resource/reserve estimates and grades of mineralization will affect the economic viability of placing a property into production and a property’s return on capital.
As we have not completed feasibility studies on our I-M Mine Property and have not commenced actual production, mineralization resource estimates may require adjustments or downward revisions. In addition, the grade of ore ultimately mined, if any, may differ from that indicated by future feasibility studies and drill results. Minerals recovered in small scale tests may not be duplicated in large scale tests under on-site conditions or in production scale.
Our exploration activities on our properties may not be commercially successful, which could lead us to abandon our plans to develop our properties and our investments in exploration.
Our long-term success depends on our ability to identify mineral deposits on our I-M Mine Property and other properties we may acquire, if any, that we can then develop into commercially viable mining operations. Mineral exploration is highly speculative in nature, involves many risks, and is frequently non-productive. These risks include unusual or unexpected geologic formations, and the inability to obtain suitable or adequate machinery, equipment, or labor. The success of commodity exploration is determined in part by the following factors:
·the identification of potential mineralization based on surficial analysis;
·availability of government-granted exploration permits;
·the quality of our management and our geological and technical expertise; and
·the capital available for exploration and development work.
Substantial expenditures are required to establish proven and probable reserves through drilling and analysis, to develop metallurgical processes to extract metal, and to develop the mining and processing facilities and infrastructure at any site chosen for mining. Whether a mineral deposit will be commercially viable depends on a number of factors that include, without limitation, the particular attributes of the deposit, such as size, grade, and proximity to infrastructure; commodity prices, which can fluctuate widely; and government regulations, including, without limitation, regulations relating to prices, taxes, royalties, land tenure, land use, importing and exporting of minerals, and environmental protection. We may invest significant capital and resources in exploration activities and may abandon such investments if we are unable to identify commercially exploitable mineral reserves. The decision to abandon a project may have an adverse effect on the market value of our securities and the ability to raise future financing.
We are subject to significant governmental regulations that affect our operations and costs of conducting our business and may not be able to obtain all required permits and licenses to place our properties into production.
Our current and future operations, including exploration and, if warranted, development of the I-M Mine Property, do and will require permits from governmental authorities and will be governed by laws and regulations, including:
·laws and regulations governing mineral concession acquisition, prospecting, development, mining, and production;
·laws and regulations related to exports, taxes, and fees;
·labor standards and regulations related to occupational health and mine safety; and
·environmental standards and regulations related to waste disposal, toxic substances, land use reclamation, and environmental protection.
Companies engaged in exploration activities often experience increased costs and delays in production and other schedules as a result of the need to comply with applicable laws, regulations, and permits. Failure to comply with applicable laws, regulations, and permits may result in enforcement actions, including the forfeiture of mineral claims or other mineral tenures, orders issued by regulatory or judicial authorities requiring operations to cease or be curtailed, and may include corrective measures requiring capital expenditures, installation of additional equipment, or costly remedial actions. We cannot predict if all permits that we may require for continued exploration, development, or
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construction of mining facilities and conduct of mining operations will be obtainable on reasonable terms, if at all. Costs related to applying for and obtaining permits and licenses may be prohibitive and could delay our planned exploration and development activities. We may be required to compensate those suffering loss or damage by reason of our mineral exploration or our mining activities, if any, and may have civil or criminal fines or penalties imposed for violations of, or our failure to comply with, such laws, regulations, and permits.
Existing and possible future laws, regulations, and permits governing operations and activities of exploration companies, or more stringent implementation of such laws, regulations and permits, could have a material adverse impact on our business and cause increases in capital expenditures or require abandonment or delays in exploration. Our I-M Mine Property is located in California and has numerous clearly defined regulations with respect to permitting mines, which could potentially impact the total time to market for the project.
Subsurface mining is allowed in the Nevada County M1 Zoning District, where the I-M Mine Property is located, with approval of a “Use Permit”. Approval of a Use Permit for mining operations requires a public hearing before the County Planning Commission, whose decision may be appealed to the County Board of Supervisors (“County Board”). Use Permit approvals include conditions of approval, which are designed to minimize the impact of conditional uses on neighboring properties.
On November 21, 2019 we submitted an application for a Use Permit to Nevada County (the “County”). On April 28, 2020, with a vote of 5-0, the County Board approved the contract for Raney Planning & Management Inc. to prepare an Environmental Impact Report and conduct contract planning services on behalf of the County for the proposed I-M Mine Project.
The Use Permit application proposes underground mining to recommence at the I-M Mine Property at an average throughput of 1,000 tons per day. The existing Brunswick Shaft, which extends to ~3400 feet depth below surface, would be used as the primary rock conveyance from the I-M Mine Property. A second service shaft would be constructed by raising from underground to provide for the conveyance of personnel, materials, and equipment. Processing would be done by gravity and flotation to produce gravity and flotation gold concentrates.
We propose to produce barren rock from underground tunneling and sand tailings as part of the project which would be used for creation of approximately 58 acres of level and useable industrial zoned land for future economic development in Nevada County. A water treatment plant and pond, using conventional processes, would ensure that groundwater pumped from the mine is treated to regulatory standards before being discharged to the local waterways. There is no assurance our Use Permit application will be accepted as submitted. If substantial revisions are required, our ability to execute our business plan will be further delayed.
In 1975, the California Legislature enacted the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (“SMARA”), which required that all surface mining operations in California have approved reclamation plans and financial assurances. SMARA was adopted to ensure that land used for mining operations in California would be reclaimed post-mining to a useable condition. Pursuant to SMARA, we would be required to obtain approval of a Reclamation Plan from and provide financial assurances to the County for any surface component of the underground mining operation before mining operations could commence. Approval of a Reclamation Plan will require a public hearing before the County Planning Commission.
To approve a Reclamation Plan and Use Permit, the County would need to satisfy the requirements of California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). CEQA requires that public agency decision makers study the environmental impacts of any discretionary action, disclose the impacts to the public, and minimize unavoidable impacts to the extent feasible. CEQA is triggered whenever a California governmental agency is asked to approve a “discretionary project”. The approval of a Reclamation Plan is a “discretionary project” under CEQA. Other necessary ancillary permits like the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (“CDFW”) Streambed Alteration Agreement (if applicable) also triggers CEQA compliance.
In this situation, the lead agency for the purposes of CEQA would be the County. Other public agencies in charge of administering specific legislation will also need to approve aspects of the Project, such as the CDFW (the California Endangered Species Act), the Air Pollution Control District (Authority to Construct and Permit to Operate), and the Regional Water Quality Control Board (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (authorized to state
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governments by the US Environmental Protection Agency) and Report of Waste Discharge). However, CEQA’s Guidelines provide that if more than one agency must act on a project, the agency that acts first is generally considered the lead agency under CEQA. All other agencies are considered “responsible agencies.” Responsible agencies do need to consider the environmental document approved by the lead agency, but they will usually accept the lead agency’s document and use it as the basis for issuing their own permits. There is no assurance that other agencies will not require additional assessments in their decision making process. If such assessments are required, additional time and costs will delay the execution of, and may even require us to re-evaluate the feasibility of, our business plan.
Our activities are subject to environmental laws and regulations that may increase our costs of doing business and restrict our operations.
All phases of our operations are subject to environmental regulation in the jurisdictions in which we operate. Environmental legislation is evolving in a manner that may require stricter standards and enforcement, increased fines and penalties for non-compliance, more stringent environmental assessments of proposed projects, and a heightened degree of responsibility for companies and their officers, directors, and employees. These laws address emissions into the air, discharges into water, management of waste, management of hazardous substances, protection of natural resources, antiquities and endangered species, and reclamation of lands disturbed by mining operations. Compliance with environmental laws and regulations, and future changes in these laws and regulations, may require significant capital outlays and may cause material changes or delays in our operations and future activities. It is possible that future changes in these laws or regulations could have a significant adverse impact on our properties or some portion of our business, causing us to re-evaluate those activities at that time.
Regulations and pending legislation governing issues involving climate change could result in increased operating costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
A number of governments or governmental bodies have introduced or are contemplating legislative and/or regulatory changes in response to concerns about the potential impact of climate change. Legislation and increased regulation regarding climate change could impose significant costs on us, on our future venture partners, if any, and on our suppliers, including costs related to increased energy requirements, capital equipment, environmental monitoring and reporting, and other costs necessary to comply with such regulations. Any adopted future climate change regulations could also negatively impact our ability to compete with companies situated in areas not subject to such limitations. Given the emotional and political significance and uncertainty surrounding the impact of climate change and how it should be dealt with, we cannot predict how legislation and regulation will ultimately affect our financial condition, operating performance, and ability to compete. Furthermore, even without such regulation, increased awareness and any adverse publicity in the global marketplace about potential impacts on climate change by us or other companies in our industry could harm our reputation. The potential physical impacts of climate change on our operations are highly uncertain, could be particular to the geographic circumstances in areas in which we operate and may include changes in rainfall and storm patterns and intensities, water shortages, changing sea levels, and changing temperatures. These impacts may adversely impact the cost, production, and financial performance of our operations.
Land reclamation requirements for our properties may be burdensome and expensive.
Although variable depending on location and the governing authority, land reclamation requirements are generally imposed on mineral exploration companies (as well as companies with mining operations) in order to minimize long term effects of land disturbance.
Reclamation may include requirements to:
·control dispersion of potentially deleterious effluents;
·treat ground and surface water to drinking water standards; and
·reasonably re-establish pre-disturbance landforms and vegetation.
In order to carry out reclamation obligations imposed on us in connection with our potential development activities, we must allocate financial resources that might otherwise be spent on further exploration and development programs. We plan to set up a provision for our reclamation obligations on our properties, as appropriate, but this provision may
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not be adequate. If we are required to carry out unanticipated reclamation work, our financial position could be adversely affected.
We face intense competition in the mining industry.
The mining industry is intensely competitive in all of its phases. As a result of this competition, some of which is with large established mining companies with substantial capabilities and with greater financial and technical resources than ours, we may be unable to acquire additional properties, if any, or financing on terms we consider acceptable. We also compete with other mining companies in the recruitment and retention of qualified managerial and technical employees. If we are unable to successfully compete for qualified employees, our exploration and development programs may be slowed down or suspended. We compete with other companies that produce our planned commercial products for capital. If we are unable to raise sufficient capital, our exploration and development programs may be jeopardized or we may not be able to acquire, develop, or operate additional mining projects.
A shortage of equipment and supplies could adversely affect our ability to operate our business.
We are dependent on various supplies and equipment to carry out our mining exploration and, if warranted, development operations. Any shortage of such supplies, equipment, and parts could have a material adverse effect on our ability to carry out our operations and could therefore limit, or increase the cost of, production.
Joint ventures and other partnerships, including offtake arrangements, may expose us to risks.
We may enter into joint ventures, partnership arrangements, or offtake agreements, with other parties in relation to the exploration, development, and production of the properties in which we have an interest. Any failure of such other companies to meet their obligations to us or to third parties, or any disputes with respect to the parties’ respective rights and obligations, could have a material adverse effect on us, the development and production at our properties, including the I-M Mine Property, and on future joint ventures, if any, or their properties, and therefore could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial performance, cash flows and the price of our Common Stock.
We may experience difficulty attracting and retaining qualified management to meet the needs of our anticipated growth, and the failure to manage our growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
We are dependent on a relatively small number of key employees, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. The loss of any officer could have an adverse effect on us. We have no life insurance on any individual, and we may be unable to hire a suitable replacement for them on favorable terms, should that become necessary.
Our results of operations could be affected by currency fluctuations.
Our properties are currently all located in the United States and while most costs associated with these properties are paid in U.S. dollars, a significant amount of our administrative expenses are payable in Canadian dollars. There can be significant swings in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Canadian dollar. There are no plans at this time to hedge against any exchange rate fluctuations in currencies.
Title to our properties may be subject to other claims that could affect our property rights and claims.
There are risks that title to our properties may be challenged or impugned. Our I-M Mine Property is located in California and may be subject to prior unrecorded agreements or transfers and title may be affected by undetected defects.
We may be unable to secure surface access or purchase required surface rights.
Although we obtain the rights to some or all of the minerals in the ground subject to the mineral tenures that we acquire, or have the right to acquire, in some cases we may not acquire any rights to, or ownership of, the surface to
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the areas covered by such mineral tenures. In such cases, applicable mining laws usually provide for rights of access to the surface for the purpose of carrying on mining activities; however, the enforcement of such rights through the courts can be costly and time consuming. It is necessary to negotiate surface access or to purchase the surface rights if long-term access is required. There can be no guarantee that, despite having the right at law to carry on mining activities, we will be able to negotiate satisfactory agreements with any such existing landowners/occupiers for such access or purchase of such surface rights, and therefore we may be unable to carry out planned mining activities. In addition, in circumstances where such access is denied, or no agreement can be reached, we may need to rely on the assistance of local officials or the courts in such jurisdiction the outcomes of which cannot be predicted with any certainty. Our inability to secure surface access or purchase required surface rights could materially and adversely affect our timing, cost, or overall ability to develop any mineral deposits we may locate.
Our properties and operations may be subject to litigation or other claims.
From time to time our properties or operations may be subject to disputes that may result in litigation or other legal claims. We may be required to take countermeasures or defend against these claims, which will divert resources and management time from operations. The costs of these claims or adverse filings may have a material effect on our business and results of operations.
We do not currently insure against all the risks and hazards of mineral exploration, development, and mining operations.
Exploration, development, and mining operations involve various hazards, including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, metallurgical and other processing problems, unusual or unexpected rock formations, structural cave-ins or slides, flooding, fires, and periodic interruptions due to inclement or hazardous weather conditions. These risks could result in damage to or destruction of mineral properties, facilities, or other property, personal injury, environmental damage, delays in operations, increased cost of operations, monetary losses, and possible legal liability. We may not be able to obtain insurance to cover these risks at economically feasible premiums or at all. We may elect not to insure where premium costs are disproportionate to our perception of the relevant risks. The payment of such insurance premiums and of such liabilities would reduce the funds available for exploration and production activities.
Risks Related to the Shares
Our share price may be volatile and as a result you could lose all or part of your investment.
In addition to volatility associated with equity securities in general, the value of your investment could decline due to the impact of any of the following factors upon the market price of the Shares:
·Disappointing results from our exploration efforts;
·Decline in demand for our Common Stock;
·Downward revisions in securities analysts’ estimates or changes in general market conditions;
·Technological innovations by competitors or in competing technologies;
·Investor perception of our industry or our prospects; and
·General economic trends.
Our share price on the CSE and the OTCQX has experienced significant price and volume fluctuations. Stock markets in general have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations, and the market prices of securities have been highly volatile. These fluctuations are often unrelated to operating performance and may adversely affect the market price of the Shares. As a result, you may be unable to sell any Shares you acquire at a desired price.
We have never paid dividends on our Common Stock.
We have not paid dividends on our Common Stock to date, and we do not expect to pay dividends for the foreseeable future. We intend to retain our initial earnings, if any, to finance our operations. Any future dividends on Common
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Stock will depend upon our earnings, our then-existing financial requirements, and other factors, and will be at the discretion of the Board.
Investors’ interests in our company will be diluted and investors may suffer dilution in their net book value per share of Common Stock if we issue additional employee/director/consultant options or if we sell additional Common Stock and/or warrants to finance our operations.
In order to further expand our operations and meet our objectives, any additional growth and/or expanded exploration activity will likely need to be financed through sale of and issuance of additional Common Stock, including, but not limited to, raising funds to explore the I-M Mine Property. Furthermore, to finance any acquisition activity, should that activity be properly approved, and depending on the outcome of our exploration programs, we likely will also need to issue additional Common Stock to finance future acquisitions, growth, and/or additional exploration programs of any or all of our projects or to acquire additional properties. We will also in the future grant to some or all of our directors, officers, and key employees and/or consultants options to purchase Common Stock as non-cash incentives. The issuance of any equity securities could, and the issuance of any additional Common Stock will, cause our existing stockholders to experience dilution of their ownership interests.
If we issue additional Common Stock or decide to enter into joint ventures with other parties in order to raise financing through the sale of equity securities, investors’ interests in our company will be diluted and investors may suffer dilution in their net book value per share of Common Stock depending on the price at which such securities are sold.
The issuance of additional shares of Common Stock may negatively impact the trading price of our securities.
We have issued Common Stock in the past and will continue to issue Common Stock to finance our activities in the future. In addition, newly issued or outstanding options, warrants, and broker warrants to purchase Common Stock may be exercised, resulting in the issuance of additional Common Stock. Any such issuance of additional Common Stock would result in dilution to our stockholders, and even the perception that such an issuance may occur could have a negative impact on the trading price of the Common Stock.
We are subject to the continued listing criteria of the CSE, and our failure to satisfy these criteria may result in delisting of our Common Stock from the CSE.
Our Common Stock is currently listed for trading on the CSE. In order to maintain the listing on the CSE or any other securities exchange we may trade on, we must maintain certain financial and share distribution targets, including maintaining a minimum number of public shareholders. In addition to objective standards, these exchanges may delist the securities of any issuer if, in the exchange’s opinion, our financial condition and/or operating results appear unsatisfactory; if it appears that the extent of public distribution or the aggregate market value of the security has become so reduced as to make continued listing inadvisable; if we sell or dispose of our principal operating assets or cease to be an operating company; if we fail to comply with the listing requirements; or if any other event occurs or any condition exists which, in their opinion, makes continued listing on the exchange inadvisable.
If the CSE or any other exchange were to delist the Common Stock, investors may face material adverse consequences, including, but not limited to, a lack of trading market for the Common Stock, reduced liquidity, decreased analyst coverage, and/or an inability for us to obtain additional financing to fund our operations.
We are an “emerging growth company,” and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our Common Stock less attractive to investors.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the “JOBS Act”). For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market
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value of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any July 31 before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following January 31. We cannot predict if investors will find our Common Stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our Common Stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Common Stock and our stock price may be more volatile. Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can also delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, will not be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.
SELLING STOCKHOLDERS
This prospectus covers the offering of up to 9,432,684 Shares by selling stockholders. This includes Shares acquirable upon exercise of our outstanding warrants and our outstanding options.
Selling stockholders are persons or entities that, directly or indirectly, have acquired shares, or will acquire shares from us from time to time upon exercise of certain warrants. This prospectus and any prospectus supplement will only permit the selling stockholders to sell the Shares identified in the column “Number of Shares Offered Hereby.”
The selling stockholders may from time to time offer and sell the Shares pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement. The selling stockholders may offer all or some portion of the Shares they hold or acquire, but only Shares that are currently outstanding or are acquired upon the exercise of certain warrants that are currently outstanding, and in either case included in the “Number of Shares Offered Hereby” column, may be sold pursuant to this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement.
The Shares issued to the selling stockholders are “restricted” securities under applicable federal and state securities laws and are being registered to give the selling stockholders the opportunity to sell their Shares. The registration of such Shares does not necessarily mean, however, that any of these Shares will be offered or sold by the selling stockholders. The selling stockholders may from time to time offer and sell all or a portion of their Shares on the CSE, in the over-the-counter market, in negotiated transactions, or otherwise, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale or at negotiated prices.
The registered Shares may be sold directly or through brokers or dealers, or in a distribution by one or more underwriters on a firm commitment or best efforts basis. To the extent required, the names of any agent or broker-dealer and applicable commissions or discounts and any other required information with respect to any particular offer will be set forth in an accompanying prospectus supplement. See “Plan of Distribution.”
Each of the selling stockholders reserves the sole right to accept or reject, in whole or in part, any proposed purchase of the registered Shares to be made directly or through agents. To the extent that any of the selling stockholders are affiliates of our company or are brokers or dealers, they may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act and any commissions received by them and any profit on the resale of the registered shares may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. As of the date of this prospectus, and based on the representations we have received from the selling stockholders, three of the selling stockholders are brokers or dealers or are affiliated with a broker or dealer and are identified below. Selling stockholders that are affiliates of or have material relationships with our company are also identified below.
The following table sets forth the name of persons who are offering the resale of Shares by this prospectus, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by each person, the number of Shares that may be sold in this offering and the number of shares of Common Stock each person will own after the offering, assuming they sell all of the
17
Shares offered. The information appearing in the table below is based on information provided by or on behalf of the named selling stockholders. We will not receive any proceeds from the resale of the Shares by the selling stockholders.
Name
|
Number of
Shares of
Common Stock Beneficially Owned Prior to this Offering(1)
|
Number of Shares Offered Hereby(1)
|
Shares of Common Stock Owned After the Offering
|
|
|
|
Number
|
Percent (1)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alan Ray Edwards
|
30,000
|
30,000(2)
|
-
|
-
|
Alexander (Alex) Loo
|
30,000
|
30,000(3)
|
-
|
-
|
Andreas Wichary
|
30,000
|
30,000(4)
|
-
|
-
|
Anthony Low-Beer
|
175,000
|
75,000(5)
|
100,000
|
*
|
APAC Resources Commodity(6) Trading Limited
|
400,500
|
400,500(7)
|
-
|
-
|
Arleen Agate
|
30,000
|
30,000(8)
|
-
|
-
|
Benjamin Wayne Mossman(9)
|
1,607,043
|
1,398,500(10)
|
208,543
|
*
|
Bernadett Maxwell
|
30,000
|
30,000(11)
|
-
|
-
|
BlackBridge Capital Management Corp.(12)
|
26,190
|
18,690 (13)
|
7,500
|
*
|
Brent Todd
|
37,500
|
37,500(14)
|
-
|
-
|
Brian Cale Thomas
|
141,735
|
70,000(15)
|
71,735
|
*
|
Brighthouse Capital Partners LP(16)
|
60,000
|
60,000(17)
|
-
|
-
|
Canaccord Genuity Corp.(18)
|
26,096
|
23,100(19)
|
2,996
|
*
|
Charles Buehler
|
30,000
|
30,000(20)
|
-
|
-
|
Charles D. Troiano and Annette Troiano Jt. Ten
|
60,000
|
30,000(21)
|
30,000
|
*
|
Darby Investments Inc.(22)
|
50,250
|
10,500 (23)
|
39,750
|
*
|
Delaram Salem
|
30,000
|
30,000(24)
|
-
|
-
|
Durose Asset Management Inc.(25)
|
37,500
|
37,500 (26)
|
-
|
-
|
Edward M. McCann
|
138,537
|
39,999(27)
|
98,538
|
*
|
Eileen Au
|
41,921
|
40,000(28)
|
1,921
|
*
|
Elizabeth A. MacDonald
|
30,000
|
30,000(29)
|
-
|
-
|
EMA GARP FUND, L.P.(30)
|
2,059,656
|
300,000(31)
|
1,759,656
|
6.47%
|
Emma Grace Espinosa
|
5,000
|
5,000(32)
|
-
|
-
|
Francis John Facto
|
185,000
|
165,000(33)
|
20,000
|
*
|
Fred Tejada
|
40,000
|
40,000(34)
|
-
|
-
|
Fredrick Stanton
|
99,999
|
99,999 (35)
|
-
|
-
|
George W. Noyes
|
671,693
|
499,999(36)
|
171,694
|
*
|
18
Glen Stewart
|
30,000
|
30,000(37)
|
-
|
-
|
H. Jamal Holdings Ltd.(38)
|
208,500
|
201,000(39)
|
7,500
|
*
|
Harp Phagura
|
25,250
|
20,250(40)
|
5,000
|
*
|
Haywood Securities Inc.(41)
|
1,645
|
1,645(42)
|
-
|
-
|
Jeffrey Scott Burton
|
37,500
|
37,500(43)
|
-
|
-
|
John Charles Carlile
|
37,009
|
25,000(44)
|
12,009
|
*
|
John F. Elliot
|
30,000
|
30,000(45)
|
-
|
-
|
John Edward Stephen Fletcher
|
93,750
|
75,000(46)
|
18,750
|
*
|
John Graham Proust(47)
|
913,266
|
345,000(48)
|
568,266
|
2.12%
|
Johnny Markovina
|
30,000
|
30,000(49)
|
-
|
-
|
Joseph Betti
|
93,000
|
75,000(50)
|
18,000
|
*
|
Karen Susan Mate Byers
|
159,936
|
30,000 (51)
|
129,936
|
*
|
Kathleen Todd
|
37,500
|
37,500 (52)
|
-
|
-
|
Lawrence Ward Lepard(53)
|
1,108,750
|
100,000(54)
|
1,008,750
|
3.73%
|
Michael John Andrews
|
419,220
|
25,000(55)
|
394,220
|
1.47%
|
Michael Leclerc
|
30,900
|
30,000(56)
|
900
|
*
|
Minco Capital Corporation(57)
|
112,500
|
112,500(58)
|
-
|
-
|
Murray Guinn Flanigan(59)
|
40,000
|
40,000(60)
|
-
|
-
|
Myrmikan Gold Fund, LLC(61)
|
1,747,283
|
520,001(62)
|
1,227,282
|
4.52%
|
Nishan Paul Vartanian
|
213,685
|
37,500(63)
|
176,185
|
*
|
Patrick Robert McKim
|
128,000
|
30,000(64)
|
98,000
|
*
|
Paul Troiano
|
60,000
|
30,000(65)
|
30,000
|
*
|
Rishi Kanagarajah
|
22,500
|
22,500(66)
|
-
|
-
|
Robert Joseph Gallagher
|
31,650
|
25,000(67)
|
6,650
|
*
|
Robert Schlingensiepen
|
36,000
|
36,000(68)
|
-
|
-
|
Ron Todd
|
30,000
|
30,000(69)
|
-
|
-
|
Saif Ahmad Siddqui
|
35,000
|
15,000(70)
|
20,000
|
*
|
Sean Andrew Scammell
|
75,000
|
75,000(71)
|
-
|
-
|
Sector Investment Managers Ltd.(72)
|
500,001
|
500,001(73)
|
-
|
-
|
19
Slawomir Bilko
|
30,000
|
30,000(74)
|
-
|
-
|
Susan Brookes
|
30,000
|
30,000(75)
|
-
|
-
|
Thomas Irving Vehrs(76)
|
85,000
|
85,000(77)
|
-
|
-
|
VBS Exchange Pty Ltd.(78)
|
3,000,000
|
3,000,000(79)
|
-
|
-
|
Vincent Wei-Jiun Boon(80)
|
40,000
|
40,000(81)
|
-
|
-
|
William Miller
|
15,000
|
15,000(82)
|
-
|
-
|
Capital Markets Advisory CA(83)
|
75,000
|
75,000(84)
|
-
|
-
|
Total
|
15,666,465
|
9,432,684
|
6,233,781
|
|
* less than 1%
(1)This table is based upon information supplied by the selling stockholders, which information may not be accurate as of the date hereof. We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance with the rules of the SEC. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by a selling stockholder, shares that may be acquired by the stockholder upon exercise of any convertible securities (e.g., warrants and options) that are eligible (or within the next 60 days will become eligible) to be exercised (e.g., options that are vested or will vest any time within the next 60 days) are included with respect to that stockholder. Except as indicated by the footnotes below, we believe, based on the information furnished to us, that the selling stockholders named in the table above have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of Common Stock that they beneficially own, subject to applicable community property laws. Applicable percentages are based on 26,770,298 shares of Common Stock outstanding on December 18, 2020, adjusted as required by rules promulgated by the SEC.
(2)Includes 30,000 shares issuable upon exercise of April 2018 Stock Options.
(3)Includes 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(4)Includes 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(5)Includes 25,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(6)John Ellis, the Investment Manager of APAC Resources Commodity Trading Limited, controls these securities.
(7)Includes 133,500 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(8)Includes 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(9)Benjamin Wayne Mossman is a director and officer of the company.
(10)Includes 20,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants and includes 1,338,500 shares issuable upon exercise of September 2020 Stock Options.
(11)Includes 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(12)BlackBridge Capital Management Corp. is a Finder.
(13)Includes 18,690 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(14)Includes 12,500 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants,
(15)Includes 70,000 shares issuable upon exercise of March 2016 Stock Options.
(16)Paul Biggin, Partner and Director, and Mike Shriqui, Partner and Director, control these securities.
(17)Includes 20,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(18)Canaccord Genuity Corp. is a Finder.
(19)Includes 23,100 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(20)Includes 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(21)Includes 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(22)Dale A. Rondeau and Brenda T. Yamanaka are the beneficial owners of these securities.
(23)Includes 3,500 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
20
(24)Includes 20,000 shares issuable upon exercise of April 2018 Stock Options and 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of August 2019 Stock Options.
(25)Michael Durose, the CEO of Durose Asset Management Inc., control these securities.
(26)Includes 12,500 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(27)Includes 13,333 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(28)Includes 30,000 shares issuable upon exercise of April 2018 Stock Options and 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of August 2019 Stock Options.
(29)Includes 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(30)Lawrence W. Lepard, a director of the Corporation and the Managing General Partner of EMA, controls these securities.
(31)Includes 100,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(32)Includes 5,000 shares issuable upon exercise of August 2019 Stock Options.
(33)Includes 55,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(34)Includes 40,000 shares issuable upon exercise of March 2016 Stock Options.
(35)Includes 33,333 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(36)Includes 166,666 shares issuable upon exercise of September 2020 Warrants.
(37)Includes 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(38)Hanif Jamal, the President of H. Jamal Holdings Ltd., controls these securities.
(39)Includes 67,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(40)Includes 6,750 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(41)Haywood Securities Inc. is a Finder.
(42)Includes 1,645 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(43)Includes 12,500 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(44)Includes 25,000 shares issuable upon exercise of April 2018 Stock Options.
(45)Includes 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(46)Includes 25,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(47)John Graham Proust is a director of the company.
(48)Includes 120,000 shares issuable upon exercise of April 2018 Stock Options, 150,000 shares issuable upon exercise of November 2018 Stock Options, and 75,000 shares issuable upon exercise of August 2019 Stock Options.
(49)Includes 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(50)Includes 25,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(51)Includes 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(52)Includes 12,500 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(53)Lawrence Ward Lepard is a director of the company. See also note (30).
(54)Includes 100,000 shares issuable upon exercise of August 2019 Stock Options.
(55)Includes 25,000 shares issuable upon exercise of April 2018 Stock Options
(56)Includes 20,000 shares issuable upon exercise of April 2018 Stock Options and 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of November 2018 Stock Options.
(57)Michael Durose, the Portfolio Manager of Minco Capital Corporation, controls these securities.
(58)Includes 37,500 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(59)Murray Guinn Flanigan is a director of the company.
(60)Includes 40,000 shares issuable upon exercise of August 2019 Stock Options.
(61)Daniel Oliver, the Managing Member of Myrmikan Gold Fund LLC, controls these securities.
(62)Includes 173,334 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(63)Includes 12,500 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(64)Includes 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(65)Includes 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(66)Includes 7,500 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(67)Includes 25,000 shares issuable upon exercise of April 2018 Stock Options.
(68)Includes 12,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(69)Includes 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(70)Includes 5,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(71)Includes 25,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(72)Angelos Damaskos, the CEO of Sector Investment Managers Ltd., controls these securities for Junior Gold Fund.
(73)Includes 166,667 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(74)Includes 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(75)Includes 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(76)Thomas Irving Vehrs is a director of the company.
(77)Includes 25,000 shares issuable upon exercise of April 2018 Stock Options, 20,000 shares issuable upon exercise of November 2018 Stock Options and 40,000 shares issuable upon exercise of August 2019 Stock Options.
(78)Peter Edwards, the Investment Manager and a Director of the trust, VBS Exchange Pty Ltd, controls these securities.
(79)Includes 1,000,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(80)Vincent Wei-Jiun Boon is an officer of the company.
21
(81)Includes 30,000 shares issuable upon exercise of April 2018 Stock Options and 10,000 shares issuable upon exercise of August 2019 Stock Options.
(82)Includes 5,000 shares issuable upon exercise of July 2020 Warrants.
(83)Karen Susan Mate Byers, partner and owner of Capital Markets Advisory CA, controls these securities.
(84)Includes 75,000 shares issuable upon exercise of March 2020 Stock Options.
None of the selling stockholders has, or within the past three years has had, any position, office or material or family relationship with our company or any of our predecessors or affiliates, except as follows:
·Alan Edwards served as a director of our company within the last three years.
·Benjamin Mossman is a director and officer of our company.
·BlackBridge Capital Management Corp. is a Canadian broker that acted as a finder in connection with our July 31, 2020 private offering.
·Canaccord Genuity Corp. is a Canadian broker that acted as a finder in connection with our July 31, 2020 private offering.
·Cale Thomas served as an officer of our company within the last three years.
·Dale A. Rondeau and Brenda T. Yamanaka, who are the beneficial owners of Darby Investments Inc.’s Shares, are attorneys in the law firm of Thomas, Rondeau LLP and provide legal services to our company.
·Eileen Au is an officer of our company.
·Haywood Securities Inc. is a Canadian broker that acted as a finder in connection with our July 31, 2020 private offering.
·Lawrence Lepard is a director of our company. Mr. Lepard holds securities of our company in his personal capacity and controls securities held by (a) certain of his family members and (b) EMA GARP FUND, L.P. in his capacity as the Managing General Partner of EMA.
·John Proust is a director of our company.
·Murray Flanigan is a director of our company.
·Thomas Vehrs is a director of our company.
·Vince Boon is an officer of our company.