Distribution
Policy
Distributions on the Preferred Shares are fixed and cumulative and are
paid quarterly. Holders of Capital Shares are entitled to receive any
dividends or distributions that the Board of Directors may declare
subject to the rights of the holders of Preferred Shares. If dividends
received by the Company in a year exceed the amount of the Preferred
Share dividends and expenses of the company, the excess may be paid as
distributions or dividends on the Capital Shares. For historical
distribution amounts, please see
distribution
information.
Retraction Rights
The following provides a summary of the retraction rights available to
shareholders. Please refer to the prospectus for complete details.
Unlike most mutual funds the Capital and Preferred Shares are listed
allowing holders to exit by selling their Shares. In addition, they are
also retractable at any time. Because of the manner in which the
retraction prices are calculated, investors are almost always better off
selling their Shares on the market rather than retracting them. It
should be noted that all the retractions listed below constitute a
taxable disposition of the Company’s Shares at the time of the
retraction whether the retraction is received in the form of cash or
portfolio shares.
Regular Retraction
Capital and Preferred Shares may be surrendered for retraction at any
time for payment on the last day of each month or the preceding business
day. A Capital Shareholder who surrenders two Capital Shares is entitled
to receive 95% of the unit value less the cost of purchasing a Preferred
Share, less $1.00. Preferred Shareholders who elect to retract are
entitled to a payment equal to 95% of the unit value less the cost of
purchasing two Capital Shares in the market, less $1.00.
Concurrent Retraction
A holder who concurrently retracts two Capital Shares together with one
Preferred Share will be entitled to receive 95% of the unit value, less
$1.00.
Special Annual Retraction
The special annual retraction date occurs on July 31st of each year. On
that date Capital Shareholders who surrender two Capital Shares are
entitled to receive the amount, if any, by which the unit value exceeds
$36.84. If the holder tenders two Capital Shares and one Preferred
Share, then the holder is entitled to receive an amount equal to the
unit value. If the holder tenders 10,000 or more Capital Shares and
$36.84 in cash or one Preferred Share for every two tendered Capital
Shares, such holder may instead choose to receive a pro rata interest in
the common shares held by the Company.
Redemption
The Company may redeem Preferred Shares on any annual retraction date at
a price per share equal to $36.84 to the extent that Capital Shares are
retracted under a special annual retraction.
Taxation
Dividends other than the capital gains dividends received by individuals
on the Preferred or Capital Shares will be subject to the normal
gross-up and dividend tax credit rules applicable to dividends received
on shares of a taxable Canadian corporation.
Return of capital payments to a holder of Preferred Shares will not be
subject to tax but will reduce the adjusted cost base of the Preferred
Shares to the holder.
The amount of any capital gains dividend received by a holder of
Preferred Shares or Capital Shares will be considered to be a capital
gain of the holder in the taxation year in which the capital gain
dividend is received.
The Company qualifies as a “mutual fund corporation” and a
“financial intermediary corporation” as defined in the
Income Tax Act (Canada). As a result thereof and after deduction of
expenses in computing its income, the Company does not anticipate that
it will be subject to any material non-refundable income tax liability.
Directors and Officers
The following are the names, office(s) held and principal occupations of
the directors and officers of the Company:
|
Name
|
Office(s) Held
|
Principal Occupation
|
|
Brian D. McChesney
|
President, Chief Executive Officer
and Director
|
Managing Director,
Scotia Capital Inc.
|
|
Stephen D. Pearce
|
Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Director
|
Director,
Scotia Capital Inc.
|
|
Robert C. Williams
|
Director
|
Chief Executive Officer,
Headwater Investments Ltd. |
|
Michael A. Hasley
|
Director
|
Corporate Director
|
|
John Latimer
|
Director
|
Corporate Director
|
|
Sydney R. McMorran
|
Director
|
Corporate Director
|
|
Michael K. Warman
|
Director
|
Corporate Director |