-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, AikEktKNiQSndVDUEbac9lU5DydHpwumQSbAaqCtiG5fQm4gUViJtVCjbp7ky0V9 fIdnInCyywiQvLLsiUeGyQ== 0000950142-09-000081.txt : 20090123 0000950142-09-000081.hdr.sgml : 20090123 20090123163602 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000950142-09-000081 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 8-A12B PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 2 FILED AS OF DATE: 20090123 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20090123 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: ADVANTAGE ENERGY INCOME FUND CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001259995 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: CRUDE PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS [1311] IRS NUMBER: 000000000 STATE OF INCORPORATION: A0 FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 8-A12B SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-32677 FILM NUMBER: 09542827 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: CANTERRA TOWER STREET 2: 700, 400 - 3RD AVENUE CITY: CALGARY STATE: A0 ZIP: T2P 4H2 BUSINESS PHONE: 403-718-8000 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: CANTERRA TOWER STREET 2: 700, 400 - 3RD AVENUE CITY: CALGARY STATE: A0 ZIP: T2P 4H2 8-A12B 1 form8a_12b.htm PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(B)
 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

 

FORM 8-A

 

FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES

PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

 

ADVANTAGE ENERGY INCOME FUND

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


ALBERTA, CANADA


NOT APPLICABLE

(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

 

700, 400 – 3 AVENUE SW,
CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA


T2P 4H2

(Address of principal executive offices)

(Zip Code)

 

 

Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class
to be registered

Name of each exchange on which
each class is to be registered

Trust Unit Purchase Rights

New York Stock Exchange

 

 

If this form relates to the registration of a class of securities pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and is effective pursuant to General Instruction A.(c), check the following box. x

 

If this form relates to the registration of a class of securities pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act and is effective pursuant to General Instruction A.(d), check the following box. [_]

 

Securities Act registration statement file number to which this form relates (if applicable): N/A

 

Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

 

 

 


Item 1.

Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered

On January 20, 2009, pursuant to a Unitholder Rights Plan Agreement (the “Rights Agreement”), dated as of January 20, 2009, by and between Advantage Energy Income Fund (the “Company”) and Computershare Trust Company of Canada, as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”), the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Advantage Oil & Gas Ltd., the administrator of the Company, declared a distribution of one right (a “Right”) for each outstanding trust unit of the Company and any other securities or voting interests of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (collectively, the “Units”) that were issued or deemed issued at 4:00 p.m. (Calgary time) on January 20, 2009 (the “Record Time”). One Right will also be issued and attach to each Unit issued thereafter, subject to the limitations set forth in the Rights Agreement. At the Separation Time (as defined below), each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one trust unit for an exercise price equal to Cdn$100 per unit, subject to adjustment (the “Exercise Price”).

The following summary of the principal terms of the Rights Agreement is a general description only and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the detailed terms and conditions set forth in the Rights Agreement. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein will have meanings given such terms in the Rights Agreement. A copy of the Rights Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit 4.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Rights Evidenced by Certificates for Units; Separation Time

Initially, the Rights will be evidenced by the certificates representing Units then outstanding, and no separate Right Certificates will be distributed. In general, the Rights will separate from the Units and become exercisable at the close of business (the “Separation Time”) on the tenth trading day after the earliest of (a) the first date of public announcement that a person and/or others associated, affiliated or otherwise connected to such person, or acting in concert with such person, has become a beneficial owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Units (such person, an “Acquiring Person”); (b) the date of commencement of, or first public announcement of the intent of any person to commence, a takeover bid, other than a Permitted Bid or a Competing Permitted Bid (as described below), or such later date as the Directors may determine in good faith; and (c) the date upon which a Permitted Bid or a Competing Permitted Bid ceases to be such.

Before the Separation Time, (i) the Rights will be evidenced by the certificates for Units and will be transferable with and only with such certificates for Units and (ii) certificates for Units issued on or after the Record Time will contain in accordance with the Rights Agreement a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference. From and after the Separation Time, the Rights will be evidenced by Rights Certificates, which will be transferable and traded separately from the Units.

Acquiring Person

An Acquiring Person is a person that beneficially owns 20% or more of the outstanding Units. An Acquiring Person does not, however, include the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or any person that becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the Units as a result of certain exempt transactions. These exempt transactions include where any person becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the Units as a result of, among other things: (i) specified acquisitions of securities of the Company (including acquisitions upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into Units); (ii) acquisitions pursuant to a Permitted Bid or Competing Permitted Bid (as described below); (iii) specified distributions of securities of the Company; (iv) certain other specified exempt acquisitions (including for portfolio managers, mutual funds and other similar entities with no present intention to take control of the Company); and (v) transactions to which the application of the Rights Agreement has been waived by the Directors.

 


 

 

Also excluded from the definition of Acquiring Person is a person (a “Grandfathered Person”) who is the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Units on the date of implementation of the Rights Agreement; provided further, however, that this exemption shall not be, and shall cease to be, applicable to a Grandfathered Person in the event that such Grandfathered Person shall, after the date of implementation of the Rights Agreement, become the Beneficial Owner of more than 1.0% of the number of Units then outstanding in addition to those Units already held by such person, other than through: (i) specified acquisitions of securities of the Company (including acquisitions upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into Units); (ii) acquisitions pursuant to a Permitted Bid or Competing Permitted Bid (as described below); (iii) specified distributions of securities of the Company; (iv) certain other specified exempt acquisitions (including for portfolio managers, mutual funds and other similar entities with no present intention to take control of the Company); and (v) transactions to which the application of the Rights Agreement has been waived by the Directors.

A Beneficial Owner includes an owner of securities entitling the owner to become an owner of a Unit, including conversion or exchange rights or rights to purchase.

Issuance of Rights Certificates

Until such time as the Directors otherwise determine, the Rights issued to Unitholders will be made through the book-entry system representing the number of Rights so issued. Holders of Units or associated Rights represented by the book-entry system will not be entitled to a certificate or other instrument from the Company, transfer agent or Rights Agent to evidence the ownerships thereof. New Units issued as a result of the exercise of any Right will also be represented through the book-entry system in all circumstances.

Right to Purchase Fund Units

A transaction in which a person becomes an Acquiring Person is referred to as a “Flip-in Event.” Any Rights held by an Acquiring Person or certain transferees of Rights from an Acquiring Person on or after the earlier of the Separation Time or the first date of public announcement by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such, will become void upon the occurrence of a Flip-in Event. After the close of business on the tenth trading day after the first public announcement of the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, the Rights (other than those held by the Acquiring Person or certain transferees of Rights from the Acquiring Person) will entitle the holder to purchase, for the Exercise Price, that number of Units having an aggregate market price (based on the prevailing market price at the time of the consummation or occurrence of the Flip-in Event) equal to twice the Exercise Price.

Permitted Bid

The Rights Agreement is not triggered if an offer to acquire Units would allow sufficient time for the Unitholders to consider and react to the offer and would allow Unitholders to decide to tender or not tender without the concern that they will be left with illiquid Units should they not tender.

A “Permitted Bid” is a takeover bid where the bid is made by way of a takeover bid circular and which complies with additional requirements, including the following: (i) the bid must be made to all holders of Units, other than the offeror, for all of the Units held by those holders; and (ii) the bid must not permit Units tendered pursuant to the bid to be taken up until not less than 60 days following the bid and only if, at such time, more than 50% of the Units held by Unitholders other than the bidder, its affiliates and persons acting jointly or in concert with the bidder (the “Independent Unitholders”) have been tendered pursuant to the takeover bid and not withdrawn.

 

 

3

 

 


 

 

A Permitted Bid is not required to be approved by the Directors and such bids may be made directly to Unitholders. Acquisitions of Units made pursuant to a Permitted Bid or a Competing Permitted Bid do not give rise to a Flip-in Event.

Adjustments to Prevent Dilution

The Exercise Price payable, the number and kind of securities subject to purchase upon exercise of each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to customary adjustments from time to time to prevent dilution in the event of certain changes in the units of the Company. With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Exercise Price will be required until cumulative adjustments amount to an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Exercise Price.

Waiver and Redemption

The Directors may, before the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, waive the application of the Rights Agreement to a particular Flip-in Event that would occur as a result of a takeover bid made under a circular prepared in accordance with applicable securities laws to all holders of Units. In such event, the Directors shall be deemed to also have waived the application of the Rights Agreement to any other Flip-in Event occurring as a result of any other takeover bid made under a circular prepared in accordance with applicable securities laws to all holders of Units prior to the expiration of any takeover bid for which the Rights Agreement has been waived or deemed to have been waived.

The Directors may also waive the application of the Rights Agreement to an inadvertent Flip-in Event, on the condition that the person who became an Acquiring Person in the Flip-in Event reduces its Beneficial Ownership of Units such that it is not an Acquiring Person within 14 days of the determination of the Directors (or any earlier or later time specified by the Directors).

In addition, the Directors may waive the application of the Rights Agreement to a Flip-in Event prior to the close of business on the tenth trading day following a Unit acquisition (or such later business day as they may from time to time determine), provided that the Acquiring Person has reduced its Beneficial Ownership of Units, or has entered into a contractual arrangement with the Company to do so within 10 days of the date on which such contractual arrangement is entered into, such that at the time the waiver becomes effective such person is no longer an Acquiring Person. In the event of such a waiver becoming effective prior to the Separation Time, such Flip-in Event shall be deemed not to have occurred.

Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, until the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, the Directors may, at any time before the Separation Time, elect to redeem all but not less than all of the then outstanding Rights at Cdn$0.000001 per Right. In the event that a person acquires Units pursuant to a Permitted Bid, a Competing Permitted Bid or pursuant to a transaction for which the Directors have waived the application of the Rights Agreement, then the Directors shall, immediately upon the consummation of such acquisition, without further formality, be deemed to have elected to redeem the Rights at the redemption price.

No Unitholders’ Rights Prior to Exercise

Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a Unitholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive distributions.

 

 

4

 

 


 

 

Confirmation; Reconfirmation; Termination

The Rights Agreement must be confirmed by Unitholders who vote in respect of such confirmation at a meeting of Unitholders within six months of the date of implementation of the Rights Agreement. Thereafter, the Rights Agreement must be reconfirmed at every third annual meeting of Unitholders of the Company. If the Rights Agreement is not approved at such meetings of Unitholders, the Rights Agreement and all outstanding Rights will terminate and be void and of no further force and effect. If the Rights Agreement is reconfirmed pursuant to the Rights Agreement, it and all outstanding Rights will terminate at the close of business on January 20, 2019.

Amendment of the Rights Agreement

Before the confirmation of the Rights Agreement by Unitholders, the Company may, without the approval of holders of Units or Rights, amend, vary, delete, rescind or supplement the Rights Agreement in order to make any changes that the Directors, acting in good faith, may deem necessary or desirable.

Following Unitholder confirmation of the Rights Agreement, the Company may, without the approval of the holders of Units or Rights, make amendments: (i) to correct clerical or typographical errors, (ii) to maintain the validity and effectiveness of the Rights Agreement as a result of any change in applicable legislation, regulations or rules thereunder, and (iii) as otherwise specifically contemplated therein. Any amendment referred to in (ii) must, if made before the Separation Time, be submitted for approval to the holders of Units at the next meeting of Unitholders and, if made after the Separation Time, must be submitted to the holders of Rights for approval.

Following Unitholder confirmation of the Rights Agreement, but before the Separation Time, the Company may, with prior consent of the Unitholders received at the Unitholder meeting called and held for such purpose, amend, vary or rescind any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement or the Rights, whether or not such action would materially adversely affect the interests of the Rights generally.

Following Unitholder confirmation of the Rights Agreement, and after the Separation Time, the Company may, with prior consent of the holders of Rights received at the meeting called and held for such purpose, amend, vary or rescind any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement or the Rights, whether or not such action would materially adversely affect the interests of the Rights generally.

Certain Anti-Takeover Effects

The Rights are not intended to prevent a takeover of the Company and will not do so; however, the Rights may have certain anti-takeover effects.

Upon a Flip-in Event occurring and the Rights separating from the attached Units, reported earnings per Unit on a fully diluted or nondiluted basis may be affected. Holders of Rights who do not exercise their Rights upon the occurrence of a Flip-in Event may suffer substantial dilution.

By permitting holders of Rights other than an Acquiring Person to acquire Units at a discount to market value, the Rights may cause substantial dilution to a person or group that acquires 20% or more of the voting securities of the Company other than by way of a Permitted Bid or other than in circumstances where the Rights are redeemed or the Directors waive the application of the Rights Agreement. Accordingly, the existence of the Rights may deter certain acquirers from making takeover proposals or tender offers.

 

 

5

 

 


 

 

However, the Rights help ensure that the Company’s Unitholders receive fair and equal treatment in the event of any takeover proposal of the Company. The execution of the Rights Agreement by the Company is not in response to any specific takeover threat or proposal, but is a precaution taken to protect the rights of the Company’s Unitholders.

 

Item 2.

Exhibits

 

 

Exhibit
Number


Description of Exhibit

 

4.1

Unitholder Rights Plan Agreement, dated as of January 20, 2009, by and between Advantage Energy Income Fund and Computershare Trust Company of Canada, as Rights Agent.

 

 

 

6

 

 


 

 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report on Form 8-A to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Dated:  January 23, 2009

 

 

 

ADVANTAGE ENERGY INCOME FUND
(Registrant)
by its administrator, Advantage Oil & Gas Ltd.

 

 

By: 



/s/ Weldon M. Kary

 

 

 

Name:  Weldon M. Kary

Title:    Vice President, GeoSciences and
             Land

 

 

 

 

7

 

 


 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

 

Exhibit Number

Description of Exhibit

4.1

Unitholder Rights Plan Agreement, dated as of January 20, 2009, by and between Advantage Energy Income Fund and Computershare Trust Company of Canada, as Rights Agent.

 

 

 

 

8

 

 

 

EX-4 2 ex4-1form8a_12b.htm EXHIBIT 4.1
 



EXHIBIT 4.1

 

UNITHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN AGREEMENT

DATED AS OF JANUARY 20, 2009

BETWEEN

ADVANTAGE ENERGY INCOME FUND

AND

COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY OF CANADA

AS RIGHTS AGENT

 

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

UNITHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN AGREEMENT

Article 1

INTERPRETATION

1

1.1

Certain Definitions

1

1.2

Currency

13

1.3

Headings

13

1.4

Calculation of Number and Percentage of Beneficial Ownership of
Outstanding Units


13

1.5

Acting Jointly or in Concert

13

1.6

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

14

Article 2

THE RIGHTS

14

2.1

Issue of Rights and Legend on Unit Certificates

14

2.2

Initial Exercise Price; Exercise of Rights; Detachment of Rights

14

2.3

Adjustments to Exercise Price; Number of Rights

17

2.4

Date on Which Exercise is Effective

21

2.5

Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating of Rights Certificates

21

2.6

Registration, Transfer and Exchange

21

2.7

Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Rights Certificates

22

2.8

Persons Deemed Owners of Rights

23

2.9

Delivery and Cancellation of Certificates

23

2.10

Agreement of Rights Holders

23

2.11

Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Unitholder

24

2.12

Global Unit Certificate and Book Entry System

24

Article 3

ADJUSTMENTS TO THE RIGHTS

25

3.1

Flip-in Event

25

Article 4

THE RIGHTS AGENT

26

4.1

General

26

4.2

Merger, Amalgamation or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent

27

4.3

Duties of Rights Agent

27

4.4

Change of Rights Agent

29

Article 5

MISCELLANEOUS

29

5.1

Redemption and Waiver

29

5.2

Expiration

31

5.3

Issuance of New Rights Certificates

31

5.4

Supplements and Amendments

31

5.5

Fractional Rights and Fractional Units

33

5.6

Rights of Action

33

5.7

Regulatory Approvals

33

5.8

Declaration as to Non-Canadian or Non-U.S. Holders

34

5.9

Notices

34

5.10

Costs of Enforcement

35

5.11

Successors

35

5.12

Benefits of this Agreement

35

5.13

Governing Law

35

5.14

Severability

35

5.15

Coming Into Effect

35

5.16

Reconfirmation

36

5.17

Determinations and Actions by the Directors

36

5.18

Time of the Essence

36

5.19

Execution in Counterparts

36

5.20

No Personal Liability

36

 

 

 



UNITHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN AGREEMENT

MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT dated as of January 20, 2009 between Advantage Energy Income Fund, an open-ended trust created under the laws of the Province of Alberta pursuant to the amended and restated trust indenture dated December 13, 2007, as amended or restated from time to time, and Computershare Trust Company of Canada, a trust company incorporated under the laws of Canada (the "Rights Agent");

RECITALS:

WHEREAS:

A.

Advantage Energy Income Fund (the "Fund" or the "Trust") has determined that it is advisable to adopt a unitholder rights plan to ensure, to the extent possible, that all Unitholders (as defined below) are treated fairly in connection with any take-over bid for the Units and to ensure that the Directors are provided with sufficient time to evaluate unsolicited take-over bids and to explore and develop alternatives to maximize Unithholder value;

B.

Each Right entitles a Unitholder, after the Separation Time, to purchase securities of the Fund pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein;

C.

The Rights Agent is appointed to act on behalf of the Fund and the holders of the Rights and the Rights Agent is willing to so act in connection with the issuance, transfer and exchange and replacement of Rights Certificates, the exercise of Rights and other matters referred to herein;

D.

The Unitholders shall ratify and confirm this Agreement at a meeting of Unitholders as set forth herein; and

E.

This Agreement shall remain in place for the period specified herein, subject to the Agreement being ratified and confirmed by the Unitholders as herein provided and thereafter reconfirmed by the Unitholders every three years in the manner set forth herein.

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the respective covenants and agreements set forth herein, and subject to such covenants and agreements, the parties hereby agree as follows:

ARTICLE 1

INTERPRETATION

1.1

Certain Definitions

For purposes of this Agreement, including the recitals hereto, the following terms have the meanings indicated:

(a)

"Acquiring Person" means any Person who is the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Units provided, however, that the term "Acquiring Person " shall not include:

 


2

 

 

(i)

the Fund or any Subsidiary of the Fund;

 

(ii)

any Person who becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Units as a result of one or any combination of (A) a Convertible Security Acquisition, (B) an Exempt Acquisition, (C) a Permitted Bid Acquisition, (D) a Pro Rata Acquisition, or (E) a Unit Reduction; provided, however, that if a Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Units by reason of one or any combination of the operation of Paragraphs (A), (B), (C), (D) or (E) above and such Person's Beneficial Ownership of Units thereafter increases by more than 1.0% of the number of Units outstanding (other than pursuant to one or any combination of an Exempt Acquisition, a Permitted Bid Acquisition, a Pro Rata Acquisition or a Unit Reduction), then as of the date such Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of such additional Units, such Person shall become an "Acquiring Person";

 

(iii)

for a period of ten days after the Disqualification Date (as defined below), any Person who becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Units as a result of such Person becoming disqualified from relying on Clause 1.1(h)(v) solely because such Person or the Beneficial Owner of such Units is making or has announced a current intention to make a Take-over Bid, either alone or by acting jointly or in concert with any other Person. For the purposes of this definition, "Disqualification Date" means the first date of public announcement of facts indicating that any Person is making or has announced an intention to make a Take-over Bid;

 

(iv)

a Person (a "Grandfathered Person") who is the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the outstanding Units determined as at the close of business on the Effective Date; provided further, however, that this exemption shall not be, and shall cease to be, applicable to a Grandfathered Person in the event that such Grandfathered Person shall, after the Effective Date, become the Beneficial Owner of more than 1.0% of the number of Units then outstanding in addition to those Units already held by such Person (other than through any one or any combination of a Convertible Security Acquisition, an Exempt Acquisition, a Permitted Bid Acquisition, a Pro Rata Acquisition, or a Unit Reduction); or

 

(v)

an underwriter or member of a banking or selling group that becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the Units in connection with a distribution of securities of the Fund;

(b)

"Administrator" means AOG or its successor as administrator of the Fund;

(c)

"Affiliate", when used to indicate a relationship with a specified Person, means a Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such specified Person;

(d)

"Agreement" means this unitholder rights plan agreement dated as of January 20, 2009, between the Fund and the Rights Agent, as the same may be further amended or supplemented from time to time; "hereof", "herein", "hereto" and similar expressions mean and refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular part of this Agreement;

 


3

 

(e)

"annual cash distributions" means cash distributions paid in any fiscal year of the Fund to the extent that such cash distributions do not exceed, in the aggregate, the greatest of:

 

(i)

200% of the aggregate amount of cash distributions declared payable by the Fund (including any predecessor thereto) on the Units in its immediately preceding fiscal year;

 

(ii)

300% of the arithmetic mean of the aggregate amounts of the annual cash distributions declared payable by the Fund (including any predecessor thereto) on the Units in its three immediately preceding fiscal years; and

 

(iii)

150% of the aggregate consolidated net income of the Fund, before extraordinary items, for its immediately preceding fiscal year;

(f)

"AOG" means Advantage Oil & Gas Ltd., a company incorporated under the laws of the Province of Alberta and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund;

(g)

"Associate" means, when used to indicate a relationship with a specified Person, a spouse of that Person, any Person of the same or opposite sex with whom that Person is living in a conjugal relationship outside marriage, a child of that Person, or a relative of that Person if that relative has the same residence as that Person;

(h)

A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, and to have "Beneficial Ownership" of, and to "Beneficially Own",

 

(i)

any securities as to which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates is the owner at law or in equity;

 

(ii)

any securities as to which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates has the right to become the owner at law or in equity (where such right is exercisable within a period of 60 days, whether or not on condition or the happening of any contingency or the making of any payment) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement, pledge or understanding, whether or not in writing (other than (x) customary agreements with and between underwriters and/or banking group members and/or selling group members with respect to a public offering or private placement of securities and (y) pledges of securities in the ordinary course of business), or upon the exercise of any conversion exercise or exchange or purchase of a right attaching to a Convertible Security, other security, warrant or option (other than the Rights) to purchase a Unit; or

 

(iii)

any securities which are Beneficially Owned within the meaning of Clauses 1.1(h)(i) and (ii) by any other Person with whom such Person, or any of such Person's Affiliates, is acting jointly or in concert;

provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to have "Beneficial Ownership" of, or to "Beneficially Own", any security:

 

(iv)

where such security has been agreed to be deposited or tendered pursuant to a Lock-up Agreement or is otherwise deposited to any Take-over Bid made by such Person, made by any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates or made by any other Person acting jointly or in concert with such Person, until such deposited or tendered security has been taken up or paid for, whichever shall first occur;

 


4

 

 

(v)

where such Person, any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates or any other Person acting jointly or in concert with such Person holds such security, provided that:

 

(A)

the ordinary business of any such Person (the "Investment Manager") includes the management of investment funds for others (which others, for greater certainty, may include or be limited to one or more employee benefit plans or pension plans) and such security is held by the Investment Manager in the ordinary course of such business in the performance of such Investment Manager's duties for the account of any other Person (a "Client") including non-discretionary accounts held on behalf of a Client by a broker or dealer appropriately registered under applicable law;

 

(B)

such Person is (1) the manager or trustee (the "Fund Manager") of a mutual fund (a "Mutual Fund") that is registered or qualified to issue its securities to investors under the securities laws of any province of Canada or the securities laws of the United States and such security is held in the ordinary course of business in the performance of the Fund Manager s duties with respect to the Mutual Fund, or (2) a Mutual Fund;

 

(C)

such Person (the "Trust Company") is licensed to carry on the business of a trust company under applicable laws and, as such, acts as trustee or administrator or in a similar capacity in relation to the estates of deceased or incompetent Persons (each an "Estate Account") or in relation to other accounts (each an "Other Account") and holds such security in the ordinary course of such duties for such Estate Account or for such Other Accounts;

 

(D)

such Person is established by statute for purposes that include, and the ordinary business or activity of such Person (the "Statutory Body") includes, the management of investment funds for employee benefit plans, pension plans, insurance plans or various public bodies;

 

(E)

such Person (the "Plan Administrator") is the administrator or trustee of one or more pension funds or plans (a "Plan"), or is a Plan, registered or qualified under the laws of Canada or any Province thereof or the laws of the United States of America or any State thereof, or

 

(F)

such Person (the "Crown Agent") is a Crown agent or agency;

provided, in any of the above cases, that the Investment Manager, the Fund Manager, the Mutual Fund, the Trust Company, the Statutory Body, the Plan Administrator, the Plan or the Crown Agent, as the case may be, is not then making a Take-over Bid or has not then announced an intention to make a Take-over Bid alone or acting jointly or in concert with any other Person, other than an Offer to Acquire Units or other securities (x) pursuant to a distribution by the Fund, (y) by means of a Permitted Bid or (z) by means of ordinary market

 


5

 

transactions (including prearranged trades entered into in the ordinary course of business of such Person) executed through the facilities of a stock exchange or organized over-the-counter market;

 

(vi)

where such Person is (A) a Client of the same Investment Manager as another Person on whose account the Investment Manager holds such security, (B) an Estate Account or an Other Account of the same Trust Company as another Person on whose account the Trust Company holds such security or (C) a Plan with the same Plan Administrator as another Plan on whose account the Plan Administrator holds such security;

 

(vii)

where such Person is (A) a Client of an Investment Manager and such security is owned at law or in equity by the Investment Manager, (B) an Estate Account or an Other Account of a Trust Company and such security is owned at law or in equity by the Trust Company or (C) a Plan and such security is owned at law or in equity by the Plan Administrator; or

 

(viii)

where such Person is a registered holder of such security as a result of carrying on the business of, or acting as a nominee of, a securities depositary;

(i)

"Board" means the board of directors of AOG;

(j)

"Business Day" means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in Calgary are authorized or obligated by law to close;

(k)

"Canadian Dollar Equivalent" of any amount which is expressed in United States Dollars means, on any date, the Canadian dollar equivalent of such amount determined by multiplying such amount by the U.S. - Canadian Exchange Rate in effect on such date;

(l)

"Canadian - U.S. Exchange Rate" means, on any date, the inverse of the U.S. - Canadian Exchange Rate in effect on such date;

(m)

"close of business" on any given date means the time on such date (or, if such date is not a Business Day, the time on the next succeeding Business Day) at which the principal transfer office in Calgary of the transfer agent for the Units (or, after the Separation Time, the principal transfer office in Calgary of the Rights) is closed to the public;

(n)

"Competing Permitted Bid" means a Take-over Bid that:

 

(i)

is made after a Permitted Bid or another Competing Permitted Bid has been made and prior to the expiry of the Permitted Bid or Competing Permitted Bid;

 

(ii)

satisfies all components of the definition of a Permitted Bid other than the requirements set out in Paragraph 1.1(mm)(ii)(A) of the definition of a Permitted Bid; and

 

(iii)

contains, and the take-up and payment for securities tendered or deposited is subject to, an irrevocable and unqualified condition that no Units will be taken up or paid for pursuant to the Take-over Bid prior to the close of business on a date that is no earlier than the later of (A) the 60th day after the date on which the earliest Permitted Bid which preceded the Competing Permitted Bid was made; and (B) 35 days after the date of the Take-over Bid constituting the Competing Permitted Bid;

 


6

 

(o)

"controlled" a corporation is “controlled” by another Person or two or more Persons acting jointly or in concert if:

 

(i)

securities entitled to vote in the election of directors carrying more than 50 per cent of the votes for the election of directors are held, directly or indirectly, by or on behalf of the other Person or two or more Persons acting jointly or in concert; and

 

(ii)

the votes carried by such securities are entitled, if exercised, to elect a majority of the board of directors of such corporation;

"controls" and "under common control with" shall be interpreted accordingly;

(p)

"Convertible Security" shall mean a security convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into a Unit and a "Convertible Security Acquisition" shall mean an acquisition by a Person of Units upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of a Convertible Security received by a Person pursuant to a Permitted Bid Acquisition, an Exempt Acquisition or a Pro Rata Acquisition;

(q)

"Co-Rights Agents" has the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 4.1(a);

(r)

"Directors" mean the directors of the Board;

(s)

"Disposition Date" has the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 5.1(h);

(t)

"Distribution Reinvestment Acquisition" means an acquisition of Units pursuant to a Distribution Reinvestment Plan;

(u)

"Distribution Reinvestment Plan" means the premium distribution, distribution reinvestment and optional trust unit purchase plan of the Fund or other plan of the Fund made available by the Fund to Unitholders where such plan permits the Unitholder or the holder to direct that some or all of:

 

(i)

distributions of the Fund on the Units;

 

(ii)

proceeds of redemption of Units;

 

(iii)

interest paid on evidences of indebtedness of the Fund; or

 

(iv)

optional cash payments;

be applied to the purchase from the Fund of Units;

(v)

"Effective Date" means January 20, 2009;

(w)

"Election to Exercise" has the meaning ascribed thereto in Clause 2.2(d)(ii);

 


7

 

(x)

"Exempt Acquisition" means a Unit acquisition in respect of which the Directors have waived the application of Section 3.1 pursuant to the provisions of Subsection 5.1(a) or 5.1(h);

(y)

"Exercise Price" means, as of any date, the price at which a holder of Rights may purchase the securities issuable upon exercise of one whole Right which, until adjustment thereof in accordance with the terms hereof, shall be $100;

(z)

"Expansion Factor" has the meaning ascribed thereto in Clause 2.3(a)(x);

(aa)

"Expiration Time" means the close of business on the date of termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 5.16 or, if this Agreement is reconfirmed pursuant to Section 5.16, the close of business on the tenth anniversary following the Effective Date;

(bb)

"Flip-in Event" means a transaction or other event in or pursuant to which any Person becomes an Acquiring Person;

(cc)

"holder" in respect of the Rights has the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 2.8;

(dd)

"Independent Unitholders" means Unitholders, other than:

 

(i)

any Acquiring Person;

 

(ii)

any Offeror (other than any Person who, by virtue of Clause 1.1(h)(v), is not deemed to Beneficially Own the Units held by such Person);

 

(iii)

any Affiliate or Associate of any Acquiring Person or Offeror;

 

(iv)

any Person acting jointly or in concert with any Acquiring Person or Offeror; and

 

(v)

any employee benefit plan, unit option plan, deferred profit sharing plan, securities participation plan and any other similar plan or trust for the benefit of employees of the Fund or a Subsidiary unless the beneficiaries of the plan or trust direct the manner in which the Units are to be voted or withheld from voting or direct whether the Units are to be tendered to a Take-over Bid;

(ee)

"Lock-Up Agreement" means an agreement between a Person and one or more Unitholders (each a "Locked-up Person") the terms of which are publicly disclosed and a copy of which is made available to the public (including the Fund) not later than (i) the date the Lock-up Bid (as defined below) is publicly announced or, (ii) if the Lock-up Bid has been made prior to the date on which such agreement is entered into forthwith and in any event not later than the date following the date of such agreement, pursuant to which each Locked-up Person agrees to deposit or tender Units to a Take-over Bid (the "Lock-up Bid") to be made or made by the Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates or any other Person referred to in Clause (iii) of the definition of Beneficial Owner and which provides:

 

(i)

that any agreement to deposit or tender to, or to not withdraw Units from, the Lock-up Bid is terminable at the option of the Locked-up Person in order to tender or deposit such Units to another Take-over Bid or support another transaction:

 


8

 

 

(A)

where the price or value per Unit offered under such other Take-over Bid or transaction is higher than the price or value per Unit offered under the Lock-up Agreement; or

 

(B)

if:

 

(I)

the price or value per Unit offered under the other Take-over Bid or transaction exceeds the price or value per Unit offered or proposed to be offered under the Lock-up Bid by an amount that is equal to or greater than the lesser of (x) any amount specified in the agreement and (y) 7%; or

 

(II)

the number of Units to be purchased under the other Take-over Bid or transaction exceeds the number of Units offered to be purchased under the Lock-up Bid by an amount that is equal to or greater than the lesser of (x) any amount specified in the agreement and (y) 7%, at a price or value per Units, as applicable, that is not less than the price or value per Units offered under the Lock-up Bid;

and the agreement may contain a right of first refusal or require a period of delay to give such Person an opportunity to match a higher price or value in another Take-over Bid or transaction or other similar limitation on a Locked-up Person's right to withdraw Units from the agreement, so long as the limitation does not preclude the exercise by the Locked-up Person of the right to withdraw Units during the period of the other Take-over Bid or transaction; and

 

(ii)

no "break-up " fees, "top-up" fees, penalties, expenses or other amounts that exceed in the aggregate the greater of:

 

(A)

the cash equivalent of 2.5% of the price or value payable under the Lock-up Bid to a Locked-up Person; and

 

(B)

50% of the amount by which the price or value payable under another Take-over Bid or transaction to a Locked-up Person exceeds the price or value of the consideration that such Locked-up Person would have received under the Lock-up Bid,

shall be payable by a Locked-up Person pursuant to the agreement in the event a Locked-up Person fails to deposit or tender Units to the Lock-up Bid or withdraw Units previously tendered thereto in order to tender to another Take-over Bid or support another transaction;

(ff)

"Market Price" per security of any securities on any date of determination means the average of the daily closing prices per security of the securities (determined as described below) on each of the 20 consecutive Trading Days through and including the Trading Day immediately preceding such date; provided, however, that if an event of a type analogous to any of the events described in Section 2.3 hereof shall have caused the closing prices used to determine the Market Price on any Trading Days not to be fully comparable with the closing price on the date of determination or, if the date of

 


9

 

determination is not a Trading Day, on the immediately preceding Trading Day, each closing price so used shall be appropriately adjusted in a manner analogous to the applicable adjustment provided for in Section 2.3 hereof in order to make it fully comparable with the closing price on the date of determination or, if the date of determination is not a Trading Day, on the immediately preceding Trading Day. The closing price per security of any securities on any date shall be:

 

(i)

the closing board lot sale price or, in case no such sale takes place on such date, the average of the closing bid and asked prices for each of the securities as reported by the principal Canadian stock exchange (as determined by volume of trading) on which the securities are listed or admitted to trading;

 

(ii)

if for any reason none of such prices are available on such day or the securities are not listed or admitted to trading on a Canadian stock exchange, the last sale price or, in case no such sale takes place on such date, the average of the closing bid and asked prices for each of the securities as reported by the principal national United States securities exchange (as determined by volume of trading) on which the securities are listed or admitted to trading;

 

(iii)

if for any reason none of such prices is available on such day or the securities are not listed or admitted to trading on a Canadian stock exchange or a national United States securities exchange, the last sale price or, in case no sale takes place on such date, the average of the high bid and low asked prices for each of the securities in the over-the-counter market, as quoted by any recognized reporting system then in use; or

 

(iv)

if for any reason none of such prices is available on such day or the securities are not listed or admitted to trading on a Canadian stock exchange or a national United States securities exchange or quoted by any reporting system, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a recognized professional market maker making a market in the securities;

provided, however, that if for any reason none of such prices is available on such day, the closing price per security of the securities on such date means the fair value per security of the securities on such date as determined by an internationally recognized investment dealer or investment banker; provided further that if an event of a type analogous to any of the events described in Section 2.3 hereof has caused any price used to determine the Market Price on any Trading Day not to be fully comparable with the price as so determined on the Trading Day immediately preceding such date of determination, each price so used shall be appropriately adjusted in a manner analogous to the applicable adjustment provided for in Section 2.3 hereof in order to make it fully comparable with the price on the Trading Day immediately preceding such date of determination. The Market Price shall be expressed in Canadian dollars and, if initially determined in respect of any day forming part of the 20 consecutive Trading Day period in question in United States dollars, such amount shall be translated into Canadian dollars on that date at the Canadian Dollar Equivalent thereof;

(gg)

"1933 Securities Act" means the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, as now in effect or as the same may from time to time be amended, re-enacted or replaced;

 


10

 

(hh)

"1934 Exchange Act" means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder as now in effect or as the same may from time to time be amended, re-enacted or replaced;

(ii)

"Nominee" has the meaning ascribed thereto in Subsection 2.2(c);

(jj)

"Offer to Acquire" includes:

 

(i)

an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell Units; and

 

(ii)

an acceptance of an offer to sell Units, whether or not such offer to sell has been solicited;

or any combination thereof, and the Person accepting an offer to sell shall be deemed to be making an Offer to Acquire to the Person that made the offer to sell;

(kk)

"Offeror" means a Person who has announced, and has not withdrawn, an intention to make or who has made, and has not withdrawn, a Take-over Bid, other than a Person who has completed a Competing Permitted Bid, an Exempt Acquisition or a Permitted Bid;

(ll)

"Offeror's Securities" means Units Beneficially Owned by an Offeror on the date of the Offer to Acquire;

(mm)

"Permitted Bid" means a Take-over Bid made by an Offeror by way of take-over bid circular which also complies with the following additional provisions:

 

(i)

the Take-over Bid is made to all Unitholders, other than the Offeror;

 

(ii)

the Take-over Bid contains, and the take-up and payment for securities tendered or deposited is subject to, an irrevocable and unqualified provision that no Units will be taken up or paid for pursuant to the Take-over Bid:

 

(A)

prior to the close of business on the date which is not less than 60 days following the date of the Take-over Bid; and

 

(B)

only if at such date more than 50% of the Units held by Independent Unitholders shall have been deposited or tendered pursuant to the Take-over Bid and not withdrawn;

 

(iii)

unless the Take-over Bid is withdrawn, the Take-over Bid contains an irrevocable and unqualified provision that Units may be deposited pursuant to such Take-over Bid at any time during the period of time described in Paragraph 1.1(mm)(ii)(A) and that any Units deposited pursuant to the Take-over Bid may be withdrawn until taken up and paid for; and

 

(iv)

unless the Take-over Bid is withdrawn, the Take-over Bid contains an irrevocable and unqualified provision that in the event that the deposit condition set forth in Paragraph 1.1(mm)(ii)(B) is satisfied the Offeror will make a public announcement of that fact and the Take-over Bid will remain open for deposits and tenders of Units for not less than ten Business Days from the date of such public announcement;

 


11

 

(nn)

"Permitted Bid Acquisition" means an acquisition of Units made pursuant to a Permitted Bid or a Competing Permitted Bid;

(oo)

"Person" includes any individual, firm, partnership, association, trust, trustee, executor, administrator, legal personal representative, body corporate, corporation, unincorporated organization, syndicate, governmental entity or other similar entity;

(pp)

"Pro Rata Acquisition" means an acquisition of Units by a Person pursuant to:

 

(i)

a Distribution Reinvestment Acquisition;

 

(ii)

a Unit distribution, Unit split or other event in respect of securities of the Fund of one or more particular classes or series pursuant to which such Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of Units on the same pro rata basis as all other Unitholders;

 

(iii)

the acquisition or the exercise by the Person of only those rights to purchase Units distributed to that Person in the course of a distribution (other than Rights) to all Unitholders pursuant to a rights offering or pursuant to a prospectus, provided that the Person does not thereby acquire a greater percentage of Units than the Person's percentage of Units Beneficially Owned immediately prior to such acquisition or exercise; or

 

(iv)

a distribution of Units, or Convertible Securities (and the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities), made pursuant to a prospectus or by way of a private placement or securities exchange take-over bid, provided that the Person does not thereby acquire a greater percentage of such Units, or Convertible Securities, so offered than the Person's percentage of Units Beneficially Owned immediately prior to such acquisition;

(qq)

"Record Time" means 4:00 p.m. (Calgary Time) on the Effective Date;

(rr)

"Right" means a right to purchase a Unit upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement;

(ss)

"Rights Certificate" means the certificates representing the Rights after the Separation Time, which shall be substantially in the form attached hereto as Attachment 1;

(tt)

"Rights Register" and "Rights Registrar" have the meanings ascribed thereto in Subsection 2.6(a);

(uu)

"Securities Act (Ontario)" means the Securities Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.5, as amended, and the regulations thereunder, and any comparable or successor laws or regulations thereto;

(vv)

"Separation Time" means the close of business on the tenth Trading Day after the earlier of:

 

(i)

the Unit Acquisition Date;

 

(ii)

the date of the commencement of or first public announcement of the intent of any Person (other than the Fund or any Subsidiary of the Fund) to commence a Take-over Bid (other than a Permitted Bid or a Competing Permitted Bid), or such later time as may be determined by the

 


12

 

Directors, provided that, if any Take-over Bid referred to in this Clause (ii) expires, is cancelled, terminated or otherwise withdrawn prior to the Separation Time, such Take-over Bid shall be deemed, for the purposes of this definition, never to have been made; and

 

(iii)

the date on which a Permitted Bid or Competing Permitted Bid ceases to be such;

(ww)

"Subsidiary": a Person is a Subsidiary of another Person if it is controlled by:

 

(i)

the Fund or that other Person; or

 

(ii)

that other Person and one or more Person, each of which is controlled by that other Person; or

 

(iii)

two or more Persons each of which is controlled by that other Person; or

 

(iv)

it is a Subsidiary of a Person that is that other Person s Subsidiary;

(xx)

"Take-over Bid" means an Offer to Acquire Units, or Convertible Securities if, assuming that the Units or Convertible Securities subject to the Offer to Acquire are acquired and are Beneficially Owned at the date of such Offer to Acquire by the Person making such Offer to Acquire, such Units (including Units that may be acquired upon conversion exercise or exchange of Convertible Securities) together with the Offeror's Units, constitute in the aggregate 20% or more of the outstanding Units at the date of the Offer to Acquire;

(yy)

"Trading Day", when used with respect to any securities, means a day on which the principal Canadian stock exchange on which such securities are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the securities are not listed or admitted to trading on any Canadian stock exchange, a Business Day;

(zz)

"Unitholder" means at any time in respect of the Units or any other securities of the Fund entitled to vote generally in the election of all Directors, the Person shown at that time on the register of holders of Units or such other securities maintained by the transfer agent for the Fund on behalf of the Fund;

(aaa)

"Units" means the trust units of the Fund and any other securities of the Fund entitled to vote generally in the election of all Directors;

(bbb)

"Unit Acquisition Date" means the first date of public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a report filed pursuant to section 101 of the Securities Act (Ontario) or Section 13(d) of the 1934 Exchange Act) by the Fund or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such;

(ccc)

"Unit Reduction" means an acquisition or redemption by the Fund of Units which, by reducing the number of Units outstanding, increases the proportionate number of Units Beneficially Owned by any Person to 20% or more of the Units then outstanding;

(ddd)

"U.S. Canadian Exchange Rate" means, on any date:

 


13

 

 

(i)

if on such date the Bank of Canada sets an average noon spot rate of exchange for the conversion of one United States dollar into Canadian dollars, such rate; and

 

(ii)

in any other case, the rate for such date for the conversion of one United States dollar into Canadian dollars calculated in such manner as may be determined by the Directors from time to time acting in good faith; and

(eee)

"U.S. Dollar Equivalent" of any amount which is expressed in Canadian dollars means, on any date, the United States dollar equivalent of the amount determined by multiplying the amount by the Canadian-U.S. Exchange Rate in effect on such date.

1.2

Currency

All sums of money which are referred to in this Agreement are expressed in lawful money of Canada, unless otherwise specified.

1.3

Headings

The division of this Agreement into Articles, Sections, Subsections, Clauses, Paragraphs, Subparagraphs or other portions hereof and the insertion of headings, subheadings and a table of contents are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.

1.4

Calculation of Number and Percentage of Beneficial Ownership of Outstanding Units

For purposes of this Agreement, the percentage of Units Beneficially Owned by any Person shall be and be deemed to be the product (expressed as a percentage) determined by the formula:

100 x A/B

where:

 

A =

the number of votes on matters subject to approval by holders generally attaching to the Units Beneficially Owned by such Person; and

 

B =

the number of votes for the election of all Directors generally attaching to all outstanding Units.

Where any Person is deemed to Beneficially Own unissued Units, such Units shall be deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of calculating the percentage of Units Beneficially Owned by such Person.

1.5

Acting Jointly or in Concert

For the purposes hereof, a Person is acting jointly or in concert with every Person who, as a result of any agreement, commitment or understanding, whether formal or informal, written or unwritten, with the first Person or any Affiliate thereof, acquires or offers to acquire Units or Convertible Securities (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and/or banking group members and/or selling group members with respect to a public offering or private placement of securities or pledges of securities in the ordinary course of business).

 


14

 

1.6

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

Wherever in this Agreement reference is made to generally accepted accounting principles, such reference shall be deemed to be the recommendations at the relevant time of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, or any successor institute, applicable on a consolidated basis (unless otherwise specifically provided herein to be applicable on an unconsolidated basis) as at the date on which a calculation is made or required to be made in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Where the character or amount of any asset or liability or item of revenue or expense is required to be determined, or any consolidation or other accounting computation is required to be made for the purpose of this Agreement or any document, such determination or calculation shall, to the extent applicable and except as otherwise specified herein or as otherwise agreed in writing by the parties, be made in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis.

ARTICLE 2

THE RIGHTS

2.1

Issue of Rights and Legend on Unit Certificates

(a)

One Right shall be issued on the Effective Date in respect of each Unit issued or deemed issued at the Record Time and one Right shall be issued in respect of each Unit issued after the Record Time and prior to the earlier of the Separation Time and the Expiration Time.

(b)

Certificates representing Units which are issued at and after the Record Time but prior to the earlier of the Separation Time and the Expiration Time, shall also evidence one Right for each Unit represented thereby and shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them the following legend:

Until the Separation Time (defined in the Agreement below), this certificate also evidences the holder's rights described in a Unitholder Rights Plan Agreement dated as of January 20, 2009 (the "Agreement") between Advantage Energy Income Fund and Computershare Trust Company of Canada, the terms of which are incorporated herein and a copy of which is available on demand without charge. Under certain circumstances set out in the Agreement, the rights may expire, may become null and void or may be evidenced by separate certificates and no longer evidenced by this certificate.

2.2

Initial Exercise Price; Exercise of Rights; Detachment of Rights

(a)

Subject to adjustment as herein set forth, each Right will entitle the holder thereof, from and after the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time, to purchase one Unit for the Exercise Price (and the Exercise Price and number of Units are subject to adjustment as set forth below). Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, any Rights held by the Fund or any of its Subsidiaries shall be void.

(b)

Until the Separation Time:

 

(i)

the Rights shall not be exercisable and no Right may be exercised; and

 


15

 

 

(ii)

each Right will be evidenced by the certificate for the associated Unit registered in the name of the holder thereof (which certificate shall also be deemed to represent a Rights Certificate) and will be transferable only together with, and will be transferred by a transfer of, such associated Unit.

(c)

From and after the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time:

 

(i)

the Rights shall be exercisable; and

 

(ii)

the registration and transfer of Rights shall be separate from and independent of Units.

Promptly following the Separation Time, the Fund will prepare and the Rights Agent will mail to each Unitholder of record as of the Separation Time (other than an Acquiring Person and, in respect of any Rights Beneficially Owned by such Acquiring Person which are not held of record by such Acquiring Person, the holder of record of such Rights (a "Nominee")), at such holder's address as shown by the records of the Fund (the Fund hereby agreeing to furnish copies of such records to the Rights Agent for this purpose):

 

(x)

a Rights Certificate appropriately completed, representing the number of Rights held by such holder at the Separation Time and having such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Fund may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any law, rule or regulation or with any rule or regulation of any self-regulatory organization, stock exchange or quotation system on which the Rights may, from time to time, be listed or traded, or to conform to usage; and

 

(y)

a disclosure statement prepared by the Fund describing the Rights,

provided that a Nominee shall be sent the materials provided for in (x) and (y) in respect of all Units held of record by it which are not Beneficially Owned by an Acquiring Person.

(d)

Rights may be exercised, in whole or in part, on any Business Day after the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time by submitting to the Rights Agent in the manner specified in the Rights Certificate:

 

(i)

the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights;

 

(ii)

an election to exercise such Rights (an "Election to Exercise") substantially in the form attached to the Rights Certificate appropriately completed and executed by the holder or his executors or administrators or other personal representatives or his or their legal attorney duly appointed by an instrument in writing in form and executed in a manner satisfactory to the Rights Agent; and

 

(iii)

payment by certified cheque, banker's draft or money order payable to the order of the Fund, of a sum equal to the Exercise Price multiplied by the number of Rights being exercised and a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or governmental charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates or the issuance or delivery of certificates for Units in a name other than that of the holder of the Rights being exercised.

 


16

 

(e)

Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate, together with a completed Election to Exercise executed in accordance with Clause 2.2(d)(ii), which does not indicate that such Right is null and void as provided by Subsection 3.1(b), and payment as set forth in Clause 2.2(d)(iii), the Rights Agent (unless otherwise instructed by the Fund in the event that the Fund is of the opinion that the Rights cannot be exercised in accordance with this Agreement) will thereupon promptly:

 

(i)

requisition from the transfer agent certificates representing the number of such Units to be purchased (the Fund hereby irrevocably authorizing its transfer agent to comply with all such requisitions);

 

(ii)

when appropriate, requisition from the Fund the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuing fractional Units in accordance with Subsection 5.5(b);

 

(iii)

after receipt of the certificates referred to in Clause 2.2(e)(i), deliver the same to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificates, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder;

 

(iv)

when appropriate, after receipt, deliver the cash referred to in Clause 2.2(e)(ii) to or to the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate; and

 

(v)

tender to the Fund all payments received on exercise of Rights.

(f)

In case the holder of any Rights shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced by such holder's Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate evidencing the Rights remaining unexercised (subject to the provisions of Subsection 5.5(a) will be issued by the Rights Agent to such holder or to such holder's duly authorized assigns.

(g)

The Fund covenants and agrees that it will:

 

(i)

take all such commercially reasonable action as may be necessary and within its power to ensure that all Units delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Units (subject to payment of the Exercise Price), be duly and validly authorized, executed, issued and delivered as fully paid and non-assessable;

 

(ii)

take all such commercially reasonable action as may be necessary and within its power to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act (Ontario), the securities laws or comparable legislation of each of the provinces of Canada, the 1933 Securities Act and the 1934 Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and any other applicable law, rule or regulation, in connection with the issuance and delivery of the Rights Certificates and the issuance of any Units upon exercise of Rights;

 

(iii)

use commercially reasonable efforts to cause all Units issued upon exercise of Rights to be listed on the principal stock exchanges on which such Units were traded immediately prior to the Unit Acquisition Date;

 


17

 

 

(iv)

pay when due and payable, if applicable, any and all federal, provincial and municipal transfer taxes and charges (not including any income or capital taxes of the holder or exercising holder or any Rights or any liability of the Fund to withhold tax) which may be payable in respect of the original issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates, or certificates for Units to be issued upon exercise of any Rights, provided that the Fund shall not be required to pay any transfer tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates or the issuance or delivery of certificates for Units in a name other than that of the holder of the Rights being transferred or exercised; and

 

(v)

after the Separation Time, except as permitted by Section 5.1, not take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.

2.3

Adjustments to Exercise Price; Number of Rights

The Exercise Price, the number and kind of securities subject to purchase upon exercise of each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 2.3.

(a)

In the event the Fund shall at any time after the Effective Date and prior to the Expiration Time:

 

(i)

declare or pay a distribution on Units payable in Units (or Convertible Securities) other than pursuant to any optional securities distribution program;

 

(ii)

subdivide or change the then outstanding Units into a greater number of Units;

 

(iii)

consolidate or change the then outstanding Units into a smaller number of Units; or

 

(iv)

issue any Units or other capital unit of the Fund (or other Convertible Securities) in respect of, in lieu of or in exchange for existing Units except as otherwise provided in this Section 2.3,

the Exercise Price and the number of Rights outstanding, or, if the payment or effective date therefor shall occur after the Separation Time, the securities purchasable upon exercise of Rights shall be adjusted as of the payment or effective date in the manner set forth below.

If the Exercise Price and number of Rights outstanding are to be adjusted:

 

(x)

the Exercise Price in effect after such adjustment will be equal to the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment divided by the number of Units (or other securities) (the "Expansion Factor") that a Unitholder of one Unit immediately prior to such distribution, subdivision, change, consolidation or issuance would hold thereafter as a result thereof; and

 


18

 

 

(y)

each Right held prior to such adjustment will become that number of Rights equal to the Expansion Factor,

and the adjusted number of Rights will be deemed to be distributed among the Units with respect to which the original Rights were associated (if they remain outstanding) and the Units issued in respect of such distribution, subdivision, change, consolidation or issuance, so that each such Unit (or other securities) will have exactly one Right associated with it.

For greater certainty, if the securities purchasable upon exercise of Rights are to be adjusted, the securities purchasable upon exercise of each Right after such adjustment will be the securities that a holder of the securities purchasable upon exercise of one Right immediately prior to such distribution, subdivision, change, consolidation or issuance would hold thereafter as a result of such dividend, subdivision, change, consolidation or issuance.

If, after the Record Time and prior to the Expiration Time, the Fund shall issue any securities other than Units in a transaction of a type described in Clause 2.3(a)(i) or (iv), such securities shall be treated herein as nearly equivalent to Units as may be practicable and appropriate under the circumstances and the Fund and the Rights Agent agree to amend this Agreement in order to effect such treatment. If an event occurs which would require an adjustment under both this Section 2.3 and Subsection 3.1(a) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section 2.3 shall be in addition to and shall be made prior to any adjustment required pursuant to Subsection 3.1(a) hereof. Adjustments pursuant to Subsection 2.3(a) shall be made successively, whenever an event referred to in Subsection 2.3(a) occurs.

In the event the Fund shall at any time after the Record Time and prior to the Separation Time issue any Units otherwise than in a transaction referred to in this Subsection 2.3(a), each such Unit so issued shall automatically have one new Right associated with it, which Right shall be evidenced by the certificate representing such associated Unit.

(b)

In the event the Fund shall at any time after the Record Time and prior to the Separation Time fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all Unitholders entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Units (or Convertible Securities) at a price per Unit (or, if a Convertible Security, having a conversion, exchange or exercise price, including the price required to be paid to purchase such Convertible Security per Unit) less than the Market Price per Unit on such record date, the Exercise Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction:

 

(i)

the numerator of which shall be the number of Units outstanding on such record date, plus the number of Units that the aggregate offering price of the total number of Units so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion, exchange or exercise price of the Convertible Securities so to be offered, including the price required to be paid to purchase such Convertible Securities) would purchase at such Market Price per Unit; and

 

(ii)

the denominator of which shall be the number of Units outstanding on such record date, plus the number of additional Units to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the Convertible Securities so to be offered are initially convertible, exchangeable or exercisable).

 


19

 

In case such subscription price may be paid by delivery of consideration, part or all of which may be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Directors, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of Rights. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, or if issued, are not exercised prior to the expiration thereof, the Exercise Price shall be readjusted to the Exercise Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed, or to the Exercise Price which would be in effect based upon the number of Units (or Convertible Securities) actually issued upon the conversion exercise or exchange of such Convertible Securities or upon exercise of such rights, options or warrants, as the case may be.

For purposes of this Agreement, the granting of the right to purchase Units (whether from treasury or otherwise) pursuant to any Distribution Reinvestment Plan or any employee benefit, Unit option, Unit purchase or similar plans shall be deemed not to constitute an issue of rights, options or warrants by the Fund; provided, however, that, in all such cases, the right to purchase Units is either (i) at a price per Unit of not less than 95% of the current market price per Unit (determined as provided in such plans) of the Units; or (ii) limited to trustees, directors, officers, employees or consultants of or to the Fund or its Subsidiaries and is part of the Fund's regular compensation practices.

(c)

In the event the Fund shall at any time after the Record Time and prior to the Separation Time fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all Unitholders (including any such distribution made in connection with a merger or amalgamation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other than an annual cash distribution or a distribution referred to in Section 2.3(a)(i), but including any distribution payable in other securities of the Fund other than Units), assets or rights, options or warrants (excluding those referred to in Subsection 2.3(b)), the Exercise Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction:

 

(i)

the numerator of which shall be the Market Price per Unit on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Directors, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of Rights), on a per Unit basis, of the portion of the cash, assets, evidences of indebtedness, rights, options or warrants so to be distributed; and

 

(ii)

the denominator of which shall be such Market Price per Unit.

Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such a distribution is not so made, the Exercise Price shall be adjusted to be the Exercise Price which would have been in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

(d)

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no adjustment in the Exercise Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least one per cent in the Exercise

 


20

 

Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Subsection 2.3(d) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under Section 2.3 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a security. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Subsection 2.3(d), any adjustment required by Section 2.3 shall be made no later than the earlier of

 

(i)

three years from the date of the transaction which gives rise to such adjustment; or

 

(ii)

the Expiration Time.

(e)

In the event the Fund shall at any time after the Record Time and prior to the Separation Time issue securities (other than Units), or rights, options or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any such securities, or Convertible Securities for any such securities, in a transaction referred to in Clause 2.3(a)(i) or (a)(iv), if the Directors acting in good faith determine that the adjustments contemplated by Subsections 2.3(a), (b) and (c) in connection with such transaction will not appropriately protect the interests of the holders of Rights, the Directors may determine what other adjustments to the Exercise Price, number of Rights and/or securities purchasable upon exercise of Rights would be appropriate and, notwithstanding Subsections 2.3(a), (b) and (c) such adjustments, rather than the adjustment contemplated by Subsections 2.3(a), (b) and (c) shall be made. The Fund and the Rights Agent, with prior approval of holders given in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.4 shall have authority to amend this Agreement as appropriate to provide for such adjustments.

(f)

Each Right originally issued by the Fund subsequent to any adjustment made to the Exercise Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Exercise Price, the number of Units purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of a Right immediately prior to such issue, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.

(g)

Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Exercise Price or the number of Units issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Exercise Price per Unit and the number of Units which were expressed in the initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder.

(h)

In any case in which this Section 2.3 shall require that an adjustment in the Exercise Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Fund may elect to defer until the occurrence of such event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the number of Units and other securities of the Fund, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of Units and other securities of the Fund, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Exercise Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Fund shall deliver to such holder an appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional Units or other securities upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.

(i)

Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section 2.3 to the contrary, the Fund shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Exercise Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 2.3, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board determine to be advisable, in order that any:

 


21

 

 

(i)

consolidation or subdivision of Units;

 

(ii)

issuance (wholly or in part for cash) of Units or Convertible Securities;

 

(iii)

Unit distributions;

 

(iv)

issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this Section 2.3,

hereafter made by the Fund to its Unitholders, shall not be taxable to such Unitholders.

2.4

Date on Which Exercise is Effective

Each Person in whose name any certificate for Units or other securities, if applicable, is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the Unitholder of record of the Units or other securities, if applicable, represented thereon, and such certificate shall be dated the date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered in accordance with Subsection 2.2(d) (together with a duly completed Election to Exercise) and payment of the Exercise Price for such Rights (and any applicable transfer taxes and other governmental charges payable by the exercising holder of Rights hereunder) was made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Unit transfer books of the Fund are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the Unitholder of record of such Units on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Unit transfer books of the Fund are open.

2.5

Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating of Rights Certificates

(a)

The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Fund by any two of the Directors, the Chief Executive Officer of the Administrator, and Chief Financial Officer of the Administrator. The signature of any of these officers on the Rights Certificates may be manual or facsimile. Rights Certificates bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Fund shall bind the Fund, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices either before or after the countersignature and delivery of such Rights Certificates.

(b)

Promptly after the Fund learns of the Separation Time, the Fund will notify the Rights Agent of such Separation Time and will deliver Rights Certificates executed by the Fund to the Rights Agent for countersignature, and the Rights Agent shall manually countersign (in a manner satisfactory to the Fund) and send such Rights Certificates to the holders of the Rights pursuant to Subsection 2.2(c) hereof. No Rights Certificate shall be valid for any purpose until countersigned by the Rights Agent as aforesaid.

(c)

Each Rights Certificate shall be dated the date of countersignature thereof.

2.6

Registration, Transfer and Exchange

(a)

After the Separation Time, the Fund will cause to be kept a register (the "Rights Register") in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Fund will provide for the registration and transfer of Rights. The Rights Agent is hereby appointed registrar for the Rights (the "Rights Registrar") for the purpose of maintaining the Rights Register for the Fund and registering Rights and transfers of Rights as herein provided, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. In the event that the Rights Agent shall cease to be the Rights Registrar, the Rights Agent will have the right to examine the Rights Register at all reasonable times.

 


22

 

After the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time, upon surrender for registration of transfer or exchange of any Rights Certificate, and subject to the provisions of Subsection 2.6(c), the Fund will execute, and the Rights Agent will manually countersign and deliver, in the name of the holder of such Rights or the designated transferee or transferees, as required pursuant to such holder's instructions, one or more new Rights Certificates evidencing the same aggregate number of Rights as did the Rights Certificates so surrendered.

(b)

All Rights issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Rights Certificates shall be the valid obligations of the Fund, and such Rights shall be entitled to the same benefits under this Agreement as the Rights surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

(c)

Every Rights Certificate surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange shall be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer satisfactory in form to the Fund or the Rights Agent, as the case may be, duly executed by the holder thereof or such holder's attorney duly authorized in writing. As a condition to the issuance of any new Rights Certificate under this Section 2.6, the Fund may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of the Rights Agent) connected therewith.

2.7

Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Rights Certificates

(a)

If any mutilated Rights Certificate is surrendered to the Rights Agent prior to the Expiration Time, the Fund shall execute and the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver in exchange therefor a new Rights Certificate evidencing the same number of Rights as did the Rights Certificate so surrendered.

(b)

If there shall be delivered to the Fund and the Rights Agent prior to the Expiration Time:

 

(i)

evidence to their reasonable satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Rights Certificate; and

 

(ii)

such surety bond as may be reasonably required by them to save each of them and any of their agents harmless,

then, in the absence of notice to the Fund or the Rights Agent that such Rights Certificate has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Fund shall execute and upon the Fund's request the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate evidencing the same number of Rights as did the destroyed, lost or stolen Rights Certificate.

(c)

As a condition to the issuance of any new Rights Certificate under this Section 2.7, the Fund may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of the Rights Agent) connected therewith.

 


23

 

(d)

Every new Rights Certificate issued pursuant to this Section 2.7 in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Rights Certificate shall evidence the contractual obligation of the Fund, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Rights Certificate shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Agreement equally and proportionately with any and all other Rights duly issued hereunder.

2.8

Persons Deemed Owners of Rights

The Fund, the Rights Agent and any agent of the Fund or the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name a Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Separation Time, the associated Unit certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby for all purposes whatsoever. As used in this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires, the term "holder" of any Rights shall mean the registered holder of such Rights (or, prior to the Separation Time, of the associated Units).

2.9

Delivery and Cancellation of Certificates

All Rights Certificates surrendered upon exercise or for redemption, registration of transfer or exchange shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Rights Agent, be delivered to the Rights Agent and, in any case, shall be promptly cancelled by the Rights Agent. The Fund may at any time deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation any Rights Certificates previously countersigned and delivered hereunder which the Fund may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and all Rights Certificates so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Rights Agent. No Rights Certificate shall be countersigned in lieu of or in exchange for any Rights Certificates cancelled as provided in this Section 2.9, except as expressly permitted by this Agreement. The Rights Agent shall, subject to applicable laws, and its ordinary business practices, destroy all cancelled Rights Certificates and deliver a certificate of destruction to the Fund.

2.10

Agreement of Rights Holders

Every holder of Rights, by accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Fund and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of Rights:

(a)

to be bound by and subject to the provisions of this Agreement, as amended from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof, in respect of all Rights held;

(b)

that prior to the Separation Time, each Right will be transferable only together with, and will be transferred by a transfer of, the associated Unit certificate representing such Right;

(c)

that after the Separation Time, the Rights Certificates will be transferable only on the Rights Register as provided herein;

(d)

that prior to due presentment of a Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Separation Time, the associated Unit certificate) for registration of transfer, the Fund, the Rights Agent and any agent of the Fund or the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name the Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Separation Time, the associated Unit certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on such Rights Certificate or the associated Unit certificate made by anyone other than the Fund or the Right Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Fund nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary;

 


24

 

(e)

that such holder of Rights has waived his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional Units or other securities upon exercise of a Right (except as provided herein);

(f)

that, subject to the provisions of Section 5.4, without the approval of any holder of Rights or Units and upon the sole authority of the Directors, acting in good faith, this Agreement may be supplemented or amended from time to time to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be inconsistent with the intent of this Agreement or is otherwise defective, as provided herein; and

(g)

notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Fund nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or any other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation.

2.11

Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Unitholder

No holder, as such, of any Rights or Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive distributions or be deemed for any purpose whatsoever a Unitholder or a holder of any Unit or any other share or security of the Fund which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Rights Certificate be construed or deemed or confer upon the holder of any Right or Rights Certificate, as such, any right, title, benefit or privilege of a Unitholder or any other securities of the Fund or any right to vote at any meeting of Unitholders whether for the election of trustees or Directors or otherwise or upon any matter submitted to Unitholders or any other securities of the Fund at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any action of the Fund, or to receive notice of any meeting or other action affecting any Unitholder or any other securities of the Fund except as expressly provided herein, or to receive distributions or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates shall have been duly exercised in accordance with the terms and provisions hereof.

2.12

Global Unit Certificate and Book Entry System

(a)

Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement, until the Directors otherwise determine in writing and provide notice thereof to the Rights Agent, the Rights to be issued hereunder to Unitholders will be made through the book entry system representing the number of Rights so issued. Unit or associated Rights represented by the book entry system will not entitle the Unitholder to a certificate or other instrument from the Fund, transfer agent or Rights Agent to evidence the ownership thereof. New Units issued as a result of the exercise of any Right will also be represented through the book entry system in all circumstances.

(b)

For as long as Rights are held through The Canadian Depository for Securities Limited ( CDS ), any notice or other communication that is required to be given to holders of Rights, the Fund and the Rights Agent will give all such notices and communications through CDS. The Rights of a holder whose Rights are held through CDS shall be exercised only through CDS.

 


25

 

ARTICLE 3

ADJUSTMENTS TO THE RIGHTS

3.1

Flip-in Event

(a)

Subject to Subsection 3.1(b) and Section 5.1, if prior to the Expiration Time a Flip-in Event occurs, each Right shall constitute, effective at the close of business on the tenth Trading Day after the Unit Acquisition Date, the right to purchase from the Fund, upon exercise thereof in accordance with the terms hereof, that number of Units having an aggregate Market Price on the date of consummation or occurrence of such Flip-in Event equal to twice the Exercise Price for an amount in cash equal to the Exercise Price (such right to be appropriately adjusted in a manner analogous to the applicable adjustment provided for in Section 2.3 in the event that after such consummation or occurrence, an event of a type analogous to any of the events described in Section 2.3 shall have occurred).

(b)

Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, upon the occurrence of any Flip-in Event, any Rights that are or were Beneficially Owned on or after the earlier of the Separation Time or the Unit Acquisition Date by:

 

(i)

an Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any Person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person); or

 

(ii)

a transferee of Rights, directly or indirectly, from an Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any Person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person), where such transferee becomes a transferee concurrently with or subsequent to the Acquiring Person becoming such in a transfer that the Directors have determined is part of a plan, arrangement or scheme of an Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any Person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person) that has the purpose or effect of avoiding Clause 3.1(b)(i),

shall become null and void without any further action, and any holder of such Rights (including transferees) shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any provision of this Agreement and further shall thereafter not have any other rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise.

(c)

From and after the Separation Time, the Fund shall do all such acts and things as shall be necessary and within its power to ensure compliance with the provisions of this Section 3.1, including without limitation, all such acts and things as may be required to satisfy the requirements of the Securities Act (Ontario) and the securities laws or comparable legislation of each of the provinces of Canada and of the United States and each of the states thereof in respect of the issue of Units upon the exercise of Rights in accordance with this Agreement.

 


26

 

(d)

Any Rights Certificate that represents Rights Beneficially Owned by a Person described in either Clause 3.1(b)(i) or (b)(ii) or transferred to any nominee of any such Person, and any Rights Certificate issued upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain the following legend:

(e)

The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate were issued to a Person who was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or an Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Unitholder Rights Plan Agreement) or a Person who was acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person. This Rights Certificate and the Rights represented hereby are void or shall become void in the circumstances specified in Subsection 3.1(b) of the Unitholder Rights Plan Agreement.

provided, however, that the Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility to ascertain the existence of facts that would require the imposition of such legend but shall impose such legend only if instructed to do so by the Fund in writing or if a holder of Rights fails to certify upon transfer or exchange in the space provided on the Rights Certificate that such holder is not a Person described in such legend.

ARTICLE 4

THE RIGHTS AGENT

4.1

General

(a)

The Fund hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Fund and the holders of the Rights in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Fund may from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents ("Co-Rights Agents") as it may deem necessary or desirable, subject to the approval of the Rights Agent. In the event the Fund appoints one or more Co-Rights Agents, the respective duties of the Rights Agent and the Co-Rights Agents shall be as the Fund may determine, with the approval of the Rights Agent and the Co-Rights Agents. The Fund agrees to pay all reasonable fees and expenses of the Rights Agent in respect of the performance of its duties under this Agreement. The Fund also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent, its officers, directors and employees for, and to hold such persons harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without negligence, bad faith or wilful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability, which right to indemnification will survive the termination of this Agreement or the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent.

(b)

The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any certificate for Units, Rights Certificate, certificate for other securities of the Fund, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, opinion, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons.

 


27

 

4.2

Merger, Amalgamation or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent

(a)

Any corporation into which the Rights Agent may be merged or amalgamated or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, amalgamation, statutory arrangement or consolidation to which the Rights Agent is a party, or any corporation succeeding to the shareholder or stockholder services business of the Rights Agent, will be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 4.4 hereof. If, at the time such successor Rights Agent succeeds to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Rights Certificates have been countersigned but not delivered, the successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned; and if, at that time, any of the Rights have not been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates will have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.

(b)

If, at any time, the name of the Rights Agent is changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned; and if, at that time, any of the Rights Certificates have not been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.

4.3

Duties of Rights Agent

The Rights Agent undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and conditions, all of which the Fund and the holders of certificates for Units and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:

(a)

the Rights Agent, at the expense of the Fund, may consult with and retain legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Fund) and such other experts as it reasonably considers necessary to perform its duties hereunder, and the opinion of such counsel or other expert will be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion;

(b)

whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Rights Agent deems it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Fund prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof is specifically prescribed herein) is deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by a Person believed by the Rights Agent to be a Trustee, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Administrator, a Vice-President of the Administrator, the Chief Financial Officer of the Administrator, the Corporate Secretary of the Fund or the Administrator and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate will be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate;

 


28

 

(c)

the Rights Agent will be liable hereunder for its own negligence, bad faith or wilful misconduct;

(d)

the Rights Agent will not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the certificates for Units or the Rights Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and will be deemed to have been made by the Fund only;

(e)

the Rights Agent will not have any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due authorization, execution and delivery hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any certificate for a Unit or Rights Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor will it be responsible for any breach by the Fund of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate; nor will it be responsible for any change in the exerciseability of the Rights (including the Rights becoming void pursuant to Subsection 3.1(b) hereof) or any adjustment required under the provisions of Section 2.3 hereof or responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights after receipt of the certificate contemplated by Section 2.3 describing any such adjustment); nor is it deemed by any act hereunder to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization of any Units to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights or as to whether any Units will, when issued, be duly and validly authorized, executed, issued and delivered and fully paid and non-assessable;

(f)

the Fund agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement;

(g)

the Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions in writing with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any individual believed by the Rights Agent to be a Trustee, the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Financial Officer of the Administrator and to apply to such individuals for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such individual;

(h)

the Rights Agent and any shareholder or stockholder, director, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in Units, Rights or other securities of the Fund or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Fund may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Fund or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent under this Agreement and nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Fund or for any other legal entity; and

(i)

the Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent will not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Fund resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.

 


29

 

4.4

Change of Rights Agent

The Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon 60 days' notice (or such lesser notice as is acceptable to the Fund) in writing mailed to the Fund and to each transfer agent of Units by registered or certified mail. The Fund may remove the Rights Agent upon 60 days' notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent and to each transfer agent of the Units by registered or certified mail. If the Rights Agent should resign or be removed or otherwise become incapable of acting, the Fund will appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Fund fails to make such appointment within a period of 60 days after removal or after it has been notified in writing of the resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent, then by prior written notice to the Fund, the resigning Rights Agent or the holder of any Rights (which holder shall, with such notice, submit such holder's Rights Certificate, if any, for inspection by the Fund), may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent, at the Fund's expense. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Fund or by such a court, shall be a corporation incorporated under the laws of Canada or a province thereof authorized to carry on the business of a trust company in the Province of Ontario. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent will be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent, upon receipt of all outstanding fees and expenses owing to it, shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Fund will file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Units and mail a notice thereof in writing to the holders of the Rights in accordance with Section 5.9. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 4.4, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of any successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.

ARTICLE 5

MISCELLANEOUS

5.1

Redemption and Waiver

(a)

The Directors acting in good faith may, until the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, upon prior written notice delivered to the Rights Agent, waive the application of Section 3.1 to a particular Flip-in Event that would result from a Take-over Bid made by way of take-over bid circular to all holders of record of Units (which for greater certainty shall not include the circumstances described in Subsection 5.1(h)); provided that if the Directors waive the application of Section 3.1 to a particular Flip-in Event pursuant to this Subsection 5.1(a), the Directors shall be deemed to have waived the application of Section 3.1 to any other Flip-in Event occurring by reason of any Take-over Bid which is made by means of a take-over bid circular to all holders of record of Units prior to the expiry of any Take-over Bid (as the same may be extended from time to time) in respect of which a waiver is, or is deemed to have been, granted under this Subsection 5.1(a).

(b)

Subject to the prior consent of the holders of the Units or the Rights as set forth in Subsection 5.4(b) or 5.4(c), the Directors acting in good faith may, at their option, at any time prior to the provisions of Section 3.1 becoming applicable as a result of the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, elect to redeem all but

 


30

 

not less than all of the outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.000001 per Right appropriately adjusted in a manner analogous to the applicable adjustment provided for in Section 2.3 if an event of the type analogous to any of the events described in Section 2.3 shall have occurred (such redemption price being herein referred to as the "Redemption Price").

(c)

Where, pursuant to a Permitted Bid, a Competing Permitted Bid or an Exempt Acquisition under Subsection 5.1(a), a Person acquires outstanding Units, other than Units Beneficially Owned by such Person at the date of the Permitted Bid, the Competing Permitted Bid or the Exempt Acquisition under Subsection 5.1(a), then the Directors shall immediately upon the consummation of such acquisition without further formality and without any approval under Subsection 5.4(b) or 5.4(c) be deemed to have elected to redeem the Rights at the Redemption Price.

(d)

Where a Take-over Bid that is not a Permitted Bid Acquisition is withdrawn or otherwise terminated after the Separation Time has occurred and prior to the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, the Directors may elect to redeem all the outstanding Rights at the Redemption Price.

(e)

If the Directors are deemed under Subsection 5.1(c) to have elected, or elect under either of Subsection 5.1(b) or 5.1(d), to redeem the Rights, the right to exercise the Rights will thereupon, without further action and without notice, terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price.

(f)

Within 10 days after the Directors are deemed under Subsection 5.1(c) to have elected, or elect under Subsection 5.1(b) or 5.1(d), to redeem the Rights, the Fund shall give notice of redemption to the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to each such holder at his last address as it appears upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Separation Time, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Units. Any notice which is mailed in the manner provided herein shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.

(g)

Upon the Rights being redeemed pursuant to Subsection 5.1(d), all the provisions of this Agreement shall continue to apply as if the Separation Time had not occurred and Rights Certificates representing the number of Rights held by each Unitholder as of the Separation Time had not been mailed to each such Unitholder, and for all purposes of this Agreement, the Separation Time shall be deemed not to have occurred and the Rights shall remain attached to the outstanding Units, subject to and in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

(h)

The Directors may waive the application of Section 3.1 in respect of the occurrence of any Flip-in Event if the Directors have determined within ten Trading Days following a Unit Acquisition Date that a Person became an Acquiring Person by inadvertence and without any intention to become, or knowledge that it would become, an Acquiring Person under this Agreement and, in the event that such a waiver is granted by the Directors, such Unit Acquisition Date shall be deemed not to have occurred. Any such waiver pursuant to this Subsection 5.1(h) must be on the condition that such Person, within 14 days after the foregoing determination by the Directors or such earlier or later date as the Directors may determine (the "Disposition Date"), has reduced its Beneficial Ownership of Units so

 


31

 

that the Person is no longer an Acquiring Person. If the Person remains an Acquiring Person at the close of business on the Disposition Date, the Disposition Date shall be deemed to be the date of occurrence of a further Unit Acquisition Date and Section 3.1 shall apply thereto.

(i)

The Directors may, prior to the close of business on the tenth Trading Day following a Unit Acquisition Date or such later Business Day as they may from time to time determine, upon prior written notice delivered to the Rights Agent, waive the application of Section 3.1 to the related Flip-in Event, provided that the Acquiring Person has reduced its Beneficial Ownership of Units (or has entered into a contractual arrangement with the Fund, acceptable to the Directors, to do so within 10 days of the date on which such contractual arrangement is entered into or such other date as the Directors may have determined) such that at the time the waiver becomes effective pursuant to this Subsection 5.1(i) such Person is no longer an Acquiring Person. In the event of such a waiver becoming effective prior to the Separation Time, for the purposes of this Agreement such Flip-in Event shall be deemed not to have occurred.

(j)

The Fund shall give prompt written notice to the Rights Agent of any waiver of the application of Section 3.1 made by the Directors under this Section 5.1.

5.2

Expiration

No Person shall have any rights whatsoever pursuant to this Agreement or in respect of any Right after the Expiration Time, except the Rights Agent as specified in Subsections 4.1(a) and (b) of this Agreement.

5.3

Issuance of New Rights Certificates

Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or the Rights to the contrary, the Fund may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in the number or kind or class of securities purchasable upon exercise of Rights made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

5.4

Supplements and Amendments

(a)

Without the approval of any holders of Units or Rights, the Trust may make amendments or supplements to this Agreement to correct any clerical or typographical error or which are required to maintain the validity of the Agreement as a result of any change in any applicable legislation, regulations or rules thereunder. In addition, without approval of any holders of Units or Rights, the Trust may, prior to the date of the initial meeting of Unitholders to confirm this Agreement as contemplated by Section 5.16 hereof, amend, vary, delete, rescind or supplement any of the provisions of this Agreement and the Rights (whether or not such action would materially adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights generally) without the approval of any holders of Rights or Units in order to make any changes which the Board acting in good faith, may deem necessary or desirable. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 5.4 to the contrary, no supplement or amendment shall be made to the provisions of Article 4 except with the written concurrence of the Rights Agent to such change, supplement or amendment.

(b)

After this Agreement has been initially confirmed by Unitholders as contemplated by Section 5.16 hereof, subject to subsection 5.4(a), the Fund may, with the prior consent of the holders of Trust Units obtained as set forth below, at any time before the Separation Time, amend, vary, delete, rescind or

 


32

 

supplement any of the provisions of this Agreement and the Rights (whether or not such action would materially adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights generally). Such consent shall be deemed to have been given if the action requiring such approval is approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by Independent Unitholders represented in person or by proxy at and entitled to be voted at a meeting of the Unitholders duly called and held in compliance with applicable laws.

(c)

After this Agreement has been initially confirmed by Unitholders as contemplated by Section 5.16 hereof, the Fund may, with the prior consent of the holders of Rights obtained as set forth below, at any time after the Separation Time amend, vary, delete, rescind or supplement any of the provisions of this Agreement and the Rights (whether or not such action would materially adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights generally), provided that no such amendment, variation or deletion shall be made to the provisions of Article 4 except with the written concurrence of the Rights Agent thereto.

(d)

Any approval or consent of the holders of Rights shall be deemed to have been given if the action requiring such approval or consent is authorized by the affirmative votes of the holders of Rights present or represented and entitled to vote at a meeting of the holders of Rights and representing a majority of the votes cast in respect thereof. For the purposes hereof, each outstanding Right (other than Rights which are void pursuant to the provisions hereof) shall be entitled to one vote, and the procedures for the calling, holding and conduct of the meeting shall be those, as nearly as may be, which are provided in the trust indenture governing the Fund with respect to meetings of Unitholders, modified appropriately.

(e)

Any amendments or supplements made by the Fund to this Agreement pursuant to subsection 5.4(a), after this Agreement has been initially confirmed by Unitholders as contemplated by Section 5.16, hereof which are required to maintain the validity of the Agreement as a result of any change in any applicable legislation, regulations or rules thereunder, shall:

 

(i)

if made before the Separation Time, be submitted to the Unitholders at the next meeting of Unitholders and the Unitholders may, by the majority referred to in subsection 5.4(b) confirm or reject such amendment; and

 

(ii)

if made after the Separation Time, be submitted to the holders of Rights at a meeting to be called for on a date not later than immediately following the next meeting of Unitholders and the holders of Rights may, by resolution passed by the majority referred to in subsection 5.4(d) confirm or reject such amendment.

Any such amendment shall be effective from the date of the resolution of the Board adopting such amendment, until it is confirmed or rejected or until it ceases to be effective (as described in the next sentence) and, where such amendment is confirmed, it continues in effect in the form so confirmed. If such amendment is rejected by the Unitholders or the holders of Rights or is not submitted to the Unitholders or holders of Rights as required, then such amendment shall cease to be effective from and after the termination of the meeting at which it was rejected or to which it should have been but was not

 


33

 

submitted or from and after the date of the meeting of holders of Rights that should have been but was not held, and no subsequent resolution of the Board to amend this Agreement to substantially the same effect shall be effective until confirmed by the Unitholders or holders of Rights as the case may be.

(f)

The Fund shall be required to provide the Rights Agent with notice in writing of any such amendment, variation or rescission to this Agreement and/or the Rights as referred to in this Section 5.4 within five days of effecting such amendment, variation or rescission.

5.5

Fractional Rights and Fractional Units

(a)

The Fund shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. After the Separation Time, in lieu of issuing fractional Rights, the Fund shall pay to the holders of record of the Rights Certificates (provided the Rights represented by such Rights Certificates are not void pursuant to the provisions of Subsection 3.1(b), at the time such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable), an amount in cash equal to the fraction of the Market Price of one whole Right that the fraction of a Right that would otherwise be issuable is of one whole Right.

(b)

The Fund shall not be required to issue fractions of Units upon exercise of Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Units. In lieu of issuing fractional Units, the Fund shall pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates, at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided, an amount in cash equal to the fraction of the Market Price of one whole Unit that the fraction of a Unit that would otherwise be issuable upon the exercise of such Right is of one whole Unit at the date of such exercise.

5.6

Rights of Action

Subject to the terms of this Agreement, all rights of action in respect of this Agreement, other than rights of action vested solely in the Rights Agent, are vested in the respective holders of the Rights. Any holder of Rights, without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights, may, on such holder's own behalf and for such holder's own benefit and the benefit of other holders of Rights, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Fund to enforce such holder's right to exercise such holder's Rights, or Rights to which such holder is entitled, in the manner provided in such holder's Rights and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations of any Person subject to, this Agreement.

5.7

Regulatory Approvals

Any obligation of the Fund or action or event contemplated by this Agreement shall be subject to the receipt of requisite approval or consent from any governmental or regulatory authority, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, necessary approvals of the Toronto Stock Exchange shall be obtained, in relation to the issuance of Units upon the exercise of Rights under Subsection 2.2(d).

 


34

 

5.8

Declaration as to Non-Canadian or Non-U.S. Holders

If in the opinion of the Directors (who may rely upon the advice of counsel) any action or event contemplated by this Agreement would require compliance by the Fund with the securities laws or comparable legislation of a jurisdiction outside Canada, the Directors acting in good faith shall take such actions as they may deem appropriate to ensure such compliance. In no event shall the Fund or the Rights Agent be required to issue or deliver Rights or securities issuable on exercise of Rights to Persons who are citizens, residents or nationals of any jurisdiction other than Canada or the United States, in which such issue or delivery would be unlawful without registration of the relevant Persons or securities for such purposes.

5.9

Notices

(a)

Notices or demands authorized or required by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights to or on the Fund shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered, sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent), or sent by facsimile or other form of recorded electronic communication, charges prepaid and confirmed in writing, as follows:

Advantage Energy Income Fund

700, 400 – 3rd Avenue SW

Millennium Tower

Calgary, Alberta T2P 4H2

 

Attention:

Chief Financial Officer

 

Fax No.

(403) 718-8300

(b)

Notices or demands authorized or required by this Agreement to be given or made by the Fund or by the holder of any Rights to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered, sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid (until another address is filed in writing with the Fund), or sent by facsimile or other form of recorded electronic communication, charges prepaid and confirmed in writing, as follows:

Computershare Trust Company of Canada

600, 530 - 8th Avenue S.W.

Calgary, Alberta T2P 3S8

 

Attention:

Manager, Corporate Trust

 

Fax No.:

(403) 267-6598

(c)

Notices or demands authorized or required by this Agreement to be given or made by the Fund or the Rights Agent to or on the holder of any Rights shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered or sent by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as it appears upon the register of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Separation Time, on the register of the Fund for its Units. Any notice which is mailed or sent in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice.

(d)

Any notice given or made in accordance with this Section 5.9 shall be deemed to have been given and to have been received on the day of delivery, if so delivered, on the third Business Day (excluding each day during which there exists any general interruption of postal service due to strike, lockout or other cause) following the mailing thereof, if so mailed, and on the day of telegraphing, telecopying or 

 


35

 

sending of the same by other means of recorded electronic communication (provided such sending is during the normal business hours of the addressee on a Business Day and if not, on the first Business Day thereafter). Each of the Fund and the Rights Agent may from time to time change its address for notice by notice to the other given in the manner aforesaid.

5.10

Costs of Enforcement

The Fund agrees that if the Fund fails to fulfil any of its obligations pursuant to this Agreement, then the Fund will reimburse the holder of any Rights for the costs and expenses (including legal fees) incurred by such holder to enforce his rights pursuant to any Rights or this Agreement.

5.11

Successors

All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Fund or the Rights Agent shall bind and enure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.

5.12

Benefits of this Agreement

Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Fund, the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; further, this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Fund, the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights.

5.13

Governing Law

This Agreement and each Right issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the Province of Ontario and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such province applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such province.

5.14

Severability

If any term or provision hereof or the application thereof to any circumstance shall, in any jurisdiction and to any extent, be invalid or unenforceable, such term or provision shall be ineffective only as to such jurisdiction and to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability in such jurisdiction without invalidating or rendering unenforceable or ineffective the remaining terms and provisions hereof in such jurisdiction or the application of such term or provision in any other jurisdiction or to circumstances other than those as to which it is specifically held invalid or unenforceable.

5.15

Coming Into Effect

This Agreement is effective and in full force and effect in accordance with its terms from and after the Effective Date.


36

 

 

5.16

Reconfirmation

This Agreement must be confirmed by a resolution passed by Unitholders at a meeting of Unitholders to be held within six months of the Effective Date and at every third annual meeting of the Fund thereafter. If the Agreement is not so confirmed or reconfirmed or is not presented for confirmation or reconfirmation, as the case may be, at such meetings of Unitholders, the Agreement and all outstanding Rights shall terminate and be void and of no further force and effect on and from the date of termination of such applicable meeting of holders; provided that termination shall not occur if a Flip-in Event has occurred (other than a Flip-in Event which has been waived pursuant to Subsection 5.1(a) or 5.1(h) hereof), prior to the date upon which this Agreement would otherwise terminate pursuant to this Section 5.16.

5.17

Determinations and Actions by the Directors

All actions, calculations and determinations (including all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Directors, in good faith, for the purposes hereof shall not subject the Directors or any trustee or director of any Subsidiary of the Fund to any liability to the holders of the Rights.

5.18

Time of the Essence

Time shall be of the essence in this Agreement.

5.19

Execution in Counterparts

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

5.20

No Personal Liability

The parties hereto acknowledge that the Administrator is entering into this Agreement solely in its capacity as administrator on behalf of the Fund and the obligations of the Fund hereunder shall not be binding upon the Administrator in such capacity only and provided that any recourse against the trustee of the Fund or any Unitholder in any manner in respect of any indebtedness, obligation or liability of the Fund or the trustee of the Fund arising hereunder or arising in connection herewith or from the matters to which this Agreement relates, if any, including without limitation claims based on negligence or otherwise tortious behaviour, shall be limited to, and satisfied only out of, the "Trust Fund", as defined in the amended and restated trust indenture of the Fund dated December 13, 2007, as amended from time to time.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

ADVANTAGE ENERGY INCOME FUND, by its authorized signatory, Advantage Oil & Gas Ltd.

Per:

/s/ Kelly Drader

 

Name: Kelly Drader
Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

 


37

 

 

COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY OF CANADA

Per:

/s/ Dan Sander

 

Name: Dan Sander
Authorized Signatory

 

Per:

/s/ Karen Biscope

 

Name: Karen Biscope
Authorized Signatory

 


A-1

 

ATTACHMENT 1

ADVANTAGE ENERGY INCOME FUND

UNITHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN AGREEMENT

[Form of Rights Certificate]

Certificate No. ____________________

Rights ________________

 

THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO TERMINATION ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE UNITHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES (SPECIFIED IN SUBSECTION 3.1(b) OF THE UNITHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN AGREEMENT), RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR CERTAIN RELATED PARTIES, OR TRANSFEREES OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR CERTAIN RELATED PARTIES, MAY BECOME VOID.

Rights Certificate

 

This certifies that _________________, or registered assigns, is the registered holder of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the registered holder thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Plan Agreement, dated as of January 20, 2009, as the same may be amended or supplemented from time to time (the "Unitholder Rights Agreement"), between Advantage Energy Income Fund, an open-ended trust created under the laws of the Province of Alberta (the "Fund") and Computershare Trust Company of Canada, a trust company incorporated under the laws of Canada (the "Rights Agent") (which term shall include any successor Rights Agent under the Unitholder Rights Agreement), to purchase from the Fund at any time after the Separation Time (as such term is defined in the Unitholder Rights Agreement) and prior to the Expiration Time (as such term is defined in the Unitholder Rights Agreement), one fully paid Unit of the Fund (a "Unit") at the Exercise Price referred to below, upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election to Exercise (in the form provided hereinafter) duly executed and submitted to the Rights Agent at its principal office in any of the cities of Toronto and Calgary. The Exercise Price shall initially be $100.00 (Cdn.) per Right and shall be subject to adjustment in certain events as provided in the Unitholder Rights Agreement.

In certain circumstances described in the Rights Agreement, the number of Units which each Right entitles the registered holder thereof to purchase shall be adjusted as provided in the Unitholder Rights Agreement.

This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms and provisions of the Unitholder Rights Agreement, which terms and provisions are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Unitholder Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Rights Agent, the Fund and the holders of the Rights Certificates. Copies of the Unitholder Rights Agreement are on file at the registered office of the Fund.

This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon surrender at any of the offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing an aggregate number of Rights equal to the aggregate number of Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered. If this Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the registered holder shall be entitled to receive, upon surrender hereof, another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.

 


A-2

 

Subject to the provisions of the Unitholder Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Fund at a redemption price of $0.000001 per Right, subject to adjustment in certain events, under certain circumstances at its option.

No fractional Units will be issued upon the exercise of any Rights evidenced hereby, but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Unitholder Rights Agreement.

No holder of this Rights Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of Units or of any other securities which may at any time be issuable upon the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Unitholder Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the Rights of a unitholder of the Fund or any right to vote for the election of trustees or directors or upon any matter submitted to unitholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting unitholders (except as provided in the Unitholder Rights Agreement), or to receive distributions or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Unitholder Rights Agreement.

This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.

WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the attorney of the Fund.

Date:

ADVANTAGE ENERGY INCOME FUND, by its authorized signatory, Advantage Oil & Gas Ltd.

Per:

 

 

Authorized Signatory

 

 

COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY OF CANADA

Per:

 

 

Authorized Signatory

 

Per:

 

 

Authorized Signatory

 

 


A-3

 

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT

(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate.)

FOR VALUE RECEIVED ______________________________ hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto

(Please print name and address of transferee.)

the Rights represented by this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint , as attorney, to transfer the within Rights on the books of the Fund, with full power of substitution.

Dated: ________________________

Signature Guaranteed:

Signature

 

 

(Signature must correspond to name as written upon the
face
of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.)

 

Signature must be guaranteed by a Canadian chartered bank, a Canadian trust company, a member of a recognized stock exchange or a member of the Securities Transfer Association Medallion (STAMP) Program.

 

CERTIFICATE

(To be completed if true.)

The undersigned party transferring Rights hereunder, hereby represents, for the benefit of all holders of Rights and Units, that the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are not, and, to the knowledge of the undersigned, have never been, Beneficially Owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof or a Person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof. Capitalized terms shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in the Unitholder Rights Agreement.

 

 

Signature

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(To be attached to each Rights Certificate)

 


A-4

 

FORM OF ELECTION TO EXERCISE

(To be exercised by the registered holder if such holder desires to exercise the Rights Certificate.) TO:

The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise            whole Rights represented by the attached Rights Certificate to purchase the Units or other securities, if applicable, issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such securities be issued in the name of

 

(Name)

 

(Address)

 

(City and Province)

 

Social Insurance Number or other taxpayer identification number.


If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance of such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:

 

(Name)

 

(Address)

 

(City and Province)

 

Social Insurance Number or other taxpayer identification number.

 

Signature Guaranteed:

Signature

 

 

(Signature must correspond to name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.)

 

Signature must be guaranteed by a Canadian chartered bank, a Canadian trust company, a member of a recognized stock exchange or a member of the Securities Transfer Association Medallion (STAMP) Program.

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A-5

 

CERTIFICATE

(To be completed if true.)

The undersigned party exercising Rights hereunder, hereby represents, for the benefit of all holders of Rights and Units, that the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are not, and, to the knowledge of the undersigned, have never been, Beneficially Owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof or a Person acting

jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof. Capitalized terms shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in the Unitholder Rights Agreement.

 

 

Signature

 

 

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(To be attached to each Rights Certificate)

NOTICE

In the event the certification set forth above in the Forms of Assignment and Election is not completed, the Fund will deem the Beneficial Owner of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof. No Rights Certificates shall be issued in exchange for a Rights Certificate owned or deemed to have been owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof, or by a Person acting jointly or in concert with an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof.

 

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