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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 10, 2023

Registration No. 333-            

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM F-10

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

 

Rogers Communications Inc.    Rogers Communications Canada Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

British Columbia   Ontario

(Province or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

 

4841   4812

(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number)

Not Applicable

(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

333 Bloor Street East, 10th Floor

Toronto, Ontario M4W 1G9

(416) 935-7777

(Address and telephone number of Registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

CT Corporation System

28 Liberty Street

New York, New York 10005

(212) 894-8940

(Name, address, and telephone number of agent for service in the United States)

 

 

Copies to:

 

Joseph D. Zavaglia, Esq.

Douglas Dolan, Esq.

 

David Wilson, Esq.

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP

Worldwide Plaza

825 Eighth Avenue

New York, New York 10019-7475

 

155 Wellington Street West

  Toronto, Ontario M5V 3J7
 
 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale of the securities to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.

Province of Ontario, Canada

(Principal jurisdiction regulating this offering)

It is proposed that this filing shall become effective (check appropriate box):

 

A.      

upon filing with the Commission, pursuant to Rule 467(a) (if in connection with an offering being made contemporaneously in the United States and Canada).

B.      

at some future date (check the appropriate box below):

   1.      

pursuant to Rule 467(b) on                 at                (designate a time not sooner than 7 calendar days after filing).

   2.      

pursuant to Rule 467(b) on                at                (designate a time 7 calendar days or sooner after filing) because the securities regulatory authority in the review jurisdiction has issued a receipt or notification of clearance on                .

   3.      

pursuant to Rule 467(b) as soon as practicable after notification of the Commission by the Registrant or the Canadian securities regulatory authority of the review jurisdiction that a receipt or notification of clearance has been issued with respect hereto.

   4.      

after the filing of the next amendment to this form (if preliminary material is being filed).

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to the home jurisdiction’s shelf prospectus offering procedures, check the following box.  ☒

The Registrants hereby amend this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registration statement shall become effective as provided in Rule 467 under the Securities Act of 1933 (as amended, the “U.S. Securities Act”) or on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to Section 8(a) of the U.S. Securities Act, may determine.

 

 

 


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PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED TO BE DELIVERED

TO OFFEREES OR PURCHASERS


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SHORT FORM BASE SHELF PROSPECTUS

 

New Issue    July 10, 2023

 

 

LOGO

ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC.

US$8,000,000,000

Debt Securities

Preferred Shares

We may offer from time to time, during the 25-month period that this prospectus, including any amendments hereto, remains valid, debt securities or preferred shares (collectively, “securities”) in an aggregate amount not to exceed US$8,000,000,000 (or its equivalent in any other currency used to denominate the debt securities at the time of offering). The debt securities may consist of debentures, notes or other types of debt and may be issuable in one or more series. The basis for calculating the dollar value of debt securities distributed under this prospectus will be the aggregate principal amount of debt securities that we issue except in the case of any debt securities that are issued at an original issue discount, the dollar value of which will be calculated on the basis of the gross proceeds that we receive.

The securities may be offered separately or together, in amounts, at prices and on terms to be determined based on market conditions and other factors. We will provide the specific terms of any securities we offer in one or more prospectus supplements which will accompany this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest. This prospectus may not be used to offer securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

We may sell securities to or through underwriters or dealers purchasing as principals, and may also sell securities to one or more purchasers directly or through agents. The prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of securities will identify each underwriter, dealer or agent engaged by us in connection with the offering and sale of that issue, and will set forth the terms of the offering of such issue, including, to the extent applicable, the proceeds to be received by us and any compensation payable to underwriters, dealers or agents. See “Plan of Distribution”.

This offering is made by a foreign issuer that is permitted, under a multijurisdictional disclosure system adopted by the United States, to prepare this prospectus in accordance with the disclosure requirements of its home country. Prospective investors should be aware that such requirements are different from those of the United States. The financial statements included or incorporated herein, if any, have been prepared in accordance with foreign generally accepted accounting principles, and may be subject to foreign auditing and auditor independence standards, and thus may not be comparable to financial statements of United States companies.

Prospective investors should be aware that the acquisition of the securities described herein may have tax consequences both in the United States and in the home country of the Registrants. Such consequences for investors who are resident in, or citizens of, the United States may not be described fully herein.

The enforcement by investors of civil liabilities under the federal securities laws may be affected adversely by the fact that the Registrants are incorporated or organized under the laws of a foreign country, that some or all of their officers and directors may be residents of a foreign country, that some or all of the underwriters or experts named in the registration statement may be residents of a foreign country, and that all or a substantial portion of the assets of the Registrants and said persons may be located outside the United States.

THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR HAS THE COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

The securities offered hereby have not been qualified for sale under the securities laws of any province or territory of Canada. The securities offered hereby will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Canada or to any resident of Canada except, to the extent provided in the prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of securities, pursuant to an exemption from the prospectus requirements under applicable Canadian securities laws.

Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, each issue of securities will be a new issue of securities with no established trading market. There is currently no market through which the securities may be sold and purchasers may not be able to resell the securities purchased under this prospectus. This may affect the pricing of the securities in the secondary market, the transparency and availability of trading prices, the liquidity of the securities, and the extent of issuer regulation.

The securities may be sold from time to time in one or more transactions at a fixed price or prices or at non-fixed prices. If offered on a non-fixed price basis, securities may be offered at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices or at prices to be negotiated with purchasers. The price at which the securities will be offered and sold may vary from purchaser to purchaser and during the distribution period.

Our head office is located at 333 Bloor Street East, 10th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 1G9 and our registered office is located at 550 Burrard Street, Suite 2900, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 0A3.


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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement and on other information included in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. References to this “prospectus” include documents incorporated by reference herein. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information that is different. We are not making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted by law.

Except as set forth under “Description of Debt Securities” and “Description of Preferred Shares as a Class”, or unless the context otherwise requires, in this prospectus (excluding the documents incorporated by reference herein) the terms “Company”, “we”, “us”, “our” and “Rogers” refer to Rogers Communications Inc. and its subsidiaries, the term “RCI” refers to Rogers Communications Inc. and not any of its subsidiaries, references to “Cdn$” and “$” are to Canadian dollars, and references to “U.S. dollars” or “US$” are to United States dollars.

All information permitted under applicable laws to be omitted from this prospectus will be contained in one or more prospectus supplements that will be delivered to purchasers together with this prospectus. Each prospectus supplement will be incorporated by reference in this prospectus for the purposes of securities legislation as of the date of the prospectus supplement and only for the purposes of the distribution of those securities to which the prospectus supplement pertains. We have filed an undertaking with the Ontario Securities Commission that we will not distribute, under this prospectus, specified derivatives or asset-backed securities that, at the time of distribution, are novel without pre-clearing with the Ontario Securities Commission the disclosure to be contained in the prospectus supplement pertaining to the distribution of such securities.

Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IFRS”) and are stated in Canadian dollars.

 

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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The following documents filed by us with the Ontario Securities Commission under the Securities Act (Ontario) and filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or the “Commission”) by us under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are specifically incorporated by reference in, and form an integral part of, this prospectus (except that any description of our credit ratings in any of the following documents shall not be incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement):

 

1.

our annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2022, dated March 9, 2023 (the “Annual Information Form”);

 

2.

our audited consolidated financial statements as at and for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (the “Annual Financial Statements”), together with the report of the auditors thereon, and management’s discussion and analysis in respect of those statements (the “Annual MD&A”);

 

3.

our unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements as at March 31, 2023 and for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 (the “Interim Financial Statements”), and our management’s discussion and analysis in respect of those statements (the “Interim MD&A”);

 

4.

our management information circular, dated March 24, 2023, in connection with our annual meeting of shareholders held on April 26, 2023;

 

5.

our material change report filed on April 5, 2023 in respect of our completion of the Shaw Transaction (as defined under “Recent Developments – The Shaw Transaction”) on April 3, 2023; and

 

6.

our business acquisition report, dated June 7, 2023 with respect to the Shaw Transaction (the “Business Acquisition Report”).

Any documents of the types required to be incorporated by reference in a short form prospectus pursuant to Section 11.1 of National Instrument 44-101F1Short Form Prospectus (“NI 44-101F1”), including any documents of the types referred to above (excluding confidential material change reports), filed by us with the Ontario Securities Commission after the date of this prospectus and prior to 25 months from the date hereof, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus (except that any description of our credit ratings in any such document or report shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement). In addition, any such documents which are filed with or furnished to the SEC by using our periodic reports on Form 6-K or annual report on Form 40-F (or any respective successor form) after the date of this prospectus shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part if and to the extent expressly provided in such report.

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for the purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained herein, or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes that statement. The modifying or superseding statement need not state that it has modified or superseded a prior statement or include any other information set forth in the document that it modifies or supersedes. The making of a modifying or superseding statement shall not be deemed an admission for any purposes that the modified or superseded statement, when made, constituted a misrepresentation, an untrue statement of a material fact or an omission to state a material fact that is required to be stated or that is necessary to make a statement not misleading in light of the circumstances in which it was made. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not constitute a part of this prospectus except as so modified or superseded.

Upon a new annual information form and the related annual audited comparative financial statements and accompanying management’s discussion and analysis being filed with and, where required, accepted by, the Ontario Securities Commission during the term of this prospectus, the previous annual information form, the

 

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previous annual audited comparative financial statements and accompanying management’s discussion and analysis and all interim financial statements and accompanying management’s discussion and analysis, material change reports, information circulars and business acquisition reports (to the extent the business acquisition report is incorporated by reference in such new annual information form or is not otherwise required to be incorporated by reference in a short form prospectus pursuant to Section 11.1 of NI 44-101F1) filed prior to the commencement of the then current fiscal year will be deemed no longer to be incorporated into this prospectus for purposes of future offers and sales of securities hereunder. Upon an interim financial statement and accompanying management’s discussion and analysis being filed by us with and, where required, accepted by, the Ontario Securities Commission during the term of this prospectus, all interim financial statements and accompanying management’s discussion and analysis filed prior to the new interim financial statement shall be deemed no longer to be incorporated in this prospectus for purposes of future offers and sales of securities hereunder.

A prospectus supplement containing the specific terms of an offering of the securities and, if applicable, updated disclosure of earnings coverage ratios will be delivered to purchasers of such securities together with this prospectus and will be deemed to be incorporated into this prospectus as of the date of such prospectus supplement but only for purposes of the offering of securities covered by that prospectus supplement.

Information has been incorporated by reference in this prospectus from documents filed with the Ontario Securities Commission. Copies of the documents incorporated herein by reference may be obtained on request without charge from our Secretary at 333 Bloor Street East, 10th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 1G9, Tel: 416-935-7777. Documents that we have filed with the Ontario Securities Commission may also be obtained over the Internet at the Canadian Securities Administrators’ website at www.sedar.com.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC under the U.S. Securities Act a registration statement on Form F-10 relating to the securities. This prospectus, which forms a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information contained in the registration statement, including the exhibits filed therewith, to which reference is made for further information.

In addition to our continuous disclosure obligations under the securities laws of the provinces of Canada, we are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act, and, in accordance therewith, file and furnish reports and other information with or to the SEC. Our recent SEC filings may be obtained over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of reports and other information concerning us may also be inspected at the offices of the New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005.

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This prospectus (including certain documents incorporated by reference herein) includes “forward-looking information”, within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, and “forward-looking statements”, within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively referred to herein as “forward-looking information” or “forward-looking statements”), and assumptions about, among other things, our business, operations, and financial performance and condition. This forward-looking information and these assumptions include, but are not limited to, statements about our objectives and strategies to achieve those objectives, and about our beliefs, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates or intentions. This forward-looking information also includes, but is not limited to, conclusions, forecasts and projections relating to revenue, total service revenue, adjusted EBITDA, capital expenditures, cash income tax payments, free cash flow, dividend payments, the growth of new products and services, expected growth in subscribers and the services to which they subscribe, the cost of acquiring and retaining subscribers and deployment of new services, continued cost reductions and efficiency improvements, our debt leverage ratio, the benefits expected to result from the Shaw

 

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Transaction (as defined under Recent Developments — The Shaw Transaction”), including corporate, operational, scale, and other synergies and their anticipated timing, and all other statements that are not historical facts.

Statements containing forward-looking information typically include words like “could”, “expect”, “may”, “anticipate”, “assume”, “believe”, “intend”, “estimate”, “plan”, “project”, “guidance”, “outlook”, “target” and similar expressions, although not all statements containing forward-looking information include such words. Statements containing forward-looking information include conclusions, forecasts and projections that are based on our current objectives and strategies and on estimates, expectations, assumptions and other factors, that we believe to have been reasonable at the time they were applied but may prove to be incorrect, and the following factors, among others: general economic and industry conditions, currency exchange rates and interest rates, product pricing levels and competitive intensity, subscriber growth, pricing, usage and churn rates, changes in government regulation, technology and network deployment, availability of devices, timing of new product launches, content and equipment costs, the integration of acquisitions, and industry structure and stability. Except as otherwise indicated, forward-looking information in this prospectus (including the documents incorporated by reference herein) does not reflect the potential impact of any non-recurring or other special items or of any dispositions, monetizations, mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations, or other transactions that may be considered or announced or may occur after the date on which the statement containing forward-looking information is made.

We caution that all forward-looking information, including any statement regarding our current objectives, strategies and intentions and any factor, assumption, estimate or expectation underlying the forward-looking information, is inherently subject to change and uncertainty. Actual events and results can be substantially different from what is expressed or implied by forward-looking information as a result of risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, including, but not limited to, the risks and uncertainties relating to or resulting from the following:

 

   

regulatory changes;

 

   

technological changes;

 

   

economic, geopolitical and other conditions affecting commercial activity;

 

   

unanticipated changes in content or equipment costs;

 

   

changing conditions in the entertainment, information, and communications industries;

 

   

sports-related work stoppages or cancellations and labor disputes;

 

   

the integration of acquisitions;

 

   

litigation and tax matters;

 

   

the level of competitive intensity;

 

   

the emergence of new opportunities;

 

   

external threats, such as epidemics, pandemics, and other public health crises, natural disasters, the effects of climate change, or cyberattacks, among others;

 

   

risks related to the Shaw Transaction, including the possibility:

 

   

we may not be able to achieve the anticipated cost synergies, operating efficiencies, and other benefits of the Shaw Transaction within the expected timeframes or at all;

 

   

the integration of the businesses and operations of Rogers and Shaw Communications Inc. may be more difficult, time-consuming, or costly than expected; and

 

   

that operating costs, customer loss, and business disruption (including, without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, customers, or suppliers) may be greater than expected;

 

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new interpretations and new accounting standards from accounting standards bodies; and

 

   

other risks outlined in “Risks and Uncertainties Affecting our Business” in our Annual MD&A and in “Updates to Risks and Uncertainties” in our Interim MD&A.

These risks, uncertainties and other factors can also affect our objectives, strategies, and intentions. Many of these risks, uncertainties and other factors are beyond our control or our current expectations or knowledge. Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties, or other factors materialize, our objectives, strategies, or intentions change, or any other factors or assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, our actual results and our plans could vary significantly from what we currently foresee. Accordingly, we warn investors to exercise caution when considering statements containing forward-looking information and caution them that it would be unreasonable to rely on such statements as creating legal rights regarding our future results or plans. We are under no obligation (and we expressly disclaim any such obligation) to update or alter any statements containing forward-looking information or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. All of the forward-looking information in this prospectus is qualified by the cautionary statements herein. Before making any investment decision in respect of the securities and for a detailed discussion of the risks, uncertainties and environment associated with our business, its operations and its financial performance and condition, fully review the disclosure incorporated by reference in and included in this prospectus, including the risks referenced under “Risk Factors”.

ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC.

We are a leading diversified Canadian communications and media company. We are Canada’s largest provider of wireless communications services and one of Canada’s leading providers of high-speed Internet, cable television and phone services. Through Rogers Media, we are engaged in sports media and entertainment, television and radio broadcasting, specialty channels, multi-platform shopping and digital media.

 

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RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

The Shaw Transaction

On April 3, 2023, we acquired all the issued and outstanding Class A Participating Shares and Class B Non-Voting Participating Shares (collectively, the “Shaw Shares”) of Shaw Communications Inc. (the “Shaw Transaction”). We paid, in the aggregate, approximately $20.483 billion for the Shaw Shares, of which $19.033 billion was paid in cash. The remaining $1.45 billion of consideration was paid through the issuance of 23.6 million RCI Class B Non-Voting common shares. We funded the cash consideration for the Shaw Transaction as follows: (1) approximately $13.033 billion from cash and restricted cash and cash equivalents on hand (which was funded primarily from the net proceeds from the sale of senior notes in the first quarter of 2022) and (2) approximately $6 billion borrowed on April 3, 2023 under our $6 billion non-revolving term loan facility.

Immediately prior to the closing of the Shaw Transaction, Shaw Communications Inc. (“Shaw”) completed the sale of all of the outstanding shares of Freedom Mobile Inc. (“Freedom”), a subsidiary of Shaw, to Videotron Ltd. (“Videotron”), a subsidiary of Quebecor Inc. (“Quebecor”) (the “Freedom Transaction”). The Freedom Transaction was effected pursuant to an agreement entered into on August 12, 2022 among RCI, Shaw, Shaw Telecom Inc., Quebecor and Videotron, which provided for the sale of all Freedom-branded wireless and Internet customers and all of Freedom’s infrastructure, spectrum licences, and retail locations. The purchase price payable by Quebecor to Shaw under this agreement was $2.85 billion on a cash-free, debt-free basis and as further adjusted pursuant to the terms of the divestiture agreement.

On April 3, 2023, following the completion of the Shaw Transaction, Shaw was amalgamated with RCI. As a result of this amalgamation, RCI became the issuer and assumed all of Shaw’s obligations under the indenture governing Shaw’s outstanding senior notes with a total principal amount of $4.55 billion as at April 3, 2023. In connection with the Shaw Transaction, RCCI provided a guarantee for Shaw’s payment obligations under those senior notes.

 

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CONSOLIDATED CAPITALIZATION

There have been no material changes in our share and loan capital, on a consolidated basis, since March 31, 2023 to the date of this prospectus, except as described in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus (including subsequent documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus). See “Recent Developments – The Shaw Transaction”.

USE OF PROCEEDS

Any net proceeds that we expect to receive from the sale of securities will be set forth in a prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the net proceeds from a sale of securities will be used for any one or more of debt repayment, working capital, acquisitions or other general corporate purposes. We may, from time to time, incur additional debt other than through the issue of securities pursuant to this prospectus.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may offer and sell the securities, separately or together, for cash or other consideration, to or through one or more underwriters or dealers purchasing as principals, and also may offer and sell securities to one or more purchasers directly or through agents. The distribution of securities may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions at a fixed price or prices or at non-fixed prices. If offered on a non-fixed price basis, the securities may be offered at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices or at prices to be negotiated with purchasers. The price at which securities will be offered and sold may vary from purchaser to purchaser and during the distribution period.

The prospectus supplement with respect to any securities being offered will set forth the terms of the offering of those securities, which may include:

 

   

the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or other placement agents,

 

   

the purchase price of, and form of consideration for, those securities and the proceeds to us from such sale,

 

   

any delayed delivery arrangements,

 

   

any underwriting discounts or commissions and other items constituting underwriters’ compensation,

 

   

any offering price (or the manner of determination thereof if offered on a non-fixed price basis),

 

   

any discounts, commissions or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers, and

 

   

any securities exchanges on which those securities may be listed.

Only the underwriters named in a prospectus supplement are deemed to be underwriters in connection with securities offered by that prospectus supplement.

If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may authorize dealers or other persons acting as our agents to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase the offered securities directly from us pursuant to contracts providing for payment and delivery on a future date. These contracts will be subject only to the conditions set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement which will also set forth the commission payable for solicitation of these contracts.

The securities offered hereby have not been qualified for sale under the securities laws of any province or territory of Canada. The securities offered hereby will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Canada or

 

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to any resident of Canada except, to the extent provided in the prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of securities, pursuant to an exemption from the prospectus requirements under applicable Canadian securities laws.

Under agreements that may be entered into by us, underwriters, dealers and agents who participate in the distribution of securities may be entitled to indemnification by us against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the U.S. Securities Act, or to contributions with respect to payments which such underwriters, dealers or agents may be required to make in respect thereof. The underwriters, dealers and agents with whom we enter into agreements may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

We may offer unsecured general obligations or secured obligations, which may be senior (the “senior debt securities”) or subordinated (the “subordinated debt securities”). The senior debt securities and the subordinated debt securities are together referred to in this prospectus as the “debt securities”. Unless otherwise provided in a prospectus supplement, the senior debt securities will have the same rank as all our other unsubordinated debt. The subordinated debt securities may be senior or junior to, or rank pari passu with, our other subordinated obligations and will be entitled to payment only after payment on our unsubordinated indebtedness.

The following description sets forth certain general terms of the debt securities. The particular terms of a series of debt securities offered by any prospectus supplement and the extent, if any, to which such general terms may apply to those debt securities will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Accordingly, for a description of the terms of a particular issue of debt securities, reference must be made to both the applicable prospectus supplement and to the following description. Prospective investors should rely on information in the applicable prospectus supplement if it is different from the following information. In this description, the words “we”, “us”, “our”, “RCI” and “Rogers Communications Inc.” refer to Rogers Communications Inc. (or its successors, if any) and not any of its subsidiaries.

When we refer to the “indenture” in this prospectus in respect of a particular series of debt securities, we are referring to the indenture under which the debt securities are issued, as supplemented by the supplemental indenture applicable to such series. The indenture under which any debt securities will be issued will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. When we issue a series of debt securities, the terms and provisions that are particular to those securities will be set forth in the relevant indenture. The debt securities will be issued under (i) the indenture, dated August 6, 2008, between Rogers Communications Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee, which has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and on SEDAR or (ii) an indenture to be entered into between us and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee, the form of which has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part (each such indenture, a “base indenture” and collectively, the “base indentures”). Each base indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

The following summary is of certain provisions of the base indentures and certain general features of the debt securities. This summary does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the base indentures and the applicable provisions of the United States Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

General

The base indentures do not limit the amount of debt securities that may be issued. The debt securities may be issued in one or more series as may be authorized from time to time. The particular terms of any series of debt

 

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securities will be established at the time of issuance and will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. These terms may include, but are not limited to, any of the following where applicable:

 

   

the title of that series,

 

   

the indenture under which such debt securities will be issued,

 

   

any limit on the amount that may be issued in respect of that series,

 

   

whether we will issue the series of debt securities in global form and, if so, who the depositary will be,

 

   

the maturity date of the debt securities,

 

   

whether the debt securities are to be issued at an original issue discount and/or whether the debt securities are to be interest bearing,

 

   

if the debt securities are to be interest bearing, the annual interest rate or interest basis upon which the annual interest rate may be determined, any credit spread or margin over such interest rate, which may be fixed or variable, or any other method for determining the interest rate and the date interest will begin to accrue, the dates interest will be payable and the regular record dates for interest payment dates or the method for determining such dates,

 

   

whether the debt securities will be secured or unsecured and, if secured, the terms of any security provided,

 

   

any guarantees, including the terms of any such guarantees,

 

   

the ranking of the series of debt securities relative to our other debt and the terms of the subordination of any series of subordinated debt securities,

 

   

the place where payments will be payable,

 

   

our right, if any, to defer payment of interest and the maximum length of any such deferral period,

 

   

the date, if any, after which, the price at which, and the conditions under which, we may, at our option, redeem the series of debt securities pursuant to any optional redemption provisions,

 

   

the date, if any, on which, and the price at which, we are obligated, pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund provisions or otherwise, to redeem or, at the holders’ option, to purchase, the series of debt securities,

 

   

whether any covenants or events of default in addition to, or that are different from, those provided in the base indenture will apply to the series of debt securities,

 

   

the price at which the debt securities will be issued or whether the debt securities will be issued on a non-fixed price basis,

 

   

the currency or currencies in which the debt securities are being sold and in which the principal of, and interest, premium or other amounts, if any, on, such debt securities will be payable,

 

   

the denominations in which we will issue the series of debt securities,

 

   

any defaults and events of default applicable to the series of debt securities,

 

   

any covenants applicable to the series of debt securities, and

 

   

any other specific material terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, the series of debt securities.

If the debt securities will be issued under a different indenture than the base indentures, the applicable prospectus supplement will describe all of the above, to the extent applicable, will identify the trustee for that indenture and will describe the covenants, events of default and other material terms applicable to those debt securities to the extent that they differ from, or are additional to, those provided in the base indentures.

 

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Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, any guarantee in respect of debt securities would fully and unconditionally guarantee the payment of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, such debt securities when such amounts become due and payable, whether at maturity thereof or by acceleration, notice of redemption or otherwise. In addition, if there is more than one guarantor for any debt securities, the guarantees would be joint and several as between the guarantors. We expect any guarantee provided in respect of senior debt securities would constitute an unsubordinated and unsecured obligation of the applicable guarantor. Other debt securities that we may issue also may be guaranteed and the terms of such guarantees (including any subordination) would be described in the applicable prospectus supplement and set forth in the applicable supplemental indenture. If any debt securities are to be guaranteed, we expect that Rogers Communications Canada Inc., one of RCI’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, would be the guarantor.

One or more series of debt securities may be sold at a discount below or premium above their stated principal amount and may bear no interest or interest at a rate that at the time of issuance is below or above market rates. One or more series of debt securities may be variable rate debt securities that may be exchanged for fixed rate debt securities.

Debt securities may be issued where the amount of principal and/or interest payable is determined by reference to one or more currency exchange rates, commodity prices, equity indices, securities, instruments, loans or other factors. Holders of such securities may receive a principal amount or a payment of interest that is greater than or less than the amount of principal or interest otherwise payable on such dates, depending upon the value of the applicable currencies, commodities, equity indices, securities, instruments, loans or other factors. Information as to the methods for determining the amount of principal or interest, if any, payable on any date, and the currencies, commodities, equity indices, securities, instruments, loans or other factors to which the amount payable on such date is linked, will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

The term debt securities includes debt securities denominated in Canadian dollars, U.S. dollars or, if specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, in any other freely transferable currency or units based on or relating to foreign currencies.

Form and Denomination

We expect most debt securities to be issued in fully registered form without coupons and in denominations of Cdn$1,000 or US$1,000 and any integral multiple thereof.

Convertible Debt Securities

The applicable prospectus supplement will describe, if applicable, the terms on which the debt securities will be convertible into or exchanged or exercised for other securities, including equity securities of RCI. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe how the number of securities to be received upon such conversion, exchange or exercise would be calculated and the anti-dilution protections, if any.

Mergers, Amalgamations and Sales of Assets by RCI

RCI may not amalgamate or consolidate with or merge with or into any other person or convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any person by liquidation, winding-up or otherwise (in one transaction or a series of related transactions) unless: (a) either (1) RCI is the continuing corporation or (2) the person (if other than RCI) formed by such consolidation or amalgamation or into which RCI is merged or the person which acquires by conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition the properties and assets of RCI substantially as an entirety (i) is a corporation, company, partnership or trust organized and validly existing under (A) the federal laws of Canada or the laws of any province thereof or (B) the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia, and (ii) assumes by operation of law or expressly assumes, by a supplemental indenture with respect to all debt securities of each series

 

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outstanding under the indenture, all of the obligations of RCI under such debt securities; and (b) immediately after giving effect to such transaction (and, to the extent applicable to any additional covenants of a particular series of debt securities, treating any debt which becomes an obligation of RCI or a subsidiary in connection with or as a result of such transaction as having been incurred at the time of such transaction), no default or event of default shall have occurred and be continuing.

In the event of any transaction described in and complying with the conditions listed in the immediately preceding paragraph in which RCI is not the continuing corporation, the successor or continuing person formed or remaining will succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, RCI under the indenture, and thereafter RCI will, except in the case of a lease, be discharged from all obligations and covenants under the indenture and the outstanding debt securities of each series.

Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance of Indenture

Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement of a particular series of debt securities, RCI may, at its option, and at any time, elect to have the obligations of RCI (and any applicable guarantors) discharged with respect to all outstanding debt securities or all outstanding debt securities of any series. We refer to this discharge of obligations as “defeasance”. Defeasance means that RCI (and any such guarantors) will be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the applicable outstanding debt securities and to have satisfied its other obligations under the indenture with respect to those debt securities, except for (i) the rights of holders of such outstanding debt securities to receive, solely from the trust fund described in the paragraph below, payments in respect of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on such debt securities when such payments are due, (ii) RCI’s obligations under the indenture with respect to such debt securities relating to the issuance of temporary debt securities, the registration, transfer and exchange of debt securities, the replacement of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities, the payment of additional amounts, the maintenance of any office or agency for payments in respect of such debt securities, the holding of money for security payments in trust and statements as to compliance with such indenture, (iii) RCI’s obligations under the indenture in connection with the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the trustee, (iv) the defeasance provisions of the indenture and (v) to the extent applicable, RCI’s right of redemption in the event of additional amounts becoming payable under certain circumstances.

In addition, RCI may, at its option and at any time, elect to be released from its obligations (and to release any applicable guarantors from their obligations) with respect to certain covenants in respect of any series of debt securities under the indenture (including those described in “— Mergers, Amalgamations and Sales of Assets by RCI”) and any and all additional and different covenants identified in the applicable prospectus supplement of such series of debt securities (unless otherwise indicated in such prospectus supplement) (“covenant defeasance”) and any omission to comply with such obligations thereafter shall not constitute a default or an event of default with respect to that series of debt securities.

In order to exercise either defeasance or covenant defeasance, (i) RCI must irrevocably deposit with the trustee, in trust, cash in the currency or currencies in which such debt securities are payable, certain government obligations, or a combination thereof in such amounts as will be sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or chartered accountants, to pay the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest on the outstanding debt securities of such series on the stated maturity (or redemption date, if applicable) of such principal (and premium, if any) or installment of interest; (ii) in the case of defeasance, RCI shall have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel in the United States stating that (x) RCI has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (y) since the date of the applicable supplemental indenture with respect to a series of debt securities, there has been a change in the applicable U.S. federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion of counsel shall confirm that, the holders of the outstanding debt securities of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of such defeasance and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such

 

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defeasance had not occurred; (iii) in the case of covenant defeasance, RCI shall have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel in the United States to the effect that the holders of the outstanding debt securities of such series will not recognize income, gains or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of such covenant defeasance and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such covenant defeasance had not occurred; (iv) in the case of defeasance or covenant defeasance, RCI shall have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel in Canada to the effect that holders of the outstanding debt securities of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Canadian federal or provincial income tax or other tax (including withholding tax) purposes as a result of such defeasance or covenant defeasance, as applicable, and will be subject to Canadian federal or provincial income tax and other tax (including withholding tax) on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such defeasance or covenant defeasance, as applicable, had not occurred (which condition may not be waived by any holder or the trustee); and (v) RCI must comply with certain other conditions.

Modification and Waiver

Modifications and amendments to the base indentures, including to any supplemental indenture relating to a series of debt securities, or the particular terms and conditions of any series of debt securities may be made by RCI (and any applicable guarantors) and the trustee, and will be made by the trustee on the request of RCI, with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of outstanding debt securities of each such series issued under the indenture to which such modification or amendment will apply; provided, however, that no such modification or amendment may, without the consent of the holder of each outstanding debt security of such series affected thereby: (i) change the stated maturity of the principal of, or any installment of interest on, any such debt security, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest thereon, or reduce the redemption price thereof, or change the coin or currency in which any such debt security or any premium or the interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment after the stated maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the applicable redemption date); (ii) reduce the percentage in principal amount of outstanding debt securities of such series, the consent of whose holders is necessary to amend or waive compliance with certain provisions of the base indenture or the supplemental indenture applicable to such series or to waive certain defaults; or (iii) modify any of the provisions relating to the modification or amendment of the base indenture or the particular terms and conditions of such series which provisions require the consent of holders of outstanding debt securities of such series or relating to the waiver of past defaults, except to increase the percentage of outstanding debt securities of such series the consent of whose holders is required for such actions or to provide that certain other provisions of the base indenture or the supplemental indenture applicable to such series cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the holder of each debt security of such series affected thereby.

In addition, modifications and amendments to the base indentures or the particular terms and conditions of any series of debt securities may be made by RCI (and any applicable guarantors) and the trustee without the consent of any holders of debt securities in order to, among other things, (i) provide certain additional rights or benefits to the holders of any series of debt securities, (ii) cure any ambiguity or correct or supplement any defective or inconsistent provision or make any other change to the indenture or a series of debt securities, provided, in each case, that such modification or amendment does not adversely affect the interests of the holders of debt securities of any such series in any material respect, and (iii) give effect to any direction or other act of the holders of a series of debt securities permitted to be given, made or taken under the indenture.

Any modification or amendment to the indenture or the particular terms and conditions of a series of debt securities that is permitted or authorized for a particular series will be binding on all holders of debt securities of that series notwithstanding whether a particular holder has approved it and, except as otherwise provided in any required approval for such modification or amendment, regardless of whether the holders of any other affected series of debt securities has approved it.

 

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The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any affected series may, on behalf of all holders of the debt securities of such series, waive RCI’s compliance with certain covenants and other provisions of the base indenture that apply to such series of debt securities and the supplemental indenture applicable to such series, including any existing default or event of default and its consequences under the base indenture and such supplemental indenture other than a default or event of default (i) in the payment of interest (or premium, if any) on, or the principal of, the debt securities of that series or (ii) in respect of a covenant or other provision that cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holders of each outstanding debt security of that series.

Global Securities

We expect the following provisions to apply to all debt securities.

The debt securities of a series may be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more global securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, a depositary (the “depositary”) identified in the prospectus supplement. Global securities will be issued in registered form and in either temporary or definitive form. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual debt securities, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary for such global security to a nominee of such depositary or by a nominee of such depositary to such depositary or another nominee of such depositary or by such depositary or any such nominee to a successor of such depositary or a nominee of such successor.

The specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to any debt securities of a series and the rights of and limitations upon owners of beneficial interests in a global security will be described in the prospectus supplement. We expect that the following provisions will generally apply to depositary arrangements.

Upon the issuance of a global security, the depositary for such global security or its nominee will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the respective principal amounts of the individual debt securities represented by such global security to the accounts of persons that have accounts with such depositary. Such accounts shall be designated by the dealers, underwriters or agents with respect to the debt securities or by us if such debt securities are offered and sold directly by us. Ownership of beneficial interests in a global security will be limited to persons that have accounts with the applicable depositary (“participants”) or persons that may hold interests through participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in such global security will be shown on, and the transfer of that ownership will be effected only through, records maintained by the applicable depositary or its nominee with respect to interests of participants and the records of participants with respect to interests of persons other than participants.

So long as the depositary for a global security, or its nominee, is the registered owner of a global security, except as required by law, such depositary or such nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the debt securities represented by that global security for all purposes under the indenture governing those debt securities. Except as provided below, owners of beneficial interests in a global security will not be entitled to have any of the individual debt securities of the series represented by that global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of any debt securities of such series in definitive form and will not be considered the owners or holders thereof under the indenture governing such debt securities.

Payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on individual debt securities represented by a global security registered in the name of a depositary or its nominee will be made to the depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner of the global security representing the debt securities. None of RCI, the trustee for the debt securities or any paying agent or registrar for the debt securities will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made by the depositary or any participants on account of beneficial ownership interests in the global security for the debt securities or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.

 

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We expect that the depositary for a series of debt securities or its nominee, upon receipt of any payment of principal, premium or interest in respect of a global security representing the debt securities, immediately will credit participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the principal amount of such global security for the debt securities as shown on the records of the depositary or its nominee. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in a global security held through such participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in street name. Such payments will be the responsibility of such participants.

If the depositary for a series of debt securities is at any time unwilling, unable or ineligible to continue as depositary and a successor depositary is not appointed by us within 90 days, we will issue definitive debt securities of that series in exchange for the global security or securities representing that series of debt securities. In addition, we may at any time and in our sole discretion, subject to any limitations described in the prospectus supplement relating to the debt securities, determine not to have any debt securities of a series represented by one or more global securities, and, in such event, will issue definitive debt securities of that series in exchange for the global security or securities representing that series of debt securities. A global security for a series of debt securities will also be exchangeable for definitive debt securities in the event that an Event of Default in respect of such series shall occur and be continuing. If definitive debt securities are issued, an owner of a beneficial interest in a global security will be entitled to physical delivery of definitive debt securities of the series represented by that global security equal in principal amount to that beneficial interest and to have the debt securities registered in its name.

Concerning the Trustee

The Bank of New York Mellon is the trustee under the base indentures.

Governing Law

The base indentures, any supplemental indentures and the debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

Enforceability of Judgments

Since substantially all of the assets of RCI are located outside the United States, any judgment obtained in the United States against RCI, including judgments with respect to the payment of principal or redemption price on the debt securities, may not be collectible within the United States. RCI has been informed by its Canadian counsel, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, that, under the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable in that province (collectively, “Applicable Laws”), a court of competent jurisdiction in the Province of Ontario (an “Ontario Court”) would give a judgment based upon a final and conclusive in personam judgment of a court exercising jurisdiction in the State of New York for a sum certain, obtained against RCI with respect to a claim arising out of the indenture and the debt securities (a “New York Judgment”), without reconsideration of the merits (a) provided that (i) an action to enforce the New York Judgment is commenced in the Ontario Court within any applicable limitation period; (ii) the Ontario Court has discretion to stay or decline to hear an action on the New York Judgment if the New York Judgment is under appeal or there is another subsisting judgment in any jurisdiction relating to the same cause of action as the New York Judgment; (iii) the Ontario Court will render judgment only in Canadian dollars; and (iv) an action in the Ontario Court on the New York Judgment may be affected by bankruptcy, insolvency or other laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally; and (b) subject to the following defenses: (i) that the New York Judgment was obtained by fraud or in a manner contrary to the principles of natural justice; (ii) that the New York Judgment is for a claim which under Applicable Laws would be characterized as based on a foreign revenue, expropriatory, penal or other public law; (iii) that the New York Judgment is contrary to public policy or to an order made by the Attorney General of Canada under the Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act (Canada) or by the Competition

 

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Tribunal under the Competition Act (Canada) in respect of certain judgments referred to in these statutes; or (iv) that the New York Judgment has been satisfied or is void or voidable under the laws of the State of New York.

Consent to Jurisdiction and Service

RCI has appointed CT Corporation System, 28 Liberty Street, New York, New York 10005, as its agent for service of process in any suit, action or proceeding with respect to the base indentures, including any supplemental indentures thereto or the debt securities issued thereunder, and for actions brought under federal or state laws brought in any federal or state court located in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York and submits to such jurisdiction.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED SHARES AS A CLASS

The following describes certain special rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to the preferred shares of RCI as a class. The particular rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to a series of preferred shares offered by a prospectus supplement, and to the extent to which the special rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions described below may apply thereto, will be described in such prospectus supplement. Accordingly, for a description of the terms of a particular issue of preferred shares, reference must be made to both the applicable prospectus supplement and to the following description. Prospective investors should rely on information in the applicable prospectus supplement if it is different from the following information. The following does not purport to be complete and is subject to the detailed provisions of, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, RCI’s articles. RCI’s articles, and not this description, will define the rights of holders of preferred shares. In this description, the term “RCI” refer to Rogers Communications Inc. and not any of its subsidiaries.

Subject to certain limitations, the board of directors of RCI may, from time to time, issue preferred shares in one or more series and may, before such issuance, fix the number of shares in such series in accordance with the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and may, subject to the limitations set out in RCI’s articles and the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia), determine the designation, rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions to be attached to the preferred shares of such series.

In accordance with RCI’s articles, the preferred shares of each series shall participate rateably in respect of accumulated dividends, if any, if any fixed cumulative dividends or amounts payable on a return of capital are not paid in full in accordance with their terms, and shall be entitled to preference over the Class A Voting Shares and the Class B Non-Voting Shares of RCI and over any other shares ranking junior to the preferred shares with respect to priority in payment of fixed dividends, if any.

The board of directors of RCI may not attach any right, privilege, restriction or condition to any series of preferred shares that entitles, or would entitle the holder or holders of such preferred shares of any such series, to vote at any general meeting of RCI, and the preferred shares of any such series shall have no right to vote at any general meeting of RCI.

 

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EARNINGS COVERAGE

The information presented below is historical and does not give effect to (i) the issuance of securities that may be distributed pursuant to this prospectus (since the terms of such securities are not presently known), or (ii) the issuance or repayment of any other financial liabilities that have been issued or repaid subsequent to the periods presented (except, in the case of the pro forma earnings coverage ratios, as set out in pro forma financial statements contained in the Business Acquisition Report). Earnings coverage ratios adjusted to give effect to the issuance of any securities being distributed and to reflect such other adjustments as may be required by applicable Canadian securities law requirements will be presented for the prescribed periods in the applicable prospectus supplement. The earnings coverage ratios set out below do not purport to be indicative of our earnings coverage ratios for any future periods.

Earnings Coverage Ratios

The following earnings coverage ratios and associated financial information have been calculated on a consolidated basis for the 12-month periods ended December 31, 2022 and March 31, 2023 based on our financial statements for the respective periods, which have been prepared in accordance with IFRS.

 

     12 Months Ended
December 31, 2022
     12 Months Ended
March 31, 2023
 

Earnings before borrowing costs and income taxes

   $ 3,757 million      $ 1,138 million  

Borrowing cost requirements(1)

   $ 1,468 million      $ 442 million  

Earnings coverage ratio(2)

     2.56x        2.57x  

 

(1)

Borrowing cost requirements refer to our total finance costs for the applicable period excluding interest earned.

(2)

Earnings coverage ratio refers to the ratio of (i) our earnings before borrowing costs and income taxes, and (ii) our borrowing cost requirements for the applicable period.

The above table should be read together with the Annual Financial Statements and the Interim Financial Statements, each of which is incorporated by reference in the prospectus.

Pro Forma Earnings Coverage Ratios

The following pro forma earnings coverage ratios and associated financial information are based on the historical consolidated financial statements of RCI and Shaw, as adjusted to give pro forma effect to the Shaw Transaction on the basis set out in pro forma financial statements contained in the Business Acquisition Report.

 

     12 Months Ended
December 31, 2022
     3 Months Ended
March 31, 2023
 

Pro forma earnings before borrowing costs and income taxes(1)

   $ 3,667 million      $ 1,074 million  

Pro forma borrowing cost requirements(2)

   $ 2,440 million      $ 742 million  

Pro forma earnings coverage ratio(3)

     1.50x        1.45x  

 

(1)

Pro forma earnings before borrowing costs and income taxes adjusts earnings before borrowing costs and income taxes to give effect to the Shaw Transaction on the basis provided in the pro forma financial statements in the Business Acquisition Report. Pro forma earnings before borrowing costs and income taxes do not include interest earned.

(2)

Borrowing cost requirements refer to our total finance costs for the applicable period excluding interest earned. Pro forma borrowing cost requirements adjusts borrowing cost requirements to give effect to the Shaw Transaction on the basis provided in the pro forma financial statements in the Business Acquisition Report.

 

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(3)

Pro forma earnings coverage ratio refers to the ratio of (i) our pro forma earnings before borrowing costs and income taxes, and (ii) our pro forma borrowing cost requirements for the applicable period.

The pro forma financial information set out above gives effect to the Shaw Transaction as if it had occurred on January 1, 2022 and is presented for illustrative purposes only. This pro forma financial information is not necessarily indicative of what our financial position or financial performance would have been had the Shaw Transaction been completed on that date. In addition, this pro forma financial information does not purport to be indicative of our earnings coverage ratios for any future periods or to project our future financial position or operating results following the completion of the Shaw Transaction and should not be taken as representative of our future consolidated results of operations or financial position. The actual financial condition and results of operations of the combined company resulting from the amalgamation of RCI and Shaw may differ from the pro forma amounts reflected herein due to a variety of factors and those differences may be material. This pro forma financial information does not reflect, among other things, (i) any cost savings, operating synergies, or revenue enhancements the combined company may achieve after closing the Shaw Transaction, or costs necessary to achieve those cost savings, operating synergies, and revenue enhancements, (ii) any costs associated with the integration of the operations of RCI and Shaw and their respective subsidiaries after closing the Shaw Transaction, or (iii) any adjustments related to the provision of transition or other services related to the Freedom Transaction.

The above table should be read together with the Annual Financial Statements and the Interim Financial Statements, as well as the Business Acquisition Report (including the consolidated financial statements of Shaw and the pro forma financial statements included therein), all of which are incorporated by reference in the prospectus.

RISK FACTORS

An investment in the securities involves risk. Before deciding whether to invest in the securities, you should consider carefully the risks described in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus (including subsequent documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus) and, if applicable, those described in a prospectus supplement relating to a specific offering of securities. Discussions of certain risks and uncertainties affecting our business are provided in the Annual Information Form, the Annual MD&A and the Interim MD&A (or, as applicable, our annual information form and our management’s discussion and analysis for subsequent periods), each of which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus. These are not the only risks and uncertainties that we face. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently consider immaterial may also materially and adversely affect us. If any of the events identified in these risks and uncertainties were to actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially harmed.

 

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ENFORCEABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL LIABILITIES

We are a corporation organized under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Canada and substantially all of our assets are located in Canada. In addition, most of our directors, substantially all of our officers and most of the experts named herein are resident outside the United States. We have appointed an agent for service of process in the United States (as set forth below), but it may be difficult for U.S. investors to effect service of process within the United States upon such directors, officers or experts to enforce against them judgments of U.S. courts based upon, among other things, the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws. In addition, we have been advised by Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, our Canadian counsel, that there may be some doubt whether a judgment of a U.S. court predicated solely upon civil liability provisions of United States federal securities laws would be enforceable in Ontario. We have also been advised by such counsel that there is substantial doubt whether an action could be brought in Ontario in the first instance on the basis of liability predicated solely upon United States federal securities laws.

We filed with the SEC, concurrently with this registration statement on Form F-10, an appointment of agent for service of process on Form F-X. Under the Form F-X, we appointed CT Corporation System, 28 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10005, as our agent for service of process in the United States in connection with any investigation or administrative proceeding conducted by the SEC, and any civil suit or action brought against us in a United States court arising out of or related to or concerning the offering of securities under this registration statement.

CERTAIN INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The applicable prospectus supplement may describe the principal Canadian federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investors described therein of purchasing, holding and disposing of the securities offered thereunder. The applicable prospectus supplement may also describe certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to the purchase, holding and disposition of those securities by an investor who is a United States person.

LEGAL MATTERS

Certain legal matters relating to the securities offered by this short form base shelf prospectus will be passed upon on our behalf by Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, our Canadian counsel, and Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, our U.S. counsel. As of the date of this prospectus, the partners and associates of Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, as a group, own beneficially, directly or indirectly, less than 1% of our outstanding securities of any class and less than 1% of the outstanding securities of any class of our associates or affiliates.

EXPERTS

KPMG LLP are the auditors of RCI and have confirmed that they are independent with respect to RCI within the meaning of the relevant rules and related interpretations prescribed by the relevant professional bodies in Canada and any applicable legislation and regulation, and that they are independent accountants with respect to RCI under all relevant U.S. professional and regulatory standards.

The audited consolidated financial statements of Shaw as at and for the years ended August 31, 2022 and August 31, 2021, including the notes thereto, included or incorporated by reference in the Business Acquisition Report and incorporated by reference herein, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP. Ernst & Young LLP has confirmed that, at the time of their audit, they were independent of Shaw in the context of the Rules of Professional Conduct of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta and the regulations adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).

 

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DOCUMENTS FILED AS PART OF THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

The following documents have been filed with the SEC as part of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part: the documents referred to under “Documents Incorporated by Reference”; consent of KPMG LLP; consent of Ernst & Young LLP; consent of Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP; powers of attorney from directors and officers of the registrants; the indentures relating to the debt securities and the statements of eligibility of the trustee on Form T-1.

 

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED TO BE

DELIVERED TO OFFEREES OR PURCHASERS

INDEMNIFICATION

Rogers Communications Inc.

Under Section 160 of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the “BCBCA”),

 

  (a)

a director or officer of Rogers Communications Inc. (“RCI”),

 

  (b)

a former director or officer of RCI,

 

  (c)

a director, former director, officer or former officer of another corporation at a time when the corporation is or was an affiliate of RCI or at the request of RCI,

 

  (d)

an individual who is or was, or holds or held a position equivalent to that of, a director or officer of a partnership, trust, joint venture or other unincorporated entity, at the request of RCI (any corporation or entity referred to in (c) or (d), an “associated corporation”; and any individual described in (a) through (d), an “eligible individual”) or

 

  (e)

any heirs and personal or other legal representatives of an eligible individual (any person described in (e) and any eligible individual, an “eligible party”)

may be indemnified by RCI against all judgments, penalties or fines awarded or imposed or to which the eligible party may be liable in, or amounts paid in settlement of, any civil, criminal, quasi-criminal, administrative or regulatory action or proceeding or investigative action, whether current, threatened, pending or completed, in which the eligible party, by reason of an eligible party being or having been a director or officer of, or holding or having held a position equivalent to that of a director or officer of, RCI or an associated corporation is or may be joined as a party, or is or may be liable for or in respect of a judgment, penalty or fine in, or costs, charges and expenses, including legal and other fees (“expenses”) related to, any such action or proceeding (an “eligible proceeding”); and after the final disposition of an eligible proceeding, may be paid the expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the eligible party in respect of that proceeding.

Under Section 161 of the BCBCA, an eligible party must, after the final disposition of an eligible proceeding, be paid by RCI the expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the eligible party in respect of the eligible proceeding if the eligible party is wholly successful on the merits or otherwise, or is substantially successful on the merits, in the outcome of the proceeding, and if the eligible party has not been reimbursed for those expenses.

Under Section 162 of the BCBCA, an eligible party may be paid by RCI, as expenses are incurred in advance of the final disposition of an eligible proceeding, the expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the eligible party in respect of that proceeding; provided that RCI must not pay such expenses unless RCI first receives from the eligible party a written undertaking that the eligible party will repay the amounts advanced if it is ultimately determined that (i) the eligible individual in relation to the subject matter of the eligible proceeding did not act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of RCI or associated corporation, as the case may be, (ii) in the case of an eligible proceeding other than a civil proceeding, the eligible individual did not have reasonable grounds for believing the eligible individual’s conduct in respect of which the proceeding was brought was lawful, (iii) the eligible proceeding is brought by or on behalf of RCI or an associated corporation or (iv) in certain circumstances, RCI is or was prohibited from doing so by its articles (each of items (i) to (iv), a “statutory prohibition”).

Under Section 163 of the BCBCA, RCI must not make an indemnification or payment under Sections 160 to 162 if there is a statutory prohibition.

 

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Under Section 164 of the BCBCA, the Supreme Court of British Columbia may, on application of RCI or an eligible party, order RCI to indemnify or to pay expenses of an eligible party, despite Sections 160 to 163 of the BCBCA.

Under the BCBCA, the articles of RCI may affect the power or obligation of RCI to give an indemnity or pay expenses to the extent that the articles prohibit giving the indemnity or paying the expenses. As indicated above, this is subject to the overriding power of the Supreme Court of British Columbia under Section 164 of the BCBCA.

The articles of RCI provide that RCI shall indemnify, and pay expenses in advance of the final disposition of a proceeding of, a director or officer or former director or officer of RCI or a person who acts or acted at RCI’s request as a director or officer, or in a similar capacity of another entity, and the heirs and personal or other legal representatives of such a person, in accordance with, and to the fullest extent and in all circumstances permitted by the BCBCA. The articles further provide that RCI may enter into indemnification agreements, including without limitation, provisions therein whereby a court order approving indemnification will be applied for, if required. The foregoing rights and powers of RCI are in addition to and not in substitution for any other rights and powers regarding indemnification, payment of expenses and insurance.

As contemplated by Section 165 of the BCBCA, RCI has purchased insurance for the benefit of its directors and officers against potential claims against them and against loss for which RCI may be required or permitted by law to indemnify such directors and officers.

RCI has entered into indemnification agreements with its directors that indemnify such persons to the maximum amount permitted by applicable law. Pursuant to these agreements, RCI has agreed to provide such persons an advance of defense costs prior to final disposition of a proceeding, subject to an obligation to repay in certain circumstances.

Rogers Communications Canada Inc.

Under the Canada Business Corporations Act (the “CBCA”), Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (“RCCI”) may indemnify a director or officer of RCCI, a former director or officer of RCCI or another individual who acts or acted at RCCI’s request as a director or officer, or an individual acting in a similar capacity, of another entity, against all costs, charges and expenses, including an amount paid to settle an action or satisfy a judgment, reasonably incurred by the individual in respect of any civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other proceeding in which the individual is involved because of that association with RCCI or other entity and provided that the director, officer or other individual acted honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of RCCI, or, as the case may be, to the best interests of the other entity for which the individual acted as a director or officer or in a similar capacity at RCCI’s request and, in the case of a criminal or administrative action or proceeding that is enforced by a monetary penalty, if the director, officer or other individual had reasonable grounds for believing that such individual’s conduct was lawful. Such indemnification may be made in connection with a derivative action only with court approval. A director, officer or other individual referred to above is entitled to indemnification from RCCI in respect of all costs, charges and expenses reasonably incurred by the individual in connection with the defense of any civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other proceeding to which the individual is subject because of the individual’s association with RCCI or other entity, as described above, if the individual was not judged by the court or other competent authority to have committed any fault or omitted to do anything that the individual ought to have done and fulfilled the conditions set forth above.

The by-laws of RCCI provide that, subject to the fulfilment of (i) and (ii) below, RCCI shall indemnify a director or officer of RCCI, a former director or officer of RCCI or another individual who acts or acted at RCCI’s request as a director or officer (or an individual acting in a similar capacity) of another entity, against all costs, charges and expenses, including an amount paid to settle an action or satisfy a judgment, reasonably incurred by the individual in respect of any civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other proceeding in which the individual is involved because of that association with RCCI or other entity. RCCI shall not indemnify an individual referred to above unless he or she: (i) acted honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of RCCI or, as the case may be, to the best interests of the other entity for which he or she acted as a director or officer or in a similar capacity at RCCI’s request; and (ii) in the case of a criminal or administrative action or proceeding that is enforced by a monetary penalty, he or she had reasonable grounds for believing that his or her conduct was lawful. RCCI shall advance monies to a director, officer or other individual for the costs, charges and expenses of a proceeding referred to above. However, the individual shall repay the monies if he or she does not fulfil (i) and (ii) above. RCCI shall also indemnify the individual referred to above in such other circumstances as the CBCA or law permits or requires. Nothing in RCCI’s by-laws shall limit the right of any person entitled to indemnity to claim indemnity apart from the provisions of such by-laws.

 

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RCCI has purchased insurance against potential claims against the directors and officers of RCCI and against loss for which RCCI may be required or permitted by law to indemnify such directors and officers.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the U.S. Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the Registrants pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the Registrants have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the U.S. Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

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EXHIBITS INDEX

 

Exhibit
Number

  

Description

4.1    Annual information form of Rogers Communications Inc. (“RCI”) for the year ended December 31, 2022, dated March  9, 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to RCI’s Form 40-F (Commission File No. 001-10805) filed with the Commission on March 10, 2023)
4.2    Audited consolidated financial statements of RCI as at and for the years ended December  31, 2022 and 2021, together with the report of the auditors thereon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.3 to RCI’s Form 40-F (Commission File No.  001-10805) filed with the Commission on March 10, 2023)
4.3    Management’s discussion and analysis for the audited consolidated financial statements of RCI as at and for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) furnished to the Commission on March 10, 2023)
4.4    Management information circular of RCI, dated March  24, 2023, in connection with RCI’s annual meeting of shareholders held on April 26, 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) furnished to the Commission on March 24, 2023)
4.5    Unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements of RCI as at and for the three months ended March  31, 2023 and 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) furnished to the Commission on April  26, 2023)
4.6    Management’s discussion and analysis for the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements of RCI as at and for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) furnished to the Commission on April 26, 2023)
4.7    Material change report, dated April  5, 2023, in respect of the acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc. and sale of Freedom Mobile Inc. to Videotron Ltd. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) furnished to the Commission on April 5, 2023)
4.8    Business Acquisition Report of RCI dated June 7, 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) furnished to the Commission on June 8, 2023)
5.1    Consent of KPMG LLP
5.2    Consent of Ernst & Young LLP
5.3    Consent of Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
6.1    Powers of attorney (included on the signature pages of this registration statement)
7.1    Indenture, dated as of August  6, 2008, between RCI and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No.  001-10805) furnished to the Commission on August 6, 2008)
7.2    First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August  6, 2008, among RCI, Rogers Cable Communications Inc., Rogers Wireless Partnership and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) furnished to the Commission on August 6, 2008)
7.3    Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August  6, 2008, among RCI, Rogers Cable Communications Inc., Rogers Wireless Partnership and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.3 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) furnished to the Commission on August 6, 2008)

 

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7.4    Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March  7, 2013, among RCI, Rogers Communications Partnership and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No.  001-10805) furnished to the Commission on March 7, 2013)
7.5    Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March  7, 2013, among RCI, Rogers Communications Partnership and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No.  001-10805) furnished to the Commission on March 7, 2013)
7.6    Fifth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of October  2, 2013, among RCI, Rogers Communications Partnership and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No.  001-10805) furnished to the Commission on October 2, 2013)
7.7    Sixth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of October  2, 2013, among RCI, Rogers Communications Partnership and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No.  001-10805) furnished to the Commission on October 2, 2013)
7.8    Seventh Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March  10, 2014, among RCI, Rogers Communications Partnership and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) furnished to the Commission on March 10, 2014)
7.9    Eighth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of December  8, 2015, among RCI, Rogers Communications Partnership and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No.  001-10805) furnished to the Commission on December 8, 2015)
7.10    First Amending Supplemental Indenture, dated January  1, 2016, among RCI, Rogers Cable and Data Centres Inc. (now known as Rogers Communications Canada Inc.) and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) furnished to the Commission on January 20, 2016)
7.11    Ninth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of November  4, 2016, among RCI, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No.  001-10805) furnished to the Commission on November 4, 2016)
7.12    Tenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February  8, 2018, among RCI, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No.  001-10805) furnished to the Commission on February 8, 2018)
7.13    Eleventh Supplemental Indenture, dated as of April  30, 2019, among RCI, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) furnished to the Commission on May 1, 2019)
7.14    Twelfth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of November  12, 2019, among RCI, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) furnished to the Commission on November 12, 2019)
7.15    Thirteenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of June  22, 2020, among RCI, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) furnished to the Commission on June 22, 2020)
7.16    Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March  11, 2022, among RCI, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) filed with the Commission on March 11, 2022)
7.17    First Amending Supplemental Indenture to the Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of September  1, 2022, among RCI, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No.  001-10805) furnished to the Commission on September 1, 2022)

 

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7.18    Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March  11, 2022, among RCI, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) filed with the Commission on March 11, 2022)
7.19    First Amending Supplemental Indenture to the Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of September  1, 2022, among RCI, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.3 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No.  001-10805) furnished to the Commission on September 1, 2022)
7.20    Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March  11, 2022, among RCI, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.3 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) filed with the Commission on March 11, 2022)
7.21    First Amending Supplemental Indenture to the Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of September  1, 2022, among RCI, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No.  001-10805) furnished to the Commission on September 1, 2022)
7.22    Seventeenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March  11, 2022, among RCI, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) filed with the Commission on March 11, 2022)
7.23    First Amending Supplemental Indenture to the Seventeenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of September  1, 2022, among RCI, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.5 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No.  001-10805) furnished to the Commission on September 1, 2022)
7.24    Eighteenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March  11, 2022, among RCI, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.5 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No. 001-10805) filed with the Commission on March 11, 2022)
7.25    First Amending Supplemental Indenture to the Eighteenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of September  1, 2022, among RCI, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.6 to RCI’s Form 6-K (Commission File No.  001-10805) filed with the Commission on September 1, 2022)
7.26    Form of Indenture, between Rogers Communications Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee
7.27    Statement of Eligibility of the trustee on Form T-1 with respect to the Indenture, dated as of August 6, 2008
7.28    Statement of Eligibility of the trustee on Form T-1 with respect to the Form of Indenture
107.1    Filing Fee Table

 

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PART III

UNDERTAKING AND CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS

Item 1. Undertaking

Each Registrant undertakes to make available, in person or by telephone, representatives to respond to inquiries made by the Commission staff, and to furnish promptly, when requested to do so by the Commission staff, information relating to the securities registered pursuant to Form F-10 or to transactions in said securities.

Item 2. Consent to Service of Process

Concurrently with the filing of this registration statement, each of the Registrants is filing with the Commission a written irrevocable consent and power of attorney on Form F-X.

Any change to the name or address of the agent for service of any Registrant shall be communicated promptly to the Commission by amendment to Form F-X referencing the file number of the relevant registration statement.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, each Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-10 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Toronto, Province of Ontario, Canada on the 10th day of July, 2023.

 

ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC.
(Registrant)
By:  

/s/ Anthony Staffieri

  Name: Anthony Staffieri
  Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
By:  

/s/ Glenn Brandt

  Name: Glenn Brandt
  Title: Chief Financial Officer
ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS CANADA INC.
(Registrant)
By:  

/s/ Anthony Staffieri

  Name: Anthony Staffieri
  Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
By:  

/s/ Glenn Brandt

  Name: Glenn Brandt
  Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

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SIGNATURES WITH RESPECT TO ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints each of Anthony Staffieri, Marisa Wyse and Glenn Brandt his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, each acting alone, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing appropriate or necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

This Power of Attorney may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but which taken together shall constitute one instrument.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature    Title    Date Signed
/s/ Anthony Staffieri   

Director and President and Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

   July 10, 2023

 

Anthony Staffieri

  
/s/ Glenn Brandt   

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

   July 10, 2023

 

Glenn Brandt

  
/s/ Edward S. Rogers    Director and Chairman    July 10, 2023

 

Edward S. Rogers

  
/s/ Philip B. Lind    Director and Vice-Chairman    July 10, 2023

 

Philip B. Lind

  
/s/ Robert J. Gemmell    Lead Director    July 10, 2023

 

Robert J. Gemmell

  
/s/ Michael Cooper    Director    July 10, 2023

 

Michael Cooper

  
/s/ Ivan Fecan    Director    July 10, 2023

 

Ivan Fecan

  
/s/ Jan Innes    Director    July 10, 2023

 

Jan Innes

  
/s/ John Custance Kerr    Director    July 10, 2023

 

John Custance Kerr

  
/s/ Dr. Mohamed Lachemi    Director    July 10, 2023

 

Dr. Mohamed Lachemi

  
/s/ David A. Robinson    Director    July 10, 2023

 

David A. Robinson

  
/s/ Trevor English    Director    July 10, 2023

 

Trevor English

  
/s/ Bradley Shaw    Director    July 10, 2023

 

Bradley Shaw

  

 

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SIGNATURES WITH RESPECT TO ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS CANADA INC.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints each of Anthony Staffieri, Glenn Brandt and Marisa Wyse his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, each acting alone, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing appropriate or necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

This Power of Attorney may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but which taken together shall constitute one instrument.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature

  

Title

  

Date Signed

/s/ Anthony Staffieri    President and Chief Executive Officer    July 10, 2023

 

Anthony Staffieri

  
/s/ Glenn Brandt   

Director and Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

   July 10, 2023

 

Glenn Brandt

  
/s/ Marisa Wyse    Director, Chief Legal Officer, Chief Regulatory Officer and Corporate Secretary    July 10, 2023

 

Marisa Wyse

  

 

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AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 6(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, the undersigned has signed this registration statement, solely in the capacity of the duly authorized representative of Rogers Communications Inc. and Rogers Communications Canada Inc. in the United States, in the City of Newark, State of Delaware on the 10th day of July, 2023.

 

PUGLISI & ASSOCIATES
By:  

/s/ Donald J. Puglisi

  Name: Donald J. Puglisi
  Title: Managing Director

 

III-8

Exhibit 5.1

 

LOGO   
  

KPMG LLP

Bay Adelaide Centre

Suite 4600

333 Bay Street

Toronto, Ontario

M5H 2S5

Telephone (416) 777-8500

Fax (416) 777-8818

www.kpmg.ca

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors of Rogers Communications Inc.

We consent to the use of our report dated March 9, 2023, on the consolidated financial statements of Rogers Communications Inc., which comprise the consolidated statements of financial position as at December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes, and our report dated March 9, 2023 on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022 and to the reference to our firm under the heading “Experts” in the short form base shelf prospectus included in the Registration Statement on Form F-10 dated July 10, 2023 of Rogers Communications Inc.

/s/ KPMG

Chartered Professional Accountants, Licensed Public Accountants

July 10, 2023

Toronto, Canada

Exhibit 5.2

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the use of our report dated November 28, 2022, relating to the consolidated financial statements of Shaw Communications Inc. as of and for the two years ended August 31, 2022 and 2021 incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement on Form F-10, and to the reference to our firm under the caption “Experts” in the related prospectus.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Chartered Professional Accountants

Calgary, Canada

July 10, 2023

Exhibit 5.3

 

LOGO

  155 Wellington Street West    File 281290
  Toronto, ON M5V 3J7 Canada   
 

 

dwpv.com

  

July 10, 2023

Rogers Communications Inc.

Rogers Communications Canada Inc.

333 Bloor Street East, 10th Floor

Toronto, ON M4W 1G9

Dear Sirs/Mesdames:

Consent Regarding Registration Statement on Form F-10 for Rogers Communications Inc. and Rogers Communications Canada Inc.

We have acted as Canadian counsel to Rogers Communications Inc. and Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (the “Registrants”) in connection with the registration statement on Form F-10 (the “Registration Statement”) filed by the Registrants with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

We acknowledge that we are referred to under the headings “Description of Debt Securities – Enforceability of Judgements”, “Enforceability of Certain Civil Liabilities”, “Legal Matters” and “Documents Filed as Part of the Registration Statement” in the prospectus forming a part of the Registration Statement and we hereby consent to such use of our name in the Registration Statement.

In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

Yours very truly,

(Signed) Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

 

LOGO

Exhibit 7.26

ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC.,

as issuer of the Securities

and

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON,

as Trustee

FORM OF INDENTURE

Dated as of    ,


RECONCILIATION AND TIE BETWEEN TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 AND INDENTURE, DATED    ,                *

 

Trust Indenture Act Section    Section of Indenture
Section 310    (a)(1)    509
   (a)(2)    509
   (b)    508, 510
Section 312    (c)    601
Section 313    (c)    602
Section 314    (a)    603
   (b)    103
   (c)    103
   (e)    103
Section 315       502
Section 316    (a)(1)(A)    402, 412
   (a)(1)(B)    413
   (a)(last sentence)    101 (“Outstanding”)
   (b)    408
   (c)    105
Section 317    (a)(1)    403
   (a)(2)    404
   (b)    903
Section 318    (a)    108

 

*

This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of the Indenture.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     PAGE  

ARTICLE ONE DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION

     1  

SECTION 101. DEFINITIONS

     1  

“Act”

     2  

“Affiliate”

     2  

“Beneficial Owner”

     2  

“Board of Directors”

     2  

“Board Resolution”

     2  

“Book-Based System”

     3  

“Book-Entry Securities”

     3  

“Business Day”

     3  

“Canadian dollars”, “Cdn dollars”, “Cdn$” and “$”

     3  

“Capital Stock”

     3  

“Clearing Agency”

     3  

“Clearing Agency Participant”

     4  

“Commission”

     4  

“Common Shares”

     4  

“Company”

     4  

“Company Request” or “Company Order”

     4  

“Corporate Trust Office”

     4  

“Default”

     5  

“Depositary”

     5  

“DTC”

     5  

“Electronic Means”

     5  

“Event of Default”

     5  

“Exchange Act”

     5  

“Generally Accepted Accounting Principles” or “GAAP”

     5  

“Global Security”

     5  

“Guarantor”

     5  

“Holder”

     6  

“Holder Direction”

     6  

“Indenture”

     6  

“Interest Payment Date”

     6  

“Maturity”

     6  

“Maturity Consideration”

     6  

“Officer’s Certificate”

     6  

“Opinion of Counsel”

     7  

“Outstanding”

     7  

“Paying Agent”

     8  

“Person”

     8  

 

i


“Place of Payment”

     8  

“Predecessor Security”

     8  

“Preferred Shares”

     8  

“Record Date”

     8  

“Redemption Date”

     8  

“Redemption Price”

     9  

“Responsible Officer”

     9  

“Securities Act”

     9  

“Security” and “Securities”

     9  

“Series” or “Series of Securities”

     9  

“Series Supplement”

     9  

“Stated Maturity”

     10  

“Subsidiary”

     10  

“Tax Act”

     10  

“Trust Indenture Act”

     10  

“Trustee”

     10  

“U.S.$” and “U.S. dollars”

     10  

“Voting Shares”

     10  

SECTION 102. OTHER DEFINITIONS

     11  

SECTION 103. COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATES AND OPINIONS

     11  

SECTION 104. FORM OF DOCUMENTS DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE

     12  

SECTION 105. ACTS OF HOLDERS

     13  

SECTION 106. NOTICES, ETC., TO TRUSTEE AND COMPANY

     14  

SECTION 107. NOTICE TO HOLDERS; WAIVER

     15  

SECTION 108. CONFLICT OF ANY PROVISION OF INDENTURE WITH THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT

     16  

SECTION 109. EFFECT OF HEADINGS AND TABLE OF CONTENTS

     16  

SECTION 110. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS

     16  

SECTION 111. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE

     16  

SECTION 112. BENEFITS OF INDENTURE

     16  

SECTION 113. GOVERNING LAW

     16  

SECTION 114. LEGAL HOLIDAYS

     17  

SECTION 115. AGENT FOR SERVICE; SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION; WAIVER OF IMMUNITIES

     17  

SECTION 116. CONVERSION OF CURRENCY

     18  

SECTION 117. CURRENCY EQUIVALENT

     19  

SECTION 118. NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS

     19  

SECTION 119. RELIANCE ON FINANCIAL DATA

     19  

SECTION 120. DOCUMENTS IN ENGLISH

     20  

SECTION 121. NO CONFLICT WITH SERIES SUPPLEMENTS

     20  

ARTICLE TWO THE SECURITIES

     20  

SECTION 201. TITLE AND TERMS

     20  

SECTION 202. ESTABLISHMENT OF TERMS OF SERIES OF SECURITIES

     21  

SECTION 203. DENOMINATIONS

     24  

SECTION 204. EXECUTION, AUTHENTICATION, DELIVERY AND DATING

     24  

 

ii


SECTION 205. TEMPORARY SECURITIES

     26  

SECTION 206. REGISTRATION, REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE

     26  

SECTION 207. BOOK-ENTRY PROVISIONS FOR GLOBAL SECURITIES

     28  

SECTION 208. MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST AND STOLEN SECURITIES

     29  

SECTION 209. PAYMENT OF INTEREST; INTEREST RIGHTS PRESERVED

     30  

SECTION 210. PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS

     30  

SECTION 211. CANCELLATION

     30  

SECTION 212. COMPUTATION OF INTEREST

     31  

ARTICLE THREE DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

     31  

SECTION 301. COMPANY’S OPTION TO EFFECT DEFEASANCE OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE

     31  

SECTION 302. DEFEASANCE AND DISCHARGE

     31  

SECTION 303. COVENANT DEFEASANCE

     32  

SECTION 304. CONDITIONS TO DEFEASANCE OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE

     33  

SECTION 305. DISCHARGE

     35  

SECTION 306. DEPOSITED MONEY TO BE HELD IN TRUST; OTHER MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

     36  

SECTION 307. REINSTATEMENT

     36  

ARTICLE FOUR REMEDIES

     37  

SECTION 401. EVENTS OF DEFAULT

     37  

SECTION 402. ACCELERATION OF MATURITY; RESCISSION AND ANNULMENT

     37  

SECTION 403. COLLECTION OF INDEBTEDNESS AND SUITS FOR ENFORCEMENT BY TRUSTEE

     39  

SECTION 404. TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM

     39  

SECTION 405. TRUSTEE MAY ENFORCE CLAIMS WITHOUT POSSESSION OF SECURITIES

     40  

SECTION 406. APPLICATION OF MONEY COLLECTED

     40  

SECTION 407. LIMITATION ON SUITS

     41  

SECTION 408. UNCONDITIONAL RIGHT OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE PRINCIPAL, PREMIUM AND INTEREST

     42  

SECTION 409. RESTORATION OF RIGHTS AND REMEDIES

     42  

SECTION 410. RIGHTS AND REMEDIES CUMULATIVE

     42  

SECTION 411. DELAY OR OMISSION NOT WAIVER

     42  

SECTION 412. CONTROL BY HOLDERS

     43  

SECTION 413. WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS

     43  

SECTION 414. UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS

     43  

ARTICLE FIVE THE TRUSTEE

     44  

SECTION 501. CERTAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

     44  

SECTION 502. NOTICE OF DEFAULTS

     45  

 

iii


SECTION 503. CERTAIN RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE

     45  

SECTION 504. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR RECITALS OR ISSUANCE OF SECURITIES

     47  

SECTION 505. MAY HOLD SECURITIES

     47  

SECTION 506. MONEY HELD IN TRUST

     47  

SECTION 507. COMPENSATION, REIMBURSEMENT AND INDEMNITY

     47  

SECTION 508. CONFLICTING INTERESTS

     48  

SECTION 509. CORPORATE TRUSTEE REQUIRED; ELIGIBILITY

     48  

SECTION 510. RESIGNATION AND REMOVAL; APPOINTMENT OF SUCCESSOR

     49  

SECTION 511. ACCEPTANCE OF APPOINTMENT BY SUCCESSOR

     50  

SECTION 512. MERGER, CONVERSION, CONSOLIDATION OR SUCCESSION TO BUSINESS

     52  

SECTION 513. TRUSTEE NOT TO BE APPOINTED RECEIVER

     52  

SECTION 514. ACCEPTANCE OF TRUSTS

     52  

SECTION 515. ELECTRONIC MEANS

     52  

SECTION 516. TRUSTEE NOT BOUND TO ACT

     53  

ARTICLE SIX HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY

     53  

SECTION 601. DISCLOSURE OF NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF HOLDERS

     53  

SECTION 602. REPORTS BY TRUSTEE

     54  

SECTION 603. REPORTS BY COMPANY

     55  

ARTICLE SEVEN AMALGAMATION, CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE

     55  

SECTION 701. COMPANY MAY AMALGAMATE, ETC., ONLY ON CERTAIN TERMS

     55  

SECTION 702. SUCCESSOR SUBSTITUTED

     56  

ARTICLE EIGHT SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS TO INDENTURE

     56  

SECTION 801. SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES AND AMENDMENTS WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS

     56  

SECTION 802. SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES AND CERTAIN AMENDMENTS WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS

     57  

SECTION 803. EXECUTION OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

     58  

SECTION 804. EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

     59  

SECTION 805. CONFORMITY WITH THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT

     59  

SECTION 806. REFERENCE IN SECURITIES TO SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

     59  

ARTICLE NINE COVENANTS

     59  

SECTION 901. PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL, PREMIUM AND INTEREST

     59  

SECTION 902. MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY

     59  

SECTION 903. MONEY FOR SECURITY PAYMENTS TO BE HELD IN TRUST

     60  

SECTION 904. CORPORATE EXISTENCE

     61  

 

iv


SECTION 905. PAYMENT OF TAXES AND OTHER CLAIMS

     61  

SECTION 906. PROVISION OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION

     62  

SECTION 907. PAYMENT OF ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS

     63  

SECTION 908. STATEMENT AS TO COMPLIANCE

     65  

SECTION 909. WAIVER OF CERTAIN COVENANTS

     65  

ARTICLE TEN REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES

     66  

SECTION 1001. RIGHT OF REDEMPTION

     66  

SECTION 1002. APPLICABILITY OF ARTICLE

     66  

SECTION 1003. ELECTION TO REDEEM; NOTICE TO TRUSTEE

     66  

SECTION 1004. SELECTION BY TRUSTEE OF SECURITIES TO BE REDEEMED

     66  

SECTION 1005. NOTICE OF REDEMPTION

     67  

SECTION 1006. DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE

     68  

SECTION 1007. SECURITIES PAYABLE ON REDEMPTION DATE

     68  

SECTION 1008. SECURITIES REDEEMED IN PART

     69  

SECTION 1009. SECURITIES PURCHASED IN PART

     69  

 

 

v


INDENTURE dated as of          between Rogers Communications Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of the Province of British Columbia (hereinafter called the “Company”), and The Bank of New York Mellon, a New York banking corporation, as trustee (hereinafter called the “Trustee”).

WHEREAS the Company wishes to issue from time to time Securities in the manner provided for in this Indenture;

NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSES that, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are acknowledged by the Company and the Trustee, the Company and the Trustee agree, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the securities issued under this Indenture (the “Securities”), as follows:

ARTICLE ONE

DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION

SECTION 101. DEFINITIONS.

For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article, and include the plural as well as the singular;

(b) all other terms used herein which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them therein;

(c) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in Canada;

(d) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision;

(e) the words “include”, “includes” and “including” as used herein shall be deemed in each case to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”; and

(f) the words “amendment or refinancing” as used herein shall be deemed in each case to refer to any amendment, renewal, extension, substitution, refinancing, restructuring, restatement, replacement, supplement or other modification of any instrument or agreement; the words “amended or refinanced” shall have a correlative meaning.

 

1


Certain terms are defined in those Articles in which they are used principally.

“Act”

, when used with respect to any Holder, has the meaning specified in Section 105.

“Affiliate”

means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

“Authorized Officer” means any individual who holds one or more of the following offices of the Company: Chair of the Board of Directors, Vice-Chair, Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, any Executive Vice-President, any Senior Vice-President, any Vice-President, Treasurer, Chief Legal Officer, Secretary or General Counsel (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any individual who holds such offices of the Company on an interim basis).

“Beneficial Owner”

means (a) with respect to Book-Entry Securities, the Person who is the beneficial owner of such Book-Entry Securities as reflected on the books of a Clearing Agency or a Clearing Agency Participant maintaining an account with a Clearing Agency (directly or as an indirect participant, in accordance with the rules of a Clearing Agency); or (b) with respect to Securities other than Book-Entry Securities, a Person who is (i) a beneficial owner of such Securities and as reflected on the Security Register or (ii) a Person who is the beneficial owner of such Securities and as reflected on the books of a registered Holder who holds such Securities on behalf of the beneficial owner, as the case may be.

“Board of Directors”

means the board of directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee of such board.

“Board Resolution”

means a copy of a resolution certified by an Authorized Officer or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.

 

2


“Book-Based System”

means, in relation to the Global Securities of a Series, the debt clearing, record entry, transfer and pledge systems and services established and operated by or on behalf of the related Depositary for such Series (including where applicable pursuant to one or more agreements between such Depositary and its participants establishing the rules and procedures for such systems and services).

“Book-Entry Securities”

means any Global Securities issued or registered in the name of a Clearing Agency maintaining book-entry records with respect to the ownership and transfer of such Securities, or its nominee, or a custodian of such Clearing Agency, or its nominee, and for which registration, transfer and exchange of such Securities or any interest therein may not be effected by the Trustee or any other Person maintaining the Security Register, except in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and the rules of the Clearing Agency.

“Business Day”

means a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which banking institutions in the City of Toronto, Ontario or the City of New York, New York are authorized or required by law to close.

“Canadian dollars”, “Cdn dollars”, “Cdn$” and “$”

each mean lawful currency of Canada.

“Capital Stock”

means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests, participations or equivalents (however designated) of such Person’s capital stock whether now outstanding or issued after the date of this Indenture, including, without limitation, all Common Shares and Preferred Shares.

“Clearing Agency”

means, in relation to a Series issuable in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, DTC or any other organization recognized as a “clearing agency” pursuant to applicable securities law that is specified for such purpose in the related Series Supplement.

 

3


“Clearing Agency Participant”

means a broker, dealer, bank, other financial institution or other Person for whom from time to time a Clearing Agency effects book-entry transfers and pledges of Book-Entry Securities held by the Clearing Agency.

“Commission”

means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act, or if at any time after the execution of this Indenture such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body performing such duties at such time.

“Common Shares”

means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests and participations (however designated and whether voting or non-voting) in such Person’s common equity, whether now outstanding or issued after the date of this Indenture, and includes, without limitation, all series and classes of such common shares.

“Company”

means the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this Indenture, until a successor Person shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Company” shall mean such successor Person. To the extent necessary to comply with the requirements of the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act Section 310 through 317 as they are applicable to the Company, the term “Company” shall include any other obligor with respect to the Securities for the purposes of complying with such provisions.

“Company Request” or “Company Order”

means a written request or order signed in the name of the Company by at least one Authorized Officer and delivered to the Trustee.

“Corporate Trust Office”

means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be principally administered. At the date of execution of this Indenture, the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee is located at The Bank of New York Mellon, 240 Greenwich Street, Floor 7, New York, New York 10286, Attention: Global Trust Services Americas, Fax: (212) 815 5366.

 

4


“Default”

means, with respect to a Series, any event that is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default with respect to such Series.

“Depositary”

means, with respect to a Series issuable in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the Clearing Agency or Clearing Agencies designated in or pursuant to the related Series Supplement as the Depositary or Depositaries for such Series, together with their respective successors in such capacity; provided, however, that, if no Clearing Agency is so designated in the related Series Supplement, “Depositary” means, with respect to such Series, DTC.

“DTC”

means The Depository Trust Company, together with its successors from time to time.

“Electronic Means”

means the following communications methods: e-mail, facsimile transmission, secure electronic transmission containing applicable authorization codes, passwords and/or authentication keys issued by the Trustee, or another method or system specified by the Trustee as available for use in connection with its services hereunder.

“Event of Default”

has the meaning specified in Article Four.

“Exchange Act”

means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as in force at the date as of which this instrument was executed.

“Generally Accepted Accounting Principles” or “GAAP”

means generally accepted accounting principles in effect in Canada, as established by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada and as applied from time to time by the Company in the preparation of its consolidated financial statements.

“Global Security”

means a Security of a Series in global form.

“Guarantor”

 

5


means, in respect of any Series of Securities, any Person that guarantees the payment and performance of obligations of the Company in respect of such Securities, as specified in the Series Supplement in respect of such Securities.

“Holder”

means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the Security Register (and including, for the avoidance of doubt, in the case of any Global Security, the applicable Depositary or its nominee which has possession of such Global Security or in whose name such Global Security is registered, as the case may be).

“Holder Direction”

means, in respect of an Act of Holders of a Series, an approval of or direction to make, give or take such Act given pursuant to an instrument in writing signed in one or more counterparts by Holders (in person or by their agent duly appointed in writing) of more than 50% of the principal amount of such Series then Outstanding.

“Indenture”

means (i) this instrument as originally executed (including all exhibits and schedules hereto) and as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended (other than by a Series Supplement) by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof, or (ii) with respect to a particular Series, this Indenture as defined in clause (i) above as supplemented by the related Series Supplement.

“Interest Payment Date”

means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on the applicable Series of Securities.

“Maturity”

, when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on such Security becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity thereof or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise.

“Maturity Consideration”

means, with respect to Securities of a Series (whether or not issued by, or the obligation of, the Company), the amount of money (including payment of principal and premium, if any, and any accrued but unpaid interest thereon), or a combination of money, securities and/or other property, in either case payable or deliverable upon payment of the discharge of the Securities of such Series upon Maturity.

“Officer’s Certificate”

 

6


means a certificate signed in the name of the Company by at least one Authorized Officer.

“Opinion of Counsel”

means a written opinion of counsel, who may be counsel for the Company, which opinion shall be reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. Each such opinion shall include the statements provided for in applicable provisions of the Trust Indenture Act and shall comply with Section 103.

“Outstanding”

, when used with respect to the Securities or a Series of Securities means, as of the date of determination, all Securities (or all Securities of such Series, as applicable) theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:

(a) Securities theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee, the related Security Registrar or the related Paying Agent for cancellation;

(b) Securities, or portions thereof, for whose payment, redemption or purchase money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any related Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Securities; provided that, if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made;

(c) Securities, except to the extent provided in Sections 302 and 303, with respect to which the Company has effected defeasance or covenant defeasance as provided in Article Three; and

(d) Securities in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser in whose hands the Securities are valid obligations of the Company.

In determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities (or Series of Outstanding Securities) have given any request, demand, direction, consent or waiver hereunder, Securities owned by the Company, or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or such other obligor, shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand, direction, consent or waiver, only Securities which the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or such other obligor.

 

7


“Paying Agent”

means, in respect of a Series, any Person authorized by the Company in or pursuant to the Indenture or the related Series Supplement to pay the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Securities of such Series on behalf of the Company.

“Person”

means any individual, corporation, unlimited liability company, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, association, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.

“Place of Payment”

means, in relation to a Series, the place or places where the principal of (and premium or other amounts, if any) and interest on Securities of such Series are payable as specified in the related Series Supplement or, if no Place of Payment is specified in such Series Supplement, the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee located in The City of New York.

“Predecessor Security”

of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 208 in exchange for a mutilated Security or in lieu of a lost, destroyed or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, lost, destroyed or stolen Security.

“Preferred Shares”

means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated) of such Person’s preferred or preference shares whether now outstanding or issued after the date of this Indenture, and includes, without limitation, all classes and series of preferred or preference shares.

“Record Date”

, for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date, means the date specified with respect to such Series (whether or not a Business Day) in the related Series Supplement.

“Redemption Date”

 

8


, when used with respect to any Securities to be redeemed, means, unless otherwise provided in a Series Supplement with respect to such Securities, the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.

“Redemption Price”

, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.

“Responsible Officer”

, when used with respect to the Trustee, means any director, any vice president, any assistant vice president, the secretary, any assistant secretary, the treasurer, any assistant treasurer, the cashier, any assistant cashier, any trust officer or assistant trust officer, the controller and any assistant controller or any other officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

“Securities Act”

means the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and as in force at the date as of which this instrument was executed.

“Security” and “Securities”

have the meaning set forth in the paragraph immediately preceding Section 101 of this Indenture and more particularly means any Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

“SEDAR”

means the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval or any successor computer system maintained by the Canadian securities administrators for the transmission, receipt, acceptance, review and dissemination of documents filed in electronic format.

“Series” or “Series of Securities”

means all Securities of a series, whether or not any such Securities have been or are to be issued on the same date.

“Series Supplement”

means, with respect to a Series, a supplement to this Indenture establishing the terms and conditions applicable to such Series, as such supplement may be amended, modified, supplemented, consolidated or restated from time to time.

 

9


“Stated Maturity”

, when used with respect to any Series of Securities or any installment of interest thereon, means the date specified in such Series as the fixed date on which the principal of such Series or such installment of interest is due and payable.

“Subsidiary”

means any firm, partnership, corporation or other legal entity in which the Company, the Company and one or more Subsidiaries or one or more Subsidiaries owns, directly or indirectly, a majority of the Voting Shares or has, directly or indirectly, the right to elect a majority of the board of directors, if it is a corporation, or the right to make or control its management decisions, if it is some other Person.

“Tax Act”

means the Income Tax Act (Canada), as amended.

“Trust Indenture Act”

means the United States Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and as in force at the date as of which this instrument was executed, except as provided in Section 805.

“Trustee”

means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this Indenture, until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean such successor Trustee.

“U.S.$” and “U.S. dollars”

each mean lawful currency of the United States of America.

“U.S. Government Obligations”

means securities that are:

(i) direct obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged, or

(ii) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America, the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America.

“Voting Shares”

 

10


means any Capital Stock having voting power under ordinary circumstances to vote in the election of a majority of the directors of a corporation (irrespective of whether or not at the time stock of any other class or classes shall have or might have voting power by reason of the happening of any contingency).

SECTION 102. OTHER DEFINITIONS.

 

DEFINED TERM

   DEFINED IN
SECTION
Additional Amounts    907
Base Currency    116
Canadian Taxes    907
covenant defeasance    303
defeasance    302
Determination Date    116
Excluded Holder    907
Financial Reports    906
First Currency    117
Instructions    515
judgment currency    116
liquidation currency    116
Other Currency    117
rate(s) of exchange    116
Relevant Person    119
Security Register    206
Security Registrar    206
specified shareholder    907
Successor Company    701

SECTION 103. COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATES AND OPINIONS.

Upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee, upon the Trustee’s request therefor, an Officer’s Certificate stating that all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture (including any covenant, the compliance with which constitutes a condition precedent) relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent, if any, have been complied with, except that, in the case of any such application or request as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or request, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.

Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture shall include:

(a) a statement that each individual signing such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein relating thereto;

 

11


(b) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion, as applicable, are based;

(c) a statement that each such individual has made such examination or investigation as such individual believes is necessary to enable such individual to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with or satisfied; and

(d) a statement as to whether, in the belief or opinion of each such individual, such covenant or condition has been complied with or satisfied in accordance with the terms of this Indenture;

provided that an Opinion of Counsel may be qualified by reliance on an Officer’s Certificate or other certification by an officer of or officers of the Company (or, where applicable, a Guarantor or an Affiliate of the Company or a Guarantor) or on certificates of public officials as to matters of fact.

SECTION 104. FORM OF DOCUMENTS DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE.

In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.

Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any such certificate or Opinion of Counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company (or, where applicable, a Guarantor or an Affiliate of the Company) stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company (or such Guarantor or Affiliate, as applicable), unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.

Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.

 

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SECTION 105. ACTS OF HOLDERS.

(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders of one or more Series of Securities may be made, given or taken by way of a Holder Direction from Holders of such one or more Series; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when the instrument in respect of the Holder Direction is delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 501 and Trust Indenture Act Section 315) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.

Without limiting the generality of this Section, unless otherwise established in or pursuant to a Series Supplement pursuant to Section 202, a Holder, including a Clearing Agency that is a Holder of a Global Security, may make, give or take, by a proxy or proxies, duly appointed in writing, any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided in this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders, and a Clearing Agency that is a Holder of a Global Security may provide its proxy or proxies to the Beneficial Owners of interests in any such Global Security through such Clearing Agency’s standing instructions and customary practices.

(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved in any reasonable manner which the Trustee deems sufficient and in accordance with such reasonable rules as the Trustee may determine; and the Trustee may in any instance require further proof with respect to any of the matters referred to in this Section.

(c) The ownership of Securities and the principal amount and serial numbers of Securities held by any Person, and the date of holding the same, shall be proved by the Security Register.

(d) If the Company shall solicit from the Holders any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, the Company may, at its option, by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, fix in advance a record date for the determination of the Holders entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. Notwithstanding Trust Indenture Act Section 316(c), any such record date shall be the record date specified in or pursuant to such Board Resolution, which shall be a date not more than 30 days prior to the first solicitation of Holders generally in connection therewith and no later than the date such solicitation is completed. If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act may be

 

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given before or after such record date, but only the Holders of record at the close of business on such record date shall be deemed to be Holders for the purposes of determining whether Holders of the requisite proportion of Securities (or Series of Securities) then Outstanding have authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, and for this purpose the Securities (or Securities of a Series of Securities) then Outstanding shall be computed as of such record date; provided that no such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act by the Holders on such record date shall be deemed effective unless it shall become effective pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture not later than eleven months after the record date.

(e) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act by the Holder of any Security shall bind every future Holder of the same Security or the Holder of every Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof, in respect of anything done, suffered or omitted to be done by the Trustee, any Paying Agent, any Security Registrar or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.

SECTION 106. NOTICES, ETC., TO TRUSTEE AND COMPANY.

Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,

(a) the Trustee by any Holder or the Company shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or delivered, in writing, to or with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office, Attention: Global Corporate Trust; and

(b) the Company by the Trustee or any Holder shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if made, given, furnished or delivered in writing to the Company to333 Bloor Street East, 10th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4W 1G9, Attention:                , email:                , with a copy                , email:                , or, in either case, at any other address previously furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company.

Any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Holders or other document shall be deemed to have been received on the day made, given, furnished or delivered except when sent by electronic transmission (including email), in which case it will be deemed to have been received on the day it was sent, if such electronic transmission was sent on a Business Day during normal business hours of the recipient, or on the next succeeding Business Day, if not sent on a Business Day or during such business hours. Each of the Trustee and the Company may from time to time notify the other party of a change in address or electronic transmission address by notice as provided in this Section 106.

 

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SECTION 107. NOTICE TO HOLDERS; WAIVER.

Except as otherwise expressly provided herein or in a Series Supplement, where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected by such event, at its address as it appears in the Security Register, not later than the latest date, and not earlier than the earliest date, prescribed for the giving of such notice. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders. Any notice mailed to a Holder in the aforesaid manner shall be conclusively deemed to have been received by such Holder when mailed whether or not actually received by such Holder. Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.

In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause, it shall be impracticable to mail notice of any event as required by any provision of this Indenture, then any method of giving such notice as shall be satisfactory to the Trustee shall be deemed to be a sufficient giving of such notice.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or any Security, where this Indenture or any Security provides for notice of any event or any other communication (including any notice of redemption) to a Holder (whether by mail or otherwise), such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to the Depositary (or its designee) pursuant to the standing instructions from the Depositary or its designee, including by electronic mail in accordance with accepted practices at the Depositary.

 

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SECTION 108. CONFLICT OF ANY PROVISION OF INDENTURE WITH THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT

Each of the Trustee, the Company and any Guarantor agrees to comply with all provisions of the Trust Indenture Act applicable to or binding upon it in connection with this Indenture and any action to be taken hereunder. If and to the extent that any provision of this Indenture (including any Series Supplement or other supplemental indenture) limits, qualifies or conflicts with any mandatory requirement of the Trust Indenture Act, such mandatory requirement shall prevail. For greater certainty, if and to the extent that any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by Sections 310 to 318, inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act, or conflicts with any provision (an “incorporated provision”) required by or deemed to be included in this Indenture by operation of such Trust Indenture Act sections, such imposed duties or incorporated provision shall control.

SECTION 109. EFFECT OF HEADINGS AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.

The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

SECTION 110. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS.

All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall bind its successors and permitted assigns (if any), whether so expressed or not. All covenants and agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successors and permitted assigns (if any), whether so expressed or not.

SECTION 111. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE.

In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

SECTION 112. BENEFITS OF INDENTURE.

Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give to any Person (other than the parties hereto, any Paying Agent and any Security Registrar, and their respective successors hereunder, and the Holders) any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture or in respect of the Securities.

SECTION 113. GOVERNING LAW

This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. This Indenture shall be subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required or deemed to be part of this Indenture and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions.

 

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SECTION 114. LEGAL HOLIDAYS.

In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity with respect to any Security shall not be a Business Day, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Securities other than a provision in the Securities of any Series which specifically states that such provision shall apply in lieu of this Section) payment of interest or principal (and premium or other amounts, if any) need not be made on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity and no interest shall accrue with respect to such payment for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity to the next succeeding Business Day.

SECTION 115. AGENT FOR SERVICE; SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION; WAIVER OF IMMUNITIES.

By the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company (i) acknowledges that it has, by separate written instrument, irrevocably designated and appointed                , as its authorized agent upon which process may be served in any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Securities or this Indenture that may be brought under federal or state securities or other laws in any federal or state court located in the State of New York, Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York or brought by the Trustee (whether in its individual capacity or in its capacity as Trustee hereunder), and acknowledges that                has accepted such designation, (ii) submits to venue and the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any such court in any such suit or proceeding, and (iii) agrees that service of process upon                and written notice of said service to it (mailed or delivered to its                , with a copy to its                , in each case as specified in Section 106(b) hereof) shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon it in any such suit or proceeding. The Company further agrees to take any and all action, including the execution and filing of any and all such documents and instruments, as may be necessary to continue such designation and appointment of                in full force and effect so long as this Indenture shall be in full force and effect.

To the extent that the Company has or hereafter may acquire any immunity from jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service of notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution, execution or otherwise) with respect to itself or its property, the Company hereby irrevocably waives such immunity in respect of its obligations under this Indenture and the Securities, to the extent permitted by law.

ALL HOLDERS AND ALL PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVE, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHTS TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

 

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SECTION 116. CONVERSION OF CURRENCY.

The Company covenants and agrees that the following provisions shall apply to conversion of currency in the case of any Series of Securities and this Indenture:

(a) (i) If, for the purpose of obtaining judgment in, or enforcing the judgment of, any court in any country, it becomes necessary to convert into any other currency (the “judgment currency”) an amount in the currency due hereunder or under such Series (the “Base Currency”), then the conversion shall be made at the rate of exchange prevailing on the Business Day before the day on which a final judgment which is not appealable is given or the order of enforcement is made, as the case may be (unless a court shall otherwise determine) (such day being the “Determination Date”).

(ii) If there is a change in the rate of exchange prevailing between the Determination Date for a judgment and the date of receipt of the amount due in respect of such judgment, the Company will pay such additional (or, as the case may be, such lesser) amount, if any, as may be necessary so that the amount paid in the judgment currency when converted at the rate of exchange prevailing on the date of receipt will produce the amount in the Base Currency originally due.

(b) In the event of the winding-up of the Company at any time while any amount or damages owing under such Series and this Indenture, or any judgment or order rendered in respect thereof, shall remain outstanding, the Company shall indemnify and hold the Holders of the Securities of such Series and the Trustee harmless against any deficiency arising or resulting from any variation in rates of exchange between (1) the date as of which the equivalent of the amount in the Base Currency due or contingently due under such Series and this Indenture (other than under this Subsection (b)) is calculated for the purposes of converting such amounts into another currency (the “liquidation currency”) in such winding-up and (2) the final date for the filing of proofs of claim in such winding-up. For the purpose of this Subsection (b), the final date for the filing of proofs of claim in the winding-up of the Company shall be the date fixed by the liquidator or otherwise in accordance with the relevant provisions of applicable law as being the latest practicable date as at which liabilities of the Company may be ascertained for such winding-up prior to payment by the liquidator or otherwise in respect thereto.

(c) The obligations contained in Subsections (a)(ii) and (b) of this Section 116 shall constitute obligations of the Company separate and independent from its other respective obligations under the Securities and this Indenture, shall give rise to separate and independent causes of action against the Company, shall apply irrespective of any waiver or extension granted by any Holder or the Trustee or any of them from time to time and shall continue in full force and effect notwithstanding any judgment or order or the filing of any proof of claim in the winding-up of the Company for a liquidated sum in respect of amounts due hereunder (other than under Subsection (b) above) or under any such judgment or

 

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order. Any such deficiency as aforesaid shall be deemed to constitute a loss suffered by the Holders or the Trustee, as the case may be, and no proof or evidence of any actual loss shall be required by the Company or the liquidator or otherwise or any of them. In the case of Subsection (b) above, the amount of such deficiency shall not be deemed to be reduced by any variation in rates of exchange occurring between the said final date and the date of any liquidating distribution.

(d) The term “rate(s) of exchange” shall in respect of each Series mean (unless otherwise provided in the applicable Series Supplement) the rate of exchange quoted by The Toronto-Dominion Bank at its central foreign exchange desk in its head office in Toronto at 12:00 noon (Toronto, Ontario time) for purchases of the Base Currency with the judgment currency or liquidation currency, as applicable, and includes any premiums and costs of exchange payable.

(e) Neither the Trustee nor any Paying Agent shall have any duty or liability with respect to monitoring or enforcing this Section 116.

SECTION 117. CURRENCY EQUIVALENT.

Except as provided in Section 116, for purposes of the construction of the terms of this Indenture or of the Securities, in the event that any amount is stated herein in the currency of one nation (the “First Currency”), as of any date such amount shall also be deemed to represent the amount in the currency of any other relevant nation (the “Other Currency”) which is required to purchase such amount in the First Currency at the rate of exchange quoted by The Toronto-Dominion Bank at its central foreign exchange desk in its head office in Toronto at 12:00 noon (Toronto, Ontario time) on the date of determination.

SECTION 118. NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS.

A director, officer, employee or stockholder, as such, of the Company shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or this Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. Each Holder by accepting any of the Securities waives and releases all such liability.

SECTION 119. RELIANCE ON FINANCIAL DATA.

In computing any amounts under this Indenture,

(i) to the extent relevant in computing any amounts under this Indenture, the Company shall use audited financial statements of the Company, its Subsidiaries, any Person that would become a Subsidiary in connection with the transaction that requires the computation and any Person from which the Company or a Subsidiary has acquired an operating business, or is acquiring an operating business in connection

 

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with the transaction that requires the computation (each such Person whose financial statements are relevant in computing any particular amount, a “Relevant Person”) for the period or portions of the period to which the computation relates for which audited financial statements are available on the date of computation and unaudited financial statements and other current financial data based on the books and records of the Relevant Person or Relevant Persons, as the case may be, to the extent audited financial statements for the period or any portion of the period to which the computation relates are not available on the date of computation, and

(ii) the Company shall be permitted to rely in good faith on the financial statements and other financial data derived from the books and records of any Relevant Person that are available on the date of the computation.

SECTION 120. DOCUMENTS IN ENGLISH.

The Company, the Trustee and, by their acceptance of Securities and the benefits of this Indenture (including the related Series Supplement), the Holders acknowledge that this Indenture, each Security and each document related hereto and thereto has been drawn up in English at the express will of such Persons.

SECTION 121. NO CONFLICT WITH SERIES SUPPLEMENTS

The terms and provisions of a Series Supplement for any particular Series may eliminate, modify, amend or add to any of the terms and provisions of this Indenture, but solely as applied to such Series. The insertion of the phrase “in any Series Supplement”, “unless otherwise provided in the related Series Supplement” or similar phrases in this Indenture, or the absence of any such phrase, shall not limit the scope of or otherwise affect the proceeding sentence or Section 202. For the avoidance of doubt, if a term or provision contained in this Indenture shall conflict or be inconsistent with a term or provision of any such Series Supplement, such Series Supplement shall govern with respect to the Series to which it relates; provided, however, that the terms and provisions of such Series Supplement may eliminate, modify, amend or add to the terms and provisions of this Indenture solely as applied to such Series.

ARTICLE TWO

THE SECURITIES

SECTION 201. TITLE AND TERMS.

An unlimited aggregate principal amount of Securities may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture. The Securities may be issued in one or more Series. All Securities of a Series shall be identical except as may be set forth in the applicable Series Supplement detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to the authority granted under a Board Resolution. In the case of Securities of a Series to be issued from time to time, the Series Supplement may provide for the method by which specified terms (such as interest rate, maturity date, record date or date from which interest shall accrue) are to be determined. Securities may differ between Series in respect of any matters.

 

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Except as otherwise provided in the related Series Supplement, the Company hereby designates the Corporate Trust Office in The City of New York as the Place of Payment for each Series (and, if the Company shall designate and maintain an additional office or agency at the Place of Payment in respect of such Series, also such additional Place of Payment) and initially appoints the Trustee as the Paying Agent therefor; provided, however, that, at the option of the Company, interest may be paid by check mailed to addresses of the Persons entitled thereto as such addresses shall appear on the Security Register; provided further that all payments of the principal of, and interest, premium and other amounts, if any, on, Securities, the Holders of which have given wire transfer instructions to the Company or the Paying Agent at least 10 Business Days prior to the applicable payment date and hold at least Cdn$1,000,000 (for Securities denominated in Canadian dollars) or U.S.$1,000,000 (for Securities denominated in U.S. dollars), or the equivalent amount in any other currency or currencies, in principal amount of Securities, will be required to be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the accounts specified by such Holders in such instructions. Any such wire transfer instructions received by the Company or the Paying Agent shall remain in effect until revoked by such Holder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the final payment of principal shall be payable only upon surrender of the Security to the Paying Agent.

The Securities shall be redeemable as provided in Article Ten.

SECTION 202. ESTABLISHMENT OF TERMS OF SERIES OF SECURITIES.

At or prior to the issuance of any Securities of any Series, the Company may establish (as to the Series generally, in the case of clause (a), and either as to such Securities within a Series or as to such Series generally in the case of clause (b) to (y)), by a Series Supplement, Board Resolution or an Officer’s Certificate pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution, the following terms applicable to such Securities:

(a) the title of the Securities of the Series (which shall distinguish the Securities of that particular Series from the Securities of any other Series);

(b) the ranking of the Securities of the Series relative to other indebtedness of the Company and the terms of any subordination provisions;

(c) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the Series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the Series);

(d) the date or dates (or manner of determining the same) on which the Maturity Consideration for the Securities of the Series are payable;

 

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(e) whether the Securities of the Series will bear interest, the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) at which the Securities of the Series shall bear interest, if any, and, if applicable, the interest rate basis, formula or other method of determining such interest rate or rates, the date or dates from which such interest, if any, shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates on which such interest, if any, shall be payable or the method by which such dates will be determined, the record dates for the determination of Holders thereof to whom such interest is payable (in the case of Securities in registered form) and the basis upon which such interest will be calculated if other than that of a 360 day year of twelve 30-day months;

(f) the currency or currencies, including composite currencies in which Securities of the Series shall be denominated;

(g) any Place of Payment in addition to or instead of the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee and the method of such payment, if by electronic transfer, mail or other means, to the extent different or additional to the method provided herein, where Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration, transfer or exchange and where demand to or upon the Company in respect of such Securities and this Indenture may be served;

(h) the price or prices at which, the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, Securities of the Series may be redeemed, in whole or in part at the option of the Company or otherwise;

(i) the form of the Securities of the Series and whether Securities of the Series are to be issued in registered form or bearer form or both and the form of any legend or legends to be borne by any such Security;

(j) whether Securities of the Series are to be issuable in fully certificated form or as Book-Entry Securities and, if in certificated form, whether such Securities are to be issuable initially in the form of one or more Global Securities;

(k) if the Securities of the Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of a Global Security, the terms and conditions, if any, upon which such Global Security may be exchanged in whole or in part for other individual definitive Securities of such Series to the extent different from what is provided herein and the Depositary for such Global Security;

(l) any authenticating agent, Paying Agent, transfer agent or Security Registrar in respect of such Series to the extent different than, or in addition to, any Person identified as such in this Indenture;

(m) the terms and conditions, if any, upon which the Securities of the Series may be convertible into or exchanged or exercised for common shares, Preferred Shares or other equity interests of the Company or any other securities of any kind, including, if applicable, the initial conversion, exchange or exercise price or rate (whether fixed or subject to further adjustment), the time or period for any such conversion, exchange or exercise and any additional provisions;

 

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(n) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem, purchase or repay the Securities of the Series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the price or prices at which, the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, Securities of the Series shall be redeemed, purchased or repaid, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligations;

(o) the terms, if any, upon which the Securities of the Series may be exchanged for other securities, and the terms and conditions upon which such exchange shall be effected, including the exchange price or rate (whether fixed or subject to further adjustment), the exchange period and any other additional provisions;

(p) if other than denominations of Cdn$1,000 or U.S.$1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the Series shall be issuable;

(q) if the amount of Maturity Consideration with respect to the Securities of the Series may be determined with reference to an index or pursuant to a formula or other method, the manner in which such amounts will be determined and the calculation agent, if any, with respect thereto;

(r) if the principal amount payable at the Stated Maturity of Securities of the Series will not be determinable as of any one or more dates prior to such Stated Maturity, the amount that will be deemed to be such principal amount as of any such date for any purpose, including the principal amount thereof which will be due and payable upon any Maturity other than the Stated Maturity and which will be deemed to be outstanding as of any such date (or, in any such case, the manner in which such deemed principal amount is to be determined);

(s) if other than as set forth in Article Three, the defeasance and discharge applicable to the Securities of the Series;

(t) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the Securities of the Series that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 402;

(u) the terms, if any, of the transfer, mortgage, pledge or assignment as security for the Securities of the Series of any properties, assets, moneys, proceeds, securities or other collateral, including whether certain provisions of the Trust Indenture Act are applicable, and any corresponding changes to provisions of this Indenture as then in effect;

(v) any addition to or modification or elimination of the Events of Default (and the related definitions) which applies to the Series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Series of Securities to declare the principal amount of, or interest, premium or other amounts, if any, on, such Series of Securities due and payable pursuant to Section 402;

 

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(w) the applicability of, and any addition to or change in, the covenants (and the related definitions) set forth in Articles Seven or Nine or elsewhere in this Indenture which apply to Securities of the Series;

(x) with regard to Securities of the Series that do not bear interest, the dates for certain required reports to the Trustee;

(y) any guarantees to be provided by any Person in respect of any of the Company’s obligations in respect of the Securities of the Series and the terms and conditions, if any, pursuant to which such Series is to be guaranteed; and

(z) any other terms of Securities of the Series (which terms shall not be expressly prohibited by the provisions of this Indenture or prohibited by the Trust Indenture Act).

All Securities of any one Series need not be issued at the same time and may be issued from time to time, consistent with the terms of this Indenture, if so provided by or pursuant to the Series Supplement referred to above, and the authorized principal amount of any Series may not be increased to provide for issuances of additional Securities of such Series, unless otherwise provided in such Series Supplement.

SECTION 203. DENOMINATIONS.

The Securities shall be issuable, except as otherwise provided with respect to any Series of Securities pursuant to the related Series Supplement in accordance with Section 202, in fully registered form without coupons and in denominations of Cdn$1,000 (for Securities denominated in Canadian dollars) or U.S.$1,000 (for Securities denominated in U.S. dollars) and any integral multiple thereof.

SECTION 204. EXECUTION, AUTHENTICATION, DELIVERY AND DATING.

The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by one or more Authorized Officers of the Company or one or more directors of the Company. The signature of any such Authorized Officer or director on the Securities may be a manual, facsimile or electronic signature; provided any electronic signature is a true representation of the signer’s actual signature.

Securities bearing the manual or electronic signatures of individuals who were at any time an Authorized Officer or director of the Company shall be valid and binding and bind the Company, notwithstanding that any such individual has ceased to be an Authorized Officer or director of the Company prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or is not an Authorized Officer or director of the Company at the date of such Securities or of this Indenture.

 

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The Trustee shall at any time, and from time to time, authenticate (by manual, facsimile or electronic signature) Securities for original issue in the principal amount provided in the Series Supplement delivered pursuant to Section 202, upon receipt by the Trustee of a Company Order. Such Company Order may authorize authentication and delivery pursuant to written instructions from the Company or its duly authorized agent or agents. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication unless otherwise provided in the Series Supplement delivered pursuant to Section 202.

The aggregate principal amount of Securities of any Series outstanding at any time may not exceed any limit upon the maximum aggregate principal amount for such Series set forth in the Series Supplement establishing the terms and conditions applicable to such Series delivered pursuant to Section 202, except as provided in Section 208.

Prior to the issuance of Securities of any Series, the Trustee shall have received and (subject to the applicable provisions of Article Five) shall be fully protected in relying on: (a) the Series Supplement, Board Resolution or Officer’s Certificate establishing the form of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series and the terms of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series, (b) an Officer’s Certificate complying with Section 103 and (c) an Opinion of Counsel complying with Section 103.

The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Securities of such Series: (a) if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such action may not lawfully be taken; or (b) if the Trustee in good faith by its trust committee shall determine that such action would expose the Trustee to liability to Holders of any then outstanding Series of Securities.

The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Securities. An authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an agent of the Trustee to deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company.

No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the form set forth in the applicable Series Supplement (or in some other form approved by the Company and the Trustee) duly executed by or on behalf of the Trustee by manual, facsimile or electronic signature of an authorized officer, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder.

In case the Company, pursuant to Article Seven, shall be amalgamated, consolidated or merged with or into any other Person or shall convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, and the Successor Company shall have assumed (or, by operation of law, shall have become or continue to be liable for) the obligations of the Company under the Securities pursuant to Article Seven, any of the Securities authenticated or delivered prior to such

 

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amalgamation, consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition may, from time to time, at the request of the Successor Company, be exchanged for other Securities executed in the name of the Successor Company with such changes in phraseology and form as may be appropriate (but which shall not affect the rights or duties of the Trustee), but otherwise in substance of like tenor as the Securities surrendered for such exchange and of like principal amount; and the Trustee, upon Company Order of the Successor Company, shall authenticate and deliver replacement Securities as specified in such request for the purpose of such exchange. If replacement Securities shall at any time be authenticated and delivered in any new name of a Successor Company pursuant to this Section in exchange or substitution for or upon registration of transfer of any Securities, such Successor Company, at the option of any Holder but without expense to such Holder, shall provide for the exchange of all Securities at the time Outstanding held by such Holder for Securities authenticated and delivered in such new name.

SECTION 205. TEMPORARY SECURITIES.

Pending the preparation of definitive Securities, the Company may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities which are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as any of the individuals executing such Securities may determine (but which shall not affect the rights or duties of the Trustee), as conclusively evidenced by such individual’s execution of such Securities.

If temporary Securities are issued, the Company will cause definitive Securities to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities, the temporary Securities shall be exchangeable for definitive Securities of the same Series containing identical terms and provisions upon surrender of the temporary Securities at the office or agency of the Company designated for such purpose pursuant to Section 902 or the relevant Series Supplement, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities, the Company shall execute and, upon Company Order, the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like principal amount of definitive Securities of authorized denominations of the same Series containing identical terms and provisions and evidencing the same indebtedness as the temporary Securities so exchanged. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities.

SECTION 206. REGISTRATION, REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE.

The Company shall cause to be kept (i) by the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office or (ii) by such other registrar as the Company may appoint at such other place or places (if any) in respect of any Series as the Company may designate pursuant to the related Series Supplement or Section 902, a register (the register maintained in

 

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such office and in any other office or agency designated pursuant to Section 902 being herein sometimes referred to as the “Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Trustee or the Person maintaining the Security Register shall provide for the registration of Securities and of transfers of Securities as herein provided. Said office or agency shall be the “Security Registrar” for the Securities of each Series.

Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee or any other office or agency of the Company designated pursuant to Section 902, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more replacement Securities of the same Series of any authorized denomination or denominations, of a like aggregate principal amount and containing identical terms and provisions.

At the option of the Holder, Securities may be exchanged for other Securities of the same Series containing identical terms and provisions, in any authorized denomination or denominations, and of a like aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at such office or agency. Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the replacement Securities which the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.

Furthermore, any Holder of a Global Security shall, by acceptance of such Global Security, agree that transfers of beneficial interests in such Global Security may be effected only through a book-entry system maintained by the Holder of such Global Security (or its agent), and that ownership of a beneficial interest in the Security shall be required to be reflected in a book entry.

All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer, or for exchange or redemption, shall (if so required by the Company or the Security Registrar) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar, duly executed by the Holder thereof or its attorney duly authorized in writing.

No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange or redemption of Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to pay all documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer taxes or other governmental charges that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 204, 205, 806, 1008 or 1009 not involving any transfer.

 

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The Company shall not be required (a) to issue replacement Securities or register the transfer of or exchange any Security during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the delivery of a notice of redemption of the Securities under Section 1005 and ending at the close of business on the day of such delivery or (b) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of Securities being redeemed in part.

SECTION 207. BOOK-ENTRY PROVISIONS FOR GLOBAL SECURITIES.

(a) The related Series Supplement shall establish whether the Securities of a Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and the Depositary for such Global Security or Securities. Ownership of the Book-Entry Securities will be constituted through beneficial interests in the Book-Entry Securities held by the Depositary or its nominee in the form of a Global Security, and will be represented through book-entry accounts of Clearing Agency Participants, acting on behalf of the Beneficial Owners of such Book-Entry Securities. Any registration of beneficial ownership in, and transfers of beneficial ownership of, Book-Entry Securities may be made only through the applicable Book-Based System by a Clearing Agency Participant of the Depositary identified in the related Series Supplement. In such case, the Trustee shall deal with the Depositary and Clearing Agency Participants as representatives of the Beneficial Owners of such Securities for purposes of exercising the rights of Holders hereunder, as provided in this Indenture. Requests and directions from such representatives shall not be deemed to be inconsistent if they are made with respect to different Beneficial Owners.

(b) Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in any other provisions of this Indenture and in addition thereto, except as otherwise specified in the related Series Supplement, any Book-Entry Security that is a Global Security shall be exchangeable pursuant to Section 206 of this Indenture for Securities of the same Series registered in the names of Beneficial Owners other than the Depositary for such Security or its nominee only if (i) such Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such Global Security or if at any time such Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and, in either case, the Company fails to appoint a successor Depositary within 90 days of such event, (ii) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate to the effect that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable or (iii) an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series represented by such Global Security shall have occurred and be continuing. Any Book-Entry Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for Securities registered in such names as the Depositary shall direct in writing in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of such Book-Entry Security with like tenor and terms.

Except as provided above in this Section 207(b), a Global Security may only be transferred in whole but not in part (i) by the Depositary with respect to such Global Security to a nominee of such Depositary, (ii) by a nominee of such Depositary to such Depositary or another nominee of such Depositary or (iii) by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such a successor Depositary.

 

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(c) A Global Security issued hereunder shall bear any legend or legends specified therefor in the Series Supplement in respect of such Securities.

(d) The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Trustee shall treat a person as the Holder of such principal amount of outstanding Securities of such Series represented by a Global Security as shall be specified in a written statement of the Depositary with respect to such Global Security, for purposes of obtaining any consents, declarations, waivers or directions required to be given by the Holders pursuant to this Indenture.

SECTION 208. MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST AND STOLEN SECURITIES.

If (a) any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, or (b) the Company and the Trustee receive evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security, and there is delivered to the Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in exchange for any such mutilated Security or in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a replacement Security of like tenor and principal amount, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a replacement Security, pay such Security.

Upon the issuance of any replacement Securities under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to pay all documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer taxes or other governmental charges that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) in connection therewith.

Every replacement Security of any Series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security of such Series shall constitute a contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security of such Series shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and the Holder thereof shall be entitled to all benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all Holders of other Securities of such Series duly issued hereunder.

The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.

 

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SECTION 209. PAYMENT OF INTEREST; INTEREST RIGHTS PRESERVED.

Interest on any Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Record Date for such interest.

Subject to accrual of any interest on unpaid interest from time to time, interest on each Security shall cease to accrue from the earlier of the Maturity of such Security and, if such Security is called for redemption, the Redemption Date fixed for such Security, unless, in each case, upon due presentation and surrender of such Security for payment on or after such Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be, such payment is improperly withheld or refused.

Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.

SECTION 210. PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS.

Prior to the time of due presentment for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name any Security is registered as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of (and premium, if any) and (subject to Section 209) interest on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever other than the obligations of the Company under Section 907, whether or not such Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

SECTION 211. CANCELLATION.

All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee and shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. The Company shall deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. Upon written request by the Company, all cancelled Securities held by the Trustee shall be destroyed and certification of their destruction delivered to the Company unless by a Company Order the Company shall direct that cancelled Securities be returned to it.

 

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SECTION 212. COMPUTATION OF INTEREST.

Except as otherwise contemplated by Section 201, interest on the Securities of any Series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months and, for any period shorter than six months, on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed per 30-day month. For the purposes of the Interest Act (Canada), and without affecting the interest payable on the applicable Securities, the yearly rate of interest to which any rate of interest payable under a Security, which is to be calculated on any basis other than a full calendar year, is equivalent may be determined by multiplying the rate by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days in the calendar year in which the period for which interest at such rate is payable and the denominator of which is the number of days comprising such other basis.

ARTICLE THREE

DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

SECTION 301. COMPANY’S OPTION TO EFFECT DEFEASANCE OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE.

The Company may, at its option, at any time, with respect to the Securities or any Series of Securities, elect to have either Section 302 or Section 303 be applied to all Outstanding Securities or all Outstanding Securities of such Series upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article Three. To exercise either option, the Company shall provide written notice of its election to the Trustee.

SECTION 302. DEFEASANCE AND DISCHARGE.

Upon the Company’s exercise under Section 301 of the option applicable to this Section 302, the Company (and, as applicable, any Guarantors) shall be deemed to have been discharged from its obligations with respect to all Outstanding Securities or all Outstanding Securities of a Series, as the case may be, on the date the conditions set forth in Section 304 below are satisfied (hereinafter, “defeasance”). For this purpose, such defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by such Securities, which shall thereafter be deemed to be “Outstanding” only for the purposes of Section 305 and the other Sections of this Indenture referred to in (A), (B), and (C) below, and to have satisfied all its other obligations under such Securities, the Series Supplement with respect to such Securities and this Indenture insofar as such Securities are concerned (and the Trustee, upon Company Request and at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except for the following which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (A) the rights of Holders of such Securities to receive solely from the trust funds described in Section 304 and as more fully set forth in such Section, payments in respect of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on such Securities when such payments are due, (B) the Company’s obligations with respect to such Securities under Sections 205, 206, 208, 902, 903, 907 (for purposes of applying Section 907, if the Trustee (or any other qualifying trustee referred to in Section 304(1)) is required by law or by the interpretation or administration thereof to

 

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withhold or deduct any amount for or on account of Canadian Taxes (as defined in Section 907) from any payment made from the trust funds described in Section 304 under or with respect to the Securities, such payment shall be deemed to have been made by the Company and the Company shall be deemed to have been so required to withhold or deduct) and 908, (C) the Company’s right of redemption in respect of such Securities in the event Additional Amounts become payable as set forth in the applicable Series Supplement, provided that either (i) the change or amendment referred to therein occurs after defeasance is exercised by the Company in accordance with Section 304 or (ii) the Company was, immediately before the defeasance, entitled to redeem the Securities pursuant to the applicable Series Supplement, in which case the Company may redeem the Securities in accordance with Article Ten and the applicable Series Supplement by complying with such Article and the applicable Series Supplement and depositing with the Trustee, in accordance with Section 1006, an amount of money sufficient, together with all amounts held in trust pursuant to Section 304(1), to pay the Redemption Price of all the Securities to be redeemed, (D) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and the Company’s obligations in connection therewith, including the Company’s obligations under Section 507 and (E) this Article Three. Subject to compliance with this Article Three, the Company may exercise its option under this Section 302 notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section 303 with respect to the Securities.

SECTION 303. COVENANT DEFEASANCE.

Upon the Company’s exercise under Section 301 of the option applicable to this Section 303, the Company (and, as applicable, any Guarantors) shall be released from its obligations under any covenant contained in Article Seven and in Sections 904 through 906 and any and all additional or different covenants in the Series Supplement (unless otherwise indicated therein), in each case, with respect to the Outstanding Securities or the Outstanding Securities of the applicable Series, as the case may be, on and after the date the conditions set forth below in Section 304 are satisfied (hereinafter, “covenant defeasance”), and such Securities shall thereafter be deemed to be not “Outstanding” for the purposes of any direction, waiver, consent or declaration or Act of Holders (and the consequences of any thereof) in connection with such covenants, but shall continue to be deemed “Outstanding” for all other purposes hereunder (it being understood that such Securities shall not be deemed Outstanding for financial accounting purposes). For this purpose, such covenant defeasance means that, with respect to such Securities, the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such covenant, whether directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or by reason of any reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply shall not constitute a Default or an Event of Default, but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture (including Section 507 hereof) and such Securities shall be unaffected thereby. In addition, upon the Company’s exercise under Section 301 of the option applicable to Section 303, no additional or different Events of Default established in the applicable Series Supplement (unless otherwise specified therein) shall constitute Events of Default with respect to such Securities.

 

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SECTION 304. CONDITIONS TO DEFEASANCE OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE.

The following shall be the conditions to application of either Section 302 or Section 303 to all Outstanding Securities or all Outstanding Securities of a Series, as applicable:

(1) The Company shall irrevocably have deposited or, through the Paying Agent, caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee satisfying the requirements of Section 509 who shall agree to comply with the provisions of this Article Three applicable to it) as funds, in trust, for the purpose of making the following payments in its own capacity or through the Paying Agent, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, (x) cash in the currency or currencies in which such Securities are payable or (y) U.S. Government Obligations which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment, cash in the currency or currencies in which such Securities are payable or (z) any combination of the foregoing which would, in the aggregate, be in an amount sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or chartered accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge (and which shall be applied by the Trustee or the Paying Agent (or other qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge) the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, such Securities on the respective Stated Maturities (or Redemption Date, if applicable) thereof; provided that the Trustee or the Paying Agent (or other qualifying trustee) shall have been irrevocably instructed by the Company to apply such cash and/or U.S. Government Obligations to said payments with respect to such Securities. Before such a deposit, the Company may give the Trustee, in accordance with Section 1003 hereof, a notice of its election to redeem all of the Outstanding Securities or all of the Outstanding Securities of a Series at a future date in accordance with Article Ten hereof or any applicable provisions of the Series Supplement for such Securities, which notice shall be irrevocable.

(2) No Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of the deposit under clause (1) above (other than a Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit and the grant of any lien securing such borrowing).

(3) Such defeasance or covenant defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound (other than a default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit and the grant of any lien securing such borrowing).

 

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(4) In the case of an election under Section 302, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United States stating that (x) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (y) since the date of issuance of such Securities, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, such Holders will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of such defeasance and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such defeasance had not occurred.

(5) In the case of an election under Section 303, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United States to the effect that such Holders will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of such covenant defeasance and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such covenant defeasance had not occurred.

(6) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in Canada to the effect that such Holders will not recognize income, gain or loss for Canadian federal or provincial income tax or other tax (including withholding tax) purposes as a result of such defeasance or covenant defeasance, as applicable, and will be subject to Canadian federal and provincial income tax and other tax (including withholding tax) on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such defeasance or covenant defeasance, as applicable, had not occurred.

(7) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that the deposit made by the Company pursuant to its election under Section 302 or Section 303 was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring such Holders over other creditors of the Company or with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding creditors of the Company or others.

(8) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent relating to either the defeasance under Section 302 or the covenant defeasance under Section 303 (as the case may be) have been complied with.

 

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SECTION 305. DISCHARGE

Subject to the last paragraph of this Section 305, the Company (and, as applicable, any Guarantor) shall be discharged from its obligations with respect to, and this Indenture (including the applicable Series Supplement) will be discharged and will cease to be of further effect as to, all outstanding Securities (or all outstanding Securities of one or more particular Series, where the conditions below are satisfied only with respect to such Series), and the Trustee shall, at the request and at the expense of the Company, execute and deliver to the Company such deeds or other instruments as shall be required to evidence such satisfaction and discharge, when either:

(a) all outstanding Securities or all outstanding Securities of such Series, as applicable (and in each case excluding for the avoidance of doubt any lost, stolen or destroyed Securities which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 208 and Securities for whose payment money or U.S. Government Obligations has been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust), have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation (including on conversion or exchange of such Securities into other securities or property), or

(b) all such Securities not so delivered to the Trustee for cancellation (i) have otherwise become due and payable or have been called for redemption pursuant to the applicable Series Supplement, (ii) will become due and payable within one year or (iii) if redeemable at the Company’s option pursuant to the applicable Series Supplement, are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company, and, in each case, the Company has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee funds in trust in cash in the currency or currencies in which such Securities are payable or U.S. Government Obligations, or a combination thereof, in an amount sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or chartered accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge the principal of, and premium, if any, on such Securities and interest thereon in full, (x) in the case of Securities that have become due and payable, to the date of such deposit or (y) in the case of other Securities, to their Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be, and

in either case of the foregoing clause (a) or (b), the Company has paid or caused to be paid all sums payable by it under this Indenture with respect to such Securities.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, and notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture with respect to a particular Series, (A) the rights of Holders of the Securities of such Series to receive solely from the fund held in trust described in subsection (b) of this Section 305 and as more fully set forth in such Section, payments in respect of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on such Securities when such payments are due, (B) the Company’s obligations with respect to such Securities under Section 205, Section 206, Section 208, Section 902, Section 903 and Section 908, (C) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and the

 

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Company’s obligations in connection therewith, including the Company’s obligations under Section 507 and (D) this Article Three shall survive until the Securities of such Series have been paid in full or, if earlier, the date on which the funds held in trust for such payment are paid to the Company (or discharged from such trust, as applicable) in accordance with the last paragraph of Section 903. Thereafter, only the Company’s obligations in Section 507 shall survive.

SECTION 306. DEPOSITED MONEY TO BE HELD IN TRUST; OTHER MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.

Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 903 and the provisions of Section 506, all cash and U.S. Government Obligations (including any proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee, collectively for purposes of this Section 306, the “Trustee”) in respect of Securities of a Series pursuant to Section 304 or Section 305 shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Securities of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal of, and interest or premium, if any, on, such Securities, but such cash and U.S. Government Obligations need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee on an after-tax basis against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 304 or Section 305, as applicable, or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the applicable Series.

Anything in this Article Three to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any cash or U.S. Government Obligations held by it as provided in Section 304 or Section 305, as applicable which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or chartered accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee (which may be included with the opinion delivered under Section 304(1) or Section 305, as applicable), are in excess of the amount thereof which would then be required to be deposited to effect defeasance or covenant defeasance or satisfaction and discharge, as the case may be, of the applicable Securities or Series of Securities.

The Trustee and the Paying Agent shall have no liability for interest on any amounts held on deposit pursuant to this Indenture.

SECTION 307. REINSTATEMENT.

If the Trustee or any Paying Agent is unable to apply any cash or U.S. Government Obligations in accordance with Section 306, by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the Company’s obligations under this Indenture and the

 

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Securities shall be revived and reinstated as though no cash or U.S. Government Obligations has been deposited pursuant to Section 304 or 305, as the case may be, until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such cash or U.S. Government Obligations in accordance with Section 306; provided, however, that, if the Company makes any payment of the principal of, or interest, premium, or other amounts, if any, on, any Security following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the cash and U.S. Government Obligations held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.

ARTICLE FOUR

REMEDIES

SECTION 401. EVENTS OF DEFAULT.

Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series of Securities by the applicable Series Supplement, with respect to each Series of Securities, “Event of Default”, wherever used herein, means any one of the following events and any additional events identified as being an Event of Default in respect of such Series in the related Series Supplement (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):

(a) default in the payment of the principal of (or the Redemption Price on) any Security of such Series when it becomes due and payable at its Maturity; or

(b) default in the payment of any interest or any Additional Amounts on any Security of such Series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days.

Notwithstanding any other provision herein, the Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a written notice of any event which is in fact such a default is received by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the applicable Series of Securities and describes the Default or Event of Default.

SECTION 402. ACCELERATION OF MATURITY; RESCISSION AND ANNULMENT.

If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to any Series of Securities, then and in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such Series then Outstanding may declare the principal of all such Securities to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal shall become immediately due and payable.

 

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The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 15 days after the Company becoming aware of the occurrence thereof, written notice in the form of an Officer’s Certificate of any Event of Default and any event which with the giving of notice or the lapse of time would become an Event of Default, its status and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

At any time after a declaration of acceleration has been made in respect of an Event of Default with respect to any Series of Securities and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of such affected Series may, by a Holder Direction, rescind and annul such declaration and the consequences of such declaration of acceleration. In each such case, the rescission and annulment will be effective on the last date on which each of the following have been satisfied:

(a) written notice of such Holder Direction is delivered to the Company and the Trustee;

(b) the Company has paid or deposited, or caused to be paid or deposited, with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay

(1) all overdue interest on any Securities of such Series,

(2) all principal, premium and other amounts for any Securities of such Series that have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and interest thereon at the rate borne by such Securities,

(3) to the extent provided for in the Series Supplement in respect of the Securities of such Series and to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon overdue interest at the rate provided for such purpose in such Series Supplement, and

(4) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder, the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel and any other amounts due to the Trustee pursuant to Section 507; and

(c) all Events of Default with respect to such Series, other than the non-payment of principal of, and interest, premium and other amounts on, Securities of such Series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 413.

No such rescission and annulment shall affect any subsequent Event of Default with respect to such Series or impair any right consequent thereon. In addition, no recission or annulment in respect of one Series shall affect any Event of Default with respect to any other Series or impair any right of the Trustee or the Holders of such other Series with respect thereto.

 

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SECTION 403. COLLECTION OF INDEBTEDNESS AND SUITS FOR ENFORCEMENT BY TRUSTEE.

The Company covenants that if:

(a) default is made in the payment of any interest or Additional Amounts on any Security of a Series of Securities when such interest or Additional Amounts becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or

(b) default is made in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Security of a Series of Securities at the Maturity thereof,

the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee or, subject to Section 407, upon demand of the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such Series then Outstanding, pay to the Trustee, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, with interest upon the overdue principal (and premium, if any) and, to the extent provided for in the Series Supplement for such Securities and to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, upon overdue installments of interest, at the rate provided for such purpose in such Series Supplement; and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid and may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.

If an Event of Default with respect to a Series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of such Series under this Indenture by such appropriate private or judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce such rights.

SECTION 404. TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM.

In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,

 

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(a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal (and premium, if any) and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due to the Trustee pursuant to Section 507) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and

(b) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same, in its own capacity or through the Paying Agent;

and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee or the Paying Agent and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due to the Trustee under Section 507.

Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any proposal, plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition or other similar arrangement affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

SECTION 405. TRUSTEE MAY ENFORCE CLAIMS WITHOUT POSSESSION OF SECURITIES.

All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due to the Trustee pursuant to Section 507, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.

SECTION 406. APPLICATION OF MONEY COLLECTED.

Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article for a Series of Securities shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal (or premium, if any) or interest, upon presentation of such Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:

 

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FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee with respect to such Series under Section 507 of this Indenture or any other applicable provision of the Series Supplement with respect to such Series;

SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid upon such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest;

THIRD: To the payment of any other amounts due and payable with respect to such Series; and

FOURTH: The balance, if any, to the Company.

SECTION 407. LIMITATION ON SUITS.

No Holder of any Securities of any Series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture or such Securities, or for the appointment of a receiver, receiver and manager or trustee in respect of the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company, or to pursue any other remedy hereunder, unless

(a) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee and the Company, or has received written notice from the Trustee, of a continuing Event of Default with respect to such Series;

(b) the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of all of the Outstanding Securities of such Series shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

(c) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee reasonable funding and indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;

(d) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of funding and indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and

(e) during such 60-day period the Trustee has not received a contrary Holder Direction from the Holders of such Series;

it being understood and intended that no one or more Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other Holders (whether of the same Series or any other Series), or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other Holders (whether of the same Series or any other Series) or to enforce any right under this Indenture except in the manner provided in this Indenture and for the equal and ratable benefit of all the Holders.

 

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SECTION 408. UNCONDITIONAL RIGHT OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE PRINCIPAL, PREMIUM AND INTEREST.

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and (subject to Section 209) interest and any Additional Amounts on such Security as and when the same shall become due and payable in accordance with the terms expressed in such Security and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.

SECTION 409. RESTORATION OF RIGHTS AND REMEDIES.

If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall, subject to any determination in such proceeding, be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder, and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

SECTION 410. RIGHTS AND REMEDIES CUMULATIVE.

Except as provided in Section 208, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

SECTION 411. DELAY OR OMISSION NOT WAIVER.

No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Security to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.

 

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SECTION 412. CONTROL BY HOLDERS.

Except as otherwise provided in this Indenture, and subject to compliance with the provisions of this Indenture requiring the giving of sufficient funds and indemnity to the Trustee, the Holders of a Series shall have the right, in each case by a Holder Direction, to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, under this Indenture with respect to such Securities; provided that

(a) such Holder Direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture or expose the Trustee to personal liability,

(b) subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such Holder Direction, and

(c) such Holder Direction is not unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Holders of Securities of such Series.

SECTION 413. WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS.

The Holders of Outstanding Securities of any Series with respect to which a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing may, on behalf of all Holders of such Series, waive any past Default or Event of Default hereunder and its consequences by providing written notice of a Holder Direction to the Trustee, except a Default or Event of Default

(a) in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any such Security of such Series, or

(b) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article Eight cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected.

Upon any such waiver becoming effective with respect to a Series, such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for purposes of such Series for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

SECTION 414. UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS.

All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security by its acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable

 

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attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of a Series of Securities, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Security on or after the respective Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date).

ARTICLE FIVE

THE TRUSTEE

SECTION 501. CERTAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

(a) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default,

(1) the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and

(2) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.

(b) In case an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.

(c) No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:

(1) this Subsection shall not be construed to limit the effect of Subsections (a) or (b) of this Section;

(2) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent;

 

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(3) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with a Holder Direction relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture; and

(4) no provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section.

SECTION 502. NOTICE OF DEFAULTS.

The Trustee shall, within a reasonable time but not exceeding 90 days after the occurrence of any Default with respect to any Series, transmit by mail or electronic mail to all Holders of the applicable Series, as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register or otherwise in accordance with the procedures of the Trustee, notice of such Default hereunder known to the Trustee, unless such Default is not an Event of Default and shall have been cured or waived; provided, however, that, except in the case of a Default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Security, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as a trust committee of Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determine that the withholding of such notice is in the best interests of the Holders of the Securities of such Series and the Trustee so advises the Company in writing.

Where notice of the occurrence of any Default is given by the Trustee under the preceding paragraph and the Default is thereafter cured, the Company shall notify the Trustee of such cure, and the Trustee shall, within a reasonable time but not exceeding 60 days after the Trustee becomes aware of the curing of the Default, transmit by mail or electronic mail to all Holders of the applicable Series, as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register or otherwise in accordance with the procedures of the Trustee, the Company’s notice that the Default is no longer continuing.

SECTION 503. CERTAIN RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.

Except as otherwise provided in Section 501:

(a) the Trustee may act and rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting, upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;

 

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(b) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order (other than delivery of any Security to the Trustee for authentication and delivery pursuant to Section 204 which shall be sufficiently evidenced as provided therein) and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution;

(c) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, rely upon an Officer’s Certificate and/or Opinion of Counsel;

(d) the Trustee may consult with counsel and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;

(e) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction, and shall incur no liability for acting upon written direction of requisite Holders;

(f) except as provided in clause (a) above, the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney;

(g) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder;

(h) in no event shall the Trustee be liable for any indirect, special, punitive or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever, including, but not limited to, lost profits, even if the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action; and

 

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(i) in no event shall the Trustee be liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder because of circumstances beyond its control, including, but not limited to, acts of God, flood, war (whether declared or undeclared), terrorism, fire, riot, embargo, pandemics or epidemics, government action, including any laws, ordinances, regulations, governmental action or the like which delay, restrict or prohibit the providing of the services contemplated by this Indenture.

SECTION 504. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR RECITALS OR ISSUANCE OF SECURITIES.

The recitals contained herein and in the Securities, except the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of the Company and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or the Securities created hereunder. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities or the proceeds thereof.

SECTION 505. MAY HOLD SECURITIES.

The Trustee, any Paying Agent, any Security Registrar or any other agent of the Company, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities, and, subject to Section 513 and the Trust Indenture Act, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, Paying Agent, Security Registrar or such other agent.

SECTION 506. MONEY HELD IN TRUST.

Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed with the Company.

SECTION 507. COMPENSATION, REIMBURSEMENT AND INDEMNITY.

The Company agrees:

(a) to pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder in accordance with a written fee schedule executed by the Company, which may be amended from time to time with the written consent of the Company and the Trustee (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);

(b) except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable properly documented expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the properly documented expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable solely to its or its agents’ negligence or willful misconduct; and

 

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(c) to indemnify the Trustee (which for purposes of this Subsection (c) shall include The Bank of New York Mellon in every role it performs hereunder and its officers, directors, employees, counsel, and agents) for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability or expense incurred without negligence or willful misconduct on its part, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of this trust, including the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder.

As security for the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Section, the Trustee shall have a claim and lien prior to the Securities of any Series, pro rata in accordance with their respective principal amounts, upon all property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds held in trust for the benefit of Holders of particular Securities, including such funds held for the payment of the principal of, or any interest, premium or other amounts payable on, such Securities.

The Company’s payment of indemnity obligations pursuant to this Section 507 shall survive the discharge of this Indenture and the expiry of any trusts created hereby and the resignation or removal of the Trustee. When the Trustee incurs expenses after the occurrence of a bankruptcy event involving the Company, the expenses are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law (as defined in the applicable Series Supplement).

SECTION 508. CONFLICTING INTERESTS.

The Trustee shall comply with the terms of the Trust Indenture Act Section 310(b).

SECTION 509. CORPORATE TRUSTEE REQUIRED; ELIGIBILITY.

There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall be eligible to act as Trustee under the Trust Indenture Act Section 310(a)(1) and which shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least U.S.$100,000,000 and have its Corporate Trust Office in The City of New York to the extent there is such an institution eligible and willing to serve. If such Person publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of federal, state, territorial or District of Columbia supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such Person shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article.

 

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SECTION 510. RESIGNATION AND REMOVAL; APPOINTMENT OF SUCCESSOR.

(a) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee under Section 511.

(b) The Trustee may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Company. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by Section 511 shall not have been delivered to the resigning Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction (at the Company’s expense) for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

(c) The Trustee may be removed at any time with respect to the Securities of a Series by a Holder Direction from the Holders of the Outstanding Securities of such Series delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.

(d) If at any time:

(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the provisions of Section 508 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months, or

(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 509, or

(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent, or a receiver or receiver and manager of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation,

then, in any such case, (i) the Company may remove the Trustee with respect to all Securities or any applicable Series of Securities, or (ii) subject to Section 414, in the case of clause (1) above, the Holder of any Security who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months, and in the case of clauses (2) and (3) above, the Holder of any Security and any other interested party may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee with respect all Securities of such Series and the appointment of a successor Trustee.

(e) If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause, with respect to one or more Series, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee or Trustees with respect to the Securities of that or those Series (it being understood that any such successor Trustee may be appointed with respect to the Securities of one or more or all of such Series and that at any time there shall be only one

 

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Trustee with respect to the Securities of any particular Series). If, within one year after such resignation, removal or incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee with respect to any Series shall be appointed by a Holder Direction and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its acceptance of such appointment in accordance with Section 511, become the successor Trustee with respect to such Series and, to that extent, supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee shall have been so appointed with respect to a Series, by the Company or the Holders of the Securities of such Series, and so accepted such appointment, the retiring Trustee or the Holder of any Security of such Series who has been a bona fide Holder for at least six months may on behalf of itself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

(f) Any new Trustee hereunder appointed under any provision of this Section shall be qualified to act as Trustee hereunder in accordance with Section 509, shall certify that it will not have any material conflict of interest upon becoming Trustee hereunder, and shall accept the trusts herein declared and provided for. On any new appointment, the new Trustee shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named herein as Trustee.

(g) The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee with respect to a Series and each appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to a Series to the Holders of Securities of such Series as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee for such Series and the address of its Corporate Trust Office.

SECTION 511. ACCEPTANCE OF APPOINTMENT BY SUCCESSOR.

(a) Every successor Trustee appointed hereunder shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on request of the Company or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of all amounts due it under Section 507, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee, and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder, subject to the claim and lien provided for in Section 507. Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts.

 

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(b) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) Series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and each successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series shall execute and deliver a supplemental indenture wherein each successor Trustee shall accept such appointment and which (i) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor Trustee all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those Series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates; (ii) if the retiring Trustee is not retiring with respect to all Securities, shall contain such provisions as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those Series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee; and (iii) shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or in such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustees co-trustees of the same trust, that each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by any other such Trustee and that no Trustee shall be responsible for any notice given to, or received by, or any act or failure to act on the part of any other Trustee hereunder, and upon the execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein, such retiring Trustee shall with respect to the Securities of that or those Series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates have no further responsibility for the exercise of rights and powers or for the performance of the duties and obligations vested in the Trustee under this Indenture other than as hereinafter expressly set forth, and each such successor Trustee without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those Series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates; but, on request of the Company or any successor Trustee and upon the payment of any amount to the Trustee under Section 507, such retiring Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee, to the extent contemplated by such supplemental indenture, the property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder with respect to the Securities of that or those Series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates.

(c) No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.

 

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SECTION 512. MERGER, CONVERSION, CONSOLIDATION OR SUCCESSION TO BUSINESS.

Any Person into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to all or substantially all of the institutional trust services business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of such Trustee hereunder, provided such Person shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to the authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.

SECTION 513. TRUSTEE NOT TO BE APPOINTED RECEIVER.

Neither the Trustee nor any “related person”, as defined in the Business Corporations Act (Ontario), to the Trustee, shall be appointed a receiver or receiver and manager or liquidator of all or any part of the assets or undertaking of the Company.

SECTION 514. ACCEPTANCE OF TRUSTS.

The Trustee hereby accepts the trusts imposed upon it by this Indenture and covenants and agrees to perform the same as herein expressed.

SECTION 515. ELECTRONIC MEANS

The Trustee agrees to accept and act upon instructions, including funds transfer instructions (“Instructions”) given pursuant to this Indenture and related financing documents and delivered using Electronic Means; provided, however, that the Trustee shall have received an incumbency certificate listing the Authorized Officers and containing specimen signatures of such Authorized Officers, which such incumbency certificate shall be amended by the Company whenever a person is to be added or deleted from the listing. If the Company elects to give the Trustee Instructions using Electronic Means and the Trustee in its discretion elects to act upon such Instructions, the Trustee’s understanding of such Instructions shall be deemed controlling. The Company understands and agrees that the Trustee cannot determine the identity of the actual sender of such Instructions and that the Trustee shall conclusively presume that directions that purport to have been sent by an Authorized Officer listed on the incumbency certificate provided to the Trustee have been sent by such Authorized Officer. The Company shall be responsible for ensuring that only Authorized Officers transmit such Instructions to the Trustee and that the Company and all Authorized Officers are solely responsible to safeguard the use and confidentiality of applicable user and authorization codes, passwords and/or authentication keys upon receipt by the Company. The Trustee shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s reliance upon and compliance with such Instructions notwithstanding such Instructions conflict or are inconsistent with a subsequent written instruction. The Company agrees: (i) to assume all risks arising out of the use of Electronic Means to submit Instructions to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized Instructions, and the risk of interception and misuse by third

 

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parties; (ii) that it is fully informed of the protections and risks associated with the various methods of transmitting Instructions to the Trustee and that there may be more secure methods of transmitting Instructions than the method(s) selected by the Company; (iii) that the security procedures (if any) to be followed in connection with its transmission of Instructions provide to it a commercially reasonable degree of protection in light of its particular needs and circumstances; and (iv) to notify the Trustee promptly upon learning of any compromise or unauthorized use of the security procedures.

SECTION 516. TRUSTEE NOT BOUND TO ACT

The Trustee shall retain the right not to act and shall not be liable for refusing to act if, due to a lack of information or for any other reason whatsoever, the Trustee, in its sole judgment, determines that such act might cause it to be in non- compliance with any applicable anti-money laundering or anti-terrorist legislation, regulation or guideline. Further, should the Trustee, in its sole judgment, determine at any time that its acting under this Indenture has resulted in its being in non-compliance with any applicable anti-money laundering or antiterrorist legislation, regulation or guideline, then it shall have the right to resign on 10 days’ written notice to the Company (and during such ten (10) day notice period, the Trustee shall have the right not to act and shall not be liable for refusing to act) provided that: (i) the Trustee’s written notice shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, describe the circumstances of such noncompliance (for greater certainty, no such description shall be required if it could constitute ‘tipping off’ or any other disclosure or action prohibited by applicable law); and (ii) if such circumstances are rectified to the Trustee’s satisfaction within such ten (10) day notice period, then such resignation shall not be effective.

ARTICLE SIX

HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY

SECTION 601. DISCLOSURE OF NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF HOLDERS.

(a) Upon application to the Trustee in accordance with the Trust Indenture Act, Holders of a particular Series of Securities may communicate pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act with other Holders of such Series with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities.

(b) In addition, a Holder of a particular Series of Securities may, upon payment to the Trustee of a reasonable fee and subject to compliance with any applicable requirement of the Trust Indenture Act, require the Trustee to furnish within 10 days after receiving the affidavit or statutory declaration referred to below, a list setting out (i) the name and address of every registered Holder of Outstanding Securities of such Series, the aggregate principal amount of Outstanding Securities owned by each registered Holder of such Series and (ii) the aggregate principal amount of Outstanding Securities of such Series, each as shown on the records of the Trustee on the day that the affidavit or statutory declaration is delivered to the Trustee. The affidavit or statutory declaration, as

 

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the case may be, shall contain (x) the name and address of the Holder, (y) where the Holder is a corporation, its name and address for service and (z) a statement that the list will not be used except in connection with an effort to influence the voting of the Holders of such Series, an offer to acquire such Securities, or any other matter relating to such Securities or the affairs of the Company. Where the Holder is a corporation, the affidavit or statutory declaration shall be made by a director or officer of the corporation.

(c) Every Holder of Securities, by receiving and holding the same, agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the Company nor the Trustee shall be held accountable by reason of the disclosure of such list of the names and addresses of the Holders, regardless of the source from which such information was derived, and that the Trustee shall not be held accountable by reason of delivering any material pursuant to a request made under the Trust Indenture Act.

(d) The Company shall comply with the terms of the Trust Indenture Act Section 312(a).

SECTION 602. REPORTS BY TRUSTEE.

Within 60 days after May 15 of each year commencing with the first May 15 after the first issuance of Securities, the Trustee shall transmit by mail or electronic mail to all Holders, as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register or otherwise in accordance with the Trustee, as provided in Trust Indenture Act Section 313(c), a brief report dated as of such May 15 if required by Trust Indenture Act Section 313(a).

 

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SECTION 603. REPORTS BY COMPANY.

The Company will at all times comply with Trust Indenture Act Section 314(a). Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officer’s Certificates). The Trustee shall have no duty to review or make independent investigation with respect to any of the foregoing received by the Trustee, and shall hold the same solely as repository.

ARTICLE SEVEN

AMALGAMATION, CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE

SECTION 701. COMPANY MAY AMALGAMATE, ETC., ONLY ON CERTAIN TERMS.

The Company shall not amalgamate or consolidate with or merge with or into any other Person or convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person by liquidation, winding-up or otherwise (in one transaction or a series of related transactions) unless:

(a) either (1) the Company shall be the continuing Person or (2) the Person (if other than the Company) formed by such amalgamation or consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which acquires by conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety (the “Successor Company”) (i) shall be a corporation, company, partnership or trust organized and validly existing under (A) the federal laws of Canada or any Province thereof or (B) the laws of the United States of America or any State thereof or the District of Columbia and (ii) shall expressly assume, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, all of the obligations of the Company under the Securities of every Series under this Indenture (provided, however, that the Successor Company shall not be required to execute and deliver such a supplemental indenture in the event of an amalgamation of the Company with one or more other Persons, in which (x) the amalgamation is governed by the laws of Canada or any province thereof, (y) the Successor Company and the Company are, immediately prior to such amalgamation, organized and existing under the laws of Canada or any province thereof and (z) upon the effectiveness of such amalgamation, the Successor Company shall have become or shall continue to be (as the case may be), by operation of law, liable for the due and punctual payment of the Securities and the due and punctual performance and observance of all other obligations of the Company under the Securities of every Series under this Indenture);

 

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(b) immediately after giving effect to such transaction (and, to the extent applicable in respect of any Series, treating any indebtedness which becomes an obligation of the Company or a Subsidiary in connection with or as a result of such transaction as having been incurred at the time of such transaction), no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing; and

(c) the Company or the Successor Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such amalgamation, consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition and, if a supplemental indenture is required in connection with such transaction (or series of transactions), such supplemental indenture, comply with this Article and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been satisfied.

provided, however, that, the Company need not comply with the foregoing clause (c) in respect of: (A) any consolidation, amalgamation or merger of any Subsidiary with or into the Company; and (B) any consolidation, amalgamation, merger or winding up of the Company with or into an Affiliate of the Company solely for the purpose of reincorporating the Company in Canada or any province or territory thereof or the United States of America, any state or territory thereof or the District of Columbia.

SECTION 702. SUCCESSOR SUBSTITUTED.

Upon any amalgamation, consolidation or merger, or any conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition of the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety, in accordance with Section 701, the Successor Company shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such Successor Company had been named as the Company herein; and thereafter, except in the case of a lease, the Company shall be discharged from all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.

ARTICLE EIGHT

SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS TO INDENTURE

SECTION 801. SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES AND AMENDMENTS WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS.

Without the consent of any Holders, the Company, any Guarantors of the affected Securities, if applicable, and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:

(a) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company herein and in the Securities in accordance with Article Seven;

 

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(b) to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders of any Series of Securities, or to Events of Default in respect of a Series of Securities, or to surrender any right or power herein or in the Securities of any Series conferred upon the Company;

(c) to give effect to any Holder Direction or any other direction from Holders permitted to be given under this Indenture, and to any other Act of the Holders made, given or taken by the Holders of one or more Series in accordance with this Indenture;

(d) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series, and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 511(b);

(e) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein or therein, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Indenture; provided that, in each case, such provisions shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of any Series in any material respect;

(f) to add security to, to further secure, or to guarantee the Securities of any Series;

(g) to confirm and evidence the release, termination or discharge of any guarantee or security in respect of the Securities of any Series when such release, termination or discharge, as applicable, is permitted by this Indenture; or

(h) to make any other change to this Indenture or the Securities of a Series that does not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of the Securities of such Series in any material respect.

In addition, without the consent of any Holders, but subject to the terms and conditions of this Indenture, the Company and the Trustee may, and the Trustee shall, upon the written request of the Company or when so directed by this Indenture, make, execute, acknowledge and deliver Series Supplements from time to time to establish the form, terms or conditions of a Series of Securities which the Company wishes to issue under this Indenture.

SECTION 802. SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES AND CERTAIN AMENDMENTS WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS.

The Company, any Guarantors of the affected Securities, if applicable, and the Trustee may, and the Trustee shall upon written request of the Company or when so directed by this Indenture, enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or the Securities of any Series or of waiving or modifying in

 

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any manner the rights of the Holders of a Series under this Indenture or the Securities of such Series upon delivery to the Company and the Trustee of written notice of a Holder Direction from the Holders of Outstanding Securities of each Series that would be affected by such supplemental indenture or indentures, as the case may be; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture, amendment or waiver shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of a Series affected thereby:

(a) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of interest on, any Security, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest thereon or reduce the Redemption Price thereof, or change the coin or currency in which the principal of any Security or any premium or the interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment after the Stated Maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date); or

(b) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such Series, the consent of whose Holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose Holders is required for any waiver (of compliance with certain provisions of this Indenture or certain Defaults hereunder and their consequences) provided for in this Indenture; or

(c) modify any of the provisions of this Section or Section 413, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such Series affected thereby.

It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Indenture, any action that is permitted or authorized to be taken by a Holder Direction shall be binding upon all Holders of the applicable Series regardless of whether a particular Holder shall have approved such Holder Direction and, except as otherwise provided in such Holder Direction, regardless of whether the Holders of any other affected Series shall have approved such action in respect of such other affected Series under this Section.

SECTION 803. EXECUTION OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.

In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to the Trust Indenture Act and Section 503 hereof) shall be fully protected in acting and relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture, that any conditions precedent have been satisfied, and that the supplemental indenture is legal, valid, binding and enforceable under the laws of the State of New York, and conforms to the Trust Indenture Act. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which adversely affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

 

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SECTION 804. EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.

Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of Securities of the applicable Series theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder shall be bound thereby.

SECTION 805. CONFORMITY WITH THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT.

Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.

SECTION 806. REFERENCE IN SECURITIES TO SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.

Securities authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by the Trustee or the Company, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities so modified as to conform to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company and, upon Company Order, authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities.

ARTICLE NINE

COVENANTS

SECTION 901. PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL, PREMIUM AND INTEREST.

The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities of such Series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.

SECTION 902. MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY.

The Company will maintain, or cause the related Security Registrar or related Paying Agent, as the case may be, to maintain, an office or agency at each Place of Payment for a Series where Securities of such Series may be presented or surrendered for payment and where such Securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange. The Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee shall be such office or agency of the Company, unless the Company shall designate and maintain some other office or

 

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agency for one or more of such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any change in the location of any such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.

The Company may from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies (in or outside of the Place of Payment) where the Securities of one or more Series may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes, and may from time to time rescind such designation; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in the Place of Payment for each Series for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and any change in the location of any such office or agency.

SECTION 903. MONEY FOR SECURITY PAYMENTS TO BE HELD IN TRUST.

If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent, it will, on or before each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any of the Securities, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided, and will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for the Securities, it will, on or before each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any Securities, deposit with a Paying Agent a sum in same day funds (or New York Clearing House funds if such deposit is made prior to the date on which such deposit is required to be made) or, to the extent specified in the applicable Series Supplement, other consideration sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due, such sum or other consideration to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such principal, premium or interest and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of such action or any failure so to act.

The Company will cause each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying Agent will:

(a) hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on Securities in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided;

 

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(b) give the Trustee notice of any default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities) in the making of any payment of principal (and premium, if any) or interest; and

(c) at any time during the continuance of any such default, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent.

The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums and other consideration held in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums and other consideration to be held by the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums and other consideration were held by the Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such sums and other consideration.

Except as otherwise provided in the Series Supplement, and subject to applicable laws, any cash or U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any Security and remaining unclaimed for two years (or such shorter period as may be specified in the applicable abandoned property statutes) after such principal (and premium, if any) or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on Company Request, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such cash or U.S. Government Obligations, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease.

SECTION 904. CORPORATE EXISTENCE.

Subject to Article Seven, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect the corporate (or its applicable equivalent) existence and corporate (or its applicable equivalent) power and authority of the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such corporate or equivalent existence and corporate or equivalent power and authority if the Company shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company.

SECTION 905. PAYMENT OF TAXES AND OTHER CLAIMS.

The Company will pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged, before the same shall become delinquent, (a) all material taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed upon the Company or upon the income, profits or property of the Company and (b) all material lawful claims for labor, materials and supplies, which, if unpaid, might by law become a lien upon the property of the Company that could produce a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial condition of the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment, charge or claim whose amount, applicability or validity is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings.

 

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SECTION 906. PROVISION OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION.

(a) If the Company is not required to file with the Commission the Financial Reports, the Company shall furnish (without cost) to each Holder of the Securities then outstanding, and file with the Trustee (i) within 120 days of the end of each fiscal year, its audited year-end financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP (whether or not the Company is a public reporting company at the time) and (ii) within 60 days of the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year, unaudited financial statements for the interim period as at, and for the period ending on, the end of such fiscal quarter prepared in accordance with GAAP (whether or not the Company is a public reporting company at the time). The Company shall also make such reports available to prospective purchasers of the Securities, securities analysts and broker-dealers upon their request.

(b) The obligations of the Company set forth in the foregoing clause (a) of this Section 906 will be deemed satisfied if any parent entity of the Company has delivered to the Trustee (including by making such Financial Reports publicly available on SEDAR or EDGAR) the Financial Reports required in the preceding paragraph of this Section 906, that would otherwise be required to be provided in respect of the Company, with respect to such parent entity; provided that such obligations will only be deemed to be satisfied if, and for so long as, such parent entity furnishes to the Trustee (either in or with a copy of such financial statements) “summary financial information” as defined in Section 13.4 of National Instrument 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations (“NI 51-102”) (or substantially equivalent financial information provided for in any successor provision thereto in NI 51-102 or any successor instrument) for the parent entity for the periods covered by such financial statements with a separate column for (i) the parent entity, (ii) the Company, (iii) all Guarantors (on a combined basis), (iv) any other subsidiaries of the parent entity (on a combined basis), (v) consolidating adjustments and (vi) total consolidated amounts.

(c) Delivery of reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute actual or constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s or the Guarantor’s compliance with any of their covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officer’s Certificates).

 

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SECTION 907. PAYMENT OF ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS.

All payments made by or on account of any obligation of the Company under or with respect to the Securities will be made free and clear of and without withholding or deduction for, or on account of, any present or future tax, duty, levy, impost, assessment or other governmental charge (including penalties, interest and other liabilities related thereto) imposed or levied by or on behalf of the Government of Canada or of any province or territory thereof or by any authority or agency therein or thereof having power to tax (“Canadian Taxes”), unless the Company is required to withhold or deduct Canadian Taxes by law or by the interpretation or administration thereof by the relevant government authority or agency. If the Company is so required to withhold or deduct any amount for or on account of Canadian Taxes from any payment made under or with respect to the Securities, the Company will pay as additional interest such additional amounts (“Additional Amounts”) as may be necessary so that the net amount received by each Holder in respect of a Beneficial Owner (including Additional Amounts) after such withholding or deduction will not be less than the amount the Holder would have received in respect of such Beneficial Owner if such Canadian Taxes had not been withheld or deducted; provided, however, that no Additional Amounts will be payable with respect to a payment made to a Holder in respect of a Beneficial Owner (each, an “Excluded Holder”) (i) with which the Company does not deal at arm’s length (for purposes of the Tax Act) at the time of the making of such payment or which is entitled to the payment in respect of a debt or other obligation to pay an amount to a person with which the Company does not deal at arm’s length (within the meaning of the Tax Act) at the time of making such payment, (ii) which is a “specified shareholder” of the Company, or which does not deal at arm’s length (within the meaning of the Tax Act) with a “specified shareholder” of the Company as defined in Subsection 18(5) of the Tax Act, (iii) which is subject to such Canadian Taxes by reason of the legal nature of the Holder or beneficial owner disentitling such Holder or beneficial owner to the benefit of an applicable treaty if and to the extent that the application of such treaty would have resulted in the reduction or elimination of any Canadian Taxes as to which Additional Amounts would have otherwise been payable to a Holder on behalf of such beneficial owner, (iv) which is subject to such Canadian Taxes by reason of the failure to timely comply with any certification, identification, information, documentation or other reporting requirement by a Holder or beneficial owner if compliance is required by law, regulation, administrative practice or an applicable treaty as a precondition to exemption from, or a reduction in, the rate of deduction or withholding of, such Canadian Taxes or to provide such other information or documentation as may be reasonably requested by the Company to evidence the entitlement of the holder or beneficial owner to any reduction or elimination of such Canadian Taxes to which the Holder or beneficial owner is entitled, (v) where all or any portion of the amount paid or credited to such Holder is deemed to be a dividend pursuant to Subsection 214(16) of the Tax Act, (vi) which is subject to such Canadian Taxes by reason of the Holder or beneficial owner carrying on business in, maintaining a permanent establishment or other physical presence in or otherwise being connected with Canada or any province or territory thereof otherwise than by the mere holding of Securities or the receipt of payments thereunder, (vii) on account of any estate, inheritance, gift, sales, value added, excise, transfer, use, personal property tax or similar tax, assessment or governmental charge, (viii) that is a fiduciary, partnership or any other entity other than the sole beneficial owner of such payment to

 

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the extent the Canadian Taxes giving rise to such Additional Amounts would not have been imposed had the Holder been the beneficiary, partner or sole beneficial owner, as the case may be, of the payment, (ix) on account of any Canadian Taxes (a) that are payable other than by deduction or withholding from a payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, on the Securities, (b) that would not have been imposed but for a change in law, regulation, or administrative or judicial interpretation that becomes effective more than 15 days after the payment becomes due or is duly provided for, whichever occurs later, (c) [Reserved], (d) that are imposed as a result of the presentation of the Security for payment (where presentation is permitted or required for payment) more than 30 days after the date on which such payment on such Security become due and payable or the date on which payment thereof is duly provided for, whichever is later or (e) that are required to be withheld by any Paying Agent from any payment of principal of or interest on any Security, if such payment can be made without such withholding by at least one other Paying Agent, or (x) any combination of (i) through (ix). The Company will make such withholding or deduction and remit the full amount deducted or withheld to the relevant authority as and when required under applicable law.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, all payments will be made net of any deduction or withholding imposed or collected pursuant to Sections 1471 through 1474 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof, any agreement entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b) of the Code, or any fiscal or regulatory legislation, rules or practices adopted pursuant to any intergovernmental agreement entered into in connection with the implementation of such Sections of the Code (or any law implementing such an intergovernmental agreement) (any such withholding, a “FATCA Withholding Tax”), and no additional amounts will be payable as a result of any such FATCA Withholding Tax.

The Company agrees to provide the Trustee and the Paying Agent with information necessary to determine the nature of the income and whether U.S. tax or withholding obligations apply, and the Trustee and the Paying Agent are authorized to withhold any payments without liability if required to comply with applicable law.

If a Holder has received a refund or credit for any Canadian Taxes with respect to which the Company has paid Additional Amounts, such Holder shall pay over such refund to the Company (but only to the extent of such Additional Amounts), net of all out-of-pocket expenses of such Holder, together with any interest paid by the relevant tax authority in respect of such refund.

At least 30 days prior to each date on which any payment under or with respect to the Securities is due and payable, if the Company will be obligated to pay Additional Amounts with respect to such payment, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating the fact that such Additional Amounts will be payable, stating the amounts so payable and will set forth such other information necessary to enable the Trustee, on behalf of the Company, to pay such Additional Amounts to Holders on the payment date. Whenever in this Indenture there is mentioned, in any context, the payment of principal (and premium, if any), Redemption Price,

 

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interest or any other amount payable under or with respect to any Security such mention shall be deemed to include mention of the payment of Additional Amounts provided for in this Section to the extent that, in such context, Additional Amounts are, were or would be payable in respect thereof pursuant to the provisions of this Section and express mention of the payment of Additional Amounts (if applicable) in any provisions hereof shall not be construed as excluding Additional Amounts in those provisions hereof where such express mention is not made (if applicable).

The obligations of the Company under this Section 907 shall survive the discharge and termination of this Indenture and the payment of all amounts under or with respect to the Securities.

SECTION 908. STATEMENT AS TO COMPLIANCE.

The Company will deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year ending after the date hereof and otherwise upon the demand of the Trustee, a brief certificate of its principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer stating that a review of the activities of the Company during such year and of performance under the Indenture has been made and whether, based on such review, to such officer’s knowledge, the Company is in compliance with all covenants and conditions to be complied with by it under this Indenture. For purposes of this Section 908, such compliance shall be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice under this Indenture.

The Company shall furnish to the Trustee, upon the demand of the Trustee, evidence, in the form required by the Trustee, as to the Company’s compliance with any condition in the Indenture relating to any action required or permitted to be taken by the Company under this Indenture or as a result of any obligation imposed by this Indenture.

SECTION 909. WAIVER OF CERTAIN COVENANTS.

Subject to Section 413 and Section 802, the Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any covenant or condition set forth in this Indenture or a guarantee or in any and all additional or different covenants or conditions provided in the applicable Series Supplement (except as otherwise indicated therein), in each case, with respect to any Series of Securities to which such covenant or condition applies, including any existing Default or Event of Default and its consequences under this Indenture, such Series Supplement and any guarantee, if, before or after the time for such compliance, the Holders of the Outstanding Securities of such affected Series shall, by Holder Direction, waive such compliance in such instance with such covenant or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such covenant or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and, if applicable, any Guarantors and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such covenant or condition shall remain in full force and effect for purposes of such Series.

 

65


ARTICLE TEN

REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES

SECTION 1001. RIGHT OF REDEMPTION.

The Securities of a Series may be redeemed, at the election of the Company, as a whole or from time to time in part, at any time, subject to the conditions and at the Redemption Price specified in the form of Security set forth in the applicable Series Supplement, together with accrued and unpaid interest (including deferred interest, if any) thereon to, but excluding, the Redemption Date.

SECTION 1002. APPLICABILITY OF ARTICLE.

Redemption of Securities at the election of the Company or otherwise, as permitted or required by any provision of this Indenture or any Series Supplement, shall be made in accordance with such provision and this Article; provided, however, that if any provision of any such Series Supplement shall conflict with any provision of this Article, the provision of such Series Supplement shall govern.

SECTION 1003. ELECTION TO REDEEM; NOTICE TO TRUSTEE.

The election of the Company to redeem any Securities pursuant to Section 1001 shall be evidenced by a Company Order or a Board Resolution. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company, the Company shall notify the Trustee, at least three Business Days (unless a shorter notice period shall be agreed to in writing by the Trustee, acting reasonably) before notice of redemption is to be sent or caused to be sent to Holders pursuant to Section 1005.

SECTION 1004. SELECTION BY TRUSTEE OF SECURITIES TO BE REDEEMED.

If less than all the Securities of a Series are to be redeemed, the particular Securities or portions thereof to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days and not less than 10 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities of such Series not previously called for redemption, on a pro rata basis or by lot or otherwise in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary, and the amounts to be redeemed may be equal to Cdn$1,000 (for Securities denominated in Canadian dollars) or U.S.$1,000 (for Securities denominated in U.S. dollars) or any integral multiple thereof.

The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company and the Security Registrar in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.

For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Security redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Security which has been or is to be redeemed.

 

66


SECTION 1005. NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.

Notice of intention to redeem any Securities shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Holders of the Securities that are to be redeemed not more than 60 days and not less than 10 days prior to the Redemption Date, in the manner provided in Section 107.

All notices of redemption shall state:

(a) the Redemption Date;

(b) the Redemption Price or, where applicable only, the formula and date upon which the Redemption Price shall be calculated in connection with the Securities called for redemption;

(c) the Series called for redemption and, if less than all Outstanding Securities of a Series are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of a Security to be redeemed in part, the principal amount) of the particular Securities to be redeemed;

(d) that, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of any condition precedent to the redemption specified in such notice, on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will become due and payable upon each such Security or portion thereof, and that, unless the Company defaults in making such redemption payment, interest thereon, if any, shall cease to accrue on and after said date;

(e) the place or places where such Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price; and

(f) any conditions to the redemption.

Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall be given by the Company or, at its request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company.

Any redemption or notice of any redemption may, at the Company’s discretion, be subject to one or more conditions precedent, including, but not limited to, completion of an equity or other securities offering, an incurrence of indebtedness or other financing, or any other corporate transaction or event. Notice of any redemption in respect thereof may, at the Company’s discretion, be given prior to the completion of one or more of the transactions or events upon which the redemption is conditioned and such redemption may be partial as a result of only some of the conditions being satisfied. If such redemption is subject to the satisfaction of one or more conditions precedent, the related notice shall describe each such condition, and if applicable, state that, in the Company’s discretion, such redemption may not occur and such notice may be rescinded in the event that any or all such conditions shall not have been satisfied or waived by the Redemption Date. In addition, the Company may provide in such notice that payment of the Redemption Price and other amounts owing for the redemption of any Securities and performance of the Company’s obligations with respect to such redemption may be performed by another Person.

 

67


In the event that the condition(s) of any redemption that is conditional are not satisfied or waived by the Company in its sole discretion on or prior to the Redemption Date therefor, the redemption shall be rescinded and notice thereof shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Holders of the Securities that were to have been redeemed promptly thereafter (but in any event no later than the Business Day after the Redemption Date), in the manner in which the notice of redemption was delivered, that such condition(s) were not satisfied or waived and such redemption has been rescinded, and the Trustee shall promptly return to the Holders thereof any Securities which had been surrendered for payment upon such redemption. For the avoidance of doubt, the Trustee shall have no responsibility for determining whether or not a condition set forth in such notice of redemption is satisfied, and shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon the Company’s determination regarding the satisfaction or waiver thereof.

If the Securities are to be redeemed in part, the notice of redemption relating thereto shall state the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed; provided, that no Security in an aggregate principal amount of US$2,000 or less shall be redeemed in part.

Any inadvertent defect in a notice of redemption, including an inadvertent failure to deliver such notice, to any Holder whose Securities are selected for redemption will not impair or affect the validity of the redemption of any the Securities of any other Holder that are to be redeemed.

SECTION 1006. DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE.

On or prior to, and in any event no later than 10:00 a.m. New York City time, on any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit or cause to be deposited with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 903) an amount of money in same day funds sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and (except if the Redemption Date shall be an Interest Payment Date) accrued interest on, all the Securities which are to be redeemed on that date.

SECTION 1007. SECURITIES PAYABLE ON REDEMPTION DATE.

Notice of redemption having been delivered as specified in Section 1005, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of any terms or conditions of such redemption or the rescission of such notice of redemption permitted in Section 1005 or otherwise permitted by the supplemental indenture in respect of the Securities of the Series to be redeemed,

 

68


the Securities so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified and from and after such date (unless the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest) such Securities shall not be considered as outstanding hereunder and shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price together with accrued interest to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that installments of interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such on the relevant Record Dates according to the terms and the provisions of Section 209.

If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal thereof (and premium, if any, thereon) shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate borne by such Security.

SECTION 1008. SECURITIES REDEEMED IN PART.

Any Security which is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose pursuant to Section 902 (with, if the Company, the Security Registrar or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company, the Security Registrar or the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or its attorney duly authorized in writing), and the Company shall execute, and, upon Company Order, the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security, without service charge, a replacement Security or Securities, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.

SECTION 1009. SECURITIES PURCHASED IN PART.

Any Security that is to be purchased only in part shall be surrendered to the Paying Agent at the office of the Paying Agent or to the office or agency referred to in Section 902 (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or such Holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing) and the Company shall execute and, upon Company Order, the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security, without service charge, a replacement Security or Securities, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder in an aggregate principal amount equal to, and in exchange for, the principal amount of the Security so surrendered that is not purchased.

 

69


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed all as of the day and year first above written.

 

ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC.,
By    
  Name:
  Title:
By    
  Name:
  Title:

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON,

as Trustee

By    
  Name:
  Title:

Exhibit 7.27

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM T-1

 

 

STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY

UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939

OF A CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE

 

CHECK IF AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY OF A TRUSTEE PURSUANT TO SECTION 305(b)(2)

 

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON

(Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

New York    13-5160382
(Jurisdiction of incorporation    (I.R.S. employer
if not a U.S. national bank)    identification no.)
240 Greenwich Street, New York, N.Y.    10286
(Address of principal executive offices)    (Zip code)

 

 

Rogers Communications Inc.

(Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

British Columbia, Canada    Not Applicable
(State or other jurisdiction of    (I.R.S. employer
incorporation or organization)    identification no.)
333 Bloor Street East, 10th Floor   
Toronto, Ontario M4W 1G9   
Canada   
(Address of principal executive offices)    (Zip code)

 

 

Rogers Communications Canada Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Ontario, Canada    Not Applicable
(State or other jurisdiction of    (I.R.S. employer
incorporation or organization)    identification no.)
333 Bloor Street East, 10th Floor   
Toronto, Ontario M4W 1G9   
Canada   
(Address of principal executive offices)    (Zip code)

 

 

Debt Securities

Guarantees of Debt Securities

(Title of the indenture securities)

 

 

 


1.

General information. Furnish the following information as to the Trustee:

 

  (a)

Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which it is subject.

 

Name

  

Address

Superintendent of the Department of Financial Services of the State of New York    One State Street, New York, N.Y. 10004-1417, and Albany, N.Y. 12223
Federal Reserve Bank of New York    33 Liberty Street, New York, N.Y. 10045
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation   

550 17th Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20429

The Clearing House Association L.L.C.   

100 Broad Street

New York, N.Y. 10004

 

  (b)

Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.

Yes.

 

2.

Affiliations with Obligor.

If the obligor is an affiliate of the trustee, describe each such affiliation.

None.

 

16.

List of Exhibits.

Exhibits identified in parentheses below, on file with the Commission, are incorporated herein by reference as an exhibit hereto, pursuant to Rule 7a-29 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the “Act”).

 

  1.

A copy of the Organization Certificate of The Bank of New York Mellon (formerly known as The Bank of New York, itself formerly Irving Trust Company) as now in effect, which contains the authority to commence business and a grant of powers to exercise corporate trust powers. (Exhibit 1 to Amendment No. 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 33-6215, Exhibits 1a and 1b to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 33-21672, Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 33-29637, Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121195 and Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-152735).

 

- 2 -


  4.

A copy of the existing By-laws of the Trustee (Exhibit 4 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-261533).

 

  6.

The consent of the Trustee required by Section 321(b) of the Act (Exhibit 6 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-229519).

 

  7.

A copy of the latest report of condition of the Trustee published pursuant to law or to the requirements of its supervising or examining authority.

 

- 3 -


SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Act, the Trustee, The Bank of New York Mellon, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, has duly caused this statement of eligibility to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in the City of New York, and State of New York, on the

5th day of July, 2023.

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON
By:  

/s/ Francine Kincaid

  Name: Francine Kincaid
  Title:   Vice President

 

- 4 -


EXHIBIT 7

Consolidated Report of Condition of

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON

of 240 Greenwich Street, New York, N.Y. 10286

And Foreign and Domestic Subsidiaries,

a member of the Federal Reserve System, at the close of business March 31, 2023, published in accordance with a call made by the Federal Reserve Bank of this District pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Reserve Act.

 

     Dollar amounts in thousands  

ASSETS

  

Cash and balances due from depository institutions:

  

Noninterest-bearing balances and currency and coin

     4,712,000  

Interest-bearing balances

     125,756,000  

Securities:

  

Held-to-maturity securities

     54,560,000  

Available-for-sale debt securities

     83,794,000  

Equity securities with readily determinable fair values not held for trading

     0  

Federal funds sold and securities purchased under agreements to resell:

  

Federal funds sold in domestic offices

     0  

Securities purchased under agreements to resell

     8,912,000  

Loans and lease financing receivables:

  

Loans and leases held for sale

     0  

Loans and leases held for investment

     29,415,000  

LESS: Allowance for loan and lease losses

     149,000  

Loans and leases held for investment, net of allowance

     29,266,000  

Trading assets

     3,700,000  

Premises and fixed assets (including capitalized leases)

     2,812,000  

Other real estate owned

     2,000  

Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and associated companies

     1,234,000  

Direct and indirect investments in real estate ventures

     0  

Intangible assets

     6,941,000  

Other assets

     19,766,000  
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     341,455,000  
  

 

 

 


        

LIABILITIES

  

Deposits:

  

In domestic offices

     186,566,000  

Noninterest-bearing

     68,448,000  

Interest-bearing

     118,118,000  

In foreign offices, Edge and Agreement subsidiaries, and IBFs

     98,019,000  

Noninterest-bearing

     5,805,000  

Interest-bearing

     92,214,000  

Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase:

  

Federal funds purchased in domestic offices

     0  

Securities sold under agreements to repurchase

     16,316,000  

Trading liabilities

     2,552,000  

Other borrowed money:
(includes mortgage indebtedness and obligations under capitalized leases)

     1,314,000  

Not applicable

  

Not applicable

  

Subordinated notes and debentures

     0  

Other liabilities

     9,886,000  
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     314,653,000  
  

 

 

 

EQUITY CAPITAL

  

Perpetual preferred stock and related surplus

     0  

Common stock

     1,135,000  

Surplus (exclude all surplus related to preferred stock)

     12,066,000  

Retained earnings

     17,595,000  

Accumulated other comprehensive income

     -3,994,000  

Other equity capital components

     0  

Total bank equity capital

     26,802,000  

Noncontrolling (minority) interests in consolidated subsidiaries

     0  

Total equity capital

     26,802,000  
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities and equity capital

     341,455,000  
  

 

 

 


I, Dermot McDonogh, Chief Financial Officer of the above-named bank do hereby declare that this Report of Condition is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Dermot McDonogh

Chief Financial Officer

We, the undersigned directors, attest to the correctness of this statement of resources and liabilities. We declare that it has been examined by us, and to the best of our knowledge and belief has been prepared in conformance with the instructions and is true and correct.

 

Robin A. Vince

Frederick O. Terrell

Joseph J. Echevarria

 

      

  

Directors

Exhibit 7.28

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM T-1

 

 

STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY

UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939

OF A CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE

 

CHECK IF AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY OF A TRUSTEE PURSUANT TO SECTION 305(b)(2)

 

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON

(Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

New York   13-5160382

(Jurisdiction of incorporation

if not a U.S. national bank)

 

(I.R.S. employer

identification no.)

240 Greenwich Street, New York, N.Y.   10286
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip code)

 

 

Rogers Communications Inc.

(Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

British Columbia, Canada   Not Applicable

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. employer

identification no.)

333 Bloor Street East, 10th Floor

Toronto, Ontario M4W 1G9

Canada

 
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip code)

 

 

Debt Securities

(Title of the indenture securities)

 

 

 


1.

General information. Furnish the following information as to the Trustee:

 

  (a)

Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which it is subject.

 

Name

  

Address

Superintendent of the Department of Financial Services of the State of New York    One State Street, New York, N.Y. 10004-1417, and Albany, N.Y. 12223
Federal Reserve Bank of New York    33 Liberty Street, New York, N.Y. 10045
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation   

550 17th Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20429

The Clearing House Association L.L.C.   

100 Broad Street

New York, N.Y. 10004

 

  (b)

Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.

Yes.

 

2.

Affiliations with Obligor.

If the obligor is an affiliate of the trustee, describe each such affiliation.

None.

 

16.

List of Exhibits.

Exhibits identified in parentheses below, on file with the Commission, are incorporated herein by reference as an exhibit hereto, pursuant to Rule 7a-29 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the “Act”).

 

  1.

A copy of the Organization Certificate of The Bank of New York Mellon (formerly known as The Bank of New York, itself formerly Irving Trust Company) as now in effect, which contains the authority to commence business and a grant of powers to exercise corporate trust powers. (Exhibit 1 to Amendment No. 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 33-6215, Exhibits 1a and 1b to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 33-21672, Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 33-29637, Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121195 and Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-152735).

 

- 2 -


  4.

A copy of the existing By-laws of the Trustee (Exhibit 4 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-261533).

 

  6.

The consent of the Trustee required by Section 321(b) of the Act (Exhibit 6 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-229519).

 

  7.

A copy of the latest report of condition of the Trustee published pursuant to law or to the requirements of its supervising or examining authority.

 

- 3 -


SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Act, the Trustee, The Bank of New York Mellon, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, has duly caused this statement of eligibility to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in the City of New York, and State of New York, on the 5th day of July, 2023.

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON
By:  

/s/ Francine Kincaid

  Name: Francine Kincaid
  Title: Vice President

 

- 4 -


EXHIBIT 7

Consolidated Report of Condition of

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON

of 240 Greenwich Street, New York, N.Y. 10286

And Foreign and Domestic Subsidiaries,

a member of the Federal Reserve System, at the close of business March 31, 2023, published in accordance with a call made by the Federal Reserve Bank of this District pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Reserve Act.

 

     Dollar amounts in thousands  

ASSETS

  

Cash and balances due from depository institutions:

  

Noninterest-bearing balances and currency and coin

     4,712,000  

Interest-bearing balances

     125,756,000  

Securities:

  

Held-to-maturity securities

     54,560,000  

Available-for-sale debt securities

     83,794,000  

Equity securities with readily determinable fair values not held for trading

     0  

Federal funds sold and securities purchased under agreements to resell:

  

Federal funds sold in domestic offices

     0  

Securities purchased under agreements to resell

     8,912,000  

Loans and lease financing receivables:

  

Loans and leases held for sale

     0  

Loans and leases held for investment

     29,415,000  

LESS: Allowance for loan and lease losses

     149,000  

Loans and leases held for investment, net of allowance

     29,266,000  

Trading assets

     3,700,000  

Premises and fixed assets (including capitalized leases)

     2,812,000  

Other real estate owned

     2,000  

Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and associated companies

     1,234,000  

Direct and indirect investments in real estate ventures

     0  

Intangible assets

     6,941,000  

Other assets

     19,766,000  
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     341,455,000  
  

 

 

 


LIABILITIES

  

Deposits:

  

In domestic offices

     186,566,000  

Noninterest-bearing

     68,448,000  

Interest-bearing

     118,118,000  

In foreign offices, Edge and Agreement subsidiaries, and IBFs

     98,019,000  

Noninterest-bearing

     5,805,000  

Interest-bearing

     92,214,000  

Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase:

  

Federal funds purchased in domestic offices

     0  

Securities sold under agreements to repurchase

     16,316,000  

Trading liabilities

     2,552,000  

Other borrowed money: (includes mortgage indebtedness and obligations under capitalized leases)

     1,314,000  

Not applicable

  

Not applicable

  

Subordinated notes and debentures

     0  

Other liabilities

     9,886,000  
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     314,653,000  
  

 

 

 

EQUITY CAPITAL

  

Perpetual preferred stock and related surplus

     0  

Common stock

     1,135,000  

Surplus (exclude all surplus related to preferred stock)

     12,066,000  

Retained earnings

     17,595,000  

Accumulated other comprehensive income

     -3,994,000  

Other equity capital components

     0  

Total bank equity capital

     26,802,000  

Noncontrolling (minority) interests in consolidated subsidiaries

     0  

Total equity capital

     26,802,000  
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities and equity capital

     341,455,000  
  

 

 

 


I, Dermot McDonogh, Chief Financial Officer of the above-named bank do hereby declare that this Report of Condition is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

 

Dermot McDonogh
Chief Financial Officer

We, the undersigned directors, attest to the correctness of this statement of resources and liabilities. We declare that it has been examined by us, and to the best of our knowledge and belief has been prepared in conformance with the instructions and is true and correct.

 

Robin A. Vince

Frederick O. Terrell

Joseph J. Echevarria

      

Directors

Exhibit 107.1

Calculation of Filing Fee Tables

Form F-10

(Form Type)

Rogers Communications Inc.

Rogers Communications Canada Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrants as Specified in their Charters)

Table 1: Newly Registered Securities

 

                 
     Security Type   Security Class
Title
  Fee
Calculation
Rule or
Instruction
  Amount
Registered
  Proposed
Maximum
Offering
Price Per
Unit
  Maximum Aggregate
Offering Price
  Fee Rate   Amount of
Registration
Fee
                 
Fees to Be Paid   Debt   Debt Securities     (1)   (1)       (1)
                 
    Equity   Preferred Shares     (1)   (1)       (1)
                 
    Other   Guarantees of Debt Securities     (1)   (1)       (2)
                 
    Unallocated (Universal) Shelf     Rule 457(o)   (1)   (1)   $8,000,000,000 (3)  

$110.20

per

$1,000,000

  $881,600
                 

Fees Previously

Paid

               
           
    Total Offering Amounts     $8,000,000,000     $881,600
           
    Total Fees Previously Paid        
           
    Total Fee Offsets         $421,850
           
    Net Fee Due               $459,750

 

(1)

There are being registered under this Registration Statement (the “Registration Statement”) such indeterminate number of (i) debt securities of Rogers Communications Inc., (ii) preferred shares of Rogers Communications Inc., and (iii) guarantees of Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (and the guarantees of such guarantees by Rogers Communications Inc.) (collectively, the “Securities,” and each a “Security”) as shall have an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $8,000,000,000. The proposed maximum initial offering price per Security will be determined, from time to time, by Rogers Communications Inc. and Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (“the Registrants”) in connection with the sale of the Securities under this Registration Statement.

(2)

No separate consideration will be received for the guarantees. Pursuant to Rule 457(n) under the Securities Act of 1933 (as amended, the “Securities Act”), no additional registration fee is payable in respect of the guarantees registered hereunder.

(3)

Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the amount of the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act.

Table 2: Fee Offset Claims and Sources

 

                       
     Registrant or Filer
Name
  Form
or
Filing
Type
  File Number   Initial
Filing Date
  Filing Date   Fee Offset Claimed   Security
Type
Associated
with Fee
Offset
Claimed
  Security
Title
Associated
with Fee
Offset
Claimed
  Unsold Securities
Associated with Fee
Offset Claimed
  Unsold Aggregate
Offering Amount
Associated with
Fee Offset Claimed
  Fee Paid
with Fee
Offset
Source
 
Rule 457(p)
                       

Fee

Offset

Claims

  Rogers Communications Inc. and Rogers Communications Canada Inc.   F-10   333-237921  

April 30,

2020

    $421,850(1)(2)(3)   Debt Securities   Debt Securities   $3,250,000,000(4)   $3,250,000,000    
                       

Fee

Offset

Sources

  Rogers Communications Inc. and Rogers Communications Canada Inc.   F-10   333-237921    

April 30,

2020

            $301,325
                       

Fee

Offset

Sources

  Rogers Communications Inc. and Rogers Communications Canada Inc.   F-10   333-224400      

April 23,

2018

                      $120,525

 

(1)

The Registrants previously paid $498,000 in registration fees (the Registrants transferred funds of $221,074 and used the available offset for the remainder of the fee) with respect to the registration statement on Form F-10 (File No. 333-224400) initially filed on April 23, 2018 (the “2018 Registration Statement”), pertaining to the registration of $4,000,000,000 aggregate initial offering price of securities of the Registrants, $217,875 of which remained unutilized and was used to offset the total filing fee required from the 2020 Registration Statement (as defined below).

(2)

The Registrants previously paid $519,200 in registration fees (the Registrants transferred funds of $301,325 and used the available offset for the remainder of the fee) with respect to the registration statement on Form F-10 (File No. 333-237921) initially filed on April 30, 2020 (the “2020 Registration Statement”), pertaining to the registration of $4,000,000,000 aggregate initial offering price of securities of the Registrants, $421,850 of which remained unutilized ($120,525 of which was originally paid as part of the payment of the 2018 Registration Statement filing fees) and therefore available for future registration fees pursuant to Rule 457(p) under the Securities Act. As the total filing fee required for this Registration Statement is $881,600, taking into consideration the available offset of $421,850 from the 2018 Registration Statement and 2020 Registration Statement, the amount paid herewith is $459,750.

(3)

The Registrants registered under the 2020 Registration Statement securities of the Registrants in an aggregate initial offering price of up to $4,000,000,000.

(4)

The Registrants have terminated or completed any offerings that included the unsold securities under the 2020 Registration Statement.


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