Stock option plan
We have one stock option plan (the “Option Plan”) available to officers, directors, employees, consultants and suppliers with grants under the Option Plan approved from time to time by our Board of Directors (the “Board”). Under the Option Plan, the exercise price of each option is set at equal to or higher than the trading price of our stock on the date of grant in accordance with Toronto Stock Exchange guidelines. Vesting is provided for at the discretion of the Board and the expiration of options is to be no greater than 10 years from the date of grant. Exercised stock options are settled with common shares issued from treasury.
We use the fair value based method of accounting for stock option awards granted under the Option Plan. We recognize compensation expense and a corresponding adjustment to contributed surplus equal to the fair value of the stock options granted using the Black Scholes Option Pricing Model. The fair value of stock options with a graded vesting schedule is determined based on different expected lives for the options that vest each year, as it would be if the award were viewed as several separate awards, each with a different vesting date, and it is accounted for over the respective vesting period taking into consideration forfeiture estimates. Compensation expense is adjusted for subsequent changes in management’s estimate of the number of options that are expected to vest.
Share based payments to non-employees are measured at the date we obtain the goods or the date the counterparty renders the service.
Incentive share award plan
Our incentive share award plan (the "Share Plan") is available to directors, officers and employees. Under our Share Plan, performance share units and restricted share units may be approved from time to time by the Board. Performance share units ("PSUs") are an award to certain officers and employees to which common shares shall be issued based upon achieving the applicable performance criteria. Restricted share units ("RSUs") are an award to certain officers and employees and to non-employee directors to which common shares shall be issued in accordance with the Share Plan.
We recognize compensation expense and a corresponding adjustment to contributed surplus equal to the market value of our common shares at the date of grant based on the number of PSUs/RSUs expected to vest, recognized over the term of the vesting period. Compensation expense is adjusted for subsequent changes in management’s estimate of the number of PSUs/RSUs that are expected to vest. The effect of these changes is recognized in the period of the change.
