Gold Standard Ventures Corp.
Headnote
National Policy 11-206 Process for Cease to be a Reporting Issuer Applications -- Application for an order than the issuer is not a reporting issuer under applicable securities laws -- The issuer is not an OTC reporting issuer; the outstanding securities of the issuer are beneficially owned by fewer than 15 securityholders in each of the jurisdictions of Canada and fewer than 51 securityholders in total worldwide; no securities of the issuer are traded on a marketplace in Canada or another country; the issuer is not in default of securities legislation except it has not filed certain continuous disclosure documents -- relief granted.
Applicable Legislative Provisions
Securities Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.5, as am., s. 1(10)(a)(ii).
September 6, 2022
IN THE MATTER OF THE SECURITIES LEGISLATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ONTARIO (the Jurisdictions) AND IN THE MATTER OF THE PROCESS FOR CEASE TO BE A REPORTING ISSUER APPLICATIONS AND IN THE MATTER OF GOLD STANDARD VENTURES CORP. (the Filer)
ORDER
Background
¶ 1 The securities regulatory authority or regulator in each of the Jurisdictions (the Decision Maker) has received an application from the Filer for an order under the securities legislation of the Jurisdictions (the Legislation) that the Filer has ceased to be a reporting issuer in all jurisdictions of Canada in which it is a reporting issuer (the Order Sought).
Under the Process for Cease to be a Reporting Issuer Applications (for a dual application):
(a) the British Columbia Securities Commission is the principal regulator for this application,
(b) the Filer has provided notice that subsection 4C.5(1) of Multilateral Instrument 11-102 Passport System (MI 11-102) is intended to be relied upon in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and
(c) this order is the order of the principal regulator and evidences the decision of the securities regulatory authority or regulator in Ontario.
Interpretation
¶ 2 Terms defined in National Instrument 14-101 Definitions, and MI 11-102 have the same meaning if used in this order, unless otherwise defined.
Representations
¶ 3 This order is based on the following facts represented by the Filer:
1. the Filer is a reporting issuer in all jurisdictions of Canada;
2. the Filer is governed by the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia);
3. the Filer's head office is located in Vancouver, British Columbia;
4. pursuant to a statutory plan of arrangement under Division 5 of Part 9 of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia), effective August 12, 2022 (the Effective Date), Orla Mining Ltd. (the Purchaser) acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Filer (the Filer Shares), all upon the terms and conditions of the arrangement agreement dated June 12, 2022 between the Filer and the Purchaser (the Arrangement);
5. pursuant to the Arrangement, all other securities of the Filer have either been exchanged for or amended to become the securities of the Purchaser;
6. immediately upon the completion of the Arrangement, on the Effective Date, the Filer became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Purchaser;
7. the Filer Shares have been delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange effective as of the close of trading on August 15, 2022 and the NYSE American LLC effective as of the close of trading on August 22, 2022;
8. the Filer is not an OTC reporting issuer under Multilateral Instrument 51-105 Issuers Quoted in the U.S. Over-the-Counter Markets;
9. the outstanding securities of the Filer, including debt securities, are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by fewer than 15 securityholders in each of the jurisdictions of Canada and fewer than 51 securityholders in total worldwide;
10. no securities of the Filer, including debt securities, are traded in Canada or another country on a marketplace as defined in National Instrument 21-101 Marketplace Operation or any other facility for bringing together buyers and sellers of securities where trading data is publicly reported;
11. the Filer is applying for an order that the Filer has ceased to be a reporting issuer in all of the jurisdictions of Canada in which it is a reporting issuer;
12. the Filer has no intention to seek public financing by way of an offering of securities;
13. the Filer is not in default of securities legislation in any jurisdiction other than its obligations to file on or before August 15, 2022 its interim financial statements and related management's discussion and analysis for the interim period ended June 30, 2022, as required under National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations and the related certificates as required under National Instrument 52-109 Certification of Disclosure in Issuers' Annual and Interim Filings (collectively, the Filings);
14. the requirements to file the Filings did not arise until after the completion of the Arrangement;
15. the Filer is not eligible to use the simplified procedure under National Policy 11-206 Process for Cease to be a Reporting Issuer Applications (NP 11-206) as it is in default for failure to file the Filings; and
16. but for the fact that the Filer failed to file the Filings, the Filer would be eligible for the simplified procedure under NP 11-206.
Order
¶ 4 Each of the Decision Makers is satisfied that the order meets the test set out in the Legislation for the Decision Maker to make the order.
The decision of the Decision Makers under the Legislation is that the Order Sought is granted.
"Gordon Smith"
Acting Chief, Corporate Finance Legal Services
British Columbia Securities Commission
OSC File #: 2022/0360