For the month of: May 2007 | Commission File Number: 1-7274 |
Form 20-F o | Form 40-F þ |
Yes o | No þ |
BCE Inc. | ||
/s/ Patricia A. Olah | ||
Patricia A. Olah | ||
Corporate Secretary and Lead Governance Counsel | ||
Date: May 22, 2007 |
B E T W E E N:
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BELL CANADA, a corporation incorporated under the laws of Canada | |
(the Corporation) | ||
- and - | ||
BCE INC., a corporation incorporated under the laws of Canada | ||
(the Guarantor) | ||
- and - | ||
COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY OF CANADA, | ||
a corporation governed by the Trust and Loan Companies Act (Canada) | ||
(the Trustee) |
A. | The Corporation currently has subordinated debentures, Series 1 and Series 2 (the Subject Debentures), issued and outstanding pursuant to a trust indenture between the Corporation and the Trustee dated as of April 17, 1996, as from time to time supplemented, modified or changed (the Original Trust Indenture); | |
B. | The Guarantor directly and indirectly owns 100% of the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of the Corporation; | |
C. | It is in the best interest of the Corporation and the Guarantor that the Guarantor provides the Trustee with a guarantee in connection with the Corporations payment obligations to the Trustee and to the Debentureholders rateably under: (i) the Subject Debentures and the Original Trust Indenture, and (ii) unless a supplemental trust indenture creating and establishing the terms of any subsequent series of Debentures provides otherwise, each Debenture of any series hereinafter issued in accordance with the terms of the Original Trust Indenture (collectively and individually referred to herein as the Guaranteed Obligations); | |
D. | Section 10.01 of the Original Trust Indenture provides, among other things, that the Trustee and, when authorized by a resolution of the directors of the Corporation, the Corporation, may, subject to the provisions of the Original Trust Indenture, and they shall, when directed by the Original Trust Indenture, execute and deliver by their proper officers, indentures or other instruments supplemental to the Original Trust Indenture for the purpose of, inter alia, adding to the covenants of the Corporation contained in the |
Original Trust Indenture for the protection of holders of the Debentures or of Debentures of any series and for any other purpose not inconsistent with the terms of the Original Trust Indenture; | ||
E. | All necessary matters and things have been done and performed by the Corporation and the Guarantor to authorize the execution and delivery of this Sixth Supplemental Trust Indenture and to make this Sixth Supplemental Trust Indenture legal, valid and binding upon the Corporation and the Guarantor subject to the terms of the Original Trust Indenture and this Sixth Supplemental Indenture; and | |
F. | The foregoing recitals are made as representations and statements of fact by the Corporation or the Guarantor, as the case may be, and not by the Trustee. |
1.1 | Part of Original Trust Indenture This Sixth Supplemental Trust Indenture is declared to be supplemental to the Original Trust Indenture and is to form part of and shall have the same effect as though incorporated in the Original Trust Indenture. The Original Trust Indenture is a part of these presents and is by this reference included herein with the same effect as though at length set forth herein. | |
1.2 | Definitions In this Sixth Supplemental Trust Indenture, Term means the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the date of the full payment and performance by either the Corporation or the Guarantor of all of the Guaranteed Obligations. | |
In this Sixth Supplemental Trust Indenture, Senior Guaranteed Obligations means any and all payment obligations of the Guarantor arising from a guarantee of the Corporations payment obligations (but excluding the Guaranteed Obligations or any other guarantee of the Corporations payment obligations by the Guarantor which by its terms ranks in right of payment equally with or subordinated to the Guaranteed Obligations) whether such guarantee is outstanding on the date hereof or hereafter granted, incurred, or assumed by the Guarantor, and, for greater certainty includes the Guarantors payment obligations under: (i) the Fifty-Third Supplemental Trust Indenture dated February 1, 2007 among the Corporation, the Guarantor and CIBC Mellon Trust Corporation relating to the trust indenture among the Corporation and CIBC Mellon Trust Corporation dated as of July 1, 1976, and (ii) the [Third] Supplemental Trust Indenture dated February 1, 2007 among the Corporation, the |
Guarantor and CIBC Mellon Trust Corporation relating to the trust indenture between the Corporation and CIBC Mellon Trust Corporation dated as of November 28, 1997. | ||
1.3 | Capitalized Terms All capitalized terms contained in this Sixth Supplemental Trust Indenture (including the Recitals hereto) unless otherwise defined herein, shall, for all purposes hereof, have their respective meanings as set out in the Original Trust Indenture, unless expressly stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires. |
2.1 | Guarantee The Guarantor hereby solidarily guarantees in favour of the Trustee and each of the Debentureholders the full and timely payment when due, whether at stated maturity, by required payment, acceleration, declaration, demand or otherwise of all of the Guaranteed Obligations (the Guarantee). | |
2.2 | Guarantee Unconditional This Guarantee shall not be impaired by any modification, supplement, extension or amendment of any contract or agreement to which the parties thereto may hereafter agree, nor by any modification, release or other alteration of any of the Guaranteed Obligations or of any security therefore to which the parties thereto may hereafter agree, nor by any agreements or arrangements whatever with the Corporation or anyone else. The liability of the Guarantor hereunder is direct and unconditional and may be enforced without requiring the Trustee first to resort to any other right or security. The obligation of the Guarantor hereunder shall be irrevocable and unconditional irrespective of, shall not be affected or limited by, and shall not be subject to any defense, set-off, counterclaim or termination by reason of: (i) the legality, genuineness, validity, regularity or enforceability of this Guarantee or the liabilities of the Corporation guaranteed hereby; (ii) any provision of applicable law or regulation prohibiting the payment by the Corporation of the Guaranteed Obligations; or (iii) any other fact or circumstance which might otherwise constitute a defense to a guarantee including without limitation, the failure by the Trustee to perfect or continue the perfection of any security interest securing all or any part of the Guaranteed Obligations, the invalidity or unenforceability of any of the Guaranteed Obligations, or the release of any party guaranteeing all or a portion of the Guaranteed Obligations. The Guarantor confirms that in executing and delivering this Guarantee it has not relied on any representation, warranty or other statement or agreement by the Trustee. All recourses of the Trustee hereunder shall be exercised in accordance with its powers under the Original Trust Indenture. | |
2.3 | Subrogation The Guarantor shall have no right of subrogation, reimbursement or indemnity whatsoever against the Corporation, nor any right of recourse to security for the Guaranteed Obligations, unless and until all Guaranteed Obligations have been finally and irrevocably paid in full. | |
2.4 | Subordination | |
(1) | In the event of insolvency or winding-up of the Corporation, the indebtedness evidenced by the Guaranteed Obligations made pursuant to the provisions of this Sixth |
Trust Indenture will be subordinated in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior Guaranteed Obligations of the Guarantor, whether such Senior Guaranteed Obligations are outstanding on the date hereof or hereafter granted, incurred, or assumed by the Guarantor. | ||
(2) | The Trustee hereof, for and on behalf of the Debentureholders agrees to and shall be bound by the subordination provided for in subsection (1) of this section 2.4 shall take such action, for and on behalf of the Debentureholders if any, as may be necessary or appropriate further to assure the same. | |
2.5 | Continuing Guarantee This Guarantee is, as to the Guarantor, a continuing Guarantee which shall remain effective during the Term. During the Term, nothing shall discharge or satisfy the liability of the Guarantor hereunder except the full payment and performance by either of the Corporation or the Guarantor of all of the Guaranteed Obligations. The obligations of the Guarantor under this Guarantee shall expire and be of no further force and effect, and, subject to Section 2.6, this Guarantee shall terminate, at the end of the Term. | |
2.6 | Preferences If any amount received by the Trustee from the Corporation in respect of the Guaranteed Obligations is thereafter returned by the Trustee, or its successors or assigns, to the Corporation, or to any trustee or receiver for the Corporation, whether by reason of the Corporations bankruptcy or otherwise, such amount shall, for purposes of the Guarantee, be deemed not to have been received by the Trustee, and the Guarantee shall be reinstated as to such amount. | |
2.7 | Waivers The Guarantor waives notice of acceptance hereof, presentment and protest of any instrument and notice thereof. |
3.1 | Original Trust Indenture The Corporation and Trustee hereby acknowledge and confirm that, except as specifically supplemented, modified or changed by the provisions of this Sixth Supplemental Trust Indenture, all of the terms and conditions contained in the Original Trust Indenture (as previously supplemented, modified or changed) are and shall remain in force and effect, unamended, in accordance with the provisions thereof. The matters provided for in this Sixth Supplemental Trust Indenture shall not prejudice any act or thing done prior to the date hereof and do not constitute novation. | |
3.2 | Waiver, Modification No provision of the Guarantee herein: (a) may be waived, except by an instrument in writing signed by the parties hereto; and (b) may be supplemented, modified or changed, except by supplemental trust indenture duly executed and delivered pursuant to Section 10.01(i) of the Original Trust Indenture signed by the parties hereto. | |
3.3 | Successors and Assigns The Guarantee as set forth in this Sixth Supplemental Trust Indenture and the rights and obligations associated therewith shall be binding upon the |
Guarantor and its successors and permitted assigns and shall enure to the benefit of Trustee and its successors and permitted assigns. | ||
3.4 | Applicable Law This Sixth Supplemental Trust Indenture, including the Guarantee as set forth in herein, all acts and transactions hereunder, and the rights and obligations of the parties hereto, shall be governed, construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Province of Québec and the laws of Canada applicable therein. |
4.1 | Any notice to be given to the Guarantor in connection with this Sixth Supplemental Trust Indenture shall be provided in the manner provided in Article Twelve of the Original Trust Indenture at the address hereinafter mentioned: |
BCE Inc. 1000, rue de La Gauchetière West Suite 4100 Montreal, Québec H3B 5H8 |
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Facsimile: (514) 391-3768 Attention: Assistant General Counsel Compliance |
5.1 | Counterparts and Formal Date This Sixth Supplemental Trust Indenture may be executed in several counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, and such counterparts together shall constitute one and the same instrument and notwithstanding their date of execution shall be deemed to bear the date first written hereinabove. |
BELL CANADA |
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By: | /s/ Michael Boychuk | |||
Name: | Michael Boychuk | |||
Title: | Senior Vice-President & Treasurer | |||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
BCE INC. |
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By: | /s/ Michael Boychuk | |||
Name: | Michael Boychuk | |||
Title: | Senior Vice-President & Treasurer | |||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY OF CANADA |
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By: | /s/ Amir Kafshdaran | |||
Name: | AMIR KAFSHDARAN | |||
Title: | Professional, Corporate Trust | |||
By: | /s/ Ekaterini Galouzis | |||
Name: | EKATERINI GALOUZIS | |||
Title: | Administrator, Corporate Trust | |||