Those dates are very important, from a securities law perspective. You will have ample opportunity to consider any offer, because the formal bid (if any comes) must be open for a minimum of 35 days (S. 98(1) Securities Act). And by a remarkable coincidence, the Record Date of March 8 and the Special Meeting date of April 12 are 35 days apart.
But there's a lot that has to happen in the meantime. The Board of Directors of Century must provide a formal fairness evaluation and recommendation to shareholders, no more than 15 days after the bid is formalized, giving you no less than 20 days to consider the company's opinion on the offer.
And if any changes are made in the offer, there can be no less than 10 days to consider such change(s), meaning the 35 day open period can extend indefinitely, if negotiations produce substantial changes in the terms of the offer.
Every shareholder will have an ample opportunity to make a decision on how to manage their investment. In this case, there are some very large shareholders whose votes will likely determine the final disposition of the bid, but you won't be in the dark about the options, no matter what transpires.
Lar
