Central Fund Completes Share Offering

Ancaster, Ontario-based Central Fund of Canada Limited completed a US$48,539,725 public offering of non-voting, fully-participating class A shares in Canada and the U.S. on June 13, 2002. Substantially all of the proceeds of the offering were used to purchase gold and silver bullion with the balance for general corporate purposes.

CIBC World Markets Inc. led a syndicate of underwriters that included, BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., National Bank Financial Inc., RBC Dominion Securities Inc., Scotia Capital Inc., TD Securities Inc., Pollitt & Co. Inc., Canaccord Capital Corporation, Dundee Securities Corporation, HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc., Raymond James Ltd., Sprott Securities Inc. and Yorkton Securities Inc.

Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP acted for Central Fund in Canada, with a team that included John Elder, Q.C., William Fung, Bradley Kruger and Jules Lewy. Dorsey & Whitney LLP in Toronto was U.S. counsel to Central Fund, with a team that included D. Grant Vingoe and Gil Cornblum.

Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP acted for the underwriters, with a team that included Norman Findlay, Tom Koutoulakis and Candice Solomon (securities) and Chris Norton (tax). Jason Lehner and Julian Fletcher of Shearman & Sterling in Toronto provided U.S. securities law advice to the underwriters.