EOI – Independent Investment Advisory Opinion

VILLAGE OF HAINES JUNCTION

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

Independent Investment Advisory Opinion — Reserve Funds

Issue Date: August 27th, 2026 Closing: September 18th, 2026, 2:00pm Pacific

1. Introduction and Purpose

The Village of Haines Junction (the “Village”) invites qualified, independent financial professionals to submit an Expression of Interest (“EOI”) to provide a one-time written independent advisory opinion respecting the investment of the Village’s reserve funds, together with a single presentation of the findings to Council.

This is a limited, defined engagement. It is not a request for ongoing portfolio management, for discretionary authority over Village funds, or for a retainer relationship. The engagement concludes on delivery of the written opinion and the completion of the Council presentation described in Section 3.

This EOI is intended to function as a single-stage selection process. Responses will be evaluated on qualifications, approach, and fee, and the Village may award the engagement directly to the preferred respondent without issuing a further procurement document.

2. Background

The Village is an incorporated municipality in Yukon, governed by the Yukon Municipal Act. It holds approximately CAD $10 million in reserve funds. The Village anticipates that approximately half of these funds (in the order of $5 million) is not required for near-term operating or capital purposes and could be committed to investments with a three-to-five-year horizon. The balance would remain readily available to meet operating and short to mid-term capital needs.

The Village is finalizing an Investment Policy and is evaluating the use of pooled investment funds managed by the Municipal Finance Authority of British Columbia (the “MFA”). The Village’s permitted-investment authority is established by section 243 of the Yukon Municipal Act, which authorizes, among a limited set of instruments, units in pooled funds managed by provincial municipal finance authorities. The investments available to the Village is accordingly narrow, comprising government securities, guaranteed deposits and similar instruments, high-interest savings, and MFA pooled funds.

The Village understands that the MFA is in the process of obtaining the approvals required to accept Yukon municipalities as clients, and the Village will not place funds with the MFA until that process is complete. The advisory opinion sought under this EOI is intended to inform the Village’s decision and to support finalization of its Investment Policy in advance of that step.

3. Scope of Engagement and Deliverables

The successful respondent (the “Advisor”) will provide the following two deliverables. Both are required.

3.1 Written Independent Opinion

The Advisor will prepare a written opinion, suitable for tabling at a public meeting of Council, that:

(a) assesses whether the MFA pooled investment funds represent a sound choice for the Village’s reserve funds, evaluated against the other investment options permitted under section 243 of the Yukon Municipal Act;

(b) recommends a specific allocation among the available MFA funds (and other permitted instruments, where appropriate) matched to the Village’s two liquidity requirements — an operating and short-term component requiring stability of capital, and a three-to-five-year component that can tolerate fluctuation in unit value in exchange for higher expected return; and

(c) explains, in plain language suitable for a non-specialist elected audience, the nature of net asset value (NAV) and interest-rate risk in the recommended vehicles, including the circumstances in which unit values may decline and the practical consequences for the Village.

The opinion should also confirm that the recommended approach is consistent with the Village’s draft Investment Policy, and identify any conflict or gap in that draft that ought to be resolved before the Policy is finalized. The draft Investment Policy will be provided to the Advisor on request or award.

3.2 Presentation to Council

The Advisor will attend at least one meeting of Council, held virtually, to present the findings of the written opinion and to respond to questions from members of Council. The Advisor must be prepared to explain the recommendation and its associated risks in accessible, non-technical terms, and to address questions concerning the security of Village funds. The Village will schedule the meeting and provide the connection details.

4. Independence and Qualification Requirements

Because the purpose of this engagement is to provide independent assurance, the following requirements are mandatory:

(a) Fee-only basis. The Advisor must be compensated on a fee-for-service basis only, and must not receive commissions, trailer fees, or other compensation contingent on the Village’s selection of any particular investment product or provider. The Advisor must not sell or distribute, or hold a financial interest in, the investment products being assessed.

(b) No conflicting relationship. The Advisor must disclose any relationship with the MFA or with any other provider whose instruments fall within the scope of the opinion. The Advisor must have no personal, professional, or financial relationship or tie with any member of Council or with any member of the Village's management, and must disclose any such relationship in its response. The Advisor must not be the Village's external auditor, nor a member of the external auditor's firm.

(c) Registration. Where the Advisor or its personnel are subject to securities registration, the response must state the applicable registration category. Registration as an advising representative or portfolio manager, carrying a fiduciary duty, is preferred over registration limited to dealing in securities.

(d) Relevant experience. The Advisor must demonstrate experience advising public-sector, municipal, or institutional clients on fixed-income and reserve or treasury investment, ideally including familiarity with municipal finance authority pooled funds or comparable vehicles.

5. Submission Requirements

Responses should be concise and should include the following:

• A summary of the respondent’s relevant qualifications and experience, including comparable engagements.

• The names and credentials of the individuals who would perform the work and attend Council.

• A statement addressing each of the independence and qualification requirements in Section 4, including any disclosures required under that section.

• A brief description of the proposed approach to the engagement.

• A fixed or not-to-exceed fee for the engagement as scoped, inclusive of the Investment Policy review, written opinion, and the virtual Council presentation, with any disbursements identified separately.

• Confirmation of availability to complete the engagement within the timeline set out in Section 7.

6. Evaluation Criteria

Responses will be evaluated on the following basis:

Criterion

Weight

Relevant public-sector / institutional experience

20%

Qualifications of the assigned personnel

20%

Clarity and suitability of the proposed approach

20%

Fee

40%

The Village may interview short-listed respondents. The lowest-fee response will not necessarily be selected.

7. Timeline

Milestone

Date

EOI issued

August 27th, 2026

Deadline for respondent questions

September 11th, 2026. 2:00pm Pacific

Responses due

September 18th, 2026. 2:00 Pacific

Anticipated award

~September 25st, 2026

Written opinion delivered

3 weeks from award

Presentation to Council (virtual)

October 14th, 2026 starting at 7:00pm Pacific

8. Terms and Conditions

• This EOI is not an offer and does not commit the Village to award any engagement or to incur any cost.

• The Village may accept or reject any or all responses, may cancel or reissue this EOI, and may negotiate scope and fee with any respondent.

• Costs incurred in preparing a response are the sole responsibility of the respondent.

• Responses and related records may be subject to disclosure under applicable access-to-information legislation.

• The engagement will be governed by a written services agreement between the Village and the successful respondent.

9. Submission of Responses and Enquiries

Responses must be received no later than the closing date and time stated above and submitted to the contact below:

Chief Administrative Officer

Village of Haines Junction

Box 5339 Haines Junction, Yukon. Y0B 1L0

c••@••••••••.ca | 250-619-5921