Sept 20,2023
Trip toQuebec to check up on NAL.
I think I mentioned on a few occasions my desire to go back to Quebec to see the transformation that has occurred since my last visit in June of 2022. In order to do a trip like this there is a certain amount of planning both on my part and on the part of Sayona.I started actually contacting the company in January to try and get it organized.
One of thefirst emails back was to tell me they were planning a celebration at NAL sometime in April to commemorate the start of production, I was given a date of April 3. I was excited however a few weeks before the trip, I was informed that they would be moving the celebration out due to a conflict. The conflict turned out to be Justin Trudeau, I know it’s hard to believe they chose to meet him over me, but that is exactly what happened.
I then set my sights on June, which was my original plan. June was when I attended last yearand the weather is definitely nicer than in April. It would also give the operations team at NAL some time to get some of the start-up issues solved before they had guests. In June, the forest fires hit and again I had to reschedule. My summer calendar was already pretty full, so I knew July and August would not work, so I set my eyes on September.
One night Igot a message from a friend who said "GT3 is trying to contact you". He providedsome contact info. I assumed someone was playing a joke or was impersonating GT3 so I ignored the request.
A few dayslater I got the same request and info from someone at Sayona, so now I sort ofassumed it was ligament and made contact. Even though I received the message fromsomeone I trusted at Sayona I still was not convinced I was not being set upand I asked Loui to prove who he was before I would engage.I work in IT and see so much fraud that I guess I am overly cautious but he understood and complied with my request. My request was simple, send me an email stating what your next post on HC will be, then post it with the GT3 account. His proof (play on word) is in this post.
Loui, did in fact meet with Brett Lynch. Part of their conversation was around comms, something that we all have stated at one time or another should be better. Loui also had expressed that he would like to visit NAL, to see first hand what the operation looked like. Now I have never met or spoken directly to Brett myself, I had requested that my visit to NAL this year co-inside with Brett being in Canada as well so that I could speak with him directly. Brett however knows of me and knew I was trying to organize a trip myself and suggested that we make the trip at the same time, so Brett spoke to some of the people I have been in contact with at Sayona and was able to get Loui and I together to see if we could coordinate our schedules. Brett would be there and show us around, we thought (Loui and I) would also be able to express some of our thoughts on what Sayona could do better to help engage people that are not institutional investors. I liked the idea and we found a date that worked for all of us.
I was really happy about the trip. I have always respected Loui and felt it would be a great trip. I would finally meet Brett and perhaps even be able to plant a seed or two on things that we have all been hoping would change. Unfortunately my happiness was rather short lived, when the news broke that Brett had resigned I just could not believe it. I do not know the reasons behind his resignation and it is doubtful that I will ever know. What I do know is that it was sudden and unexpected. One minute the company secretary is comparing our calendars and the next he is gone.
I don't think anyone who has followed me would have a doubt in their mind that I was a Brett Lynch believer, he accomplished quite a lot in the few years he was at Sayona. He was able to secure the NAL bid during a global pandemic where travel was not allowed. He had a vision to grow the company and gave us every opportunity to do so. Brett is gone and I will miss his leadership. On the flip side he has left a very good future for us all and I look for Sayona to continue just as strong, if not stronger. The same people who made the decision to hire Brett will also be in on the hiring of someone new, hopefully they continue their winning ways with their next selection.
to be continued ....
(20min delay)