Filed
by
Barrick Gold Corporation
This
communication is filed pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933,
as
amended.
Subject
company: Placer Dome Inc.
Commission
File Number: 333-130864
Date:
February 1, 2006
ADVISORY
- January 31, 2006
Barrick's
Offer to Acquire Placer Dome expires on February 3, 2006
Barrick
Gold Corporation advises shareholders of Placer Dome Inc. that its offer
to
acquire Placer Dome expires on February 3, 2006 (6 p.m. Toronto
time).
Barrick
was successful in acquiring 81% of Placer Dome on January 19, 2006, and
extended
its offer to allow Placer Dome shareholders an additional opportunity to
tender
their shares.
Shareholders
are advised that intermediaries have established tendering cut-off times
that
are up to 48 hours prior to the expiry time. Shareholders must instruct
their
brokers or other intermediaries promptly, if they wish to tender. In addition,
U.S. banks and brokers are advised that The Depositary Trust Company has
set
Noon Toronto time on February 2, 2006 as the deadline for banks and brokers
who
wish to tender their clients’ shares through DTC.
How
to
Tender Your Placer Dome Shares:
Placer
Dome shareholders who wish to accept Barrick's offer must properly complete
and
duly execute a Letter of Acceptance and Transmittal or a facsimile thereof
and
deposit it, together with certificates representing their Placer Dome shares,
in
accordance with the instructions in the Letter of Acceptance and Transmittal.
Alternatively, Placer Dome shareholders may follow the procedures for guaranteed
delivery set forth in Section 3 of the Offer to Purchase dated November
10,
2005.
Placer
Dome shareholders whose shares are registered in the name of a broker,
investment dealer, bank, trust company or other nominee should contact
that
nominee for assistance in depositing their shares.
Shareholder
enquiries:
For
Shareholders in Canada
Kingsdale
Shareholder Services Inc.
Toll
Free: 1-866-877-2571
Canadian
Banks and Brokers Call Collect: (416) 867-2342
Email:
shareholder@kingsdalecapital.com
For
Shareholders in U.S. and other locations
Mackenzie
Partners, Inc.
Toll
Free: 1-800-322-2885 (English)
Toll
Free: 1-888-405-1217 (French)
Call
Collect: (212) 929-5500
Email:
proxy@mackenziepartners.com
Barrick’s
vision is to be the world’s best gold company by finding, developing and
producing quality reserves in a profitable and socially responsible
manner.
BARRICK
GOLD
CORPORATION
1
PRESS RELEASE
About
the Offer
Barrick’s
take-over bid circular and related documents were filed with the securities
regulatory authorities in Canada and the United States on November 10,
2005, a
notice of variation and extension of the offer was filed with these same
regulatory authorities on January 5, 2006 and a notice of extension and
subsequent offering period was filed with these same regulatory authorities
on
January 20, 2006. Placer Dome shareholders are advised to read the take-over
bid
circular and the notice of variation and extension as they contain important
information including the terms and conditions of the offer and the procedures
for depositing shares. Additional information about the offer or copies
of the
take-over bid circular and the notice of variation and extension may
be obtained
from shareholders’ investment advisers, from RBC Dominion Securities Inc. or
Merrill Lynch Canada Inc., who are acting as Barrick’s Canadian dealer managers,
RBC Capital Markets Corporation, or Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated, who are acting as Barrick’s U.S. dealer managers, or Kingsdale
Shareholder Services Inc. for Canada (Toll Free 1-866-877-2571) or MacKenzie
Partners, Inc. for the United States and other locations (Toll Free
1-800-322-2885) who are acting as Barrick’s Information Agents.
On
November 10, 2005, Barrick filed with the US Securities and Exchange
Commission
(the “SEC”) a Registration Statement on Form F-10 which includes Barrick’s offer
and take-over bid circular. On January 5, 2006, Barrick filed with the
SEC a
Registration Statement on Form F-10 which includes Barrick’s offer and take-over
bid circular and the notice of variation and extension. On January 20,
2006,
Barrick filed with the SEC an amendment to the Registration Statement
on Form
F-10 which includes the notice of extension and subsequent offering period.
Investors and security holders are urged to read the disclosure documents
filed
by Barrick from time to time with the SEC regarding the proposed business
combination transaction because they contain important information. The
offer
and take-over bid circular, the notice of variation and extension, and
the
notice of extension and subsequent offering period have been sent to
shareholders of Placer Dome Inc. Investors may also obtain a free copy
of the
offer and take-over bid circular, the notice of variation and extension
and
other disclosure documents filed by Barrick with the SEC at the SEC’s website at
www.sec.gov. The offer and take-over bid circular and the other disclosure
documents may also be obtained free of charge by directing a request
to
Kingsdale Shareholder Services Inc. or Mackenzie Partners Inc. at the
toll free
numbers set out above.
For
further information:
|
INVESTOR
CONTACT:
|
MEDIA
CONTACT:
|
|
James
Mavor
|
Vincent
Borg
|
|
Vice
President,
|
Vice
President,
|
|
Investor
Relations
|
Corporate
Communications
|
|
Tel:
(416) 307-7463
|
Tel:
(416) 307-7477
|
|
Email:jmavor@barrick.com
|
Email:
vborg@barrick.com
|
BARRICK
GOLD
CORPORATION
2
PRESS RELEASE