RE:7,886,000 options expire on Dec. 31, 2018My guess is that these will be exercised. I don't know about what they do in Canada but here in the U.S. many brokerage firms will extend financing to allow for exercising "in the money" stock options. I know Merrill Lynch has just such a program for corporate executives.
I think the question is will they be held upon exercising or will they be sold back into the market. Selling the exercised shares back into the market will not be good for the stock price.