BTW I asked, they can be in blackout and get options..you just can't exercise them.

I don't think they can give themselves options while they are in the midst of negotiations. They definitely can't issue options while in possession of material information, and I would think even knowing that Teck wanted to negotiate a deal of any sort would be sufficient to make the stock price move, so it would be material. That would seem to imply that they are not, or were not, in negotiations.

Was Elmer talking to you from Whistler? I'm wondering how it is going.