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BASIS OF PREPARATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

BASIS OF PREPARATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

2. BASIS OF PREPARATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

(a) Statement of Compliance

The Company’s consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”).

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

For the year ended December 31, 2021

(Expressed in Canadian dollars)

(b) Basis of Preparation

These consolidated financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, modified by the revaluation of any financial assets and financial liabilities where applicable. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires the use of certain critical accounting estimates. It also requires management to exercise judgment in the process of applying the Company’s accounting policies. These areas involving a higher degree of judgment or complexity, or areas where assumptions and estimates are significant to the consolidated financial statements and, are disclosed in Note 3.

(c) Basis of consolidation

These consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, North American Nickel (US) Inc. which was incorporated in the State of Delaware on May 22, 2015.

Consolidation is required when the Company is exposed, or has rights to variable returns from its involvement with the investee and has the ability to affect those returns through its power over the investee. All intercompany transactions, balances, income and expenses are eliminated upon consolidation.

(d) Foreign currency translation

Foreign currency transactions are translated into the functional currency using the exchange rates prevailing at the date of the transaction. Foreign currency monetary items are translated at the period-end exchange rate. Non-monetary items measured at historical cost continue to be carried at the exchange rate at the date of the transaction. Non-monetary items measured at fair value are reported at the exchange rate at the date when fair values were determined.

Exchange differences arising on the translation of monetary items or on settlement of monetary items are recognized in profit or loss in the consolidated statement of comprehensive loss in the period in which they arise, except where deferred in equity as a qualifying cash flow or net investment hedge.

Exchange differences arising on the translation of non-monetary items are recognized in other comprehensive income in the consolidated statement of comprehensive loss to the extent that gains and losses arising on those non-monetary items are also recognized in other comprehensive income. Where the non-monetary gain or loss is recognized in profit or loss, the exchange component is also recognized in profit or loss.

(e) Exploration and evaluation assets

Exploration and evaluation assets include the costs of acquiring licenses, costs associated with exploration and evaluation activity, and the fair value (at acquisition date) of exploration and evaluation assets acquired in a business combination. Exploration and evaluation expenditures are initially capitalized. Costs incurred before the Company has obtained the legal rights to explore an area are recognized in profit or loss.

Government tax credits received are generally recorded as a reduction to the cumulative costs incurred and capitalized on the related property.

Exploration and evaluation assets are assessed for impairment if (i) sufficient data exists to determine technical feasibility and commercial viability, and (ii) facts, events and circumstances suggest that the carrying amount exceeds the recoverable amount.

Once the technical feasibility and commercial viability of the extraction of mineral resources in an area of interest are demonstrable, exploration and evaluation assets attributable to that area of interest are first tested for impairment and then reclassified to mining property and development assets within equipment.

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

For the year ended December 31, 2021

(Expressed in Canadian dollars)

Recoverability of the carrying amount of any exploration and evaluation assets is dependent on successful development and commercial exploitation, or alternatively, sale of the respective areas of interest.

The Company may occasionally enter into farm-out arrangements, whereby it will transfer part of an interest, as consideration, for an agreement by the farmee to meet certain exploration and evaluation expenditures which would have otherwise been undertaken by the Company. The Company does not record any expenditures made by the farmee on its behalf. Any cash consideration received from the agreement is credited against the costs previously capitalized to the mineral interest given up by the Company, with any excess consideration accounted for in profit.

When a project is deemed to no longer have commercially viable prospects to the Company, exploration and evaluation expenditures in respect of that project are deemed to be impaired. As a result, those exploration and evaluation expenditure costs, in excess of estimated recoveries, are written off to the consolidated statement of comprehensive loss/income.

(f) Restoration and environmental obligations

The Company recognizes liabilities for statutory, contractual, constructive or legal obligations associated with the retirement of long-term assets, when those obligations result from the acquisition, construction, development or normal operation of the assets. The net present value of future restoration cost estimates arising from the decommissioning of plant and other site preparation work is capitalized to exploration and evaluation assets along with a corresponding increase in the restoration provision in the period incurred. Discount rates using a pre-tax rate that reflect the time value of money are used to calculate the net present value. The restoration asset will be depreciated on the same basis as other mining assets.

The Company’s estimates of restoration costs could change as a result of changes in regulatory requirements, discount rates and assumptions regarding the amount and timing of the future expenditures. These changes are recorded directly to exploration and evaluation assets with a corresponding entry to the restoration provision. The Company’s estimates are reviewed annually for changes in regulatory requirements, discount rates, effects of inflation and changes in estimates.

Changes in the net present value, excluding changes in the Company’s estimates of reclamation costs, are charged to profit and loss for the period.

The costs of restoration projects included in the provision are recorded against the provision as incurred. The costs to prevent and control environmental impacts at specific properties are capitalized in accordance with the Company’s accounting policy for exploration and evaluation assets.

(g) Impairment of assets

Impairment tests on intangible assets with indefinite useful economic lives are undertaken annually at the financial year-end. Other non-financial assets, including exploration and evaluation assets, are subject to impairment tests whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amount may not be recoverable. Where the carrying value of an asset exceeds its recoverable amount, which is the higher of value in use and fair value less costs to sell, the asset is written down accordingly.

Where it is not possible to estimate the recoverable amount of an individual asset, the impairment test is carried out on the asset’s cash-generating unit, which is the lowest group of assets in which the asset belongs and for which there are separately identifiable cash inflows that are largely independent of the cash inflows from other assets.

An impairment loss is charged to the profit or loss, except to the extent the loss reverses gains previously recognized in other comprehensive loss/income.

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

For the year ended December 31, 2021

(Expressed in Canadian dollars)

(h) Financial instruments

In accordance with IFRS 9, the Company’s accounting policy is as follows:

Classification

The Company classifies its financial instruments in the following categories: at fair value through profit and loss (“FVTPL”), at fair value through other comprehensive income (loss) (“FVTOCI”), or at amortized cost. The Company determines the classification of financial assets at initial recognition. The classification of debt instruments is driven by the Company’s business model for managing the financial assets and their contractual cash flow characteristics. Equity instruments that are held for trading are classified as FVTPL. For other equity instruments, on the day of acquisition the Company can make an irrevocable election (on an instrument-by-instrument basis) to designate them as at FVTOCI. Financial liabilities are measured at amortized cost, unless they are required to be measured at FVTPL (such as instruments held for trading or derivatives) or the Company has opted to measure them at FVTPL.

The following table shows the classification of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities:

Financial asset/liability

Classification

Cash FVTPL

Other receivable Amortized cost

Trade payables Amortized cost

Advance
Amortized cost

Measurement

Financial assets and liabilities at amortized cost

Financial assets and liabilities at amortized cost are initially recognized at fair value plus or minus transaction costs, respectively, and subsequently carried at amortized cost less any impairment.

Financial assets and liabilities at FVTPL

Financial assets and liabilities carried at FVTPL are initially recorded at fair value and transaction costs are expensed in profit or loss. Realized and unrealized gains and losses arising from changes in the fair value of the financial assets and liabilities held at FVTPL are included in the consolidation statements of comprehensive loss in the period in which they arise.

Impairment of financial assets at amortized cost

An ‘expected credit loss’ impairment model applies which requires a loss allowance to be recognized based on expected credit losses. The estimated present value of future cash flows associated with the asset is determined and an impairment loss is recognized for the difference between this amount and the carrying amount as follows: the carrying amount of the asset is reduced to estimated present value of the future cash flows associated with the asset, discounted at the financial asset’s original effective interest rate, either directly or through the use of an allowance account and the resulting loss is recognized in profit or loss for the period.

In a subsequent period, if the amount of the impairment loss related to financial assets measured at amortized cost decreases, the previously recognized impairment loss is reversed through profit or loss to the extent that the carrying amount of the investment at the date the impairment is reversed does not exceed what the amortized cost would have been had the impairment not been recognized.

Derecognition

Financial assets

The Company derecognizes financial assets only when the contractual rights to cash flows from the financial assets expire, or when it transfers the financial assets and substantially all of the associated risks and rewards of ownership to another entity. Gains and losses on derecognition are generally recognized in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss.

Investments are derecognized when the rights to receive cash flows from the investments have expired or the Company has transferred the financial asset and the transfer qualifies for derecognition.

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

For the year ended December 31, 2021

(Expressed in Canadian dollars)

Financial liabilities

Financial liabilities are derecognized when, and only when, the Company’s obligations are discharged, cancelled or they expire. The difference between the carrying amount of the financial liability derecognized and the consideration paid and payable is recognized in the consolidated statement of comprehensive loss.

(i) Loss per share

The Company uses the treasury stock method to compute the dilutive effect of options, warrants and similar instruments. Under this method, the dilutive effect on loss per common share is recognized on the use of the proceeds that could be obtained upon exercise of options, warrants and similar instruments. It assumes that the proceeds would be used to purchase common shares at the average market price during the period.

Basic loss per common share is calculated using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period and does not include outstanding options and warrants. Dilutive loss per common share is not presented differently from basic loss per share as the conversion of outstanding stock options and warrants into common shares would be anti-dilutive.

(j) Income taxes

Income tax expense comprises current and deferred tax. Current tax and deferred tax are recognized in net income except to the extent that it arises in a business combination, or from items recognized directly in equity or other comprehensive loss/income.

Current income tax assets and liabilities for the current period are measured at the amount expected to be recovered from or paid to the taxation authorities. The tax rates and tax laws used to compute the amount are those that are enacted or substantively enacted, at the reporting date, in the countries where the Company operates and generates taxable income.

Current income tax relating to items recognized directly in other comprehensive income or equity is recognized in other comprehensive income or equity and not in profit or loss. Management periodically evaluates positions taken in the tax returns with respect to situations in which applicable tax regulations are subject to interpretation and establishes provisions where appropriate.

Deferred income tax is provided using the asset and liability method of temporary differences at the reporting date between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their carrying amounts for financial reporting purposes.

The carrying amount of deferred income tax assets is reviewed at the end of each reporting period and recognized only to the extent that it is probable that sufficient taxable profit will be available to allow all or part of the deferred income tax asset to be utilized.

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are measured at the tax rates that are expected to apply to the year when the asset is realized or the liability is settled, based on tax rates and tax laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the end of the reporting period.

Deferred income tax assets and deferred income tax liabilities are offset, only if a legally enforceable right exists to set off current tax assets against current income tax liabilities and the deferred income taxes relate to the same taxable entity and the same taxation authority.

Flow-through shares

Any premium received by the Company on the issuance of flow-through shares is initially recorded as a liability (“flow-through tax liability”). Upon renouncement by the Company of the tax benefits associated with the related expenditures, a flow-through share premium liability is recognized and the liability will be reversed as eligible expenditures are made. If such expenditures are capitalized, a deferred tax liability is recognized. To the extent that suitable deferred tax assets are available, the Company will reduce the deferred tax liability.

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

For the year ended December 31, 2021

(Expressed in Canadian dollars)

(k) Share-based payments

Where equity-settled share options are awarded to employees, the fair value of the options at the date of grant is recognized over the vesting period. Performance vesting conditions are taken into account by adjusting the number of equity instruments expected to vest at each reporting date so that, ultimately, the cumulative amount recognized over the vesting period is based on the number of options that eventually vest. Non-vesting conditions and market vesting conditions are factored into the fair value of the options granted. As long as all other vesting conditions are satisfied, a charge is made irrespective of whether these non-vesting and market vesting conditions are satisfied. The cumulative expense is not adjusted for failure to achieve a market vesting condition or where a non-vesting condition is not satisfied.

Where the terms and conditions of options are modified, the increase in the fair value of the options, measured immediately before and after the modification, is also recognized over the remaining vesting period.

Where equity instruments are granted to non-employees, they are recorded at the fair value of the goods or services received. Amounts related to the issuance of shares are recorded as a reduction of share capital.

When the value of goods and services received in exchange for the share-based payment cannot be reliably estimated, the fair value is measured by use of a valuation model. The expected life used in the model is adjusted, based on management’s best estimate, for the effects of non-transferability, exercise restrictions, and behavioural considerations.

All equity-settled share-based payments are reflected in share-based payments reserve, until exercised. Upon exercise shares are issued from treasury and the amount reflected in share-based payments reserve is credited to share capital along with any consideration paid.

(l) Share capital

The Company’s common shares, preferred shares and share warrants shares are classified as equity instruments.

Incremental costs directly attributable to the issue of new shares or options are shown in equity as a deduction from the proceeds.

Proceeds received on the issuance of units, consisting of common shares and warrants are allocated to share capital.

(m) Flow-through shares

Resource expenditure deductions for income tax purposes related to exploratory activities funded by flow-through share arrangements are renounced to investors in accordance with income tax legislation. Pursuant to the terms of the flow-through share agreements, these shares transfer the tax deductibility of qualifying resource expenditures to investors. On issuance, the Company bifurcates the flow-through share into a flow-through share premium, equal to the estimated premium, if any, investors pay for the flow-through feature, which is recognized as a liability and share capital. Upon expenses being incurred, the Company derecognizes the liability and recognizes a deferred tax liability for the amount of tax reduction renounced to the shareholders. The premium is recognized as other income and the related deferred tax is recognized as a tax provision.

Proceeds received from the issuance of flow-through shares are restricted to be used only for Canadian resource property exploration expenditures within a two-year period. The portion of the proceeds received but not yet expended at the end of the period is disclosed separately as flow- through share proceeds, if any.

The Company may also be subject to a Part XII.6 tax on flow-through proceeds renounced under the look-back Rule, in accordance with Government of Canada flow-through regulations. When applicable, this tax is accrued as a financing expense until qualifying expenditures are incurred.

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

For the year ended December 31, 2021

(Expressed in Canadian dollars)

(n) Equipment

Equipment is stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses.

Subsequent costs are included in the asset’s carrying amount or recognized as a separate asset, as appropriate, only when it is probable that future economic benefits associated with the item will flow to the Company and the cost of the item can be measured reliably. The carrying amount of a significant replaced part is derecognized. All other repairs and maintenance are charged to the consolidation statement of comprehensive loss during the financial period in which they are incurred. Gains and losses on disposals are determined by comparing the proceeds with the carrying amount and are recognized in profit or loss.

Depreciation and amortization are calculated on a straight-line method to charge the cost, less residual value, of the assets to their residual values over their estimated useful lives. The depreciation and amortization rate applicable to each category of equipment is as follows:

Equipment Depreciation rate

Exploration equipment 20%

Computer software 50%

Computer equipment 55%

(o) Equity investment

Investments in entities over which the Company has a significant influence, but not control, are accounted for by the equity method, whereby the original cost of the investment is adjusted for the Company’s proportionate share of the investee’s income or loss. When the Company’s equity investee issues its own shares to outside interest, a dilution gain or loss arises as a result of the difference between the Company’s proportionate share of the proceeds and the carrying value of the underlying equity. When net accumulated losses from an equity accounted investment exceed its carrying amount, the investment balance is reduced to zero and additional losses are not provided for unless the Company is committed to provide financial support to the investee.

(p) Accounting standards and amendments issued but not yet effective

Certain accounting standards or amendments to existing accounting standards that have been issued but have future effective dates are either not applicable or are not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

IAS 16 - “Property, Plant and Equipment”

The IASB issued an amendment to IAS 16, Property, Plant and Equipment to prohibit the deducting from property, plant and equipment amounts received from selling items produced while preparing an asset for its intended use. Instead, sales proceeds and its related costs must be recognized in profit or loss. The amendment will require companies to distinguish between costs associated with producing and selling items before the item of property, plant and equipment is available for use and costs associated with making the item of property, plant and equipment available for its intended use. The amendment is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2022, with earlier application permitted. The amendment is not currently applicable.

IAS 1 – “Presentation of Financial Statements”

The IASB issued an amendment to IAS 1, Presentation of Financial Statements to clarify one of the requirements under the standard for classifying a liability as non-current in nature, specifically the requirement for an entity to have the right to defer settlement of the liability for at least 12 months after the reporting period. The amendment includes: (i) specifying that an entity’s right to defer settlement must exist at the end of the reporting period; (ii) clarifying that classification is unaffected by management’s intentions or expectations about whether the entity will exercise its right to defer settlement; (iii) clarifying how lending conditions affect classification; and (iv) clarifying requirements for classifying liabilities an entity will or may settle by issuing its own equity instruments. An assessment will be performed prior to the effective date of January 1, 2023 to determine the impact to the Company’s financial statements.

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

For the year ended December 31, 2021

(Expressed in Canadian dollars)