Significant accounting policies and basis of preparation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Statements [Line Items]

Significant accounting policies and basis of preparation [Text Block]

2.	Significant accounting policies and basis of preparation
	These financial statements were authorized for issue on April 23, 2019 by the directors of the Company.
	Statement of compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards
	The consolidated financial statements of the Company comply with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) and interpretations of the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (“IFRIC”).
	Basis of preparation
	The consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared on an accrual basis and are based on historical costs, modified where applicable. The consolidated financial statements are presented in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.
	Consolidation
	The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned Canadian subsidiary, Canadian Metals Exploration Ltd. Inter-company balances and transactions, including unrealized income and expenses arising from inter-company transactions, are eliminated on consolidation.
	Significant estimates and assumptions
	The preparation of financial statements in accordance with IFRS requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions concerning the future. The Company’s management reviews these estimates and underlying assumptions on an ongoing basis, based on experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Revisions to estimates are adjusted prospectively in the period in which the estimates are revised.

Estimates and assumptions where there is significant risk of material adjustments to assets and liabilities in future accounting periods include the useful lives of equipment, the recoverability of the carrying value of exploration and evaluation assets, fair value measurements for financial instruments and share-based payments, the recoverability and measurement of deferred tax assets, provisions for restoration and environmental obligations and contingent liabilities.

Significant judgments

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with IFRS requires the Company to make judgments, apart from those involving estimates, in applying accounting policies. The most significant judgments in applying the Company’s financial statements include:

- The assessment of the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern and whether there are events or conditions that may give rise to significant uncertainty;

- the classification / allocation of expenditures as exploration and evaluation expenditures or operating expenses; and

- the classification of financial instruments.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash and highly liquid investments held in the form of money market investments and certificates of deposit with investment terms that allow for penalty free redemption after one month.

Exploration and evaluation expenditures

Costs incurred before the Company has obtained the legal rights to explore an area are expensed as incurred.

Exploration and evaluation expenditures include the costs of acquiring licenses and costs associated with exploration and evaluation activity. Option payments are considered acquisition costs provided that the Company has the intention of exercising the underlying option.

Property option agreements are exercisable entirely at the option of the optionee. Therefore, option payments (or recoveries) are recorded when payment is made (or received) and are not accrued.

Exploration and evaluation expenditures are capitalized. The Company capitalizes costs to specific blocks of claims or areas of geological interest. Government tax credits received are recorded as a reduction to the cumulative costs incurred and capitalized on the related property.

Exploration and evaluation assets are tested for impairment if facts or circumstances indicate that impairment exists. Examples of such facts and circumstances are as follows:

- the period for which the Company has the right to explore in the specific area has expired during the period or will expire in the near future, and is not expected to be renewed;

- substantive expenditure on further exploration for and evaluation of mineral resources in the specific area is neither budgeted nor planned;

- exploration for and evaluation of mineral resources in the specific area have not led to the discovery of commercially viable quantities of mineral resources and the entity has decided to discontinue such activities in the specific area; and

- sufficient data exist to indicate that, although a development in the specific area is likely to proceed, the carrying amount of the exploration and evaluation asset is unlikely to be recovered in full from successful development or by sale.

After technical feasibility and commercial viability of extracting a mineral resource are demonstrable, the Company stops capitalizing expenditures for the applicable block of claims or geological area of interest and tests the asset for impairment. The capitalized balance, net of any impairment recognized, is then reclassified to either tangible or intangible mine development assets according to the nature of the asset.

Share-based payments

The Company operates an employee stock option plan. Share-based payments to employees are measured at the fair value of the instruments issued and amortized over the vesting periods. Share-based payments to non-employees are measured at the fair value of goods or services received or the fair value of the equity instruments issued, if it is determined the fair value of the goods or services cannot be reliably measured, and are recorded at the date the goods or services are received. The corresponding amount is recorded to the share-based payment reserve. The fair value of options is determined using the Black–Scholes option pricing model which incorporates all market vesting conditions. The number of shares and options expected to vest is reviewed and adjusted at the end of each reporting period such that the amount recognized for services received as consideration for the equity instruments granted shall be based on the number of equity instruments that eventually vest.

Loss per share

Basic loss per share is calculated by dividing the loss attributable to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding in the period. For all periods presented, the loss attributable to common shareholders equals the reported loss attributable to owners of the Company. Diluted loss per share is calculated by the treasury stock method. Under the treasury stock method, the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the calculation of diluted loss per share assumes that the proceeds to be received on the exercise of dilutive share options and warrants are used to repurchase common shares at the average market price during the period.

Recognition of Financial Instruments

The Company recognizes a financial asset or financial liability on the statement of financial position when it becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the financial instrument.

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 if the Company has opted to measure them at FVTPL.

Financial assets at FVTOCI

Investments in equity instruments designated at FVTOCI are initially recognized at fair value plus transaction costs. Subsequently they are measured at fair value, with both realized and unrealized gains and losses recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) in the period in which they arise.

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 profit or loss in the period in which they arise. Where management has opted to recognize a financial liability at FVTPL, any changes associated with the Company’s own credit risk will be recognized in other comprehensive income (loss).

Impairment of financial assets at amortized cost

The Company recognizes a loss allowance for expected credit losses on financial assets that are measured at amortized cost.

At each reporting date, the Company measures the loss allowance for the financial asset at an amount equal to the lifetime expected credit losses if the credit risk on the financial asset has increased significantly since initial recognition. If at the reporting date, the financial asset has not increased significantly since initial recognition, the Company measures the loss allowance for the financial asset at an amount equal to the twelve month expected credit losses. The Company shall recognize in the profit or loss, as an impairment gain or loss, the amount of expected credit losses (or reversal) that is required to adjust the loss allowance at the reporting date to the amount that is required to be recognized.

Derecognition of financial assets and liabilities

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 profit or loss in the period in which they arise. However, gains and losses on derecognition of financial assets designated as FVTOCI are recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) in the period in which they arise. Cumulative gains and losses on derecognized financial assets designated as FVTOCI are reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to deficit.

The Company derecognizes financial liabilities only when its obligations under the financial liabilities are discharged, cancelled or expired. Generally, the difference between the carrying amount of the financial liability derecognized and the consideration paid and payable, including any non-cash assets transferred or liabilities assumed, is recognized in profit or loss.

Impairment of assets

The carrying amount of the Company’s assets (which include equipment and exploration and evaluation assets) is reviewed at each reporting date to determine whether there is any indication of impairment. If such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss. An impairment loss is recognized whenever the carrying amount of an asset or its cash generating unit exceeds its recoverable amount. Impairment losses are recognized in the statement of comprehensive income (loss).

The recoverable amount of assets is the greater of an asset’s fair value less cost to sell and value in use. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects the current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset. For an asset that does not generate cash inflows largely independent of those from other assets, the recoverable amount is determined for the cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs.

An impairment loss is only reversed if there is an indication that the impairment loss may no longer exist and there has been a change in the estimates used to determine the recoverable amount. Any reversal of impairment cannot increase the carrying value of the asset to an amount higher than the carrying amount that would have been determined had no impairment loss been recognized in previous years.

Assets that have an indefinite useful life are not subject to amortization and are tested annually for impairment.

Income taxes

Current income tax: 
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: 
Deferred income tax is recognized, using the asset and liability method, on temporary differences at the reporting date arising 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, 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: 
On the issuance of flow-through shares, any premium received in excess of the market price of the Company’s common shares is initially recorded as a liability (“flow-through tax liability”). Provided that the Company has renounced the related expenditures, or that there is a reasonable expectation that it will do so, the flow-through tax liability is reduced on a pro-rata basis as the expenditures are incurred. If such expenditures are capitalized, a deferred tax liability is recognized.

To the extent that the Company has suitable unrecognized deductible temporary differences, an offsetting recovery of deferred income taxes would be recorded.

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 the related asset 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 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 the related asset 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 restoration costs, are charged to the statement of comprehensive loss for the period.

The net present value of restoration costs arising from subsequent site damage that is incurred on an ongoing basis during production are charged to the statement of comprehensive loss in the period incurred.

The costs of restoration projects that were 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.

At December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company had no material restoration and environmental obligations.

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 the replaced part is derecognized. All other repairs and maintenance are charged to the statement of comprehensive income (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 the statement of comprehensive income (loss).

Amortization is calculated on a declining balance method to write off the cost of the assets to their residual values over their estimated useful lives. The amortization rates applicable to each category of equipment are as follows:

Class of equipment	Amortization rate
Motor vehicles	30% declining balance
Computer equipment	30% declining balance
Exploration and office equipment	20% declining balance