Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Share capital [Member]	Warrant [Member]	Contributed Surplus [Member]	Contributed surplus - options [Member]	Contributed surplus - units [Member]	Deficit [Member]
Beginning Balance at Nov. 30, 2013	$ 37,157	$ 104,895	$ 0	$ 152	$ 17,248	$ 2,584	$ (87,722)
Beginning Balance (Shares) at Nov. 30, 2013		53,066,656
Exercise Of Novagold Arrangement Options	16	$ 631	0	0	(615)	0	0
Exercise Of Novagold Arrangement Options (Shares)		46,929
Novagold Performance Share Units	0	$ 28	0	(28)	0	0	0
Novagold Performance Share Units (Shares)		14,166
Private placement	$ 7,231	$ 5,068	2,163	0	0	0	0
Private Placement (shares)	6,521,740	6,521,740
Restricted Share Units	$ 0	$ 929	0	0	0	(929)	0
Restricted Share Units (Shares)		492,501
Deferred Share Units	204	$ 282	0	0	0	(78)	0
Deferred Share Units (Shares)		154,373
Stock-based compensation	887	$ 0	0	0	456	431	0
Loss for the year	(9,648)	0	0	0	0	0	(9,648)
Ending Balance at Nov. 30, 2014	35,847	$ 111,833	2,163	124	17,089	2,008	(97,370)
Ending Balance (Shares) at Nov. 30, 2014		60,296,365
Issuance pursuant to Sunward Arrangement	22,959	$ 22,851	0	0	108	0	0
Issuance pursuant to Sunward Arrangement (Shares)		43,116,312
Restricted Share Units to settle liability	183	$ 0	0	0	0	183	0
Exercise of options	0	$ 7	0	0	(7)	0	0
Exercise of options (Shares)		7,499
Exercise Of Sunward Arrangement Options	$ 142	$ 177	0	0	(35)	0	0
Exercise of Sunward Arrangement Options (shares)	347,999	347,999
Private placement	$ 0
Restricted Share Units	0	$ 819	0	0	0	(819)	0
Restricted Share Units (Shares)		795,368
Deferred Share Units	0	$ 353	0	0	0	(353)	0
Deferred Share Units (Shares)		232,878
Stock-based compensation	831	$ 0	0	0	686	145	0
Loss for the year	(9,532)	0	0	0	0	0	(9,532)
Ending Balance at Nov. 30, 2015	50,430	$ 136,040	2,163	124	17,841	1,164	(106,902)
Ending Balance (Shares) at Nov. 30, 2015		104,796,421
Exercise of options	$ 0	$ 65	0	0	(65)	0	0
Exercise of options (Shares)	(422,199)	162,854
Private placement	$ 0
Restricted Share Units	(29)	$ 34	0	0	0	(63)	0
Restricted Share Units (Shares)		108,399
Deferred Share Units	0	$ 218	0	0	0	(218)	0
Deferred Share Units (Shares)		218,795
Stock-based compensation	615	$ 0	0	0	358	257	0
Loss for the year	(4,862)	0	0	0	0	0	(4,862)
Ending Balance at Nov. 30, 2016	$ 46,154	$ 136,357	$ 2,163	$ 124	$ 18,134	$ 1,140	$ (111,764)
Ending Balance (Shares) at Nov. 30, 2016		105,286,469