The accounting policies set out below have been applied consistently to all periods presented in these consolidated financial statements.
(a) Basis of consolidation:
These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries including New Polaris Gold Mines Ltd. and AIM. The financial statements of subsidiaries are included in the consolidated financial statements from the date control commences until the date control ceases. All significant intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated on consolidation.
Control is achieved 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.
(b) Financial instruments:
(i) Financial assets:
The Company classifies its financial assets in the following categories: fair value through profit or loss (“FVTPL”), loans and receivables, held-to-maturity (“HTM”) and available-for-sale (“AFS”). The classification depends on the purpose for which the financial assets were acquired. Management determines the classification of financial assets at initial recognition.
Financial assets at FVTPL
Financial assets at FVTPL are initially recognized at fair value with changes in fair value recorded through profit or loss. Cash, marketable securities and restricted cash are included in this category of financial assets.
Loans and receivables
Loans and receivables are non-derivative financial assets with fixed or determinable payments that are not quoted in an active market. They are classified as current assets or non-current assets based on their maturity date. Loans and receivables are carried at amortized cost less any impairment. Receivables are included in this category of financial assets.
Held to maturity
These assets are non-derivative financial assets with fixed or determinable payments and fixed maturities that the Company’s management has the positive intention and ability to hold to maturity. HTM investments are initially recognized on their trade-date at fair value, and subsequently are measured at amortized cost using the effective interest rate method. If there is objective evidence that the investment is impaired, determined by reference to external credit ratings and other relevant indicators, the financial asset is measured at the present value of estimated future cash flows. Any changes to the carrying amount of the investment, including impairment losses, are recognized in profit or loss. The Company has no HTM financial assets as at December 31, 2017 and 2016.
Available-for-sale financial assets
AFS financial assets are non-derivatives that are either designated as available-for-sale or not classified in any of the other financial asset categories. Changes in the fair value of AFS financial assets are recognized as other comprehensive income (loss) and classified as a component of equity.
Management assesses the carrying value of AFS financial assets at least annually and any impairment charges are also recognized in profit or loss. When financial assets classified as AFS are sold, the accumulated fair value adjustments recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) are included in profit or loss. The Company has no AFS financial assets.
(ii) Financial liabilities:
The Company classifies its financial liabilities in the following categories: FVTPL and other financial liabilities.
Financial liabilities at FVTPL
Financial liabilities at FVTPL are initially recognized at fair value with changes in fair value recorded through profit or loss.
Derivatives are initially recognized at their fair value on the date the derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently re-measured at their fair value at each reporting period with changes in the fair value recognized in profit or loss.
Liabilities which are to be settled in payable ounces of a commodity (or the U.S. dollar equivalent) are recorded using the spot price of the commodity. This amount is included in derivative liability.
Other financial liabilities
Other financial liabilities are non-derivatives and are recognized initially at fair value, net of transaction costs, and are subsequently measured at amortized cost using the effective interest method. Any difference between the amounts originally received, net of transaction costs, and the redemption value is recognized in profit or loss over the period to maturity using the effective interest method.
Other financial liabilities are classified as current or non-current based on their maturity date. Financial liabilities include accounts payable and accrued liabilities, flow through premium liability, and deferred royalty liability.
(iii) Fair value hierarchy:
The Company categorizes financial instruments measured at fair value at one of three levels according to the reliability of the inputs used to estimate fair values. The fair value of financial assets and financial liabilities included in Level 1 are determined by reference to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities. Financial assets and liabilities in Level 2 are valued using inputs other than quoted prices for which all significant inputs are based on observable market data. Level 3 valuations are based on inputs that are not based on observable market data.
(iv) Impairment of financial assets:
The Company assesses at each reporting date whether there is objective evidence that a financial asset or a group of financial assets is impaired. An evaluation is made as to whether a decline in fair value is “significant” or “prolonged” based on indicators such as significant adverse changes in the market, economic or legal environment.
Impairment losses on financial assets carried at amortized cost are reversed in subsequent periods if the amount of the loss decreases and the decrease can be related objectively to an event occurring after the impairment was recognized.
(v) Derecognition of financial assets and liabilities:
Financial assets are derecognized when the investments mature or are sold, and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership have been transferred. A financial liability is derecognized when the obligation under the liability is discharged, cancelled or expired. Gains and losses on derecognition are recognized within profit or loss.
(c) Impairment of non-financial assets:
The carrying amounts of non-current assets are tested for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. If there are indicators of impairment, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment. An impairment loss is recognized for the amount by which the asset’s carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount and is recorded as an expense in profit or loss.
The recoverable amount is the higher of an asset’s “fair value less costs to sell” for the asset’s highest and best use, and “value-in-use”. Where the asset does not generate cash flows that are independent from other assets, the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs is determined. “Fair value less costs to sell” is the price that would be received to sell an asset in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date less incremental costs directly attributable to disposal of the asset, excluding financing costs and income tax expenses. For mining assets this would generally be determined based on the present value of the estimated future cash flows arising from the continued development, use or eventual disposal of the asset. In assessing these cash flows and discounting them to the present value, assumptions used are those that an independent market participant would consider appropriate. In assessing “value-in-use”, the estimated future cash flows expected to arise from the continuing use of the assets in their present form and from their disposal are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and risks specific to the asset.
For the purposes of impairment testing, mineral property interests are allocated to cash-generating units to which the exploration or development activity relates. Where an impairment loss subsequently reverses, the carrying amount of the asset (or cash-generating unit) is increased to the revised estimate of its recoverable amount, but so that the increased carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined had no impairment loss been recognized for the asset (or cash-generating unit) in prior periods. A reversal of an impairment loss is recognized immediately in profit or loss.
(d) Mineral property interests:
All costs related to investments in mineral property interests are capitalized on a property-by-property basis. Such costs include mineral property acquisition costs and exploration and development expenditures, net of any recoveries. The costs related to a mineral property from which there is production, together with the costs of mining equipment, will be amortized using the unit-of-production method. When there is little prospect of further work on a property being carried out by the Company or its partners or when a property is abandoned or when the capitalized costs are not considered to be economically recoverable, the related property costs are written down to the amount recoverable.
From time to time, the Company may acquire or dispose of a mineral property interest pursuant to the terms of a property option agreement. As the property options are exercisable entirely at the discretion of the optionee, the amounts payable or receivable are not recorded. Property option payments are recorded as property costs or recoveries when the payments are made or received. Proceeds received on the sale or property option of the Company’s property interest is recorded as a reduction of the mineral property cost. The Company recognizes in income those costs that are recovered on mineral property interests when amounts received or receivable are in excess of the carrying amount.
The amounts shown for mineral property interests represent costs incurred to date and include advance net smelter return (“NSR”) royalties, less recoveries and write-downs, and are not intended to reflect present or future values.
(e) Equipment:
Leasehold improvements and office equipment and furnishings are recorded at cost, and are amortized on a double declining basis as follows:
Double Declining Rate | |
| Leasehold improvements | 20% |
| Office equipment | 30% |
| Office furnishings | 20% |
(f) Proceeds on unit offerings:
Proceeds received on the issuance of units, consisting of common shares and warrants, are first allocated to the fair value of the common shares with any residual value then allocated to warrants. Consideration received on the exercise of warrants is recorded as share capital and any related reserve for share-based payments is transferred to share capital. Upon expiry of the warrants, the recorded fair value of the warrants is transferred from the reserve for share-based payments to deficit.
(g) Non-monetary transactions:
Common shares issued for consideration other than cash are valued at their quoted market price at the date of issuance.
(h) Flow-through common shares:
The Company will from time to time, issue flow-through common shares to finance a significant portion of its exploration program. 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 shares into: (i) 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 (ii) 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 Company’s period is disclosed separately as flow-through share proceeds.
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 the Government of Canada flow-through regulations. When applicable, this tax is accrued as a finance expense until paid.
(i) Share buy-back:
The Company has implemented a normal course issuer bid whereby the Company would buy back its common shares on the exchange in which its shares are listed at the prevailing market prices. Shares which are purchased would reduce share capital for the cash consideration paid including any associated transaction costs. Common shares which are purchased under the normal course issuer bid are returned to treasury and cancelled.
(j) Share-based payments:
The Company has a stock option plan that is described in Note 12(c). 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 the 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 offset to the recorded cost is to the reserve for share-based payments. Consideration received on the exercise of stock options is recorded as share capital and the related reserve for share-based payments is transferred to share capital. Upon expiry, the recorded fair value is transferred from reserve for share-based payments to deficit.
The Company has a share appreciation rights plan, which provides stock option holders the right to receive the number of common shares that are equal in value to the intrinsic value of the stock options at the date of exercise. Amounts transferred from the reserve for share-based payment to share capital are based on the ratio of shares actually issued to the number of stock options originally granted. The remainder is transferred to deficit.
(k) Environmental rehabilitation:
The Company recognizes liabilities for statutory, contractual, constructive or legal obligations associated with the retirement of mineral property interests and equipment, when those obligations result from the acquisition, construction, development or normal operation of the assets. The net present value of future rehabilitation cost estimates arising from the decommissioning of plant and other site preparation work is capitalized to mining assets along with a corresponding increase in the rehabilitation 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 rehabilitation asset is depreciated on the same basis as mining assets.
The Company’s estimates of reclamation 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 mining assets with a corresponding entry to the rehabilitation 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 or 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 profit or loss in the period incurred.
The costs of rehabilitation projects that were included in the rehabilitation provision are recorded against the provision as incurred. The cost of ongoing current programs to prevent and control pollution is charged against profit or loss as incurred.
(l) Earnings (loss) per share:
Basic earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing the net income (loss) for the period by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. The treasury stock method is used to calculate diluted earnings (loss) per common share amounts. Under the treasury stock method, the weighted average number of common shares outstanding used for the calculation of the diluted per common share amount 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. In the Company’s case, diluted loss per share presented is the same as basic loss per share as the effect of outstanding options and warrants in the loss per common share calculation would be anti-dilutive.
(m) Provisions:
Provisions are recorded when a present legal or constructive obligation exists as a result of past events where it is probable that an outflow of resources embodying economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation, and a reliable estimate of the amount of the obligation can be made.
The amount recognized as a provision is the best estimate of the consideration required to settle the present obligation at the statement of financial position date, taking into account the risks and uncertainties surrounding the obligation. Where a provision is measured using the cash flows estimated to settle the present obligation, its carrying amount is the present value of those cash flows. When some or all of the economic benefits required to settle a provision are expected to be recovered from a third party, the receivable is recognized as an asset if it is virtually certain that reimbursement will be received and the amount receivable can be measured reliably.
(n) Income taxes:
The Company follows the asset and liability method for accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, and losses carried forward. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using substantively enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in profit or loss in the period that includes the substantive enactment date. Deferred tax assets are recognized to the extent that recovery is considered probable.