Canada Nickel Company Inc. announced submission of the preliminary draft of the Initial Project Description ("IPD") to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada ("the Agency") following the related signing of ground-breaking Impact Assessment Process Agreements ("Impact Assessment Agreements" or "IA Agreements") with Taykwa Tagamou Nation, Matachewan First Nation, and Mattagami First Nation. An Important Step for the Crawford Nickel Project The submission of the preliminary draft of the IPD to the Agency initiates a precursory review period of the document. This review period, coinciding with Canada Nickel's independent Indigenous and public consultation program for the IPD, will enable Canada Nickel to integrate feedback from both the Agency's review and Canada Nickel's engagement activities into the final draft of the IPD, expected to be formally submitted in summer 2022.

The Impact Assessment process is a planning and decision-making tool used by regulators, Indigenous communities, the general public, stakeholders, and proponents to emphasize the positive benefits and resolve or mitigate the potential impacts of a proposed major project. The IPD is a key phase in the early planning and development of a modern mining project. Impact Assessment Process Agreements The signing and implementation of the IA Agreements further validates the meaningful and productive relationships developed between Canada Nickel and Taykwa Tagamou Nation, Matachewan First Nation, and Mattagami First Nation, and serves as tangible evidence of Canada Nickel's intention around full integration of Indigenous communities into the development of the Crawford Nickel Project.

The IA Agreements are intended to foster full participation of Indigenous communities in the federal Impact Assessment process, with a focus on community driven completion of Traditional Knowledge and Land Use and Socio-economic studies. In addition to outlining effective communication channels and platforms for meaningful engagement, the IA Agreements facilitate tangible capacity building within the communities that will extend beyond the timeline of and activities relating to the Crawford Project and Canada Nickel, including the hiring and training of a dedicated Impact Assessment Coordinator and the creation of an Impact Assessment Coordination Committee, comprised of representative, interested community members, including youth and elders.