16.Financial instruments

 

The Company’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, restricted cash, deposits, accounts payable and accrued liabilities and notes payable. The Company is exposed to risks related to changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and management of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments. 

 

Credit risk

 

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash. These assets include Canadian dollar and U.S. dollar denominated certificates of deposits, money market accounts and demand deposits. These instruments are maintained at financial institutions in Canada and the United States. Of the amount held on deposit, approximately $0.6 million is covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Securities Investor Protection Corporation or the United States Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, leaving approximately $8.5 million at risk at December 31, 2016 should the financial institutions with which these amounts are invested be rendered insolvent. The Company does not consider any of its financial assets to be impaired as of December 31, 2016.

 

Liquidity risk

 

Liquidity risk is the risk that the Company will not be able to meet its financial obligations as they come due.

 

The Company has financed its operations from its inception primarily through the issuance of equity securities and debt instruments. Production commenced in August 2013 after receiving final operational clearance from the NRC. Product sales commenced in December 2013.

 

As at December 31, 2016, the Company’s financial liabilities consisted of trade accounts payable and accrued trade and payroll liabilities of $1.3 million  which are due within normal trade terms of generally 30 to 60 days, notes payable which will be payable over periods of 0 to 5 years, and asset retirement obligations with estimated completion dates until 2033.

 

Market risk

 

Market risk is the risk to the Company of adverse financial impacts due to changes in the fair value or future cash flows of financial instruments as a result of fluctuations in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates.

 

Interest rate risk

 

Financial instruments that expose the Company to interest rate risk are its cash equivalents, deposits, restricted cash and debt financings. The Company’s objectives for managing its cash and cash equivalents are to maintain sufficient funds on hand at all times to meet day to day requirements and to place any amounts considered in excess of day to day requirements on short-term deposit with the Company's financial institutions so that they earn interest.

 

Currency risk

 

The Company maintains a balance of less than $0.1 million in foreign currency resulting in a low currency risk.

 

Sensitivity analysis

 

The Company has completed a sensitivity analysis to estimate the impact that a change in interest rates would have on the net loss of the Company. This sensitivity analysis shows that a change of +/- 100 basis points in interest rate would have a $0.1 million impact for the year ended December 31, 2016. The financial position of the Company may vary at the time that a change in interest rates occurs causing the impact on the Company’s results to differ from that shown above.