PRINCIPAL
DOCUMENTS
The following documents,
filed as Exhibits 99.1 through 99.3 hereto, are hereby incorporated
by reference into this Annual Report on Form 40-F of Western Copper
and Gold Corporation (the "Company" or the
"Registrant"):
(a) Annual Information
Form for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022;
(b) Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022;
and
(c) Audited Annual
Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended December 31,
2022 and 2021 and notes thereto, together with the Report of
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
thereon.
Our independent auditor
is PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
(PCAOB Firm ID 271).
The Company's Audited
Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on
Form 40-F have been prepared in accordance with International
Financial Reporting Standards, as issued by the International
Accounting Standards Board. Therefore, they are not comparable in
all respects to financial statements of United States companies
that are prepared in accordance with United States generally
accepted accounting principles.
ADDITIONAL
DISCLOSURE
Resource and
Reserve Estimates
The Company's Annual
Information Form for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, which
is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1, has been prepared in accordance
with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada as
of December 31, 2022, which differ in certain material respects
from the disclosure requirements of United States securities laws.
The terms "mineral reserve", "proven mineral reserve" and "probable
mineral reserve" are Canadian mining terms as defined in accordance
with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure
for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the Canadian Institute of
Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the "CIM") - CIM Definition
Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by
the CIM Council, as amended. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the
Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for
all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical
information concerning mineral projects. The definitions of these
terms differ from the definitions of such terms for purposes of the
disclosure requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission").
Accordingly, information
contained and incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on
Form 40-F that describes the Company's mineral deposits may not be
comparable to similar information made public by issuers subject to
the Commission's reporting and disclosure requirements applicable
to domestic United States issuers.
Certifications
and Disclosure Regarding Controls and
Procedures.
(a) Certifications. See Exhibits
99.4, 99.5, 99.6 and 99.7 to this Annual Report on Form
40-F.
(b) Disclosure Controls and
Procedures. As of the end of the Company's fiscal year ended
December 31, 2022, an evaluation of the effectiveness of the
Company's "disclosure controls and procedures" was carried out by
the Company's management with the participation of the Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, who are the
principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the
Company, respectively. Based upon that evaluation, the Company's
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded
that as of the end of that fiscal year, as a result of the material
weakness identified during the Company's assessment of its internal
control over financial reporting, the Company's disclosure controls
and procedures are not effective to ensure that information
required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or
submits under the Exchange Act is (i) recorded, processed,
summarized and reported within the time periods specified in
Commission rules and forms and (ii) accumulated and communicated to
the Company's management, including the Chief Executive Officer and
Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding
required disclosure.
(c) Management's Annual Report on Internal
Control Over Financial Reporting.
The required disclosure
is included in "Management's Report on Internal Control Over
Financial Reporting" that accompanies the
Company's Consolidated Financial Statements for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2022, filed as Exhibit 99.3 to this Annual
Report on Form 40-F.
(d) Attestation Report of the Registered
Public Accounting Firm.
This Annual Report on
Form 40-F does not include an attestation report of the Company's
registered public accounting firm because the Company qualified as
an Emerging Growth Company pursuant to Section 2(a)(19) of the
Securities Act of 1933 during the year covered by this Annual
Report on Form 40-F, and this Annual Report is therefore not
required to include such an attestation report.
(e) Changes in Internal Control Over
Financial Reporting.
The required disclosure
is included in the "Management's Report on Internal Control Over
Financial Reporting" that accompanies the
Company's Consolidated Financial Statements for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2022, filed as Exhibit 99.3 to this Annual
Report on Form 40-F.
Notices Pursuant
to Regulation BTR.
None.
Identification of
the Audit Committee.
The Company's board of
directors has a separately-designated standing audit committee
established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange
Act. The members of the audit committee are Ken Williamson, Tara
Christie and Klaus Zeitler. The board of directors has determined
that each member of the audit committee is "independent" within the
meaning of Section 803(A) of the NYSE American Company Guide and
"financially sophisticated" within the meaning of Section 803(B) of
the NYSE American Company Guide.
Audit Committee
Financial Expert.
The Company's board of
directors has determined that Ken Williamson, a member of its audit
committee, qualifies as an "audit committee financial expert" (as
such term is defined in Form 40-F).
Code of
Ethics.
The Company has adopted a
code of business conduct (the "Code") that meets the requirements
for a "code of ethics" within the meaning of Form 40-F and that
applies to all of the Company's officers, directors and employees,
including, without limitation, its principal executive officer,
principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or
controller, and persons performing similar functions. The Code is
available for viewing on the Company's website, which may be
accessed at www.westerncopperandgold.com.
During the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2022, there was no amendment to the Code or
waiver, including an implicit waiver, from any provision of the
Code.
If any amendment to the
Code is made, or if any waiver from the provisions thereof is
granted, the Company may elect to disclose the information about
such amendment or waiver required by Form 40-F to be disclosed, by
posting such disclosure on the Company's website, which may be
accessed at www.westerncopperandgold.com.
Principal
Accountant Fees and Services.
The required disclosure
is included under the heading "Additional Information-Audit
Committee Information-External auditor service fees (by category)"
in the Company's Annual Information Form for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2022, filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this Annual Report on
Form 40-F.
Pre-Approval
Policies and Procedures.
(a) All audit, audit
related, tax and non-audit services to be performed by
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Company's independent registered
public accountant, are pre-approved by the audit committee of the
Company's board of directors. Before approval is given, the audit
committee examines the independence of the external auditor in
relation to the services to be provided and assesses the
reasonableness of the fees to be charged for such
services.
(b) Of the fees reported
under the heading "Additional Information-Audit Committee
Information-External auditor service fees (by category)" in the
Company's Annual Information Form for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2022, filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this Annual Report on
Form 40-F, none of the fees billed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
were approved by the audit committee of the Company's board of
directors pursuant to the de minimis exception provided by Section
(c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.
Off-Balance Sheet
Arrangements.
The Company does not have
any off-balance sheet arrangements.
Cash
Requirements
The required disclosure
is contained under the heading(s) LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
and CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS in the Management's Discussion and
Analysis included as Exhibit 99.2 to this Annual Report on Form
40-F.
Mine Safety
Disclosure.
Not
applicable.
Disclosure
Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions That Prevent
Inspections.
Not
applicable.
Recovery of
Erroneously Awarded Compensation
Not
applicable.
NYSE American
Statement of Governance Differences.
As a Canadian corporation
listed on the NYSE American, the Company is not required to comply
with most of the NYSE American corporate governance standards, so
long as the Company complies with Canadian corporate governance
practices. In order to claim such an exemption, however, Section
110 of the NYSE American Company Guide requires that the Company
provide to NYSE American written certification from independent
Canadian counsel that the non-complying practice is not prohibited
by Canadian law. In addition, the Company must disclose the
significant differences between its corporate governance practices
and those required to be followed by U.S. domestic issuers under
the NYSE American's corporate governance
standards.
The Company has included
a description of such significant differences in corporate
governance practices on its website: www.westerncopperandgold.com.
In addition, the Company has included a description of such
significant differences below:
Shareholder Meeting
Quorum Requirement: The NYSE American minimum quorum requirement
for a shareholder meeting is one-third of the outstanding common
shares. In addition, a company listed on NYSE American is required
to state its quorum requirement in its bylaws. The Company's quorum
requirement is set forth in its Articles and bylaws. A quorum for a
meeting of shareholders of the Company is one person of the
outstanding common shares present or represented by
proxy.
Shareholder Approval
Requirement: The Company will follow Toronto Stock Exchange rules
for shareholder approval of new issuances of its common shares.
Following Toronto Stock Exchange rules, shareholder approval is
required for certain issuances of shares that: (i) materially
affect control of the Company; or (ii) provide consideration to
insiders in aggregate of 10% or greater of the market
capitalization of the listed issuer and have not been negotiated at
arm's length. Shareholder approval is also required, pursuant to
Toronto Stock Exchange rules, in the case of private placements:
(i) for an aggregate number of listed securities issuable greater
than 25% of the number of securities of the listed issuer which are
outstanding, on a non-diluted basis, prior to the date of closing
of the transaction if the price per security is less than the
market price; or (ii) that during any six month period are to
insiders for listed securities or options, rights or other
entitlements to listed securities greater than 10% of the number of
securities of the listed issuer which are outstanding, on a
non-diluted basis, prior to the date of the closing of the first
private placement to an insider during the six month
period.
Equity Compensation Plan
Approval Requirements: Section 711 of the NYSE American's Listed
Company Guide requires shareholder approval of all equity
compensation plans and material revisions to such plans. The
definition of "equity compensation plans" covers plans that provide
for the delivery of both newly issued and treasury securities, as
well as plans that rely on securities re-acquired in the open
market by the issuing company for the purpose of redistribution to
employees and directors. The Toronto Stock Exchange rules provide
that only the creation of or certain material amendments to equity
compensation plans that provide for new issuances of securities are
subject to shareholder approval. The Company will follow the
Toronto Stock Exchange rules with respect to the requirements for
shareholder approval of equity compensation plans and material
revisions to such plans.
UNDERTAKING AND
CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS
A. Undertaking.
The Company undertakes to
make available, in person or by telephone, representatives to
respond to inquiries made by the Commission staff, and to furnish
promptly, when requested to do so by the Commission staff,
information relating to: the securities registered pursuant to Form
40-F; the securities in relation to which the obligation to file an
annual report on Form 40-F arises; or transactions in said
securities.
B. Consent
to Service of Process.
The Company has
previously filed a Form F-X in connection with the class of
securities in relation to which the obligation to file this report
arises.
Any change to the name or
address of the agent for service of process of the Company shall be
communicated promptly to the Commission by an amendment to the Form
F-X referencing the file number of the relevant registration
statement.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the
requirements of the Exchange Act, the registrant certifies that it
meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 40-F and has duly
caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on March 23,
2023.
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Western Copper
and Gold Corporation |
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By: |
/s/ Varun
Prasad |
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Name: |
Varun
Prasad |
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Title: |
Chief Financial
Officer |
EXHIBIT
INDEX
Exhibit |
Description |
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99.1 |
Annual Information Form for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2022 |
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99.2 |
Management's Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2022 |
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99.3 |
Audited Consolidated Financial Statements for
the fiscal years ended December 31, 2022 and
2021 |
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99.4 |
Certification of Chief Executive Officer
pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 |
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99.5 |
Certification of Chief Financial Officer
pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 |
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99.6 |
Certification of Chief Executive Officer
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section
906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 |
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99.7 |
Certification of Chief Financial Officer
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section
906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 |
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99.8 |
Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP |
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99.9 |
Consent of Daniel Roth P.E., P.
Eng. |
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99.10 |
Consent of Michael G. Hester,
FAusIMM |
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99.11 |
Consent of John M. Marek,
P.E. |
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99.12 |
Consent of Laurie M. Tahija,
MMSA-QP |
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99.13 |
Consent of Carl Schulze, P.
Geo. |
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99.14 |
Consent of Daniel Friedman, P.
Eng. |
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99.15 |
Consent of Scott Weston, P.
Geo. |
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101.INS |
Inline XBRL Instance
Document–the instance document does not appear in the Interactive
Data File as its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL
document |
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101.SCH |
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema
Document |