North American Nickel Announces Change to Board of Directors & Extension to Greenland Exploration Licenses

Vancouver, January 7, 2021 - North American Nickel Inc. (TSXV: NAN) (OTCQB: WSCRF) (CUSIP: 65704T 108) (the "Company" or "NAN") announces that Mr. Gilbert Clark has stepped down from his position as Director of the NAN Board, effective immediately. The Company would also like to announce that they have received notification from the Greenland government that the 100% owned Maniitsoq exploration licenses, located on the southwest coast of Greenland, have been extended by one year, as part of the government's initiative to reduce the industrial impact of COVID-19.

Mr. Clark has been a Director of NAN's Board since 2012. His leadership and insight have served the company very well enabling NAN to broaden our relationships with key strategic partners in the mining industry.

NAN CEO, Keith Morrison, commented: "On behalf of the NAN Board and shareholders, I would like to sincerely thank Mr. Clark for his long-term commitment and consistent contributions to the Company and wish him all the best in his future endeavours. With Mr. Clark's departure, the Board will consist of 5 members, including Charles Riopel, Douglas Ford, Keith Morrison, Christopher Messina and Zhen Janet Huang."

North American Nickel has received notification from the Greenland government that surplus assessment credits from exploration conducted on NAN's exclusive mineral exploration licenses located on the southwest coast of Greenland have been extended by one year. This development is one of the additional initiatives by the Greenland government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and include the temporary adjustment of exploration expenses in year 2021 for all mineral exploration licences to zero and the extension of the licence period for all mineral exploration licences by one year.

About North American Nickel

North American Nickel is a mineral exploration company with 100% owned properties in Maniitsoq, Greenland and Ontario, Canada. In 2019 the Company became a founding shareholder in Premium Nickel Resources ("PNR") a private Canadian company, to provide direct exposure to Ni-Cu-Co opportunities in the southern African region. PNR has submitted an Indicative Offer to acquire the assets, currently in liquidation, formerly operated by Bamangwato Concessions Limited ("BCL") in Botswana. In addition, the Company is expanding its area of exploration interest into Morocco and building a relationship with the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines ("ONHYM"), the leading resource crown corporation and the single largest permit holder in Morocco.

The Maniitsoq property in Greenland is a Camp scale permitted exploration project comprising 3,048 square km covering numerous high-grade nickel-copper + cobalt sulphide occurrences associated with norite and other mafic-ultramafic intrusions of the Greenland Norite Belt (GNB). The >75km-long belt is situated along, and near, the southwest coast of Greenland and is accessible from the existing Seqi deep water port with an all-year-round shipping season and hydroelectric power potential from a quantified watershed.

The Post Creek/Halcyon property in Sudbury is strategically located adjacent to the past producing Podolsky copper-nickel-precious metal sulphide deposit of KGHM International Ltd. The property lies along the extension of the Whistle Offset dyke structure. Such geological structures host major Ni-Cu-PGM deposits and producing mines within the Sudbury Camp.

The Company acquired 100% ownership of property near the southern extent of the Lingman Lake Greenstone Belt in northwest Ontario known as Lingman Nickel and in the Quetico region near Thunder Bay Ontario. The acquisition of these properties is part of the Company's strategy to develop a pipeline of new nickel projects. The Company is evaluating direct and indirect nickel asset acquisition opportunities globally.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Keith Morrison
Chief Executive Officer
North American Nickel Inc.

For more information contact:

North American Nickel Inc.
Jaclyn Ruptash
Corporate Communications
+1 (604) 770-4334
Toll free: 1-866-816-0118

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of the Company. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements about the ability of the Company to access capital to satisfy the fees and expenditures under the earn-in agreement, the ability of the Company to complete the expenditures under the earn-in agreement, spending commitments, the success of exploration activities, the future economics of minerals including nickel and copper, the benefits of the development potential of the properties of the Company, the benefits of drilling and advancement of projects, engagement and dialogue with First Nations groups and formalizing the scope of work. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including the risks identified in the Company's disclosure documents available at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. All forward-looking information contained in this press release is given as of the date hereof and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. Statements concerning mineral reserve and resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered if the property is developed.

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