Other Items
Other items amounted to total other income of $70,607 during the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, compared to total other income of $322,087 during the three-month period ended September 30, 2022. As a result of the impact of exchange rates on certain of the Company’s U.S. dollar cash balances, the Company had a foreign exchange gain of $46,691 during the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, compared to a gain of $315,283 during the three-month period ended September 30, 2022. The average exchange rate during the three-month period ended September 30, 2023 was C$1 to $0.7457, compared to C$1 to $0.7662 during the three-month period ended September 30, 2022. Interest income was $23,916 for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, compared to $1,512 for the three-month period ended September 30, 2022. The increase of $22,404 was primarily due to short-term investment certificates being re-invested upon maturity at a higher interest rate. Other income was $nil for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, compared to $5,292 for the three-month period ended September 30, 2022.
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 compared to Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022
The Company had a net loss of $2,681,785 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, compared to a net loss of $2,209,512 for the nine months ended September 30, 2022.
Professional fees were $232,077 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to $181,729 for the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The increase of $50,348 was primarily due to timing variances for general legal services for an increase of $54,894 and audit and tax services for an increase of $6,841, partially offset by Sarbanes-Oxley Act review services, which services were not repeated during the nine months ended September 30, 2023, for a decrease of $10,007, and XBRL services, which services were not repeated during the nine months ended September 30, 2023, for a decrease of $1,380.
Travel costs were $41,490 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to $24,227 for the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The increase of $17,263 was primarily due to timing variances of actual travel.
Office costs were $22,205 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to $15,996 for the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The increase of $6,209 was primarily due to timing variances related to the replacement of computer hardware.
Excluding share-based costs of $4,847 and $7,138 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022, respectively, investor relations costs were $38,701 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to $50,364 for the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The decrease of $11,663 was primarily due to reduced utilization of investor relations services.
Excluding share-based costs of $328,651 and $320,762 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022, respectively, consulting fees were $178,885 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to $169,694 for the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The increase of $9,191 was primarily due to additional technical services for an increase of $5,000 and IT services for installation of the replacement computer hardware of $2,500.
Excluding share-based payments, all other operating expense categories reflected only moderate changes period over period.
Share-based payment charges
Share-based payment charges for the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 were allocated as follows:
| | | | | | |
Expense category: | | September 30, 2023 | | September 30, 2022 |
Consulting | | $ | 328,651 | | $ | 320,762 |
Investor relations | | | 4,847 | | | 7,138 |
Wages and benefits | | | 67,862 | | | 99,934 |
Total | | $ | 401,360 | | $ | 427,834 |
Share-based payment charges were $401,360 during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to $427,834 during the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The decrease of $26,474 was mainly the result of stock options for common shares of the Company issued to its employees and consultants on May 25, 2021 being fully vested during the three months ended September 30, 2023 for a decrease of $37,255 partially offset by the DSUs issued on May 23, 2023 being expensed at $257,553 and the DSUs issued on July 12, 2023 being expensed at $66,251 for a composite expense of $323,804 compared to the DSUs issued on May 24, 2022 being expensed at $313,023 for an increase of $10,781.