North American Nickel Engages Freeform Communications Inc. for Investor Relations Services

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Jan. 18, 2012) - North American Nickel Inc. (TSX VENTURE:NAN)(OTCBB:WSCRF) (CUSIP:65704T 108) is pleased to announce that it has engaged Freeform Communications Inc., ("Freeform") of Vancouver, BC, Canada to perform corporate communications and investor relations services for the company, subject to exchange approval.

Freeform has been retained to assist the company with a strategic mix of corporate communications and investor relations services in order to increase investor awareness, and introduce the company to private investors, analysts, brokers, fund managers and newsletter writers in the global mining industry and international investment community.

North American Nickel CEO, Rick Mark, states, "We have known the Freeform principals for several years and are pleased to be working with their experienced and professional team. Following the success of our 2011 SkyTEM program on our Maniitsoq project in Greenland, the Company is making preparations for an ambitious second season of exploration activities. We believe the story of NAN's search for the world's next nickel camp in Greenland is unique among today's exploration investment opportunities and are now committing to an aggressive, multi faceted marketing plan to describe the ROI leverage NAN presents to risk taking investors."

Established in 1992, Freeform Communications Inc. is a full-service investor relations firm based in Vancouver, B.C. with over 40 years of combined experience, specializing in a full range of investor relations and capital market services. Freeform has represented a wide array of public and private clients and has assisted each in attaining their targeted goals including the raising of capital and broadening their shareholder base.

Under the terms of the company's agreement, Freeform will be paid a fee of $7,000 per month over an initial six-month term. Freeform will also be granted options to purchase 300,000 common shares of the Company. The options are exercisable for a period of five years from the date of issuance at a strike price of $0.15. The options vest over a 12-month period.

The agreement between the company and Freeform is automatically renewable for a further six months, and can be terminated by either party on 30 days written notice. The agreement between the company and Freeform and the grant of the options are subject to regulatory approval.

About North American Nickel

North American Nickel is a mineral exploration company with 100% owned properties in Maniitsoq, Greenland, Sudbury, Ontario, and the Thompson, Manitoba nickel belt. VMS Ventures Inc. (TSX VENTURE:VMS) owns ~45% of NAN.

The Maniitsoq property in Greenland is district scale project. It is a, 4,841 square km mineral exploration licence covering numerous high-grade nickel-copper sulphide occurences associated with norite and other mafic-ultramafic intrusions. The 70km plus long belt is situated along, and near, the southwest coast of Greenland, which is ice free year round.

The Post Creek/Halycon property in Sudbury is strategically located adjacent to the producing Podolsky copper-nickel-platinum group metal deposit of Quadra FNX Mining. 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 Bell Lake property in Sudbury is a 256-acre property that covers approximately one kilometre of the Mystery Offset dyke or MOD. The MOD is interpreted to be an extension of the Worthington Offset dyke which hosts the new Totten Mine of Vale and the exciting Victoria Deep deposit of Quadra FNX.

The Company has 100% ownership in the high-grade Ni-Cu-PGE South Bay property near Thompson, Manitoba and the large grassroots Thompson North and Cedar Lake properties, which are part of the world-class Thompson Nickel Belt in Manitoba.

Statements about the Company's future expectations and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts are "forward looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and as that term defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbours created thereby. Since these statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, the Company's actual results may differ materially from the expected results.