No. The official program leads, after vetting and a gift, to the EB-1 or EB-2 immigrant categories subject to their eligibility and visa availability. It provides no interim work status, so TN must be maintained until permanent residence is actually granted.
The gift starts a residence path; it does not create a status
The official FAQ, as checked September 7, 2026, sets out a sequence: a nonrefundable US$15,000 processing fee per person, vetting, then a US$1 million gift for an individual applicant, and progression through EB-1 or EB-2 subject to those categories' requirements, admissibility and visa availability. Nowhere in that sequence is a nonimmigrant status that permits work while the process runs. Hypothetical example: the South Frontenac architect's TN admission expires in fourteen months; if he applies for the Gold Card and lets TN lapse, he has no authorization to work for his employer and no basis for admission, whatever stage his residence file has reached.
He should renew TN as usual, keep each admission documented, and treat the Gold Card as a separate permanent-residence track. He should also confirm, on his own record, that he meets an EB-1 or EB-2 category, since the official material makes residence subject to those rules rather than to the gift alone. Anything a promoter says beyond the official page should be treated as unverified.