Drilling Resumes At Douay And Prepares To Commence Phase I Drilling Program At Eagle

VANCOUVER - Maple Gold Mines Ltd. reported the resumption of drilling at the Douay Gold Project in Quebec, Canada. Douay is held by a 50/50 joint venture ("JV") between the Company and Agnico Eagle Mines Limited. Drill crews are currently completing holes DO-21-314 and DO-21-319 at the Nika and 531 Zones, respectively (see news from December 14, 2021). One of the two available drill rigs will then be mobilized to commence a planned 4,000-5,000 meter ("m") Phase I drilling program at the Company's 100%-controlled Eagle Mine Property.

Matthew Hornor, President and CEO, said, "This is an exciting time for the Company as we ramp up our 2022 drilling program with two rigs currently turning at site while we await assay results from the multiple batches of samples from Fall 2021 drilling at Douay. After thoroughly compiling and studying our 3D model at Eagle, we look forward to drill testing new target concepts and completing the first diamond drilling since 2015 along this past-producing, high-grade gold trend."

Phase I drilling at Eagle is designed to extend mineralization beyond the mined-out stopes and along sub-parallel target trends that were never mined nor adequately tested, focusing initially on areas with significant grade and volume potential. The locations of proposed Phase I drill holes were determined using the Company's recently completed 3D geological and structural model along the entire past-producing, high-grade Eagle-Telbel mine trend.

This first phase of drilling will primarily target a proposed satellite mineralization trend or "shoot" to the northwest of the previously mined-out portion of the Eagle Main Shoot. Given the historical production from the Eagle Main Shoot, drilling success in this area would help validate the potential for near-mine extensions and generate new target concepts. Two subsequent phases of drilling at Eagle, which will test potential mineralization extensions at depth as well as new targets identified by a regional airborne geophysical survey that is currently underway, are planned for 2022 along with success-based follow-up drilling.

A key target area that will be tested during Phase I is highlighted by two historical intercepts that returned 10.2 g/t Au over 10.2 m (hole AE-90-30) and 9.3 g/t Au over 5.2 m (hole 7-29). Phase I drill holes in this area will begin testing a 400 m wide target concept that has little to no historical drilling and therefore represents significant grade and volume potential.

Mineralization extensions to the northwest of the mined-out stopes will also be tested at shallower depths in an area that historically had limited drill density but returned notable intercepts closer to surface, including 2.6 g/t Au over 22.9 m in hole AE-90-7 and 2.8 g/t Au over 17.5 m in hole AE-90-5, which were not followed up on historically.