Maple Gold Reports Initial Joutel Drill Results and Adds Senior Exploration Leadership

• Drilling at the Telbel mine area returned 8.5 g/t Au over 8.0 metres and 7.6 g/t Au over 5.3 metres, with individual samples reaching up to 40.8 g/t Au (g/t Au = grams of gold per tonne of rock, the standard measure of gold grade).
• Eagle-Telbel area results include 5.3 g/t Au over 6.8 metres and 3.0 g/t Au over 6.8 metres, confirming gold continuity in shallower ground between the two historical mine shafts.
• High-grade gold mineralisation has been confirmed more than 100 metres beyond previously mined areas and remains open in multiple directions.
• The 30,000-metre drill programme is approximately 57% complete (roughly 17,000 metres across 39 holes), with a maiden Joutel mineral resource estimate and an updated Douay resource estimate both targeted for the first half of 2026.
• Pascal Lessard, a 30-year industry veteran from Glencore, Xstrata and Falconbridge, has been appointed Vice President, Exploration; Ian Cunningham-Dunlop has been promoted to Executive Vice President.

Maple Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV: MGM | OTCQX: MGMLF | FSE: M3G0) is a Canadian-based gold exploration company advancing its wholly owned, district-scale Douay/Joutel Gold Project in Québec's Abitibi Greenstone Belt. The project covers approximately 481 square kilometres along the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone and includes an established gold resource at Douay as well as the past-producing Eagle and Telbel mines at Joutel. The company also holds an exclusive option to acquire 100% of the Eagle Mine Property, a key part of the historical Joutel Mining Complex. A 55-kilometre strike length of prospective ground along the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone remains largely untested by drilling.

High-Grade Drill Results at Joutel

The Joutel Gold Project is located within the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone in Québec's Abitibi region. The project area was historically mined between 1974 and 1993 through the Eagle, Eagle West and Telbel mines, producing 1.1 million ounces of gold at an average grade of 6.5 g/t Au. Maple Gold's current drilling targets areas adjacent to and above these historical workings, where gold mineralisation had not been thoroughly tested.

In the Telbel mine area, three holes drilled 200 to 300 metres southeast of the Telbel mine shaft targeted near-mine extensions from 100 to 500 metres vertical depth. All three intersected the Main Iron Carbonate Horizon (MICH), the primary gold-hosting structure at Joutel. The standout hole, JO-25-05, returned 8.5 g/t Au over 8.0 metres, with individual half-metre samples reaching 40.8 g/t Au and 30.8 g/t Au. Hole JO-25-01 returned 7.6 g/t Au over 5.3 metres, including visible gold in a portion of core hosted within a felsic to mafic intrusive unit below the MICH, which the company has identified as a new exploration target.

In the Eagle-Telbel corridor, two holes drilled 100 metres apart and approximately 100 metres above the Eagle underground workings returned wide intersections: 3.0 g/t Au over 6.8 metres in JO-25-06, and 5.3 g/t Au over 6.8 metres in JO-25-07, the latter containing a half-metre interval grading 38.5 g/t Au. The company notes that high-grade gold mineralisation at Joutel remains open along strike and at depth, with follow-up drilling already underway at 50-metre spacings from the most productive holes

Drill Programme Progress and Resource Estimate Timeline

Maple Gold's 2026 drill programme covers up to 30,000 metres across both Douay and Joutel. As of this release, 39 holes totalling approximately 17,000 metres have been completed, representing approximately 57% of the planned programme. At Douay, drilling has focused on down-plunge extensions of the Nika, 531, Douay West and Porphyry West Zones. Additional assay results will be released on a rolling basis following quality control validation.

Two resource-related milestones are targeted for the first half of 2026: an updated mineral resource estimate for Douay and a maiden mineral resource estimate for Joutel. A mineral resource estimate is a formally verified calculation of the quantity of gold that may be present in the ground, classified by level of geological confidence. An internal scoping and engineering study is also planned concurrently. The company has additionally approved an inaugural 2,000-metre drill programme at its Morris VMS Project east of Matagami, Québec, also expected to be completed in the first half of 2026.

The total approved exploration budget for 2026 is $13.9 million, covering 32,000 metres of diamond drilling, regional sonic drilling, assaying, and operational costs. The company states this budget will be funded entirely from its existing treasury of approximately $30 million, with planning for additional 2026/27 drilling already underway.

Management Team Appointments

Pascal Lessard, P.Geo. joins as Vice President, Exploration with over 30 years of experience at Glencore, Xstrata and Falconbridge. He has managed multi-million-dollar exploration programmes across five continents, from early-stage targeting through to advanced resource definition. In his new role, he will manage daily on-site operations at Douay/Joutel, supervise contractors and staff, and oversee programme quality, schedule and safety compliance. Mr. Lessard holds a B.Sc. in Geology from the University of Montreal and brings an established network in Québec to the role.

Ian Cunningham-Dunlop, P.Eng. has been promoted to Executive Vice President from his previous position as Vice President, Technical Services, which he held since August 2024. He will continue to oversee exploration and development across the company's Québec project portfolio in addition to supporting corporate strategic objectives. Cunningham-Dunlop has experience in Archean lode gold systems across Ontario, Québec and West Africa and has held technical roles at projects including HighGold Mining's Johnson Tract, True Gold Mining's Karma mine and Barrick Gold's Eskay Creek mine, where he received the B.C. and Yukon Chamber of Mines E.A. Scholz Award.

President and CEO Kiran Patankar commented:

"Initial Joutel results demonstrate that shallow, high-grade gold mineralisation extends beyond the previously mined-out stopes, reinforcing our view that Joutel offers compelling exploration upside through targeted step-outs in areas with limited historical drilling that are proximal to existing underground workings. With the largest expansionary drill program in the Company's history well underway, we are delighted to welcome Pascal Lessard, P.Geo. as our new Vice President, Exploration and promote Ian Cunningham-Dunlop, P.Eng. to the role of Executive Vice President. Importantly, following our recently completed financing, Maple Gold's strong cash position of approximately $30 million will support aggressive exploration through 2027, positioning us to continuously execute on multiple value-driving catalysts at Douay/Joutel. All the key elements including technical depth, financial strength and strategic leadership are now in place to unlock the next phase of discovery and growth for Maple Gold."

Outlook

Maple Gold expects to deliver a maiden Joutel mineral resource estimate and an updated Douay mineral resource estimate in the first half of 2026, alongside an internal scoping and engineering study. Additional assay results from the ongoing drill programme will be released as they complete quality control review. The inaugural Morris VMS drill programme is also expected to conclude in the same period. Planning for additional drilling beyond the current programme is currently underway for 2026 and 2027.

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