Maple Gold Intersects 132 Metres of 1.58 g/t Gold in the Nika Zone at the Douay Gold Project

By: Newsfile

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 26, 2021) - Maple Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV: MGM) (OTCQB: MGMLF) (FSE: M3G) ("Maple Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to report results from the second hole of the recently completed 10,270-metre winter drill campaign at the Douay Gold Project ("Douay" or the "Project") in Quebec, Canada. Douay is held by a 50/50 joint venture (the "JV") between the Company and Agnico Eagle Mines Limited.

Highlights:

  • Drill hole DO-21-282X at the Nika Zone intersected 132 m of 1.58 g/t Au (from 185.5 m downhole), including 100.3 m of 1.76 g/t Au (from 185.5 m downhole) and 9.6 m of 5.49 g/t Au (from 247.6 m downhole). This result was within a broader envelope of mineralization that returned 195 m of 1.28 g/t Au (from 152 m downhole).
  • DO-21-282X represents by far the best intercept drilled at the Nika Zone to date.
  • Results are expected to expand existing resources at the Nika Zone, both in-pit in the area up-dip of hole DO-21-282X and below-pit as approximately 35% of the intersection is located below the 2019 RPA NI43-101 Resource Estimate ("RPA 2019") conceptual pit floor.

Matthew Hornor, President and CEO of Maple Gold, stated: "We are thrilled with these results from the JV's maiden drill campaign. Hole DO-21-282X returned one of the best grade-thickness intercepts ever encountered at Douay and is a testament to what a collaborative approach to exploration can uncover. We look forward to reporting more assays in the coming months from additional step-out and discovery drill holes completed this winter."

Fred Speidel, VP Exploration of Maple Gold, added: "This 132-metre interval at Hole DO-21-282X, which contains nearly continuous gold mineralization, is substantially longer than the original 50-metre discovery hole we intersected at Nika in 2018. Furthermore, the zone remains open in multiple directions including up-dip at shallower depth; below the current conceptual pit floor; and further along trend both to the northwest and southeast, where similar structural blocks remain undrilled. This result supports our belief that multiple existing zones at Douay host more continuous mineralization than what has been discovered to date and reinforces the expansion potential we see across the Project and land package."

Background and Interpretation of Results

Maple Gold discovered the Nika Zone in 2018 with hole DO-18-218, which returned 50 m of 1.77 g/t Au (from 297 m downhole). This discovery hole contributed to a new Nika Zone conceptual pit contiguous with an expanded NW Zone in the Company's subsequent RPA 2019 report.

Drill hole DO-21-282X, which deepened a winter 2020 hole that was cut short due to COVID-19 restrictions, targeted the southeastern continuation of mineralization in the original Nika Zone discovery hole and encountered a wider, higher grade and shallower zone of gold mineralization starting from 152 m downhole.

Key observations from DO-21-282X include:

  • Additional support for a >1-km-long northwest-southeast trending gold zone that remains sparsely drilled at its northwestern and southeastern ends;
  • Recognition that several holes previously drilled in the Nika Zone (e.g. DO-11-57; see Figures 1 and 2) may have been drilled too shallow to intersect the full width of the mineralized zone in DO-21-282X and require depth extension;
  • The existing RPA 2019 block model includes a limited amount of mineralization grading >0.45 g/t Au (base case cut-off grade) defined at shallow depths, including up-dip of DO-21-282X; results for DO-21-282X are indicative of a broader zone of shallow mineralization (see Figure 2);
  • The immediate DO-21-282X area forms part of a coherent structural block south of the Casa Berardi North fault (reference Lithotectonic Boundary in Figure 1 below), underlain by closely intermixed syenite and basalt containing sulphide mineralization and gold closely associated with crackle and hydrothermal breccias (See Plates 1-3 for drill core photographs);
  • Several areas with similar magnetic/structural characteristics remain undrilled or sparsely drilled, providing an opportunity to define high-potential drill targets both within and beyond the current >1 km strike extent of the Nika Zone; and
  • Results support current geological and structural interpretations that link the Nika Zone mineralization to the western part of the Porphyry Zone (see Figure 1).

Based on these observations, the JV has defined additional step-out target areas in the Nika Zone for drilling in upcoming campaigns (see Target Areas in Figure 1). Structural relogging and interpretation of petrophysical and geochemical analyses is also ongoing. Data from this work will feed into a more detailed reinterpretation of the Nika Zone for the purpose of additional targeting.

Additional assay results from the winter 2021 drill campaign will be released on a periodic basis over the coming months once they are received and interpreted.

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Figure 1: Simplified structural analysis of the Nika area on First Vertical derivative airborne magnetics. Note numerous target areas on NW and SE extension of Nika Zone as currently defined. Dashed green line represents lithotectonic boundary between the Cartwright Hills volcanics to the south and Taibi Group sediments to the north.

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Figure 2: N-S cross section looking west, 25m corridor either side, showing >0.45 g/t Au blocks from RPA 2019 model. Blocks >1 g/t Au highlighted in red. Possible interpretation of DO-21-282X mineralized zone outlined with red dashes - in this interpretation the distribution of >0.45 g/t Au blocks could be expanded up-dip within-pit and down-dip below pit based on results from DO-21-282X.

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Figure 3: NW-SE long section (i.e. looking NE), 40 m corridor either side, showing >0.45 g/t Au blocks from RPA 2019 model. Blocks >1 g/t Au highlighted in red, which will clearly expand by including results from DO-21- 282X. Within the NW-SE corridor shown in Fig. 1, as is typically the case higher grade shoots will be present. This section shows that these shoots generally plunge moderately to the SE; however, (as is also the case at the Douay West Zone) perpendicular plunges (red arrow) reflecting structural intersections are also possible.

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Table 1: Summary of intercepts in DO-21-282X.

Hole UTME UTMN Azimuth Plunge Length (m)From To Interval Uncapped Au g/t
DO-20-282X 705259 5491562 358 -59 503.4 152.0 347.0 195.0 1.28
including           152.0 185.5 33.5 0.59
including           153.0 157.0 4.0 1.22
including           165.0 169.2 4.2 1.36
including           185.5 318.0 132.5 1.58
including           185.5 285.8 100.3 1.76
Including           217.5 229.5 12.0 2.11
including           247.6 257.2 9.6 5.49
including           255.5 256.2 0.7 17.40
including           290.8 293.8 3.0 4.67
including           318.0 347.0 29.0 0.74
including           326.6 346.0 19.4 1.01
DO-21-282X           355.6 356.6 1.0 4.13
DO-21-282X           471.4 473.6 2.2 1.21

* All reported assays are uncapped and downhole core lengths. True widths are estimated to be approximately 70-90% of downhole lengths.

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Plate 1: Microbreccia with abundant sulfide and mostly disrupted dark purple fluorite veinlets, at 186.5 m downhole. Part of sample grading 8.53 g/t Au near top of interval reported. Core sample is 47.6 mm across.

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Plate 2: Crackle-breccia in syenite, with chlorite-sericite pyrite overprint, cut by later dark purple fluorite veinlets, at 209.5 m. Part of interval grading 2.16 g/t Au. Approximately 20 mm top to bottom.

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Plate 3: Highly fractured syenite overprinted by pyrite-sericite veinlets and patches at 256 m downhole, part of sample grading 17.4 g/t Au (highest grade sample from DO-21-282X). Approximately 20 mm top to bottom.

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Qualified Person

The scientific and technical data contained in this press release was reviewed and prepared under the supervision of Fred Speidel, M. Sc., P. Geo., Vice-President Exploration of Maple Gold. Mr. Speidel is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Speidel has verified the data related to the exploration information disclosed in this press release through his direct participation in the work.

Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC)

The JV implements strict Quality Assurance ("QA") and Quality Control ("QC") protocols at Douay covering the planning and placing of drill holes in the field; drilling and retrieving the NQ-sized drill core; drillhole surveying; core transport to the Douay Camp; core logging by qualified personnel; sampling and bagging of core for analysis; transport of core from site to the Val-d'Or, QC, SGS laboratory; sample preparation for assaying; and analysis, recording and final statistical vetting of results. For a complete description of protocols, please visit the Company's QA/QC webpage at www.maplegoldmines.com.

About Maple Gold

Maple Gold Mines Ltd. is a Canadian advanced exploration company in a 50/50 joint venture with Agnico Eagle Mines Limited to jointly advance the district-scale Douay and Joutel gold projects located in Quebec's prolific Abitibi Greenstone Gold Belt. The projects benefits from exceptional infrastructure access and boasts ~400 km2 of highly prospective ground including an established gold resource (RPA 2019) that holds significant expansion potential as well as the past-producing Telbel mine.

The property also hosts a significant number of regional exploration targets along a 55 km strike length of the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone that have yet to be tested through drilling, making the project ripe for new gold and polymetallic discoveries. The Company is well capitalized and is currently focused on carrying out exploration and drill programs to grow resources and make new discoveries to establish an exciting new gold district in the heart of the Abitibi. For more information, please visit www.maplegoldmines.com.

ON BEHALF OF MAPLE GOLD MINES LTD.

"Matthew Hornor"

B. Matthew Hornor, President & CEO

For Further Information Please Contact:

Shirley Anthony
Director, Corporate Communications
Cell: 778.999.2771
Email: santhony@maplegoldmines.com

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PRESS RELEASE.

Forward Looking Statements:
This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively referred to as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation in Canada, including statements about exploration work and results from current and future work programs. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, uncertainties and management's best estimate of future events. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations and projections. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Maple Gold Mines Ltd.'s filings with Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com or the Company's website at www.maplegoldmines.com. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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