Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. has initiated field activities for its 2026 exploration program at the Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine Property in British Columbia. The program builds on technical successes from previous seasons and represents the company's most comprehensive exploration effort to date.
The property is located approximately 4 kilometers northeast of Hixon and 50 kilometers southeast of Prince George. Company personnel have mobilized to the site and are currently opening access roads and removing winter snow to ensure safe entry. Crews are preparing water lines and pump systems required to support drilling operations.
Initial drilling will continue within QGQ25-28, currently drilled to a depth of 354.19 meters and representing the northernmost drill string within the Halo zone. This drill hole is collared about 200 meters north of QGQ24-20, which previously encountered significant gold grades associated with a major fault along a northwesterly striking contact between volcanic host rocks and a black argillite unit. QGQ24-20 returned 137.17 meters of 1.55 g/t gold and 16.05 g/t silver, including higher-grade intervals of 4.29 meters of 16.43 g/t gold and 9.09 g/t silver, and 2.0 meters of 6.53 g/t gold and 957.0 g/t silver, as reported in the company's August 12, 2025 news release. Gold assays were conducted using PhotonAssay™ technology.
The company is embarking on a 7,500-meter surface diamond drilling program targeting priority zones identified through geological mapping, sampling, and structural interpretation studies. In anticipation of deeper and more technically demanding targets, Golden Cariboo is preparing to transition from NQ to HQ-sized core in the near future. This upgrade is expected to improve core recovery and provide enhanced geological information from key structural and mineralized zones.
Additional exploration activities this season will include over 1 kilometer of trenching, mapping, prospecting, geochemical sampling, ground and airborne geophysical studies, and ongoing refinement of geological models. The property's geological setting shows strong similarities with the Spanish Mountain gold deposit, situated 120 kilometers southeast along the same geological trend. As a sediment-hosted vein deposit, the Spanish Mountain deposit belongs to the epizonal orogenic subclass of gold deposits, which includes some of the world's largest deposits such as Muruntau in Uzbekistan and Bendigo in Australia.
Frank Callaghan, President and CEO of Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd., stated that the team is energized as they begin the 2026 exploration season. With road access now opened and drilling set to advance north of the Halo zone from QGQ25-28, the company is well positioned for continued success. The planned drilling program, along with trenching and other geological studies, represents significant investment in understanding the property's potential.
The technical information in the announcement has been reviewed and approved by Jean Pautler, an independent consultant and Qualified Person under NI 43-101 standards. Pautler is a Professional Geoscientist registered with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia. The company's exploration activities occur within a historically significant gold region, with over 101 placer gold creeks along the 90-kilometer trend from the Cariboo Hudson mine north to the Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine property having recorded production, with successful placer mining continuing to this day.
The property includes the Quesnelle Quartz gold-silver deposit, discovered in 1865 and developed over a footprint of about 150 meters by 150 meters at the Main zone straddling Hixon Creek. The company's website at https://www.goldencariboo.com provides additional information about their operations and exploration activities. The property is bordered by Osisko Development and located along a favorable corridor adjacent to the Spanish and Eureka thrust faults over a 94,899-hectare area.
