Nickel North samples 1.3 m of 2.22% Cu at Hawk Ridge

Mr. Tony Guo reports NICKEL NORTH REPORTS HIGH-GRADE COPPER (2.22% CU OVER 1.3 M) AND NEW GOLD INTERCEPTS (UP TO 1.51 G/T AU) FROM RE-ASSAYS AT HAWK RIDGE COPPER-NICKEL-PGE-GOLD PROJECT, QUEBEC Nickel North Exploration Corp. has released assay results from the relogging and resampling of historical drill core at its 100-per-cent-owned Hawk Ridge copper/nickel/platinum group element/gold project in Nunavik, Northern Quebec. The results confirm the historical copper and nickel assays and, for the first time on most of these holes, provide platinum, palladium, gold, copper, nickel, cobalt, iron and sulphur values. A total of 153 core samples over 194-metre length, were taken from nine drill holes: HR 96-12, HR 96-13 and HR 96-29 at the Hopes Advance Main and North zones; HR 96-53 and HR 97-100 at the Schindler zone; HR 96-92 at the Pio North zone; HR 12-07 and HR 13-14 at the Hopes Advance Main zone; and HR 13-08 at the Bay and Fold target. The 1996 and 1997 holes were drilled by a previous operator, Troymin Resources Ltd.; the 2012 and 2013 holes were drilled by Nickel North. The core was relogged, resampled and assayed at Agat Laboratories (Calgary, Alta.), an accredited laboratory independent of the company, by fire assay with ICP-OES finish for gold, platinum and palladium (trace-level package) and by four-acid digestion with ICP-OES finish for the multielement package. The program provides measured platinum, palladium, gold, copper, nickel, cobalt, iron and sulphur values on intervals where the 2023 mineral resource estimate relied on regressed values and forms part of the data preparation for a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) report of the Hawk Ridge project. Highlights: Thick copper mineralization at Hopes Advance Main: HR 96-12 (Hopes Advance Main) yielded 23.4 metres grading 0.58 per cent Cu, 0.21 per cent Ni, 0.27 gram per tonne Pd+Pt (palladium plus platinum) and 0.04 g/t Au from 61.0 m to 84.4 m. The 1996 assays over the same interval returned 0.56 per cent Cu and 0.21 per cent Ni; platinum, palladium and gold were not assayed in 1996. High-grade copper within a broad zone: HR 97-100 (Gamma-Schindler) resulted in 19.3 m grading 0.60 per cent Cu, 0.22 per cent Ni, 0.48 g/t Pd+Pt and 0.05 g/t Au from 208.0 m to 227.3 m, including 1.3 m grading 2.22 per cent Cu, 0.22 per cent Ni, 4.17 g/t Pd+Pt and 0.17 g/t Au from 208.0 m to 209.3 m. The 1997 assays over the same 19.3-metre interval returned 0.78 per cent Cu and 0.29 per cent Ni; platinum, palladium and gold were not assayed in 1997. The 4.17 g/t Pd+Pt sample is the highest combined platinum-palladium value recorded from all drill core at Hawk Ridge to date. New gold intercept at Pio North: HR 96-92 (Pio North) resulted in a new gold intercept of 2.0 m grading 0.96 g/t Au from 89.6 m to 91.6 m, including 1.0 m grading 1.51 g/t Au, hosted in massive pyrrhotite (approximately 20 per cent iron, greater than 10 per cent sulphur) with 0.08 per cent Cu and 0.03 per cent Ni. Gold was not assayed on this hole in 1996. Across all nine holes, the 2026 copper and nickel results reproduce the historical assays within the range expected for resampling of split historical core, confirming the reliability of the historical database. Tony Guo, PGeo, chief executive officer of Nickel North, commented: "These results achieve two key objectives: they validate historical copper and nickel assays at Hawk Ridge, and they introduce new measured platinum, palladium and gold values, with PGE up to 4.17 g/t and gold up to 1.51 g/t, on intervals where those metals had never been assayed. Much of the core resampled in this program was drilled in the decades ago, when gold, platinum and palladium were not assayed on many of these intervals. Modern assaying has now given us measured values up to 4.17 g/t Pd+Pt and 1.51 g/t Au, alongside 2.22 per cent Cu over 1.3 m, where our 2022 mineral resource estimate relied on regressed values. With copper and gold prices well above previous levels, we believe this strengthens the case for updating the MRE and advancing the project toward a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) at Hawk Ridge." Sampling, analysis and quality assurance/quality control Historical drill core from the Hawk Ridge project has been stored on site at Hawk Ridge since the original drilling campaigns and is in pretty well condition. As part of the 2026 program, project geologists identified each drill hole by ID, depth and interval and conducted updated geological and structural core logging. Following logging, the core was systematically resampled at intervals ranging from 1.0 metre to 1.5 metres. Each individual core sample was placed in a clear poly bag accompanied by a unique lab waterproof sample tag and subsequently packed into heavy-duty rice bags, with approximately 15 sample bags per rice bag, for secure transport. Strict chain-of-custody protocols were maintained by the project geologist throughout transport. All sample batches were shipped by air cargo and submitted directly to Agat Laboratories in Montreal, Que. During the analytical process, a rigorous QA/QC program was applied, including the insertion of repeats and duplicates. Certified reference materials (CRMs) including OREAS 85, OREAS 243 and OREAS 264 were inserted into the sample stream to evaluate laboratory accuracy and precision. QA/QC review confirmed that all standard and duplicate performance met acceptable industry standards for data verification and resource modelling. Reported intervals are drill-hole lengths; true thicknesses have not been determined. Composite grades are length-weighted averages of the individual samples. Values reported by the laboratory above the upper detection limit for sulphur (10 per cent) have been assigned the limit value in the composites. Pd+Pt is the arithmetic sum of palladium and platinum grades. Table 1: Selected 2026 reassay results, Hawk Ridge project Qualified person The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by John Guo, PGeo (OGQ), an independent consulting geologist with Eco-Goldex Inc. and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Nickel North Exploration Corp. Nickel North Exploration is a Canadian exploration company focused on defining a copper/nickel/cobalt/PGE mineral resource at its Hawk Ridge project in Nunavik, Northern Quebec. The property covers 179.67 square kilometres along a 50-kilometre belt of magmatic copper/nickel/cobalt/PGE sulphide occurrences near tidewater. Quebec is a globally recognized, mining-friendly jurisdiction. Nickel North maintains strong, positive relations with local Inuit communities and is committed to sustainable, collaborative mineral development. In 2021, Nickel North was recognized as a participant in the critical and strategic minerals value chain by the Quebec Ministry of Economy and Innovation under the Quebec Plan for the Development of Critical and Strategic Minerals 2020-2025. We seek Safe Harbor.