Gladiator receives exploration permit for Whitehorse

Executive Summary

• Gladiator Metals Corp. has received a Class 3 quartz exploration permit from the government of Yukon for its Whitehorse copper project, following a positive recommendation from the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB).
• The Class 3 permit, valid for five years, allows for rapid resource definition, expansion, and new discoveries along the high-grade Whitehorse copper belt, including access to targets previously restricted under the Class 1 permit.
• The company plans to conduct over 40,000 metres of drilling in 2026, targeting the Cowley and Cub East prospects, with the goal of reporting a maiden NI 43-101 compliant inferred resource for Cowley by the end of 2026.

Key Details

• Permit Details: Class 3 quartz exploration permit granted by the government of Yukon.
• Regulatory Approval: Granted following a positive recommendation from the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB).
• Stakeholder Engagement: Positive consultation received from Kwanlin Dun First Nation, Ta'an Kwach'an Council, and the Whitehorse community.
• Permit Scope: Allows for rapid resource definition, resource expansion, and new discoveries along the high-grade Whitehorse copper belt.
• Drilling Plans (2026):
  • Greater than 40,000 metres of drilling planned.
  • Initial focus on near-term, high-grade copper skarn resources prospects, specifically the Cowley prospect and the recently discovered Cub East prospect.
  • Later in the year, focus will shift to known mineralized areas adjacent to previous operating mines, including the Chiefs and Arctic Chief-Best Chance trends.
• Resource Target: Targeting to report a maiden high-grade copper National Instrument 43-101-compliant inferred resource for the Cowley prospect in 2026 upon completion of Class 3 delineation drilling.
• Project Location: Western margin of Whitehorse city, Yukon; part of a 35-kilometre-long high-grade copper belt.
• Historical Production (1967–1982):
  • Main production era at the Little Chief deposit.
  • Total production: 267.5 million pounds copper, 225,000 ounces gold, and 2,838,000 ounces silver.
  • Milled material: 10.5 million tons.
  • Grade: 1.5% copper plus 0.75 g/t gold.
• Infrastructure: Accessible via South Klondike Highway and Alaska Highway; extensive network of historical gravel exploration and haul roads; access to existing electric power facilities via the main Yukon power grid.
• Key Investors: Dynamic, Mackenzie, Macquarie Bank, and Orimco.

Notable Quotes

• Jason Bontempo, CEO: "We're absolutely thrilled to have received the Class 3 permit after a positive and constructive YESAB assessment process. This authorization empowers us to access high-priority targets in the Whitehorse copper belt not previously accessible under the Class 1 permit and access for systematic drilling to rapidly deliver high-grade copper resources inventories."
• Jason Bontempo, CEO: "The future is looking incredibly bright for Gladiator and the Whitehorse copper project which has the potential to be a multidecade intergenerational project once again for the city of Whitehorse."