Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. has commenced field activities for its 2026 exploration program at the Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine Property, located approximately 4 kilometers northeast of Hixon and 50 kilometers southeast of Prince George, British Columbia. The program builds on technical successes from previous seasons and represents the company's most comprehensive exploration efforts to date.
Company personnel have mobilized to the property 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 serving as the northernmost drill string within the Halo zone. This drill hole is collared about 200 meters north of QGQ24-20, which encountered significant mineralization associated with a major fault along a northwesterly striking contact between volcanic host rocks and a black argillite unit.
The importance of this exploration program lies in its potential to expand known mineralization zones. QGQ24-20 previously returned 137.17 meters of 1.55 g/t gold and 16.05 g/t silver, including higher-grade intervals of 4.29 meters with 16.43 g/t gold and 9.09 g/t silver, and 2.0 meters with 6.53 g/t gold and 957.0 g/t silver, as reported in the company's August 12, 2025 news release available at https://www.newmediawire.com. These results indicate the property's potential for economically significant gold and silver deposits.
Golden Cariboo 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, the company is preparing to transition from NQ to HQ-sized core, which 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, which belongs to the epizonal orogenic subclass of gold deposits that include some of the world's largest deposits.
"Our team is energized as we begin the 2026 exploration season at the Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine Property," said Frank Callaghan, President and CEO of Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. "With road access now opened and drilling set to advance north of the Halo zone from QGQ25-28, we are well positioned for continued success."
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. 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, historically part of the Cariboo Gold Rush region where placer mining continues to this day.
This exploration program matters because successful results could significantly advance understanding of the property's mineral potential and contribute to regional economic development in central British Columbia. The transition to larger core drilling indicates confidence in encountering substantial mineralization at depth, while the comprehensive approach combining multiple exploration methods increases the likelihood of discovery. For investors and the mining industry, continued positive results from this program could demonstrate the property's viability as a potential future mining operation, adding to British Columbia's mineral resource base and supporting local communities through exploration activities and potential future employment opportunities.
