Scandium Canada Ltd. (TSX-V: SCD) announced the launch of its 2026 diamond drilling program at the Crater Lake scandium project in Nunavik, Quebec, comprising approximately 4,000 metres of drilling. The program is primarily dedicated to collecting a representative metallurgical bulk sample throughout the defined resource, with additional drilling for resource extension at the TG Zone and exploration on the Discovery Zone. Camp mobilization has been underway since late April under Laurentia Exploration, and drilling is expected to begin in the coming weeks and continue through August 2026. In parallel, WSP will continue environmental assessment work from June to September to support the prefeasibility study.
The company allocated 75% to 80% of the planned drilling—approximately 3,000 to 3,500 metres—to collect a metallurgical test bulk sample of 8 to 10 tonnes throughout the defined resource. This bulk sample, assembled from half-diameter HQ drill core, aims to confirm grades and test deposit variability from a metallurgical standpoint, providing critical material for the feasibility study. Additionally, 15% to 20% of the drill budget (500 to 1,000 metres) targets exploratory resource augmentation drilling to test the lateral limits of the 2025 mineral resource estimate, which remains open. The remaining meterage will be allocated to shallow exploration drilling on the Discovery Zone, about 750 metres SSW along strike from the TG Zone resource.
Guy Bourassa, Chief Executive Officer, stated: "With mobilization underway at Crater Lake, this program advances several priorities at once. The bulk of the drilling is dedicated to collecting a representative metallurgical bulk sample throughout the defined resource, the key input for the metallurgical work required for a feasibility study. We will also test the lateral extensions of the TG Zone, where the deposit remains open, and drill initial exploration targets on the Discovery Zone. We expect a steady flow of news from Crater Lake as results become available this fall."
The 2026 campaign is built around three technical objectives: metallurgical bulk sample collection, resource extension, and regional exploration. The metallurgical bulk sample, approximately 3,000 to 3,500 metres depending on rock types, will be used for testwork supporting the feasibility study. Resource extension drilling of 500 to 1,000 metres will test lateral limits of the current resource, which remains open, with the objective of demonstrating potential to expand it. A limited number of shallow exploration holes will test targets on the Discovery Zone beyond the TG Zone that hosts prefeasibility work.
From June to September, WSP will continue environmental assessment work initiated in 2024, including fauna and flora inventories, fish habitat surveys, and hydrogeological and geochemical studies, all in support of the environmental assessment underpinning the prefeasibility study. Field activities are conducted from the company's existing exploration camp with a maximum of 20 people on site and no new permanent installations. Laurentia Exploration manages camp logistics and drilling, with helicopter support.
Core samples will be shipped to Laurentia's core facility for QAQC insertion before being sent to Activation Laboratories in Ancaster, Ontario, for multi-element geochemical analysis. Mineralized intervals from the bulk sample will be selected based on assay results and sent for LIBS scanning and metallurgical analysis. Assay results are expected in the fall of 2026. The scientific and technical information has been reviewed and approved by Eric Kinnan, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. The Crater Lake project hosts a mineral resource estimate within the TG Zone, as detailed in the technical report available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
