Maple Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX-V: MGM) (OTCQX: MGMLF) (FSE: M3G0)  announced additional assay results from seven drill holes completed during its ongoing, fully-funded 30,000-metre winter drill campaign at its 100%-owned Douay Gold Project and Joutel Gold Project located along the Casa Berardi-Douay Gold Trend in Québec, Canada.

Highlights

• Drill hole JO-26-11 returned two high-grade gold intervals including 17.9 grams per tonne of gold over 3.9 m within 8.6 g/t Au over 10.4 m and 16.9 g/t Au over 3.3 m within 3.8 g/t Au over 17.1 m, located approximately 50 m above the Telbel Mine workings.
• JO-26-11 gold intercepts are located approximately 50 m below previously reported drill hole JO-25-05, which returned 8.5 g/t Au over 8.0 m (see news release dated February 26, 2026).
• In the Eagle Mine area, drill hole EM-26-19 returned two (2) intervals including 2.1 g/t Au over 12.9 m and 1.4 g/t Au over 17.0 m and drill hole EM-26-20 returned 1.1 g/t Au over 13.7 m.
• Current drilling at Joutel has extended high-grade gold mineralization up to 450 m beyond the historical Eagle-Telbel underground workings and the system remains open in multiple directions.
• Maiden Joutel mineral resource estimate, excluding current drilling, remains on track for delivery in H1 2026.
• Including the seven holes reported today, the Company has now reported drill results for a total of 14 holes (~6,800 m) out of 48 holes (~21,800 m) completed to date as part of the Program, with additional drilling planned in 2026.

“These latest results continue to build confidence in the scale, continuity and grade of the gold system at Joutel,” stated Kiran Patankar, President and CEO of Maple Gold. “Multiple step-out holes in this first drilling phase have now returned thick, high-grade gold intercepts at shallow depths within the primary stratigraphic target proximal to existing underground infrastructure, highlighting the opportunity for significant near-mine resource additions. Drilling is also delivering key geological insights to validate and expand our model as we look to extend known gold mineralization beyond the historically mined-out stopes from a high-grade, past-producing gold mine complex that has seen limited modern exploration since operations ceased during a low gold price environment in 1993.”

Discussion of Joutel Drilling Results

Results reported today include seven (7) additional diamond drill holes designed to test shallow areas with limited drilling between, and along strike from, the historical Eagle and Telbel gold mines at Joutel (Figures 1 and 2). These holes are part of an ongoing strategy to target interpreted zones of high-grade gold mineralization projected up-plunge and along strike from previously mined-out stopes within a geologically favourable stratigraphic host unit termed the Main Iron Carbonate Horizon. The Eagle, Eagle West and Telbel gold mines produced 1.1 million ounces of gold at an average grade of 6.5 g/t Au from the MICH between 1974 and 1993¹.

The Joutel Mine Complex lies along the southern branch of the regional Casa Berardi Deformation Zone, a major gold-bearing structure in the prolific Abitibi Greenstone Belt. Mineralization is hosted within the uppermost cycle of the Joutel volcanic complex, which includes a thick rhyodacitic to dacitic pyroclastic footwall unit overlain by interbedded clastic and chemical sedimentary rocks, felsic pyroclastics, and mafic flows. Within the Mine Sequence, the continuous MICH horizon, with strong iron carbonate alteration and veining, hosts the bulk of historical gold production. The Mine Sequence is also cut by two significant, late east-northeast to northeast-trending Proterozoic diabase dykes (Figures 1 and 2).

Gold mineralization at Joutel is typically hosted within semi-massive pyrite-quartz-ankerite-siderite-carbonate horizons (like the MICH) cut by quartz and quartz-dolomite veins and veinlets. The MICH trends southeast at 130° azimuth and dips sub-vertically. Both the Eagle and Telbel mines host higher-grade ‘shoots’ that show primary plunges of 55° to 60° to the southeast, consistent with the regional plunge lineation. A secondary shallower westerly plunge has also been noted, orthogonal to the primary plunge. The MICH is the primary exploration target at Joutel, along strike, up- and down-dip, and up- and down-plunge of known high-grade mineralization. Sub-parallel carbonate horizons are secondary exploration targets.

Details of the seven reported drill holes are further described below:

1. Telbel Mine area: Four drill holes were completed over a 450 m strike length (250 m northwest and 200 m southeast of the Telbel Mine shaft) to target the interpreted up-plunge projections of high-grade mineralization into shallower areas of the Telbel Mine with limited drilling. Drill holes JO-25-08, JO-25-09, and JO-25-10 tested the area northwest of the Telbel Mine, while drill hole JO-26-11 was designed to follow-up 50 m below drill hole JO-25-05 which returned 8.5 g/t Au over 8.0 m within the MICH horizon, approximately 100 m above the Telbel Mine workings. The results from drill hole JO-26-11 were very encouraging with two zones of sulphide-rich hydrothermal breccia overlying semi-massive pyrite beds with highlights below:

• • 8.6 g/t Au over 10.4 m, in DDH JO-26-11, including
    • 17.9 g/t Au over 3.9 m, and including
      • 25.4 g/t Au over 1.2 m, AND
  • 3.8 g/t Au over 17.1 m, in DDH JO-26-11, including
    • 16.9 g/t Au over 3.3 m, including

• • • • 34.3 g/t Au over 0.5 m

The three drill holes, JO-25-08, JO-25-09 and JO-25-10, drilled northwest of the Telbel mine shaft, all intersected the MICH horizon at varying depths and returned:

• • 4.1 g/t Au over 3.0 m, in DDH JO-25-09, including
    • 10.8 g/t Au over 1.0 m, including
  • 2.9 g/t Au over 3.3 m, in DDH JO-25-10, including
    • 7.7 g/t Au over 1.2 m
  • 1.0 g/t Au over 3.4 m, in DDH JO-25-08, including
    • 2.1 g/t Au over 0.9 m

1. Eagle Mine area: Three (3) drill holes targeted near-mine extensions immediately northwest of the Eagle mine underground workings in an area of limited drilling. The first hole, EM-25-18, deviated and intersected the underground workings and was abandoned. Two follow-up drill holes, EM-26-19 and EM-26-20, successfully hit the MICH horizon 50 m beyond the mined-out stopes and returned:

• • 2.1 g/t Au over 12.9 m, in DDH EM-26-19, including
    • 4.3 g/t Au over 2.3 m, AND
  • 1.4 g/t Au over 17.0 m, in DDH EM-26-19, including
    • 2.8 g/t Au over 4.5 m
  • 1.1 g/t Au over 13.7 m, in DDH EM-26-20, including
    • 3.3 g/t Au over 1.7 m

Key findings of the Company’s Joutel drilling to date include:

1. Successful demonstration that the known MICH-hosted gold mineralization extends well beyond the historic Eagle-Telbel mine underground workings.
2. The gold mineralization is associated with a zone of hydrothermal breccia hosted by felsic tuff underlain by the MICH and then well bedded, semi-massive pyrite mineralization.
3. Anomalous gold is present locally within the hanging wall felsic tuff sequence and a continuous microgabbro intrusive within the footwall sequence often carries gold grades > 1 g/t Au.
4. Four of the drill holes (JO-25-01, JO-25-05, JO-25-07 and JO-26-11) have returned seven individual assays greater than 20.0 g/t Au with a high of 40.8 g/t Au over 0.5 m in drill hole JO-25-05 and the first occurrence of visible gold in this Program in drill hole JO-25-01 (25.4 g/t Au over 1.5 m).
5. The strength and continuity of the gold mineralization at Joutel is very encouraging and the system remains open in multiple directions with strong potential for expansion through follow-up drilling.

Details of DDH locations can be found in Figures 1, 2 and 3 with significant assay highlights in Table 1.

The Company has completed 19 drill holes to date at Joutel totaling ~9,700 m of the approved 10,000-m Joutel program. Assays have now been reported for 14 drill holes.

Figure 1: Plan view map of the Eagle-Telbel Area highlighting the MICH Horizon, Drill Target Areas, and 2025-2026 Completed Drill Holes

Figure 2: Joutel longitudinal section with Eagle-Telbel Underground Workings & Mined-Out Stopes (in grey) and 2025-2026 Completed Drill Holes with Significant Assay Results. Looking Northeast.

Figure 3: Joutel DDH Cross-Section – Telbel Mine East – Drill Holes JO-25-01, JO-25-03, JO-25-05 and JO-26-11 with Significant Assay Results. Looking West.

Table 1: Joutel Winter Drill Program – Significant Assay Results

Table 1: Joutel Winter Drill Program – Significant Assay Results (Continued)

Table 1: Joutel Winter Drill Program – Significant Assay Results (Continued)

2026 Winter Program Update

The Company has completed 48 drill holes totaling ~21,800 m as part of its ongoing 30,000-m Douay/Joutel Program, with approximately 73% of the Program now complete. At Douay, drilling has focused on testing of the down-plunge extensions of the higher-grade Nika, 531, Douay West, and Porphyry West Zones. At Joutel, drilling is following-up on encouraging results from drill holes JO-25-01, JO-25-05, JO-25-06 and JO-25-07 with 50-m-spaced step-out drill holes. Additional assay results will be reported as they are received, following QA/QC validation.

Concurrent development initiatives are anticipated throughout 2026 to advance and de-risk the Douay and Joutel Gold Projects, including an updated Douay MRE and an initial Joutel MRE expected in H1 2026 as well as an internal scoping/engineering study.

The Company has also approved an inaugural 2,000 m diamond drill program at its Morris VMS Project, east of Matagami, Quebec, expected to be completed in H1 2026, to evaluate prospective stratigraphy known to host the Matagami VMS deposits and mines.

A total exploration budget of $13.9 million has been approved for 2026, including permitting, 32,000 m of diamond drilling, regional sonic drilling, assaying, personnel, camp, and site support costs. This work will be fully funded from Maple Gold’s existing $30 million treasury. Planning for expanded 2026 and 2027 exploration programs is currently underway.

Additional Notes

Starting azimuth, dip and final length (Azimuth/Dip/Length (m)) for the seven (7) drill holes reported in this news release are noted as follows: JO-25-08 (039/55/600), JO-25-09 (040/45/390), JO-25-10 (040/55/273), JO-26-11 (038/45/303), EM-25-18 (039/67/714), EM-26-19 (040/45/393), and EM-26-20 (040/47/420).

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

The Company implements strict Quality Assurance and Quality Control protocols at Joutel covering the planning and placing of drill holes in the field, drilling and retrieving the NQ-sized drill core, drill hole surveying, core transport, core logging by qualified personnel, sampling and bagging of ½ cut drill core for analysis, and the transport of samples from site to commercial laboratories for analysis.

All core drilling conducted by the Company is oriented. Samples of drill core were cut by a diamond blade rock saw, with half of the cut core placed in individual sealed polyurethane bags and half placed back in the original core box for permanent storage at the Douay site. Sample lengths typically vary from a minimum 0.3-m interval to a maximum 1.5-m interval, with an average 0.5 to 1.0-m sample length. Drill core samples were delivered by truck in sealed woven plastic bags to ALS Geochemistry laboratory facility in Val-d’Or, Quebec for sample preparation with final analysis at ALS Geochemistry Analytical Lab facility in North Vancouver, BC. for the fire assay fusion method and induced coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. ALS Geochemistry operate meeting all requirements of International Standards ISO/IE 17025:2017 and ISO 9001:2015.

Drill core samples were crushed to 70% passing 2mm, then a representative split is taken and pulverized to 85% passing 75μm. Gold was determined by the fire-assay fusion method (Au-AA24) of a 50-gram sub-sample with atomic absorption spectroscopy. Samples that returned values >5 ppm gold from fire assay and AAS were determined by using fire assay and a gravimetric finish. Various metals including silver, gold, copper, lead and zinc were analyzed by ICP mass spectroscopy (ME-MS41), following aqua regia digestion.

All ALS Geochemistry sites operate under a single Global Geochemistry Quality Manual that complies with ISO/IEC 17025:2017. ALS Geochemistry follows the quality management and operational guidelines set out in the international standards ISO/IEC 17025 – “General Requirement for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories” and ISO 9001 – “Quality Management Systems”.

Qualified Person

Ian Cunningham-Dunlop, P.Eng. (PGO/EGBC/OGQ), Executive Vice President of Maple Gold, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information related to exploration and Mineral Resource matters contained in this news release. Mr. Cunningham-Dunlop is a Qualified Person as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About the Douay/Joutel Gold Project

The Douay/Joutel Gold Project is located adjacent to Highway 109 in the heart of Québec’s Abitibi greenstone belt, Canada’s premier gold mining jurisdiction. This large, 100%-owned land package includes the Company’s flagship Douay Gold Project, which hosts an established mineral resource² containing 511,000 ounces of gold (Indicated) and 2.53 million ounces of gold (Inferred), as well as the past-producing, high-grade Joutel Mine Complex¹. The Property contains ~481 square kilometers of highly prospective geology within the influence of the major gold-bearing Casa Berardi Deformation Zone. Gold mines in the immediate region include the Casa Berardi Gold Mine, recently acquired by Orezone Gold Corporation from Hecla Mining Company, and the Detour Lake Gold Mine operated by Agnico Eagle Mines Limited.

About Maple Gold

Maple Gold Mines Ltd. is a well-funded Canadian gold exploration company focused on advancing its 100%-owned, district-scale Douay/Joutel Gold Project located in Québec’s prolific Abitibi Greenstone Gold Belt. Douay/Joutel benefits from exceptional infrastructure access and boasts ~481 square kilometers of highly prospective ground including an established gold mineral resource at Douay with significant expansion potential as well as the past-producing Telbel and Eagle West mines at Joutel. In addition, the Company holds an exclusive option to acquire 100% of the Eagle Mine Property, a key part of the historical Joutel Mining Complex.

Maple Gold’s property package also hosts a significant number of regional exploration targets along a 55-kilometer strike length of the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone that have yet to be tested through drilling, making the property ripe for new gold and VMS discoveries. The Company is currently focused on carrying out exploration and drill programs to grow mineral resources and make new discoveries to establish an exciting new gold district in the heart of the Abitibi.