West Red Lake Gold Bolsters Mine Operations with Hayley Halsall-Whitney as VP Operations

West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV: WRLG) (OTCQB: WRLGF) has strengthened its mine operations team with the appointment of Hayley Halsall-Whitney as Vice President Operations. Ms. Halsall-Whitney brings over 20 years of experience driving operational excellence at Canadian mining operations, most recently serving as General Manager at Wesdome Gold Mines' Eagle River Mine from 2020 to 2024.



During her tenure at Eagle River, Ms. Halsall-Whitney led the operation to record production in 2021 by focusing on various facets of the mine complex, including health & safety, environmental & tailings, maintenance, electrical, human resources, technical services, and finance departments. She also delivered the first block model and Life of Mine update since mine startup, increasing reserve and resource grades, decreasing cash costs, and implementing disciplined approaches to capital deployment, supply chain governance, and contract negotiation.

Ms. Halsall-Whitney's extensive experience and proven ability to optimize mining operations will be invaluable in ensuring the smooth startup and reliable, optimized operations of West Red Lake Gold's Madsen Mine. Her appointment is expected to accelerate the restart timeline for the Madsen Mine in 2025, as she focuses on operational excellence, safety initiatives, and cost optimization.

West Red Lake Gold's Madsen Mine is a significant asset in the prolific Red Lake Gold District of Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The mine has the potential to produce high-grade gold from its underground operations, and Ms. Halsall-Whitney's expertise will be crucial in unlocking the full potential of this asset.

In addition to her operational experience, Ms. Halsall-Whitney holds a BA in Political Science and Philosophy from Concordia University, a BASc and MSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Ottawa, an EMBA from the Kellogg-Schulich School of Management, and has completed the Advanced Management Program at Wharton Business School. She is also a Professional Engineer and a member of the CIM, a Fellow of the SAIMM, and a registered professional engineer in the province of British Columbia.

West Red Lake Gold's President and CEO, Shane Williams, expressed his delight in welcoming Ms. Halsall-Whitney to the organization. With bulk sample mining underway, two-thirds of planned operations staff in place, and first production targeted for mid-2025, the Madsen Mine is at a critical point where an experienced leader focused on optimizing all aspects of underground mining is essential. Ms. Halsall-Whitney's appointment is a testament to the quality of West Red Lake Gold's assets and the future vision for the Company.

West Red Lake Gold's Rowan Property, located adjacent to the Madsen Mine, hosts a National Instrument 43-101 inferred mineral resource of 2,790,700 tonnes at an average grade of 9.2 grams per tonne Au containing 827,462 ounces of gold with a cut-off grade of 3.8 grams per tonne Au. The inferred resource is located in the area of the historic underground Rowan Mine site and situated within a 1.8-kilometer strike length portion of the regional scale Pipestone Bay St Paul Deformation Zone.

West Red Lake Gold is committed to advancing and developing its flagship Madsen Gold Mine and the associated 47 km2 highly prospective land package in the Red Lake district of Ontario. The Company's strategic path forward includes a 35,000-meter drill program at the Rowan Property, a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) on the entire portfolio of Properties by Q2 2024, and an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) at Rowan by Q4 2024. The Company is also planning a 3,000-meter drill program at the Wedge deposit, a 3,200-meter underground development program at Madsen, and a connecting ramp between the East and West declines at Madsen to increase waste hauling capacity and reduce operating costs.

West Red Lake Gold's strategic initiatives and the appointment of Ms. Halsall-Whitney as Vice President Operations position the Company well to put the Madsen Mine back into production in 2025 and continue to unlock significant value for its shareholders.