Westhaven Appoints Senior Leaders in Indigenous, Community Relations and Permitting
Westhaven Appoints Senior Leaders in Indigenous, Community Relations and
Permitting
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 02, 2026 -- Westhaven Gold Corp. (TSX-V: WHN) (OTCQB:
WTHVF) (“Westhaven” or the “ Company”) announces the appointments of Allison Rippin Armstrong as Vice President,
Indigenous and Community Relations, and Pamela O’Hara as Vice President, Permitting and Government Affairs, effective
April 1, 2026.
Ken Armstrong, President and Chief Executive Officer of Westhaven, commented, "I am pleased to welcome Allison and
Pamela to Westhaven at a defining stage for the Company. These appointments reflect the deliberate steps Westhaven and
Dundee Corporation are taking to assemble the expertise and leadership needed to responsibly advance the Shovelnose gold
project in southern British Columbia. Allison brings extensive experience working alongside Indigenous communities and
navigating complex permitting environments across Canada. Allison has been advising Westhaven for the last year, and her
continued leadership will be key to building the transparent, trust-based relationships that responsible project advancement
requires. Pamela has played a central role in advancing significant mining and infrastructure projects in Canada and her deep
understanding of provincial and federal regulatory processes significantly strengthens our ability to move Shovelnose forward."
Jonathan Goodman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dundee Corporation, added, "These appointments reflect the
shared values of responsible, community-focused development that are fundamental to our partnership with Westhaven. Allison
and Pamela bring the expertise needed to navigate the regulatory and community engagement processes that are critical to
advancing Shovelnose. We look forward to working alongside the Westhaven team to unlock the full potential of the Spences
Bridge Gold Belt."
Ms. Rippin Armstrong is a biologist and environmental scientist with over 30 years of experience in permitting, regulatory
processes, and environmental compliance, working with resource companies, and Indigenous, territorial, provincial, and federal
governments. Her project experience spans northern Canada, British Columbia, and Alaska, and includes senior sustainability
roles at the Ekati Diamond Mine, Lucara Diamond Corp.'s Karowe Diamond Mine in Botswana, and Kaminak Gold Corp. Ms.
Rippin Armstrong currently serves on the boards of Tectonic Minerals, the Alberta Energy Regulator, the Alberta Environmental
Appeals Board, and the Alberta Public Lands Appeal Board. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous awards,
including the Kivalliq Inuit Association Expert Counsel Award (2009), the Mike Hine Award in Nunavut (2011), and the BC
Women in Mining HR Diversity Award (2019).
Pamela O’Hara brings more than 30 years of expertise advancing mining and transportation infrastructure projects, including
work at Ekati, Voisey’s Bay, Minahasa Raya, Wolverine, Hope Bay, and Macpass, as well as for the Canadian Pacific
Railway and Port of Vancouver. A Registered Professional Biologist and Certified Sustainability (ESG) Practitioner, she is
known for delivering innovative, community-focused projects and effectively navigating complex regulatory environments. In
recent years, she has served as Vice President of Sustainability at Fireweed Metals Corp., as a permitting advisor for
Newmont’s Brucejack Mine, and as a Director on the boards of the Yukon Chamber of Mines and Western Copper and Gold.
Pamela holds a B.Sc. in Biology and Oceanography from the University of British Columbia and an M.Sc. in Environment and
Management from Royal Roads University.
Second Drill Mobilized at Shovelnose
Westhaven is also pleased to confirm the on-schedule mobilization of a second drill to the Shovelnose property, in support of
the 50,000m 2026 drill program announced by the Company on February 17, 2026. The initial phases of this $20 million
program will focus on continued resource expansion and infill drilling at the South Zone gold deposit. The program is expected
to ramp up to 4 drills by June 2026, with resource and exploration drilling to continue through to mid-December.
About Westhaven Gold Corp.
Westhaven is a gold and silver focused exploration and development company targeting low sulphidation, high-grade,
epithermal style gold and silver mineralization within the Spences Bridge Gold Belt in southern British Columbia. Westhaven
controls ~60,263 hectares within four gold properties spread along this underexplored belt.
The Shovelnose Gold project is the most advanced property, with a recently updated 2025 Preliminary Economic Assessment
that validates the project’s potential as a robust, low cost and high margin 11-year underground gold mining opportunity with
average annual life-of-mine production of 56,000 ounces gold and 313,000 ounces silver with a CDN$454 million after-tax net
present value (at a 6% discount rate) and 43.2% IRR (base case parameters of US$2,400 per ounce gold, US$28 per ounce
silver and CDN/US$ exchange rate of CDN$1.00=US$0.72).1
On February 23, 2026, Westhaven closed a strategic earn-in agreement with Dundee Corporation (TSX: DC.A), whereby
Dundee may earn up to a 60% interest in Westhaven's four Spences Bridge Gold Belt properties through up to
CDN$85,000,000 in staged project expenditures. Under the first phase, Dundee has committed a minimum of
CDN$30,000,000, inclusive of a fully funded 50,000m drill program at Shovelnose in 2026. The agreement allows for the
accelerated exploration and evaluation of one of Canada's most compelling, undeveloped, high-margin gold and silver assets.
Qualified Person
The technical and scientific information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Robin Hopkins, P.Geo.
(NT/NU), Vice President, Exploration for Westhaven and a Qualified Person for the Company under the definitions established
by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
1 See Westhaven's news release entitled "Westhaven Announces Updated Preliminary Economic Assessment for the
Shovelnose Gold Project, British Columbia" and dated March 3, 2025.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF WESTHAVEN GOLD CORP.
“Ken Armstrong”
President & CEO
For further information, please contact:
Kaeli Gattens
Vice President Communications
T: 604-681-5558
Website: www.westhavengold.com
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. These forward
-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and Westhaven does not intend, and does not assume any
obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
Forward-looking statements in this news release may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to ramping up of
the 2026 drill program to 4 drills and completing approximately 50,000m of drilling during the year; the results of the
Preliminary Economic Assessment; the Mineral Resource Estimate; future planned activities; future mineral production and
future growth potential for the Company and its projects; the interpretation of preliminary results from exploration undertaken to
date at the Shovelnose project using various exploration techniques and analysis; statements with respect to potential styles
of epithermal mineralization at the Shovelnose Project; and, the possibility that the Company’s Shovelnose project may host
multiple gold bearing epithermal systems.
In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not
expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or
"believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would",
"might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of
management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-
looking statements or forward-looking information. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the price of
gold and other precious metals; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration
projects; the Company’s ability to operate in a safe and effective manner and its ability to obtain financing on reasonable
terms.
Although management of Westhaven Gold Corp. have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results
to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other
factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Many factors, both known and unknown, could
cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements
that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Such factors
include, without limitation: the Company's dependence on one group of mineral projects; precious metals price volatility;
regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to reliance on the Company's management team and outside
contractors; risks regarding mineral resources and reserves; the Company's inability to obtain insurance to cover all risks, on
a commercially reasonable basis or at all; currency fluctuations; risks regarding the failure to generate sufficient cash flow
from operations; risks relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks and unknowns inherent in all mining projects,
including the inaccuracy of reserves and resources, metallurgical recoveries and capital and operating costs of such projects;
laws and regulations governing the environment, health and safety; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining
or development activities; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; the Company's interactions with surrounding
communities; the speculative nature of exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities or grades of
reserves; stock market volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; and the factors identified under the
caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s management discussion and analysis. Mineral exploration involves a high degree of
risk and few properties, which are explored, are ultimately developed into producing mines. There can be no assurance that
such forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ
materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements and forward-looking information. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking
information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.