[Video Enhanced] Selkirk Copper has Four Drill Rigs Turning to Advance the Minto Mine Restart Plan

Four diamond drill rigs are active at the Minto mine.

In June 2025, Selkirk First Nation (SFN) purchased the former Minto Mine out of bankruptcy, then partnered with the Frank Giustra-backed Fiore Group to form Selkirk Copper Mines.

In 2007, a gold and silver stream was sold to finance the construction of the Minto Mine. The 2025 bankruptcy process extinguished that long-standing gold-and-silver stream. This frees up about 35% of the value of the ore in the ground.

The revenue from the sale of precious metal by-products will now go directly to the operator. With gold trading at about US$4,400 per ounce and silver trading at US$70 per ounce, the potential positive effect on Selkirk Copper's bottom line is significant.

SCMI is derisking the Minto Mine through exploration, resource expansion, engineering and mine planning, with the goal of establishing a 12-15 year mine life prior to production restart.

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Colin Joudrie, the President and CEO of Selkirk Copper, was previously VP of Business Development for Teck Resources (2011-2024), where he supervised drill programs, Preliminary Economic Assessments (PEAs), Feasibility Studies, permitting, and stakeholder relationships. He has been endorsed by Selkirk First Nation (SFN) Chief Sharon Nelson.

Joudrie has made an initial personal $1.5 million investment in Selkirk Copper. According to Canadian Insider, in March 2026, he purchased an additional 1.7 million shares priced between .95 and .98.

"As we near completion of the planned 50,000 metre Phase 1 drill program, and we continue to advance engineering trade-off studies, the restart plan is getting better defined," stated Joudrie in the March 25, 2026, press release.

"The current phase of drilling is continuing to define and expand zones of high-grade mineralization at Minto North, and step-out drilling at Minto East has confirmed the presence of multiple stacked lenses and demonstrates continuity beyond previously drilled areas, which is further defining underground development plans.

Additionally, results from Ridgetop and Area 118 are extending mineralization within and beyond the current open pit configurations, supporting the potential for expansion of near-surface resources and further defining open pit development plans."

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"These results are being incorporated into ongoing resource modelling and study work as we advance the Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the Minto copper-gold-silver mine, which is on schedule to be completed by mid-2026," added Joudrie.

The current drill program is also informing an updated and integrated mine plan, which is the basis for a trade-off study, which compares multiple design, operational and strategic options to determine the best approach for the mine restart.

In an interview recorded just prior to the start of the conflict in Iran, Joudrie sat down with Jay Martin to talk about Joudrie's strategy to restart the Minto Mine in the Yukon

"We need to explain to new investors what we're going to do differently, that will lead to success," stated Joudrie in the Jay Martin interview. "We're checking the motors in the mills. We've bumped up the power on 150 different individual circuits. Filters need to be renewed. We will be putting in a new crushing circuit. These are relatively low-cost initiatives."

"The main focus is on the resource and mine planning," continued Joudrie. "How good is the grade? How can we get a blended feed coming into this mill so that we hit 4,100 tonnes per day, every day, with confidence? The drilling is improving our understanding of the resource."

"We will have a mineral resource update based on the 50,000 meters of new drilling that will get incorporated into the Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA), which will come out mid-year."

"We're looking to blend open pit and underground mining," continued Joudrie. "Commodity prices have gone up for gold, silver and copper. The cost of diesel out of Whitehorse is down 2% over the last three years. We are looking at manageable costs."

"We also want to make sure that we've got permits in place that make sense for this asset. I don't want to seek further amendments or modifications. The last operator thought they had a clear set of permits, and they didn't. The Yukon government have been forthright. The regulators are working with us hand in hand with the government and the Selkirk First Nation on the permit amendment."

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On November 3, 2025 Currie Dixon's Yukon Party formed a majority government in the Yukon's territorial election. Dixon's party pledged to "Complete the modernization of mining legislation by working with First Nation governments and the responsible mining industry."

"The goals of the new Yukon government align with our corporate and social goals," Joudrie told Guy Bennett, the CEO of Global Stocks News (GSN). "SFN's 22% equity position in Selkirk Copper, combined with their working knowledge of the mine, the surrounding territory, and the relationships they have with the Yukon's Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, makes them an invaluable partner."

"For SFN, this mine restart mission isn't just about jobs and a net smelter royalty. They are spearheading a transformational shift in the way indigenous groups participate in the mining industry," added Joudrie.

Technical aspects of this content have been reviewed, verified and approved by Stacie Jones-Clark, P.Geo., Vice President Exploration of Selkirk Copper Mines Inc., who is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

References

1 See 2025-08-06 Technical Report "NI 43-101 2025 Mineral Resource Estimate Update for the Minto Property, Yukon, Canada" effective date 2025-04-07 filed by Venerable Ventures Ltd., available on SEDAR+ (sedarplus.ca).

Disclaimer: Selkirk Copper Mines paid GSN $1,750 for the research, creation and dissemination of this content.

Contact: guy.bennett@globalstocksnews.com

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