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Trailbreaker Acquires the Wheaton Gold Property, an Orogenic Gold Prospect in BC's Underexplored Turnagain Placer District
Trailbreaker Resources Ltd. (TBK.V) (“Trailbreaker” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Wheaton Gold property, an orogenic gold prospect located 60 km east of the Village of Dease Lake, British Columbia (BC). The property covers the headwaters of multiple placer gold-bearing creeks, including Alice Shea Creek, source of the famous 52 troy oz ‘Turnagain nugget’.
Highlights of the Wheaton Gold Property
- 2,223 hectares in size, covering roughly 2 km x 9 km (Figure 1).
- Located 60 km east of Dease Lake, BC, with extensive truck and ATV trail access throughout the claims, servicing historic and current placer mining operations.
- Covers the headwaters of the placer gold-bearing Wheaton and Alice Shea creeks, which are famous as the source of some of BC’s coarsest gold nuggets. This includes the fourth largest nugget ever found in BC, the ‘Turnagain nugget’, weighing 52 oz gold (Au) (Figure 2)
- The project represents one of BC’s most underexplored placer gold districts, with very limited hardrock exploration work done to date.
- A three-hole, 304.7-meter diamond drill program completed in 1986 yielded numerous gold intercepts, including 5.38 g/t Au over 3.05 m (from 28.96m depth)
- Historic gold-in-soil values up to 32.3 g/t Au, and historic rock grab samples up to 11.25 g/t Au, have been returned.
Daithi Mac Gearailt, CEO of Trailbreaker, commented: “We are excited to add the Wheaton Gold property to our portfolio of gold and copper exploration projects. Now that the claims have been consolidated, this is a great opportunity to explore the area of a historic discovery hole that has yet to receive follow-up exploration. This is one of the few placer districts left in BC where a hardrock source of the placer gold has yet to be found. We are currently designing a robust exploration program and will be providing updates as soon as they are available.”
Location and Access
The 2,223-hectare Wheaton Gold property is located approximately 60 kilometers east-southeast of the Village of Dease Lake in northwestern British Columbia and can be accessed by all-terrain vehicles utilizing the Boulder Mine Road. The property can also be accessed by float plane chartered from Dease Lake to Boulder City Lake. Historic placer mining trails provide good vehicle access to much of the property.
Giga Metals Corporation has proposed a major road and transmission line to its advance-stage Turnagain nickel-cobalt deposit, located 10 km to the east. This would bisect the northern end of the Wheaton Gold property, further bolstering the potential economic viability of the area.
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Figure 1: Location of the Wheaton Gold property with historic exploration highlights.
Placer Mining History
Placer gold was first discovered at the mouth of Wheaton Creek (formerly Boulder Creek) in 1932 and shortly afterwards on Alice Shea Creek, a small tributary of Wheaton Creek. The Wheaton-Shea placer camp marked the last major placer gold discovery in BC, with a total of 7,756 oz of placer gold mined from Wheaton Creek between 1932 and 1945, and a total of 331 oz Au mined from Alice Shea between 1936 and 1940. Alice Shea Creek produced the coarsest placer gold in the drainage, with one nugget weighing over 52 oz (the Turnagain nugget, Figure 2) and numerous nuggets weighing from 1 to 16 oz. Modern-day placer mining continues to this day at the mouth of Wheaton Creek, with over 20,000 oz of placer gold estimated to be recovered to date.
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Figure 2: The 52 oz Turnagain nugget, discovered in Alice Shea Creek in 19371.
Hardrock Exploration History
Wheaton Zone
The northern portion of the property, covering the present-day placer operations near the mouth of Wheaton Creek, has seen the least amount of hardrock exploration within the property, having undergone only one documented significant program, completed in 1986 by Supreme Resources (Supreme). That year, Supreme conducted a soil geochemical survey followed by a mechanical trenching program which returned very encouraging results, and identified strongly anomalous gold-in-soil values up to 32,300 ppb Au. Trenching within these soil anomalies returned rock gab samples up to 11.25 g/t Au. During the same year, Supreme tested this zone with 3 shallow diamond drill holes totaling 304.7 meters (Figure 3). However, only limited follow-up work in the last 39 years has been documented.
Hole DDH-86-01, the first of the 1986 program, encountered several gold-enriched intervals associated with fault-controlled quartz-carbonate breccia, including:
- 5.38 g/t Au over 3.05 meters (from 28.96 meters)
- 1.23 g/t Au over 3.05 meters (from 38.10 meters)
- 1.88 g/t Au over 3.05 meters (from 47.24 meters)
- 0.89 g/t Au over 3.05 meters (from 68.58 meters)
- 0.34 g/t Au over 3.05 meters (from 102.11 meters)
- 3.46 g/t Au over 2.44 meters (from 139.29 meters)
The other two holes underwent very limited sampling, with only two samples taken from DDH-86-02 and one from DDH-86-03, all returning trace gold values.
This work by Supreme resulted in the first and only discovery of hardrock gold mineralization that could be linked to the source of the rich placer gold deposits along the lower portion of Wheaton Creek.
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Figure 3: Location of the 1986 diamond drill program above Wheaton Creek.
Pacific Bay Minerals, a junior mining company, held the ground from 2015 to 2024 but conducted very limited exploration. Much of Pacific Bay’s efforts were focused on mining jade boulders rather than on hardrock gold exploration. Their most significant work included a 2021 property-wide airborne magnetic survey that defined an open-ended NW-SE trending linear magnetic low feature that correlates with the 1986 discovery hole by Supreme. This is interpreted to potentially represent a listwanite-altered fault zone (Figure 4). Listwanite and listwanitic alteration is extensively documented around Alice Shea Creek (expanded upon below).
This survey provided several new exploration targets which have not been tested to date. Several east-west trending offsets occurring near the Wheaton zone may represent potential structures associated with gold mineralization.
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Figure 4: The 2021 airborne magnetic survey completed by Pacific Bay Minerals displays a significant NW-SE trending magnetic low which is interpreted to be a listwanite-altered fault zone. The 1986 drilling is located on the margin of this zone.
Shea Zone
The Shea zone is located along the headwaters of Alice Shea creek, close to the discovery area of the 52 oz Turnagain gold nugget. The nugget was discovered in the upper extent of the drainage, narrowing the search for the hardrock source.
The majority of the exploration work done at the Shea zone was done from 1985 to 1996, with several junior mining companies conducting small-scale exploration surveys. This includes companies such as Powder Ridge Resources, Imperial Metals, Goldbank Ventures, and Loumic Resources.
Loumic Resources’ 1996 exploration program was the most robust, comprising 196 soil samples and 191 meters of mechanized trenching4. Reconnaissance soil sampling identified several anomalous gold-arsenic (As) zones (up to 161 ppb Au & 112 ppm As) that have yet to receive follow-up exploration (Figure 5). Furthermore, trenching, targeting gossanous float immediately upslope from the location of the 52 oz gold nugget, revealed a listwanite outcrop containing intense quartz stockwork and disseminated pyrite. Only trace gold values were returned; however, the mineralization and alteration are textbook markers for orogenic gold deposits. This marked the last significant gold exploration program occurring on the Shea zone.
In 2011, First Point Minerals Corp was the last junior mining company to work the property; however, they focused on nickel mineralization rather than gold. Gold analysis for rock grab samples during the 2011 program utilized a 4 g/t detection limit, much higher than fire assay detection limits commonly used.
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Figure 5: Historic hardrock exploration along Alice Shea Creek, with the approximate location of the discovery of the 52 oz Turnagain nugget.
Geology, Deposit Model, and Mineralization
The Wheaton Gold property is underlain by northwest-trending, complexly folded and faulted ultramafic rocks of the oceanic Cache Creek terrane, and by metasedimentary rocks of the Kedahda Formation (Figure 6).
The northern portion of the Wheaton Gold property covers fault-bounded metasedimentary rocks of the Mississippian to Triassic Kedahda formation which include heterolithic argillite with wispy silt laminae, thinly bedded sandstone, and rare discontinuous limestone beds. This Kedahda sedimentary package is separated from the ultramafic rocks (peridotite, dunite, pyroxenite) of the Cache Creek terrane by a northwest-southeast trending thrust fault.
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Figure 6: Regional geology and neighbouring projects of the Wheaton Gold property.
The Wheaton Gold property demonstrates potential for orogenic “motherlode-style” Au-bearing quartz vein deposits, such as the past-producing 4.2 Moz Bralorne-Pioneer mine in the Bridge Lake Gold Camp, southwestern British Columbia, and the world-famous Sierra Nevada mining district in California which produced over 100 Moz of placer and hardrock ‘lode’ gold (Figure 7). The Wheaton Gold property is analogous to these deposits, as all are hosted by oceanic crust accreted onto ancestral North America and spatially associated with significant coarse placer gold deposits. Furthermore, the lode gold deposits at both the Bridge Lake and Sierra Nevada gold districts are associated with listwanitic alteration of peridotites, quartz veining, and major fault structures, all of which have also been mapped in the Wheaton property area.
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Figure 7: Orogenic lode gold camps along the Cordillera (modified from Nelson et al., 20135).
There have been no major orogenic lode gold deposits delineated to date within the northern Cache Creek terrane. However, several large placer gold camps have been established, commonly accompanied by hardrock showings and small gold deposits indicating potential sources of the rich surficial placers. Nearby examples of orogenic gold showings within the oceanic Cache Creek terrane include the Yellowjacket deposit (130,000 tonnes grading 5.8 g/t Au) situated in the Atlin Goldfields, and the Keystone Showing (historic drill intercepts include 9.1 g/t Au over 12.2 m within a quartz porphyry setting) in the Thibert placer district. Both of these are associated with quartz veining and listwanitic alteration.
The Erickson gold camp, ~100 km to the north-northwest, is not hosted by the Cache Creek terrane, but is surrounded by the McDame Creek coarse surficial placer gold deposits, where the second-largest placer gold nugget ever recorded in BC, weighing 72 oz, was discovered. At Erickson, which comprises several past-producing gold mines, lode gold is characterised by quartz veins hosted by listwanite. Average grades ranged from 10-20 g/t Au for a total of 315,000 oz Au mined historically. The Erickson camp includes the Taurus deposit, currently owned and being advanced by Cassiar Gold Corp., which has delineated an indicated resource of 0.4 Moz Au and an additional inferred resource of 1.9 Moz Au6.
Placer miners have reported that many of the placer gold nuggets recovered from the Peacock workings of Wheaton Creek, which directly drains the area of drill hole DDH-86-01, contain inclusions of altered pyroxene and serpentine, and that some gold nuggets are still fused to quartz fragments. These observations by the placer miners further suggest the placer gold in Wheaton Creek has a nearby source.
Terms of the Option Agreement
On July 1st, 2025 (the “Effective Date”), Trailbreaker signed an option agreement (the “Agreement”) with Cordilleran Properties (the “Optionee”) of Kamloops, BC. Subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, Trailbreaker has the option to acquire a 100% interest in the Wheaton Gold property by completing the following:
- (a)paying to the Optionee $10,000 on the Effective Date;
- (b)paying to the Optionee $10,000 on or before the first anniversary of the Effective Date;
- (c)paying to the Optionee $15,000 on or before the second anniversary of the Effective Date;
- (d)paying to the Optionee $25,000 or issuing to the Optionee $25,000 worth of Trailbreaker common shares (“Shares”) on or before the third anniversary of the Effective Date;
- (e)paying to the Optionee $75,000 or issuing to the Optionee $75,000 worth of Shares on or before the fourth anniversary of the Effective Date; and
- (f)completing $1,000,000 of expenditures on or before the fifth anniversary of the Effective Date.
Upon completion of the Agreement, Trailbreaker will obtain a 100% interest in the property and the Optionee will retain a total 2.0% Net Smelter Return (NSR) royalty, which may be brought down to 0.5% through a cash payment of $1,500,000 to the Optionee.
References
- Alice Shea Creek BC minfile
https://minfile.gov.bc.ca/Summary.aspx?minfilno=104I%20%20005
- Cukor, V. 1987. Diamond Drill Report for Supreme Resources on the Jed Claims.
https://apps.nrs.gov.bc.ca/pub/aris/Detail/16332
- Pacific Bay Minerals’ September 16, 2019 news release
https://www.pacificbayminerals.com/news/wheaton-creek-property
- Livgard, E. 1997. Exploration Report 1996. The Mt Shea Claim Group, for Loumic Resources
https://apps.nrs.gov.bc.ca/pub/aris/Detail/24891
- Nelson, J.L., Colpron, M., and Israel, S., 2013, The Cordillera of British Columbia, Yukon, and Alaska: Tectonics and metallogeny, in Colpron, M., Bissig, T., Rusk, B.G., and Thompson, J.F.H., eds., Tectonics, Metallogeny, and Discovery: The North American Cordillera and Similar Accretionary Settings: Society of Economic Geologists Special Publication 17, p. 53–109.
- Cassiar Gold website
https://cassiargold.com/projects/cassiar-gold-project/cassiar-gold-project/
About Trailbreaker Resources
Trailbreaker Resources is a mining exploration company focused primarily on mining-friendly British Columbia and Yukon Territory, Canada. Trailbreaker is committed to continuous exploration and research, allowing maintenance of a portfolio of quality mineral properties which in turn provides value for shareholders. The company has an experienced management team with a proven track record as explorers and developers throughout the Yukon Territory, British Columbia, Alaska and Nevada.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Daithi Mac Gearailt
President and Chief Executive Officer
Carl Schulze, P. Geo., Consulting Geologist with Aurora Geosciences Ltd, is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for Trailbreaker's BC and Yukon exploration projects, and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this release.
Other
For new information about the Company’s projects, please visit Trailbreaker’s website at TrailbreakerResources.com and sign up to receive news. For further information, follow Trailbreaker’s tweets at Twitter.com/TrailbreakerLtd, use the ‘Contact’ section of our website, or contact us at (604) 681-1820 or at info@trailbreakerresources.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
Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-Looking Information includes, but is not limited to, disclosure regarding possible events, conditions or financial performance that is based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action; expectations regarding future exploration and drilling programs and receipt of related permitting. In certain cases, Forward-Looking Information can be identified by the use of words and phrases such as "anticipates", "expects", "understanding", "has agreed to" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "would", "occur" or "be achieved". Although Trailbreaker has attempted to identify important factors that could affect Trailbreaker and may cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-Looking Information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, if any, Trailbreaker has applied several material assumptions, including the assumption that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking 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 Information. Except as required by law, Trailbreaker does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Bringing Art, Youth, and Football Together: Kobo's Workshop in Kossou
2024 Kobo Cup Winner, Kossou
Kobo Cup
The Kobo Cup was created as a way to launch Kobo Resources' community engagement efforts in a way that felt local and genuinely rooted in the lives of the people we work alongside. In Côte d'Ivoire, as across much of Africa, football is more than a sport. It's a shared language, a daily ritual, and a powerful force that brings people together across generations.
Despite its modest scale, the Kobo Cup 2024 sparked something powerful. It proved that football could be more than a game; it could be a platform for community connection, for showcasing local identity and for inspiring youth. It showed us what's possible when we invest in more than just infrastructure, we invest in culture.
That initial match planted the seed for a bigger vision: to make the Kobo Cup an annual, community-rooted tournament that grows in both reach and impact each year. That's why, for the second edition of the Kobo Cup, Kobo Resources has stepped it up, transforming the single match into a dynamic multi-team tournament featuring the villages of Kossou, Bocabo, and Angossé, all located in the vicinity of Kobo's flagship property The Kossou Gold Project for the 2025 edition, scheduled for late November. This expansion reflects our ongoing commitment to community engagement and inclusion, ensuring more youth, more talent, and more villages get to take part in the celebration.
For 2025, we introduced a village jersey design workshop, allowing young people who may never play on the field to still be part of the tournament in a powerful way.
The Workshop
On Monday June 16 th , 2025 at the Kobo Camp situated on the Kossou License, creativity took center stage. A handful of young people from Kossou, Bocabo, and Angossé gathered for an inspiring art workshop, hosted by Kobo Resources in partnership with African Boyz Club, to design the official jerseys their villages will proudly wear at Kobo Cup 2025.
This workshop marked more than a moment of artistic expression. It was the beginning of something bigger: a celebration of identity, talent, and the belief that everyone, on and off the field, has a role to play in the story of their community.
The session began with freehand sketching. Pens, pencils, and blank pages quickly filled with bold symbols, vibrant colors, and personal visions, each design inspired by the history, culture, and energy of the youth's own communities.
The workshop was led by two Ivorian artists from African Boyz Club, who brought not only artistic expertise but a deep understanding of how art can empower. They guided the youth through a process that was both creative and intentional, encouraging them to think of their designs as visual representations of village pride, unity, and voice.
Each village's final jersey design was converted into a professional tech pack by Kobo's design team. These original creations will be produced and unveiled for the upcoming Kobo Cup tournament, bringing authenticity, pride, and ownership to the pitch like never before.
More Than a Match
At Kobo Resources, our commitment to community runs deeper than development. This initiative reflects our belief in youth empowerment, cultural expression, and meaningful local engagement. It's part of our broader Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) vision, one that celebrates not just what we do, but how and with whom we do it.
This entire journey, from creative expression in June to athletic excellence later this year, is enhanced by incredible local partnerships:
- African Boyz Club , a company based in Abidjan, is leading the way in the youth workshop, offering creative guidance and mentorship as the children design jerseys and create transfer art rooted in their local experiences.
- Coast 2 Coast Entertainment is playing a key role in the tournament itself, by providing high-quality football equipment to every player across all participating teams. This ensures that when it's time to step on the pitch, every player is equally equipped and ready to play, no matter where they come from.
Together, these partners help Kobo Resources ensure that both the workshop and the tournament reflect our shared values: inclusion, fairness, and celebration of local talent.
Both partners, led by Ivorian men deeply connected to their communities, embody the spirit of the Kobo Cup: grassroots empowerment, local talent, and sustainable contribution. Through art they're helping transform the Kobo Cup into a space where creativity, culture, and sport intersect.
Kobo is proud to sponsor the Kobo Cup for its second year and even more so with local partners such as African Boyz Club and Coast 2 Coast Entertainment. Our commitment to maintaining strong community relations is being reflected through the organization of such sporting events which in turn help infuse a sense of hope that anything is possible in this world through selfless engagement. - Edward Gosselin, CEO, Kobo Resources.
Football became a tool for social transformation, a universal language that unites, inspires, and opens real pathways for youth in Côte d'Ivoire. We're proud to support young players by making sure every player steps onto the field equipped, equal, and inspired. - Cheikh-Louis Tall, CEO, Coast 2 Coast
To us like sport, art is a highway to a better tomorrow by winning self- confidence and developing curiosity. Through our involvement in the Kobo Cup, we're proud to guide young people as they turn their ideas into symbols of village pride, unity, and expression. - Fred Gnaoré, Founder, African Boyz Club
At Kobo Resources, community integration is more than a commitment, it's a cornerstone of how we work. Through initiatives like this workshop, we aim to create opportunities that go beyond the project and stay rooted in the lives of those around us.
As the countdown to Kobo Cup 2025 begins, the energy is already building. And when the players step onto the field, they'll wear more than a jersey, they'll wear a story, designed by the youth, for the village, and for the future.
About Kobo Resources Inc.
Kobo Resources is a growth-focused gold exploration company with a compelling new gold discovery in Côte d'Ivoire, one of West Africa's most prolific and developing gold districts, hosting several multi-million-ounce gold mines. The Company's 100%-owned Kossou Gold Project is located approximately 20 km northwest of the capital city of Yamoussoukro and is directly adjacent to one of the region's largest gold mines with established processing facilities.
For more information, please visit www.koboresources.com .
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250707763650/en/
For further information:
Edward Gosselin
Chief Executive Officer and Director
1-418-609-3587
ir@kobores.com
Twitter: @KoboResources | LinkedIn: Kobo Resources Inc.
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Sun Summit Minerals: Advancing District-scale Gold and Copper Projects in British Columbia
Sun Summit Minerals (TSXV:SMN,OTCQB:SMREF) is a Canadian mineral exploration company advancing district-scale gold and copper projects in British Columbia. Its flagship JD Project, located in the prolific Toodoggone district, is the focus of an aggressive 5,000-meter drill program in 2025 targeting a potential multi-million-ounce epithermal gold-silver system.
With funding in place, a five-year exploration permit secured, and an on-site camp established, Sun Summit is executing a disciplined strategy to build scale, unlock resource value, and deliver returns to shareholders. Reinvigorated by a revamped leadership team and a refined vision, the company is leveraging high-grade, strategically located assets to drive long-term growth.
The JD and Theory projects cover over 25,000 hectares in the heart of British Columbia’s Toodoggone mining district, one of Canada’s most prospective regions for epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold systems. The district hosts several significant deposits, including Thesis Gold’s Ranch and Lawyers projects (4.7 Moz gold equivalent, ~C$250 million market cap), Centerra Gold’s Kemess underground development, and TDG Gold’s Shasta-Baker project. The area is well supported by infrastructure, including hydroelectric grid access, all-season roads, and the nearby Sturdee airstrip.
Company Highlights
- Aggressive Discovery Strategy: Sun Summit Minerals is actively advancing the JD and Buck projects in BC, targeting epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold systems. A fully funded 5,000-meter drill program at JD underway in 2025, aiming to define a multi-million-ounce resource.
- Strategic Location: Both assets are situated in prolific and mining-friendly regions of British Columbia. The flagship JD project lies in the Toodoggone district—home to Thesis Gold and Centerra’s Kemess Mine, while Buck is near the Blackwater, Huckleberry, and Equity Silver mines in central BC.
- Re-rate Potential Opportunity: Trading at just ~$7/oz gold equivalent (EV/oz) based on Buck alone, with no value currently ascribed to JD, the company represents a deep value opportunity compared to the next-door neighbour Thesis Gold trading at ~$50/oz. Success at the drill bit from the ongoing drill program at JD could drive the potential re-rating.
- Fully Funded for 2025: A recent C$10M raise (May 2025) enables a robust exploration program, including drilling, geophysics, and soil sampling. The company is well-positioned to achieve its 2025 and 2026 exploration milestones without further dilution.
- Experienced, Capital Markets-Savvy Leadership: CEO Niel Marotta brings capital markets acumen from Fidelity and Orezone. The broader team includes senior geologists and advisors with decades of success in gold discoveries and mine development in BC.
- Positioned for Consolidation: With majors like Freeport, Centerra, and Skeena investing heavily in adjacent properties, Sun Summit is strategically located and advancing at the right time in the Lassonde Curve to benefit from industry-wide M&A and consolidation trends.
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