Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2026) - Kirkland Lake Discoveries Corp. (TSXV: KLDC) (OTCQB: KLKLF) ("KLDC" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the start of its 2026 diamond drilling program at the past-producing Mirado property, located 20 km southeast of Kirkland Lake, Ontario. This campaign marks the first systematic and fully integrated, large-scale exploration of the asset in over a decade, aiming to expand known high-grade zones and test new structural targets.

A Systematic Approach to a Proven Asset

The Mirado property represents a brownfield exploration opportunity within the Abitibi Greenstone Belt with a production history dating back to the 1920s. While historical development was frequently interrupted by external macroeconomic cycles, resulting in a substantial historical dataset, the system remains largely untested using modern exploration approaches.

• 1940s Era: Between 1937 and 1943, Yama Gold Mines produced 3,227 oz Au at a recovered grade of 0.15 oz/t. Operations were suspended during the post-war period primarily due to the fixed gold price environment of the time, which constrained underground development.

• 1980s Development: Golden Shield Resources conducted significant work in the mid-1980s, including 32,000 ft of drilling and extensive underground drifting. Development was halted following the 1987 market downturn, which limited the availability of venture capital for junior producers, despite the presence of surface stockpiles.

• Modern Consolidation: Following the consolidation of the property in 2012, further advancement was deferred during the 2013 commodity price correction.

Kirkland Lake Discoveries is now revisiting Mirado with a systematic, fully integrated approach, applying modern geological modeling and exploration techniques to advance a known gold system with a well-established but historically phased exploration record.

Figure 1 - Historical timeline of Mirado property.

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Mineralization Style and Geological Context

The Mirado system comprises two distinct mineralization styles associated with the North and South Zones. The North Zone hosts semi-conformable, stratigraphically controlled sulphide mineralization within felsic volcaniclastics, while the South Zone is defined by discordant, structurally controlled gold mineralization hosted in quartz-chlorite vein arrays. Together, these styles reflect a stratigraphic system that has been overprinted and locally enhanced by later structural controls.

The following intercepts represent the historical and modern data points that define the core mineralized zones and serve as the primary targets for the 2026 confirmatory drill program:

Table 1 - Historical Gold Assay

* Links to the Result Sources can be found at the end of this document.

Note on historical data: The drill results presented in the list above (Table 1) are historical in nature and have been compiled from historical drill logs, government assessment reports, and previous operator records and may include uncapped values. These results have not been verified by a "Qualified Person" (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) and should not be relied upon as current. The Company has not yet conducted sufficient re-assaying or independent validation of the original drill core or lab certificates to ensure the accuracy or validity of these results. While Kirkland Lake Discoveries Corp. believes these records provide an important indication of the property's mineralization potential, they are provided for informational purposes only until modern confirmatory drilling and QA/QC protocols are completed during the 2026 campaign.

CEO's Vision: A New Era for Mirado

"The Mirado property has a history of technical success that was frequently interrupted by external market cycles rather than geological outcomes," said Stefan Sklepowicz, CEO of Kirkland Lake Discoveries Corp. "Our objective for the 2026 campaign is to apply modern exploration standards to a system that has historically been advanced in a fragmented manner. By integrating ninety years of data into a cohesive model, we aim to identify the primary controls on mineralization and systematically test for extensions at depth. This program represents a disciplined step forward in defining the true scale and potential of the Mirado asset."

Expedited Results: The Move to Paragon & PhotonAssay™

To ensure rapid market communication and superior analytical precision, KLDC has made the strategic decision to move forward with Paragon Geochemical to utilize Chrysos PhotonAssay™ technology for the 2026 program at KL South.

Unlike traditional fire assay, PhotonAssay™ uses high-energy X-rays to excite atomic nuclei, providing a non-destructive, faster, and more environmentally friendly analysis of larger (500g) samples. This is particularly critical for the Mirado property, where the presence of "nuggety" or coarse gold can lead to grade variability in smaller samples. By utilizing this state-of-the-art technology, the Company expects to significantly reduce turnaround times for drill results while improving the statistical reliability of high-grade intercepts.

Objectives for 2026

The 2026 program is designed to move the Mirado property toward a modern resource update through a disciplined, four-pronged approach:

• Database Validation and Infill: Verify historical high-grade logs, execute infill drilling and provide the modern data density required for NI 43-101 compliance.

• Targeted Depth Extensions: Test projected high-grade chutes below 250 where most historical drilling stopped.

• Strike and Zone Expansion: Investigate the lateral continuity of the MZ Zone to the west and evaluate the polymetallic potential of the North Zone to identify incremental growth opportunities.

• Structural Synthesis: Integrate 90 years of fragmented historical records into a unified 3D geological model to refine drill targeting and identify potential sub-surface extensions overlooked by previous operators.

By operating in a Tier-1 mining jurisdiction with a focused exploration budget, Kirkland Lake Discoveries Corp. is committed to advancing Mirado from a historical prospect into a modern, well-defined gold asset in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt.

Qualified Person

The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Benjamin Cleland, P.Geo., Vice-President Exploration, who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Kirkland Lake Discoveries Corp.

Kirkland Lake Discoveries Corp. (TSXV: KLDC) (OTCQB: KLKLF) has assembled a 420-km² exploration portfolio in the Kirkland Lake region of Ontario's Abitibi Greenstone Belt, one of the most prolific mining districts in the world. The Company's properties span key fault zones, geophysical anomalies, and volcanic-sedimentary contacts within the Blake River Group, a highly prospective assemblage known to host both gold and polymetallic massive-sulphide deposits.

With exploration permits now in place, KLDC is positioned to advance a strong pipeline of drill-ready targets at KL South, KL West and KL East, supported by multiple anomalous soil trends, historical mineral showings, and structurally controlled intersections.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in 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. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's 2026 drilling program, the expansion of high-grade zones, the validation of historical data, and the potential for a mineral resource. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology 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 subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the results of exploration and drilling activities; the reliability of historical data; the price of gold and other commodities; and general economic, market or business conditions. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements 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. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

* Links for Result Sources

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/290816

Source: Kirkland Lake Discoveries Corp.