Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 22, 2026) - Stakeholder Gold Corp. (TSXV: SRC) (OTCQB: SKHRF) (WKN: A2QEP1) ("Stakeholder" or the "Company") is pleased to announce encouraging gold assay results from nine diamond drill holes (BA2602 to BA2610) completed on the Company's 100%-owned Ballarat Project ("Ballarat") in the White Gold District of the Yukon Territory. This drill program tested beneath four large gold-in-soil anomalies - Skye North, Skye South, East and Northwest (NW) zones - and successfully confirmed gold-bearing bedrock at the Skye North, East and NW zones (Figure 2).

The 2026 results provide an important validation of Stakeholder's exploration model: gold mineralization was intersected in three of the four target zones tested and in seven of nine drill holes. The drilling confirms that extensive surface gold anomalies at Ballarat are associated with gold-bearing bedrock and establishes multiple priority areas for systematic follow-up. Notable results include 1.20 g/t Au over 1 metre within 6 metres grading 0.32 g/t in BA2604, together with 1.03 g/t gold in BA2603 from a subparallel structure at Skye North. The Skye North gold-in-soil anomaly extends for more than 2 km of strike extent. At the East Zone, BA2607 returned 0.92 g/t Au over 1 metre within a 650 X 350 metre gold-in-soil anomaly located at the headwaters of the prolific placer-gold-producing Barker Creek.

Importantly, these drillholes tested only limited portions of gold-in-soil anomalies that extend from several hundred metres to more than two kilometres across the northern Ballarat property. These gold targets therefore remain largely open along trend and, in several areas, at depth (Figure 2), providing Stakeholder with substantial scope to expand and refine the mineralized structures through additional exploration. Gold shows a silver-tellurium association at the Skye North zone and the East zone, while the NW Zone displays a lead-silver association.

The Company is also advancing metallic-screen (coarse-gold) assays on selected samples after several ICP analyses returned higher gold values than corresponding fire assays. This work is designed to assess the potential influence of coarse or nuggety gold and may revise certain gold values reported in this release. Selected gold intercepts are summarized in Table 1.

2026 Gold Program Highlights

• Northwest (NW) zone - Gold was intersected in all three drill holes: The NW gold-in-soil anomaly has two parallel zones, each extending for approximately 2 kilometres, across an area hosting the property's highest gold-in-soil value of 796 ppb and 3 historic grab samples grading 31.7 g/t Au, 25.35 g/t Au and 3.4 g/t Au (collected in 1991). All three 2026 holes (BA2608 to BA2610) intersected gold values, including 0.58 g/t Au over 2 metres in BA2608 (Figure 2), strengthening the case for follow-up work across this extensive and largely untested target.

• Skye North - Multiple gold-bearing structures have been confirmed beneath an anomaly which extends for more than 2 km: BA2604 returned 6 metres of 0.32 g/t Au including 1 metre of 1.20 g/t, while BA2603 returned 1.03 g/t Au from a subparallel structure. These results confirm multiple gold-bearing structures beneath the Skye North gold-in-soil anomaly, which extends for more than 2 kilometres along strike and remains a primary target for continued exploration.
  
  Subsequent to drilling BA2603, BA2604 and BA2605 at Skye North, the 2026 prospecting and mapping program undertaken on this area by Company geologists identified extensive multiphase epithermal quartz veining, including mineralized quartz veins consistent with the intercept encountered at the top of BA2604 (4-10 metres downhole). This multiphase quartz veining was hosted in felsenmeer float over an area of approximately 250 X 150 metres.

• East zone - Bedrock gold confirmed at the headwaters of Barker Creek: The East zone gold anomaly is defined by a substantial 650 X 350 metre gold-in-soil anomaly located at the headwaters of the prolific placer-gold-producing Barker Creek. BA2607 returned 0.92 g/t Au over 1 metre, confirming a bedrock gold source within this large surface anomaly and providing a compelling basis for additional targeting.

• Skye South - Large target remains substantially untested: The Skye South gold-in-soil anomaly extends for approximately 1.8 kilometres. The single 2026 hole (BA2606) did not intercept significant gold values; however, the anomaly remains largely untested along strike and at depth and is interpreted as a further subparallel structure, or set of structures, to Skye North. Its scale and limited drill coverage preserve meaningful exploration upside for future programs.

Subsequent to drilling BA2606 at Skye South, the 2026 prospecting and mapping program undertaken on this area by Company geologists observed that the gold-in-soil anomaly that was targeted for drill testing was hosted on an active slope and the team inferred that the gold in soils that were tested were likely transported down-slope away from the mineralized structure. Epithermal style vein mineralization was subsequently identified up-slope on surface, and this vein mineralization has now been sampled over another portion of the soil anomaly (assays pending).

Results of this work will provide a focus for future exploration with the objective of identifying a structurally hosted gold source for the extensive gold-in-soil anomalies which define the Skye South target.

Catalysts and Next Steps Already Underway

• A focused prospecting and mapping program has been completed in the vicinity of the Skye North, Skye South, East and NW gold-in-soil anomalies as well as on the Loki Critical Mineral area. Assays are pending from this work.

• Expanded soil sampling is now in underway along extensions of the Skye North and Skye South zones, as well as along the Loki Critical Minerals corridor. This work is designed to trace mineralized trends, sharpen geological interpretation and define high-priority bedrock targets for follow-up drilling.

• Metallic-screen (coarse-gold) assays are being completed on selected 2026 samples where ICP analyses returned considerably higher gold grades than fire assays. This program is intended to evaluate the potential nuggety character of the gold mineralization and may revise certain values reported here, providing an additional near-term analytical catalyst for the 2026 drill program.

• A ground based induced polarization (IP) survey is scheduled to cover approximately 2 kilometres of strike along the main Loki Critical Minerals corridor, which is located approximately 8 kilometres south of the gold zones (Figure 2). This survey will target stronger concentrations of disseminated sulphide mineralization associated with the previously reported BA2601 intersection containing copper, cobalt, nickel, platinum and palladium.

• The planned IP program will also provide detailed coverage over the conductive zone located approximately 1.4 km south of BA2601 which was identified through recent 3D inversion work and first reported by the Company on September 1^st, 2026. The objective of this work is to materially improve drill targeting for next steps at the Loki Critical Mineral zone.

The most important finding from the recent prospecting program was the identification of mineralized quartz veins in felsenmeer which was equivalent to the gold mineralization intercepted from 3-10 metres downhole in BA2604 (quartz veining hosting 5-10 cm long clots of galena). This vein style was traced for 150 metres along strike at the Skye North and for 125 metres along strike at the Skye South, gold-in-soil anomalies respectively. This finding has provided a substantial shift in the Company's gold exploration model; from the investigation of geophysical features consistent with structurally hosted gold deposits (used for planning the 2026 drillholes) to the pursuit of the newly identified epithermal vein hosted gold systems.

Ballarat: A Strategic Land Position in a Rapidly Advancing Gold District

Stakeholder believes that the Ballarat Project occupies a strategic land positions in the rapidly advancing White Gold District. Ballarat lies immediately northeast of, and adjacent to, Talamore Mining's Coffee Gold Project, currently under development as one of Canada's newest gold mines (Figure 1). With a large contiguous land package, multiple gold-bearing target areas and a separate Critical Mineral corridor, Stakeholder is positioned to systematically advance several discovery opportunities within a district experiencing significant infrastructure development.

Figure 1

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Transformational Northern Access Route Now Under Construction

On August 31^st, 2026 Talamore Mining Corp. announced receipt of a Primary Permit for construction of the Northern Access Route (NAR) to service the Coffee Gold Project. The route construction permit was issued under the Yukon Resource Road Regulations (Talamore Announces Receipt of the Primary Resource Road Permit, August 31^st 2026).

The Northern Access Route now under construction traverses through the center of the Ballarat property, placing approximately 20 km of new mine-grade road infrastructure across Stakeholder's ground. Management believes this infrastructure represents a significant strategic advantage for Ballarat by materially improving access for exploration and, should further exploration results merit, also potential future development activities (Figure 2).

Figure 2

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2026 Drilling Establishes Multiple Gold-Bearing Bedrock Targets

The gold component of the 2026 program comprised 1,530 metres of diamond drilling in nine holes (BA2602 to BA2610). Gold was intersected in seven holes of nine holes - most consistently at Skye North (BA2603 to BA2605) and the NW zone (BA2608 to BA2610), as well as in BA2607 at the East Zone. The results successfully establish bedrock gold sources beneath multiple target areas and provide the geological foundation for more focused follow-up exploration. Selected gold intercepts are listed in Table 1, with cross-sections through the NW and Skye North zones shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Table 1

Table 1: Selected gold intercepts from the 2026 diamond drill program (holes BA2602 to BA2610), reported at a 0.2 g/t Au cut-off; including' intervals as shown. Intervals are drill-core lengths; true widths are not yet determined.

Figure 3

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Figure 4

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Christopher Berlet, CEO and Director of Stakeholder states:

"The significance of these results is that our drilling has now connected extensive surface gold anomalies with gold-bearing bedrock across multiple target areas at Ballarat. In the White Gold District, gold structures can pinch and swell and grades can vary considerably. The absence of a glaciation history results in soil anomalies occurring directly above, or close to, their bedrock sources. We see this correlation between soil anomalies and gold-bearing bedrock at Ballarat, but the standout feature for us remains the evidence that we see for the considerable structural size extent of the gold zones we have tested."

"With only 2,050 metres of drilling across 10 diamond drill holes on Ballarat in 2026, we have confirmed two distinct exploration opportunities: multiple gold-bearing structures with substantial strike extent in the northern property area, and an ultramafic unit hosting copper, nickel, cobalt, platinum and palladium located approximately 8 kilometres to the south. Both areas are positioned directly beside the new mine-quality Northern Access Route now being advanced by Talamore Mining Corp. to service the Coffee Gold Mine. We believe the combination of confirmed mineralization, extensive untested targets and improving infrastructure gives Stakeholder a unique and compelling platform for further discovery and value creation as exploration advances."

"We are very grateful to the team of professionals leading our responsible exploration initiatives in the pristine natural environment of the Yukon Territory, and we look forward to building on the momentum generated by the early work of our 2026 program." - Christopher Berlet, B.A.Sc.(Mining), CFA

Sampling and Quality Assurance / Quality Control

Drill core from holes BA2602 to BA2610 was logged, photographed and sampled at the Company's core facility in Dawson, Yukon, where the core was sawn in half in 1 metre intervals and one half was submitted for analysis. Samples were submitted to Bureau Veritas (BV), with sample preparation at BV in Whitehorse, Yukon and analysis at BV in Vancouver, British Columbia. Gold was determined by 50-gram fire assay with an AAS finish (BV method FA450), and multi-element geochemistry, including silver, arsenic, copper, nickel and cobalt, by aqua-regia digestion with an ICP-ES/MS finish (BV method AQ201).

A number of samples returned marked differences between the fire-assay and aqua-regia gold values, potentially indicating both coarse free gold (aqua-regia gold exceeding fire assay) and refractory, arsenopyrite-hosted gold (fire assay exceeding aqua-regia gold); metallic-screen (coarse-gold) fire assays on selected samples are pending to resolve these coarse-gold effects.

Bureau Veritas Commodities Canada Ltd. is an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory that is independent of the Company. As part of its quality-assurance / quality-control program, the Company inserts certified reference materials (standards), blanks and duplicate samples into the sample stream and reviews all quality-control results upon receipt of assays.

Adam Fage, Qualified Person for Stakeholder Ballarat Exploration states:

"The 2026 gold program has delivered confirmation that bedrock gold occurs beneath extensive gold-in-soil anomalies that have a combined total strike length of over 8 km hosted within the Ballarat Property, of which only a minimal portion has been tested. The discovery of epithermal style mineralization both at surface (results pending) and near surface in drilling (starting at 4 m downhole depth in BA2604) at Skye North has provided a new exploration model to vector toward and will be a primary target moving forward." - Adam Fage, M.Sc., P.Geo.

Adam Fage MSc., P.Geo is an independent geological consultant and the Qualified Person for the Company, as defined by NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the contents of this press release.

About Stakeholder Gold Corporation

Stakeholder holds 100% ownership of a substantial 1,140-claim, 22,700-hectare land package spanning 20 km of the Coffee Mine Project's "Northern Access Route (NAR)", positioned through the geographical center of the dynamic White Gold District of the Yukon Territory, Canada. Stakeholder also maintains in good standing 10 claims located inside the adjacent Coffee Mine Project, which is being developed by Talamore Mining Corp. These combined claim holdings are referred to collectively as the Ballarat Gold-Copper Project ("Ballarat").

Within its extensive contiguous claim holdings, Stakeholder is advancing exploration on two highly compelling exploration targets - the Skye Gold Zone and the Loki Critical Mineral Zone - two independent exploration targets separated by some 8 km, prospective for new gold and critical mineral discoveries respectively, on either side of the Northern Access Route (NAR), in the heart of the White Gold District.

https://stakeholdergold.com/projects-overview/ballarat-gold-copper-project/

Stakeholder also generates recurring cash flow from the production and sale of exotic stones through its 100%-owned Brazilian subsidiary Mineração VMC Ltda. ("VMC"). VMC is currently producing from 4 independent stone quarries and is actively pursuing opportunities to expand the sale and export of exotic stone building materials from Brazil.

https://victoriaminingcorp.ca

Christopher J. Berlet B.A.Sc.(Mining), CFA, CEO & Director of Stakeholder is responsible for the content of this press release.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking information. All information, other than information of historical fact, constitute "forward-looking statements" and includes any information that addresses activities, events or developments that the Corporation believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the Corporation's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance.

When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "believe", "hope", "may" and similar expressions, as well as "will", "shall" and other indications of future tense, are intended to identify forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is based on current expectations and applies only as of the date on which they were made. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the ability of the Corporation to fund the exploration expenditures required under the Agreement. Other factors such as uncertainties regarding government regulations could also affect the results. Other risks may be set out in the Corporation's annual financial statements, MD&A and other publicly filed documents.

The Corporation cautions that 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 information. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Except as required by law, the Corporation does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking information contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/315272

Source: Stakeholder Gold Corp.