Highlights:
- The ECOLOGO® certification process incorporated over one hundred criteria, encompassing practices on environment, health and safety, governance, community relations, Indigenous relations, innovation, and contribution to local economy.
- As part of this certification, Probe Gold met all the responsible development indicators including:
- Respect for the principles of sustainable development in the value chain
- Environmental quality (efficient use of resources, air quality, soil quality, respect for sensitive areas and wildlife habitat)
- Quality of life (recognition of the concerns and accommodation of local and indigenous communities, quality of the visual environment, health and safety of populations, respect for cultural heritage)
- Local investment (selection of local labour, selection of local suppliers)
- Work environment (occupational health and safety)
- Business ethics (prevention of corruption, accountability of directors and officers)
- Transparency and reporting (information sharing)
- Innovation (responsible use of technologies)
- Economic efficiency (efficient use of financial resources)
Toronto, September 26, 2023 – Probe Gold Inc. (TSX: PRB) (OTCQB: PROBF) (“Probe” or the “Company”), is pleased to announce that it has received UL 2723 ECOLOGO® Certification for Mineral Exploration Companies (the “ECOLOGO Certification”) for following the best practices for responsible development in the mining exploration industry. Probe Gold began the accreditation process in February 2022 and successfully completed it in August 2023. This process involved developing and implementing internal policies and procedures, along with a comprehensive review of the documentation. The verification was conducted by UL Solutions, a globally recognized and respected scientific testing, inspection, and certification company specializing in standards development and certification.
In 2012, the Quebec Mineral Exploration Association, known as the “Association de l’exploration minière du Québec” or “AEMQ”, developed the concept of establishing a certification process. This process aimed to assess and acknowledge responsible practices within mineral exploration firms and their service providers. To bring this vision to fruition, the AEMQ collaborated with the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, which initially crafted the normative document. Subsequently, UL partnered with them to create the ECOLOGO® certification program based on the university’s groundwork. The program was officially launched in 2019.
David Palmer, President and CEO of Probe, states “We are very proud that our Company, and our practices, have been recognized as being at a level to achieve UL ECOLOGO certification. This is further confirmation of our ongoing commitment to responsible practices and our dedication to sustainable and responsible mining, which have always been at the core of our philosophy. This certification provides numerous advantages, including a better work environment, increased employee motivation, enhanced employer appeal, improved strategic planning, and more effective risk management. Additionally, it helps us navigate legislative changes, foster positive stakeholder relationships, enhance project timelines, and improve our stewardship of the environment. I extend my congratulations to the entire Probe team and I would like to express my thanks to the Quebec Mining Exploration Association (AEMQ), and the individuals involved, for their collaboration.”
About Probe Gold:
Probe Gold Inc. is a leading Canadian gold exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of highly prospective gold properties. The Company is well-funded and dedicated to the exploration and development of high-quality gold projects, notably its 100% owned flagship asset, the multimillion-ounce Novador Gold Project in Québec. Probe controls a large land package of approximately 1,600-square-kilometres of exploration ground within some of the most prolific gold belts in Québec.
About UL
UL has been developing standards for Canada for over 100 years and is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), an accreditation to deliver standards that promotes sustainable development, benefits the health, safety, and welfare of workers, and advances national economy.
About AEMQ
The Association de l’exploration minière du Québec is a non-profit organization that represents players in Québec’s mining sector. Founded in 1975 to increase mining exploration in Québec and support development of Québec’s mining entrepreneurship, AEMQ now has 1,200 individual members (prospectors, geologists, geophysicists, brokers, tax experts, attorneys, etc.) and 200 corporate members (junior and major mining exploration companies, mining operation companies, engineering consulting firms in geology and geophysics, drilling companies, service companies, equipment suppliers, etc.).
On behalf of Probe Gold Inc.,
Dr. David Palmer,
President & Chief Executive Officer
For further information:
Please visit our website at www.probegold.com or contact:
Seema Sindwani
Vice-President of Investor Relations
info@probegold.com
+1.416.777.9467
Forward-Looking Statements
Neither TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This News Release includes certain “forward-looking statements” which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company’s future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as “believes”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “estimates”, “may”, “could”, “would”, “will”, or “plan”. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management’s expectations. Risks, uncertainties, and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the Company’s objectives, goals or future plans, statements, exploration results, potential mineralization, the estimation of mineral resources, exploration and mine development plans, timing of the commencement of operations and estimates of market conditions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to failure to identify mineral resources, failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves, the inability to complete a feasibility study which recommends a production decision, the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals, political risks, inability to fulfill the duty to accommodate First Nations and other indigenous peoples, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in the development of projects, capital and operating costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, and those risks set out in the Company’s public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.
