Mr. Murray Nye reports

NIOB COMPLETES 2026 DRILL PROGRAM AT BARDY

Visual observations from drilling at North American Niobium and Critical Minerals Corp.'s Bardy property shows that the company's approach to targeting seems to be bearing fruit. The holes were collared at targets where radon data, high-resolution magnetics and surface mapping all intersect. The drill core has been submitted for assays.

"Each hole we complete increases our understanding of the pegmatite systems hosted in Quebec's Grenville district," said Murray Nye, Niobium's chief executive officer. "We're focused on these systems because they are prospective for niobium and rare earths, and key to meeting our long-term goal of becoming a leading supplier of critical minerals."

Highlights from visual core logging

• Eight holes were drilled over 1,554.00 metres across Bardy property, located in Quebec's Grenville province, in the La Tuque, Mauricie, region.
• Holes submitted for multielement and rare-earth element (REE) assay; results will be disclosed once received and verified under the company's QA/QC (quality assurance/quality control) protocols.
• Every hole hit at Bardy, intersecting the targeted syenitic-to-granitic pegmatite dike swarm with rare-earth bearing minerals -- principally allanite -- logged in most holes. As also previously reported, hole BBY-2026-006 intersected an 8.0-metre interval of syenitic pegmatite from 139.70 metres to 147.70 m, including a 0.20-metre zone that included allanite in the core.
• Coarse rare-earth-bearing minerals up to approximately two centimetres wide, interpreted as allanite, visually observed in drill core.
• The drill program was operated by Laurentia Geological Services, and core has been submitted to SGS Canada Inc. in Val d'Or, Que.

The goal of the 2026 diamond drilling program at Bardy was to intersect niobium- and rare-earth-bearing systems. The property is part of North American Niobium's district-scale critical-minerals land package in Quebec's Grenville province. Drill targets were defined by the integration of soil-gas radon surveys and a high-resolution drone-borne magnetic survey, together with surface mapping.

Next steps

1. Submit the remaining drill core to SGS Canada Inc. for multielement and rare-earth element assay;
2. Report assay results once received and verified against the company's QA/QC protocols (certified reference materials, blanks and duplicates) by a qualified person;
3. Complete petrography and mineralogy on selected pegmatite intervals to confirm the identity of the rare-earth-bearing minerals, including the possible allanite;
4. Integrate all 16 drill holes into the geological model to define the orientation, continuity and true widths of the mineralized pegmatite.

The mineral identifications and observations referenced in this news release are based on visual core logging and qualitative field instruments (including handheld scintillometer screening) only.

The rare-earth-bearing minerals described, including the interpretation that the dominant phase may be allanite, are preliminary in nature, are inherently uncertain, and remain to be confirmed by laboratory analysis; no such identification is a substitute for assay. Pegmatite widths reported are drill core (downhole) lengths and not true widths. Handheld scintillometer readings were collected on drill core as a qualitative logging aid and are indicative only; they are not accepted as quantitative results for mineral-disclosure purposes.

Samples are being submitted to SGS Canada Inc., an accredited laboratory in Val d'Or, Que., independent of the company. Geochemical results -- including any quantitative rare-earth element, niobium or other metal content -- will be reported when assays are received and quality assurance review is complete.

No quantitative rare-earth element, niobium or other metal concentrations have been published in this news release. Quantitative geochemical results will be reported only following laboratory assay and review against certified reference material, blank and duplicate quality assurance data by a qualified person.

Qualified person

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 -- Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Clyde McMillan, PGeo, a consultant to the company and a qualified person as defined under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained herein.

About North American Niobium and Critical Minerals Corp.

North American Niobium and Critical Minerals is a North American mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of precious, base, and critical mineral assets. Its portfolio includes the Silver Lake property in British Columbia's Omineca mining division and a district-scale land package covering 29,936 hectares in Quebec's Grenville province. The Quebec properties host rare-earth element, niobium and nickel-copper occurrences, expanding the company's footprint into critical minerals that are strategically important for energy and defence applications.

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