Mr. Robert Penczak reports

TOTAL METALS MOBILIZES DRILL RIG TO ITS HIGH-GRADE HIGH LAKE GOLD PROJECT, NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO

A diamond drill rig and geological team are currently being mobilized to Total Metals Corp.'s 100-per-cent-owned High Lake gold project, situated in Northwestern Ontario near the Manitoba/Ontario border and adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway:

• Drilling expected to commence Oct. 9, 2026;
• Targeting 2,500 metres of exploration diamond drilling on the high-grade Purdex zone.

"The entire technical team is incredibly energized as we mobilize equipment to the Purdex zone," said Robert Penczak, vice-president of exploration for Total Metals. "We've spent months refining our targets, and seeing a rig arrive on site is a highly anticipated milestone. This is an exceptional high-grade gold target, and we couldn't be more excited to get the drill turning shortly and see what the core reveals."

High-priority drilling strategy

Drilling is expected to commence Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, at High Lake, where historic drilling has demonstrated significant gold mineralization. Geological and geophysical evidence indicates that the system remains open in multiple directions. The planned program is an initial phase of a drilling strategy with objectives to further expand the known mineralized footprint, establish continuity and further define the scale potential of the Purdex zone.

The drill program has been structured to allow the company to scale activity in response to results, including the potential deployment of additional drill rigs to accelerate follow-up on successful targets. This flexibility is intended to allow Total Metals to rapidly advance encouraging results while continuing to evaluate the broader high-potential targets.

High-priority drill targets include the Purdex zone and interpreted structural trends at the High Lake property. Areas of exploration focus include confirming and expanding occurrences as well as prioritized areas of structural trends, especially in where they intersect or bend in areas of lithological complexity.

Qualified person

Robert Penczak, MSc, PGeo (Ontario), vice-president of exploration for the company and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information used in this news release.

About Total Metals Corp.

Total Metals owns 100 per cent of the High Lake and West Hawk Lake project, covering 958 hectares in two gold properties located along the Trans-Canada Highway straddling the Manitoba/Ontario border. The Purdex zone on the High Lake property has significant exploration potential and will be the primary target for initial exploration and potential future mining activities. The West Hawk Lake property comprises a single mineral lease, located within southeastern Manitoba. The company has an option on the Menary gold property, strategically located in the Kenora mining division of Ontario, sharing a common southern boundary with the Rainy River claims being acquired by Coeur Mining, Inc. following its approximately $7-billion (U.S.) acquisition of New Gold Inc. The most recent addition to the company is the Pick Lake property, consisting of 75 claims and a mining lease covering over 5,260 hectares, accessible through a road connected to the Trans-Canada Highway to the south. The Pick Lake critical minerals deposit has an average strike length of approximately 250 metres and a depth extension tested between 300 and 1,200 metres. Total Metals is focused on developing and advancing its high-grade gold and critical mineral assets located in Eastern Canada. The Electrolode project is targeting high-potential critical mineral plus gold resources and targets in three favourable geologic trends, located near major mines in the Red Lake gold camp and is strategically located between Kinross Gold's Great Bear project and First Mining Gold's Springpole project. The Electrolode project is fully permitted for exploration drilling and hosts 10 historic mineralized zones with significant expansion potential plus new, untested targets ready for further exploration.

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