Mr. Sandeep Singh reports

WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD ADVANCES SITE PROGRAM AND APPOINTS MARK E. SMITH AS CHAIRMAN

Western Copper and Gold Corp. has provided an update on the 2026 site program at its flagship Casino copper-gold project. The company also announces the appointment of Mark E. Smith as chairman of the board.

2026 site program

Western's focus remains on advancing Casino through the continuing assessment process with the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board. In parallel, the current site program is designed to advance specific aspects of engineering design and optimization, positioning the company for the next phases of technical analysis and supporting future planned permitting activities.

The program includes further geotechnical drilling and permafrost investigations across proposed mine infrastructure sites, including the tailings management facility, heap leach facility, stockpile areas and open pit. Metallurgical drill holes are also planned within the oxide cap to provide additional sample density across key ore types and support continuing testwork focused on enhancing metal recovery. This work is complemented by test pits, ground geophysical surveys and a drone magnetics survey.

For the first time in years, the company is evaluating targets on the broader land package to support the planning of future exploration concepts.

"Our team is executing a program designed to deepen the engineering behind the project as we prepare for the technical analysis phase of the YESAB panel review," said Sandeep Singh, president and chief executive officer of Western. "We benefit from a considerable amount of technical work on the project historically. That said, each new stage of the project's advancement requires additional layers of detail, and we remain committed to doing the right work to outline a long-life, thoughtfully designed and sustainable project for the benefit of all Yukoners."

"Attention has understandably been on advancing the project itself," said Mr. Singh. "But the more time our new team spends on the ground, the clearer it becomes that the prospectivity of the broader 21,300-hectare land package remains largely untested. This season we begin investigating some of those concepts for potential future exploration."

Chairman succession

Western also announces that Mark E. Smith, a director of the company since November, 2025, has been appointed chairman of the board. Mr. Smith succeeds Raymond Threlkeld, who remains on the board and will continue to be an invaluable technical resource to the company.

Mr. Smith is a professional engineer with over 45 years of global mining experience, including nearly 25 years leading Vector Engineering, a 500-person firm he co-founded that served many of the world's largest miners. He has been a trusted technical voice in the Yukon for over a decade, working across the territory on projects including Coffee, Macpass and Mactung, and advising the government of Yukon on mine waste and heap leach management practices. Most recently, he was appointed by the government of Yukon to chair the independent review board for the Eagle mine investigation.

"Ray's technical judgment was invaluable through a period of significant management change at Western, and I am personally grateful for his mentorship during that time," said Mr. Singh. "Mark's appointment is another positive step for the company. There are few people with his combination of engineering depth and Yukon experience. His perspectives will serve us well as we advance Casino through our next set of milestones."

About Western Copper and Gold Corp.

Western Copper is advancing the Casino project, Canada's premier copper-gold mine in the Yukon and one of the most economic greenfield copper-gold mining projects in the world.

The company is committed to working collaboratively with first nations and local communities to progress the Casino project, using internationally recognized responsible mining technologies and practices.

We seek Safe Harbor.