Mr. Mike Bandrowski reports

BIG RIDGE GOLD CORP ANNOUNCES $5.0 MILLION PRIVATE PLACEMENT SUPPORTED BY MICHAEL GENTILE AND POWERONE GROUP AND THE PURCHASE OF THE REMAINING 20% OF THE HOPE BROOK GOLD PROJECT

Big Ridge Gold Corp. has entered into an agreement with PowerOne Capital Markets Ltd. as lead finder in connection with a best efforts private placement of up to 40 million common share units of the company at a price of 12.5 cents per unit to raise gross proceeds of up to approximately $5.0-million.

Each unit shall consist of one common share and one-half of a common share purchase warrant. Each warrant is exercisable into one common share of the company at a price of 20 cents per common share for a period of 24 months from the closing date of the offering.

The company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to finance the purchase of the remaining 20 per cent of the Hope Brook gold project it does not currently own, as described below, and for general working capital purposes.

Michael Bandrowski, president and chief executive officer of the company, commented: "Big Ridge is pleased to receive continued support from existing shareholders, including strong participation from Mr. Michael Gentile, PowerOne Capital Group and other supportive shareholders. Consolidating 100-per-cent ownership of the Hope Brook gold project is a significant milestone for Big Ridge, putting the company in position to realize the full value of a fantastic asset in a Tier 1 jurisdiction."

Mr. Gentile commented: "I am very happy to further increase my investment in Big Ridge Gold, one of the most undervalued and under the radar names I own in my portfolio. Today's announcement of a 100-per-cent working interest in the Hope Brook project is not only highly accretive but highly strategic. With 100-per-cent ownership of a robust resource, advanced metallurgy, favourable infrastructure and a potential rapid permitting pathway under a secondary processing structure, the future looks very bright for BRAU shareholders."

The offering is being made by way of private placement in Canada and the securities issued under the offering will be subject to a four-month hold period under applicable securities laws in Canada. Closing of the offering is anticipated to occur on or about July 25, 2025, and is subject to receipt of regulatory approvals, including the acceptance of the offering by the TSX Venture Exchange.

As consideration for services in connection with the offering, each finder will receive a cash commission equal to 7.0 per cent of the gross proceeds raised from subscribers introduced to the company by such finder and broker warrants equal to 7.0 per cent of the number of units sold to those subscribers. Each broker warrant will be exercisable to purchase one unit of the company at a price of 12.5 cents for a period of 24 months from the closing date of the offering.

Big Ridge has entered into an agreement with First Mining Gold Corp. to purchase the remaining 20-per-cent project interest in the Hope Brook gold project for total consideration comprising $3-million in cash and seven million common shares of Big Ridge, payable within 90 days. The transaction is subject to receipt of regulatory approvals, including the acceptance of the transaction by the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Hope Brook

The Hope Brook gold project is an advanced stage, high-grade gold project that produced 752,162 ounces of gold from 1987 to 1997. Initial production consisted of an open pit before moving to underground mining. Hope Brook operated using both heap-leach (1987 to 1990) and conventional cyanidation milling methods (1989 to 1997) with a later inclusion of flotation concentration to recover copper (1991). Government records indicate that gold recoveries from milling ranged between a low of 78.8 per cent in 1987 and a high of 85.9 per cent in 1989. Government and company annual reports indicate that gold recoveries ranged between a low of 82.1 per cent in 1994 and a high of 89.83 per cent in 1996 following a change of ownership. Copper flotation produced a concentrate at approximately 22 per cent copper and 34.3 grams per tonne gold for shipment in 1992.

Hope Brook hosts an indicated gold resource totalling 16.19 million tonnes grading 2.32 grams per tonne gold for 1.2 million ounces and inferred resources totalling 2,215,000 tonnes grading 3.25 grams per tonne gold for 231,000 ounces based on a 0.4- and 2.0-gram-per-tonne cut-off grades for open-pit and underground resources, respectively, using a long-term gold price of $1,750 (U.S.).

The Hope Brook gold deposit is a high-sulphidation epithermal gold deposit hosted in the Proterozoic-aged Whittle Hill sandstone and is intruded by a Late Proterozoic quartz-feldspar porphyry sill-dike complex of the Roti intrusive suite. The deposit is located adjacent to and within an extensive advanced argillic alteration envelope, which includes pyrophyllite, kaolinite, andalusite and alunite. The principal gold mineralization occurs in a buff-coloured massive, vuggy silicic alteration with an associated, less developed grey silicic alteration with pyrite, chalcopyrite and lesser bornite accessory minerals. Gold mineralization is also found with pyrite in units of advanced argillic alteration adjacent to or near silicic alteration horizons. The altered and mineralized zone is cut by mafic dikes, whose contacts are often mineralized. All the altered and mineralized sequences and the intruded dikes have been folded.

Hope Brook is located 85 kilometres east of Port aux Basques, Nfld. The project has well-maintained infrastructure on site, including an operational 28-person camp, a 1,100-metre airstrip, ice-free docking facility and, importantly, connection to the provincial electrical power grid through an on-site substation.

About Big Ridge Gold Corp.

Big Ridge Gold is an exploration and development company managed by a disciplined and experienced team of officers and directors. The company is committed to the development of advanced-stage mining projects using industry best practices combined with strong social licence from the local communities. Big Ridge owns an 80-per-cent interest in its flagship Hope Brook gold project, located in Newfoundland and Labrador. Big Ridge also owns 100 per cent in the highly prospective Oxford gold project located in Manitoba and the Destiny gold project in Quebec.

Acknowledgment

Big Ridge acknowledges and appreciates the Newfoundland and Labrador Ministry of Natural Resources' financial support of the company's 2023 exploration programs through the junior exploration assistance (JEA) program.

We seek Safe Harbor.