On Thursday 01 15, 2026 at 7:00AM ET Aston Bay Identifies 17 New Base and Precious Metal Showings at the Epworth Copper-Silver Project, Nunavut, Canada Up to 29.2% Cu with 217 g/t Ag in vein mineralization spatially associated with MobileMT nomalies

On Thursday 01 15, 2026 at 7:00AM ET

Aston Bay Identifies 17 New Base and Precious Metal

Showings at the Epworth Copper-Silver Project, Nunavut,

Canada

Up to 29.2% Cu with 217 g/t Ag in vein mineralization spatially associated with MobileMT nomalies

TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / January 15, 2026 / Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. (TSXV:BAY)(OTCQB:ATBHF) ("Aston

Bay" or the "Company") is pleased to announce results from the 2025 summer field program at its Epworth sediment-hosted

copper ("Cu") - silver ("Ag") - zinc ("Zn") - cobalt ("Co") - gold ("Au") project ("Epworth" or the "Project") located 80

kilometres ("km") southeast of Kugluktuk in Nunavut, Canada.

Highlights

17 new base and precious metal showings discovered during the 2025 field program at the Epworth Copper-Silver Project,

Nunavut

High-grade copper and silver returned, including up to 29.2% Cu with 217 g/t Ag in grab samples from chalcocite veins at

the Greenback Showing

Copper-gold mineralization identified, with assays up to 5.42% Cu and 1.89 g/t Au and 3.73% Cu with 2.08 g/t Au in

disseminated sediment-hosted styles of mineralization

Strong zinc-lead ("Pb") results, including up to 10.1% Zn and up to 17.8% Pb, plus elevated cobalt values up to 379 ppm

Co

Mineralization spatially associated with MobileMT conductors, supporting a robust sediment-hosted copper system and

potential for significant buried mineralization

Results further de-risk and refine targets for a planned 2026 drill program, testing both high-grade veins and large-scale

stratiform Cu-Ag-Co mineralization

Prospecting and mapping identified 17 new base and/or precious metal showings spatially associated with Mobile

Magnetotelluric ("Mobile MT") geophysical anomalies, including zones yielding up to 29.2% Cu with 217 grams per tonne

("g/t") Ag, 5.42% Cu with 1.89 g/t Au, 3.73% Cu with 2.08 g/t Au, as well as up to 10.1% Zn, 17.8% Pb and 766 ppm ("parts per

million") Co from select grab samples.

"We are extremely pleased to discover multiple base and precious metal showings during the 2025 mapping and prospecting

program in the southern portion of the property, an area that had seen little previous exploration," stated Thomas Ullrich, CEO

of Aston Bay.

"These strongly mineralized zones indicate an efficient mineralizing system, and their location immediately above the large

geophysical conductors defined by the MobileMT survey suggests a link to potentially more mineralization hidden in the

subsurface. Critically, copper, zinc and gold mineralization have been discovered in the rarely outcropping Recluse Group rocks,

the proposed source of the geophysical anomalies, supporting our theory that those conductors may represent a potentially

significant amount of mineralization yet to be discovered in the subsurface.

"With the market trend toward record copper and silver prices, we are excited to integrate the new data into an anticipated 2026

drill program targeting potential large and high-grade stratigraphic (sediment-hosted-style) Cu-Ag-Co mineralization as well as

high-grade Ag-Cu veins."

Bruce MacLachlan from Emerald Geological Services, vendor of the Epworth Property, added, "Emerald Geological Services

believes that the discovery of these multiple new base and precious metal showings on the Epworth Project highlights the huge

potential of this land package and its underexplored nature. Every field program brings us closer to unlocking that potential as

we increase our understanding of the geology and mineralization."

2025 Field Program

Seven crew members from Emerald Geological Services spent four weeks working at two float-plane-supported campsites on the

property. Field work focused on the southern half of the property, where the 2024 property-wide MobileMT geophysical survey

identified both deep, lower-frequency conductors (up to 900 m below surface) and near-surface, higher-frequency conductive

anomalies. This area was only sparsely prospected before the new geophysical data were received. The conductors are postulated

to correspond to pyritic and graphitic layers in the shales of the Recluse Group, which may act as a trap for metal-bearing fluids

(see Aston Bay's June 5, 2025, news release for more discussion). Exploration also focused on the dolomites of the Lower

Rocknest Formation and the clastic sedimentary rocks of the Upper Odjick Formation, which are known to host sediment-hosted

copper mineralization such as that found in the Central African Copper Belt.

The showings, sampled from outcropping, subcropping (broken but deemed in place) rock and local boulders, are described in

Table 1 and categorized by the styles of mineralization present. Of 309 select grab samples, 22 yielded ≥1% Cu, 22 samples

yielded > 5 g/t Ag, 16 samples yielded >1% Zn, and 7 samples yielded >0.5 g/t Au. See Figure 1 for location and select grab

sample results for each showing. Follow this link for copper, zinc, silver, gold, cobalt and lead results mapped thematically.

Figure 1: New (yellow star) and historic (blue star) showings from the 2025 mapping and prospecting program in the southern

portion of the Epworth Project, Nunavut, with select assay results.

Discussion of Results

Of the styles of mineralization encountered in the 2025 field program, the highest copper and silver values were returned from

vein-hosted copper mineralization in Lower Rocknest dolomite, present at the Greenback, Greenback North, BC, Kid and Expert

Showings, with Greenback returning 29.2% Cu with 217 g/t Ag in chalcocite veinlets (Figures 1 and 2). The Greenback Showing

is similar in character to the Payback Cu-Ag showings in the northern part of the property, which originally returned up to 61%

Cu and 5600 g/t Ag (Payback South Showing, see March 1, 2024, Aston Bay news release). Both are spatially associated with

diabase dikes and with MobileMT conductance anomalies.

Figure 2: Chalcocite veinlets in dolomite at the Greenback Showing, yielding up to 29.2% Cu with 217 g/t Ag. Chalcocite is the

dark grey metallic mineral that shows minor surficial weathering to green malachite.

Disseminated mineralization in Upper Odjick clastic rocks yielded significant copper and gold values at the Expert and Clastic

Showings (Figure 1), with up to 5.42% Cu and 1.89 g/t Au at Expert (Figure 3) and up to 3.73% Cu and 2.08 g/t Au at Clastic

(Figure 4). The Alone Showing falls along the same trend as Clastic (and likely along the same fault-offset trend as Expert and

Greenback) and returned 0.66 g/t Au. These showings, especially Clastic, may be analogous to the historical WB Showing in the

south-central part of the Property, which historically returned values up to 3.3% Cu, 0.27 g/t Au, and 0.03% Co in quartzite

boulders. The WB Showing was subject to the focus of a minor 1995 drill program (1170 m) by Noranda, which did not locate

the source of the mineralized boulders but intersected similar reduced coarse clastic sediments with disseminated pyrite +/-

chalcopyrite over widths of up to 27 meters (Rees and Petrie 1996).

Figure 3: Disseminated chalcopyrite-bornite at the Expert Showing, yielding up to 5.42% Cu and 1.89 g/t Au. Chalcopyrite is the

yellow metallic mineral, with bornite (purple-blue), with surficial recent weathering to green malachite.

Figure 4: Quartzite boulders with disseminated chalcopyrite-bornite at the Clastic Showing, up to 3.7% Cu and 2.08 g/t Au.

Vein-hosted copper mineralization in the Upper Odjick clastic rocks and mafic sills returned interesting copper values in

generally narrow (maximum 40 centimetre) quartz veins or dolomite veinlets. This style of mineralization was present at the

Expert, Pass and Trek Showings (Figure 1). The highest copper value obtained from this style of mineralization was 2.39% at

Pass, from quartz-dolomite veinlets with chalcopyrite (Figure 5). Gold values up to 306 ppb Au at Expert and 161 ppb Au at Trek

were also obtained from this style of mineralization.

Figure 5: Dolomite-quartz veinlets with chalcopyrite at Pass Showing, up to 2.39% Cu.

Numerous new showings of >1% zinc-lead mineralization hosted in Lower Rocknest dolomites were discovered, including the

Expert, Trio, Val, Bob, 3BD, KN, JM North and MT Showings (Figure 1). The best zinc value of 10.1% was obtained from the

3BD Showing from subcrop. The Bob and Val Showings in the western part of the Property, along the same trend, returned the

best Pb values of the program of 17.8 and 13% respectively, along with up to 1.9% and 5.2% Zn respectively (Figure 6).

Figure 6: Galena mineralization in dolomite at Bob Showing, yielding up to 17.8% Pb and 1.9% Zn.

An important style of vein-hosted or disseminated Cu-Pb-Zn mineralization was discovered at the Hike Showing in clastic rocks

of the Recluse group, with values up to 0.34% Cu (with 223 ppb Au), 3.75% Zn and 0.18% Pb in separate samples within the

Recluse Group rocks. This supports the geologic model in which pyritic or graphitic shales act as traps for base-metal-bearing

fluids. The Hike Showing is also spatially associated with both low-frequency and high-frequency conductive EM anomalies

from the 2024 MobileMT Survey (see Figures 7 and 8). As the easily weathered (recessive) Recluse shales typically form

topographic lows and therefore do not outcrop well compared to more competent rock units, the Hike Showing may be a

difficult-to-find indicator of additional buried mineralization.

Many of the major new showings show good spatial correlation with both low- and high-frequency conductors. Expert, Alone,

and Clastic are more marginal to the conductors, but their location is on the east margin of a syncline that dips towards the

conductors. Most showings also occur along or proximal to the Rocknest-Odjick contact, as has been observed elsewhere on the

Property.

The Company is integrating the new data into an anticipated 2026 drill program targeting both large and high-grade stratigraphic

(sediment-hosted-style) Cu-Ag-Co mineralization as well as high-grade Ag-Cu veins.

Figure 7: 2025 and historic showings overlain on low-frequency apparent conductivity (67 Hz) from the 2024 MobileMT survey,

highlighting deeper (up to 900m) conductors.

Figure 8: 2025 and historic showings overlain on high frequency apparent conductivity (5386 Hz) from the 2024 MobileMT

survey, highlighting near-surface conductors.

Table 1: Epworth 2025 new showings.

Showing Vein-hosted

copper

mineralization

in Lower

Rocknest

dolomite

Disseminated

copper-gold

mineralization

in Upper

Odjick clastic

rocks

Vein-hosted

copper

mineralization

in Upper

Odjick clastic

rocks or mafic

sills

Cu-Zn-Pb-Au

mineralization

in Recluse

clastic rocks

Zinc-lead

mineralization

in Lower

Rocknest

dolomite

Comments

Greenback Dolomite

subcrop with

several 1-2 cm

chalcocite

veinlets. Assays

between 5.21

and 29.2% Cu,

30.2 and 217 g/t

Ag.

Within 5 m of

east side of

diabase dike.

Greenback

North

Dolomite

outcrop with 1%

chalcopyrite

stringers, 2.91%

Cu assay.

Nearly 1 km

along strike to

NNW of

Greenback.

BC White dolomite

outcrop and

local float with

locally up to

10% chalcocite

stringers. Best

assay of 3.17%

Cu.

Showing Vein-hosted

copper

mineralization

in Lower

Rocknest

dolomite

Disseminated

copper-gold

mineralization

in Upper

Odjick clastic

rocks

Vein-hosted

copper

mineralization

in Upper

Odjick clastic

rocks or mafic

sills

Cu-Zn-Pb-Au

mineralization

in Recluse

clastic rocks

Zinc-lead

mineralization

in Lower

Rocknest

dolomite

Comments

Kid White dolomite

outcrop with 3-

4% chalcopyrite

veinlets. 1.76%

Cu, 131 ppb Au.

Expert Dolomite with

up to 3%

chalcopyrite

stringers in

outcrop. Best

assay of 0.34%

Cu.

Shale and

siltstone with 1-

20%

disseminated

chalcopyrite,

bornite and

chalcocite in

<1m zone along

25-meter

minimum strike

length. Assays

of 0.32 to 5.42%

Cu, 206 to 1890

ppb Au, 100 to

379 ppm Co.

Main QV traced

for 80 meters in

siltstone, 10-40

cm wide with up

to 10%

chalcopyrite,

minor bornite

and chalcocite.

Assays up to

1.7% Cu, up to

306 ppb Au.

Angular shale

boulder 60 m

south contained

dolomite

veinlets with

10% chalcocite,

returning 1.84%

Cu, 112 ppb Au.

Dolomite

outcrop with

sphalerite-

galena stringers,

best assays of

2.43% Zn and

1.74% Pb.

Copper

mineralization

identified along

200-meter

strike length

between the

two major

styles in

outcrop.

Clastic Small cluster of

1 m maximum

angular boulders

of quartzite and

shale (contacts

visible), locally

magnetic with

1-3%

disseminated

chalcopyrite and

bornite. Assays

of 0.11 to 3.73%

Cu, one gold

anomaly of 2.08

g/t in quartzite.

In the boulder

field along the

Rocknest-

Odjick contact

valley.

Numerous

quartzite

boulders with

disseminated

magnetite.

Alone Rusty siltstone

with 2-3%

clots/cubes of

pyrite in

outcrop.

Pass 1-2 cm dolomite

veinlets hosting

up to 5%

chalcopyrite in

fine-grained

dark grey

siliciclastics

and/or mafic

sills. Assays of

0.81 to 2.39%

Cu.

Veining along

fractures,

possible E-W

D4 fault on

ridge.