First Mining Temporarily Suspends Operations in Ontario and Provides COVID-19 Response
TSX: FF
OTCQX: FFMGF
FRANKFURT: FMG
- 1 -
NEWS RELEASE
First Mining Temporarily Suspends Operations in Ontario
and Provides COVID-19 Response
March 24, 2020 – Vancouver, BC – First Mining Gold Corp. (“First Mining” or the “Company”) (TSX: FF)
(OTCQX: FFMGF) (FRANKFURT: FMG) announced today that it has commenced the demobilization of
employees and contractors at its 100%-owned Springpole Gold Project (“Springpole”) and its 100%-owned
Goldlund Gold Project (“Goldlund”), both located in northwestern Ontario.
To date, First Mining has not had any cases of COVID -19 at its camp operations or its head office in
Vancouver. The health and safety of First Mining’s workforce, their families and the communities in which
the Company operates remains First Mining’s number one concern. In the interests of the health and well-
being of our employees, contractors, visitors to our office and operations, and the families of all such
persons, First Mining has also implemented a work from home policy for its employees until further
notice. First Mining is committed to fully supporting safety measures for our workforce, families and
communities.
At Springpole, the Company demobilized one of its two drill crews last weekend. In order to ensure th e
health and safety of all its employees the Company had intended to complete the current shift rotation
while limiting access to site for any new individuals. Work at site was nearing completion ahead of a
planned reduction in on -site activities until aft er the spring ice break -up. However, due to the current
environment, First Mining has decided to demobilize the remaining contractors and staff and keep
Springpole on care and maintenance until it is able to restart its work programs planned for later in t he
spring and summer of 2020.
At Goldlund, drill crews have been demobilized. Given the significant amount of drilling that has taken
place at Goldlund this year ( approximately 4,900 metres), this will allow First Mining’s geology team to
receive assays and interpret results before planning the remainder of the 2020 drill program.
Management will continue to monitor the COVID -19 situation and adjust plans as the situation evolves.
First Mining thanks our workforce, partners and all stakeholders for their understanding and support, and
looks forward to resuming field operations as soon as possible.
As of March 6, 2020, after completing its latest financing, First Mining had cash and cash equivalents of
approximately $12 million.
Qualified Person
Hazel Mullin, P.Geo., Director, Data Management and Technical Services of First Mining, is a “ Qualified
Person” for the purposes of NI 43 -101, and she has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical
disclosure contained in this news release.
About First Mining Gold Corp.
First Mining Gold Corp. is a Canadian -focused gold exploration and development company advancing a
large resource base of 7.4 million ounces of gold in the Measured and Indicated categories and 3.8 million
ounces of gold in the Infe rred category. First Mining’s primary focus is the development and permitting
TSX: FF
OTCQX: FFMGF
FRANKFURT: FMG
- 2 -
of its Springpole Gold Project and the advanced exploration of its Goldlund Gold Project, both located in
northwestern Ontario. Springpole is one of the largest undeveloped gold assets in Canada, with permitting
and a Pre-Feasibility Study underway. Goldlund is an advanced exploration stage asset where drilling in
2020 is planned to define both the extension of the existing resource area and to better define the regional
scale potential. First Mining’s eastern Canadian property portfolio also includes Cameron, Pickle Crow,
Hope Brook, Duparquet, Duquesne, and Pitt.
First Mining was created in 2015 by Mr. Keith Neumeyer, founding President and CEO of First Majestic
Silver Corp.
ON BEHALF OF FIRST MINING GOLD CORP.
Daniel W. Wilton
Chief Executive Officer and Director
For further information, please contact:
Mal Karwowska | Vice President, Corporate Development & Investor Relations
Direct: 604.639.8824 | Toll Free: 1.844.306.8827 | Email: [email protected]
www.firstmininggold.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes certain "forward -looking information” and "forward -looking statements” (collectively
"forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation
including the United States Pri vate Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward- looking statements are
made as of the date of this news release. Forward -looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by
words such as "expects”, "anticipates”, "believes”, “plans”, “projects”, "intends”, "estimates”, “envisages”,
"potential”, "possible”, “strategy”, “goals”, “objectives”, or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events
or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these
terms and similar expressions.
Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to future events or future performance and reflect current
estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements
with respect to: (i) the timeframe for the suspension of operations at Springpole and Goldlund, and for Springpole
being kept on care and maintenance; (ii) the timeframe for the Company’s work from home policy; (iii) the timing for
the receipt of outstanding assays for Goldlund and the interpretation of the results of such assays; (iv) the timeframe
of the COVID -19 pandemic and the potential for plans to be adjusted further as the situation evolves ; (v) the
Company’s primary focus on developing and permitting Springpole and the advanced exploration of its Goldlund Gold
Project; and ( vi) realizing the value of the Company’s gold projects for the Company’s shareholders. All forward-
looking statements are based on First Mining's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made
by them and information currently available to them. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to
be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and
are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties,
are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and
contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to
be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by
such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many
of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation the Company’s business, operations and financial condition
TSX: FF
OTCQX: FFMGF
FRANKFURT: FMG
- 3 -
potentially being materially adversely affected by the outbreak of epidemics, pandemics or other health crises, such
as COVID-19, and by reactions by government and private actors to such outbreaks; risks to employee health and
safety as a result of the outbreak of epidemics, pandemics or other health crises, such as COVID -19, that may result
in a slowdown or temporary suspension of operations at some or all of the Company's mineral properties as well as
its head office; fluctuations in the spot and forward price of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities;
fluctuations in the currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar); changes in national and
local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and
hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental
hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave- ins and flooding); the presence of
laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by
local communities, indigenous populations and other stakeholders; availability and increasing costs associated with
mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; title t o properties.; and
the additional risks described in the Company’s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2018 filed
with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com, and in
the Company’s Annual Report on Form 40-F filed with the SEC on EDGAR.
First Mining cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying
on our forward -looking statements to make decisions with respect to First Mining, investors and others should
carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. First Mining does not undertake
to update any forward- looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the
Company or on our behalf, except as required by law.
Cautionary Note to United States Investors
This news release has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada,
which differ from the requirements of U .S. securities laws. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource and reserve
estimates included in this news release have been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and the Canadian Institute
of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum 2014 Definition Standards on M ineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. NI 43-
101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure
an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Canadi an standards, including
NI 43- 101, differ significantly from the requirements of the SEC, and mineral resource and reserve information
contained herein may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies. In particular, and
without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the term "resource” does not equate to the term "reserves”. Under
U.S. standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve” unless the determination has been made that the
mineralization could be economicall y and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is
made. The SEC's disclosure standards normally do not permit the inclusion of information concerning "measured
mineral resources”, "indicated mineral resources” or "inferred mineral resources” or other descriptions of the amount
of mineralization in mineral deposits that do not constitute "reserves” by U.S. standards in documents filed with the
SEC. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be
converted into reserves. U.S. investors should also understand that "inferred mineral resources” have a great amount
of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It canno t be
assumed that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource” will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under
Canadian rules, estimated "inferred mineral resources” may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies
except in rare cas es. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource”
exists or is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of "contained ounces” in a resource is permitted disclosure
under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not
constitute "reserves” by SEC standards as in- place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. The
requirements of NI 43 -101 for identification of "reserves” are also not the same as those of the SEC, and reserves
reported by the Company in compliance with NI 43 -101 may not qualify as "reserves” under SEC standards.
Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made
public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards.