Cascadia and Agnico Eagle Forge Major Yukon Exploration Alliance

VANCOUVER, BC – March 30, 2026 – Junior explorer Cascadia Minerals has secured a significant strategic partnership with mining giant Agnico Eagle Mines, launching a major exploration push into Yukon's untapped Stikine Terrane and injecting millions into its operations. The multi-faceted deal, announced Monday, includes a regional exploration alliance, a specific property earn-in agreement, and a substantial equity investment that positions Agnico Eagle as Cascadia's largest shareholder.

The agreement signals a massive vote of confidence in Cascadia's strategy and the mineral potential of its land holdings, providing the smaller company with the capital and technical backing of one of the world's premier gold producers. For Agnico Eagle, the deal secures a strategic foothold in a highly prospective and underexplored region, reflecting a broader industry trend of major miners partnering with agile juniors to fill their discovery pipelines.

A Partnership of Strategy and Scale

The comprehensive agreement is built on three key pillars that collectively reshape Cascadia's future. Firstly, Agnico Eagle will make a direct equity investment of $7.6 million, acquiring a 19.9% partially-diluted stake in the company. This is part of a larger $8.9 million financing package that provides Cascadia with a significant infusion of working capital.

Secondly, the two companies have established a multi-year Strategic Alliance to identify and advance gold-copper properties across Yukon's vast Stikine Terrane. Agnico Eagle has committed to funding a minimum of $500,000 annually for this generative exploration, which Cascadia will operate.

Thirdly, the deal includes a separate, more aggressive earn-in agreement for Cascadia's promising Catch Property. Agnico Eagle can earn up to an 80% interest in the project by funding $30 million in exploration expenditures over a six-year period. Combined, up to $5 million in exploration funded by Agnico Eagle is anticipated for the 2026 field season alone.

"We are delighted to partner with Agnico Eagle to explore the Stikine Terrane in Yukon, which we believe offers the potential for significant new discoveries," said Cascadia's Chief Executive Officer, Graham Downs, in the official press release. He emphasized the dual benefit of the deal, stating, "Agnico Eagle's equity investment will provide us with additional working capital and allow for work at Carmacks to be accelerated, while the Strategic Alliance and Catch Earn-In will allow our Stikine Terrane projects to be advanced with minimal dilution to Cascadia shareholders."

Targeting the Next Golden Triangle

At the heart of the alliance is the geological promise of the Stikine Terrane. This belt of rock is the northern extension of the same geological formation that hosts British Columbia's famed Golden Triangle, a region responsible for numerous world-class copper-gold porphyry deposits like Red Chris and KSM. While the BC portion has been a hotbed of discovery for decades, its continuation into the Yukon remains comparatively unexplored, representing a true frontier for mineral exploration.

The Strategic Alliance gives the partnership a commanding position in this frontier. Cascadia has amassed a land package of over 800 square kilometers, including recently staked claims, which will be the focus of the joint exploration efforts. Under the terms, Cascadia will act as the operator, leveraging its regional expertise to conduct the initial generative work funded by Agnico Eagle.

As promising targets are identified, they can be designated as "Designated Projects." Agnico Eagle will then have the option to earn a 51% interest in a project by funding $3 million in work over three years, with a further option to increase its stake to 80% by funding an additional $12 million. This structure provides a clear pathway from grassroots discovery to a well-funded, large-scale exploration program, a model that significantly de-risks the high-cost, high-reward nature of mineral exploration.

A Major's Long Game in a Competitive Market

From Agnico Eagle's perspective, the deal is a calculated strategic move to secure future growth. Major mining companies are increasingly facing the challenge of replacing depleting reserves and are turning to partnerships with junior explorers as a cost-effective way to gain exposure to new discoveries. By backing Cascadia, Agnico Eagle is effectively outsourcing the initial high-risk exploration phase to a specialized team with a proven track record in the region.

The structure of the deal goes beyond a simple passive investment. In addition to its 19.9% ownership, Agnico Eagle has secured significant investor rights. These include the right to appoint a member to Cascadia's board of directors, the right to participate in future financings to maintain its ownership stake, and, critically, a right of first offer on Cascadia's flagship Carmacks Project.

This suite of rights indicates a long-term vision. Agnico Eagle is not just betting on a single discovery but is embedding itself within Cascadia's corporate structure, ensuring it has a front-row seat and preferential rights as projects advance. This model allows the major to deploy its capital and technical expertise precisely when a project reaches a critical stage of development, optimizing its investment and securing a potential future supply of gold and copper.

Accelerating the Flagship Carmacks Project

While the alliance focuses on the new frontier of the Stikine, a major immediate benefit of the deal is the ability to aggressively advance Cascadia's existing flagship asset, the 100%-owned Carmacks Project. Located in the established Minto Copper Belt, Carmacks is already a substantial project in its own right, boasting a Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource of 651 million pounds of copper and 302,000 ounces of gold.

Thanks to the new funding, Cascadia is now planning a fully-funded 15,000-meter diamond drill program for the spring of 2026—the largest drill campaign on the property in nearly two decades. The primary goal is to expand the known resource, particularly the higher-value sulphide mineralization that lies beneath the existing oxide resource.

A 2023 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) already demonstrated robust potential for the project, with a post-tax net present value of $330.1 million and an impressive 38% internal rate of return. The upcoming drill program, which will test step-outs from known zones and new regional targets across the 180 km² property, has the potential to significantly enhance these already strong economics. This two-pronged approach allows Cascadia to pursue blue-sky discovery potential in the Stikine Terrane with a world-class partner, while simultaneously and rapidly advancing its more mature Carmacks Project toward development, offering investors multiple avenues for growth.