ahr_ex991
Exhibit 99.1
AMARC Enters Exploration Agreement With Three First
Nations At JOY Project, BC
Takla, Tsay Keh Dene and Kwadacha Nations signal support for Amarc
mineral exploration program
June 29, 2021, Vancouver, BC Amarc Resources Ltd.
("Amarc" or the "Company") (TSX-V: AHR; OTCBB: AXREF) announces it
has entered into a four-way Exploration Agreement with Takla
Nation, Tsay Keh Dene Nation and Kwadacha Nation at its 100%-owned
JOY Cu-Au
district (“JOY District”) in north-central British
Columbia (“BC”), within the province’s
underexplored Toodoggone region.
Last
month, the Company announced an alliance with Freeport-McMoRan
Mineral Properties Canada Inc. (“Freeport”) to explore
the JOY District (see news release dated May 12,
2021).
Amarc’s JOY District covers the northern extension of the
prolific Kemess porphyry Cu-Au district, and is host to the
open-ended PINE porphyry Cu-Au deposit, the promising MEX Cu-Au
porphyry deposit target and a suite of other high-potential Cu-Au
exploration targets. The JOY mineral tenure overlaps with the
traditional territories of the Takla, Tsay Keh Dene and Kwadacha
Nations.
“We are very pleased to formalize our relationship with these
Indigenous Nations in whose territory Amarc is conducting
exploration activities, and enter into an agreement that provides
the blueprint for even closer and more beneficial partnerships in
future,” said Amarc President & CEO Dr. Diane
Nicolson.
“The
Takla, Tsay
Keh Dene and Kwadacha Nations (collectively called “Tse Keh
Nay”) have expressed support for mineral exploration and
development in their territories so long as it is undertaken
responsibly, with due care for the environment and respect for
First Nations people, their rights and interests. The agreement
we’re announcing today is intended to deliver on that vision
by establishing a framework for ongoing cooperation and
collaborative decision-making, and the sharing of benefits at each
stage of project advancement.”
In addition to protocols for ongoing engagement and information
exchange between the parties, the Exploration Agreement also
establishes a pathway for negotiating future agreements to support
more advanced stages of development. The agreement also covers
training, employment and contracting opportunities, and First
Nation participation in environmental monitoring.
“Amarc’s announcement of an alliance with Freeport is
exciting. It has the potential to advance significantly exploration
at the JOY property and, in doing so, create new opportunities for
ongoing collaboration and mutual benefit between Amarc and Tse Keh
Nay”, said Chief Pierre, Tsay Keh Dene Nation.
As
project operator, Amarc is currently mobilizing work crews to JOY
to commence a comprehensive 2021 exploration program, inclusive of
drilling, which is designed to advance deposit delineation and
assess several important-scale mineral systems.
“There
are many compelling reasons to believe in the development potential
of JOY and the other two 100%-owned district-scale properties Amarc
has acquired and assembled in BC,” Nicolson said. “Of
course, operating in regions known for hosting large-scale porphyry
copper-gold mineralization, and in close proximity to low-cost,
low-carbon infrastructure, will be fundamental to our
success.
“But
it’s the mutually beneficial partnerships we’re
developing with First Nations and local communities that may be
most rewarding. We respect and value the vision of the Takla, Tsay
Keh Dene and Kwadacha leadership, and look forward to working with
them as partners to achieve the long-term potential of
JOY.”
About Amarc Resources Ltd.
Amarc
is a mineral exploration and development company with an
experienced and successful management team focused on developing a
new generation of long-life, high value porphyry copper-gold mines
in BC. By combining high demand projects with dynamic management,
Amarc has created a solid platform to create value from its
exploration and development-stage assets.
Amarc
is advancing the 100%-owned IKE, DUKE and JOY porphyry
copper±gold districts located in different prolific porphyry
districts in southern, central and northern BC, respectively. Each
of the three districts is located in proximity to industrial
infrastructure – including power, highways and rail.
Importantly, each district represents significant potential for the
development of multiple and important-scale, porphyry
copper±gold deposits.
Amarc
is associated with HDI, a diversified, global mining company with a
30-year history of porphyry discovery and development success.
Previous and current HDI projects include some of BC’s and
the world’s most important porphyry deposits – such as
Pebble, Mount Milligan, Southern Star, Kemess South, Kemess North,
Gibraltar, Prosperity, Xietongmen, Newtongmen, Florence, Casino,
Sisson, Maggie, IKE and Pine. From its head office in Vancouver,
Canada, HDI applies its unique strengths and capabilities to
acquire, develop, operate and monetize mineral
projects.
Amarc
works closely with local governments, Indigenous groups and other
stakeholders in order to advance its mineral projects responsibly,
and in a manner that contributes to sustainable community and
economic development. We pursue early and meaningful engagement to
ensure our mineral exploration and development activities are well
coordinated and broadly supported, address local priorities and
concerns, and optimize opportunities for collaboration. In
particular, we seek to establish mutually beneficial partnerships
with Indigenous groups within whose traditional territories our
projects are located, through the provision of jobs, training
programs, contract opportunities, capacity funding agreements and
sponsorship of community events. All Amarc work programs are
carefully planned to achieve high levels of environmental and
social performance.
Qualified Person as Defined Under National Instrument
43-101
Mark Rebagliati, P. Eng., a Qualified Person as defined under
National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical
content in this release.
For
further details on Amarc Resources Ltd., please visit the
Company’s website at www.amarcresources.com or
contact Dr. Diane Nicolson, President and CEO, at (604) 684-6365 or
within North America at 1-800-667-2114.
ON
BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF AMARC RESOURCES
LTD.
Dr.
Diane Nicolson
President
and CEO
Neither
the TSX Venture Exchange nor any other regulatory authority accepts
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this
release.
Forward Looking and other Cautionary Information
This
news release includes certain statements that may be deemed
"forward-looking statements". All such statements, other than
statements of historical facts that address exploration drilling,
exploitation activities and other related events or developments
are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the
expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based
on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of
future performance and actual results or developments may differ
materially from those in the forward-looking statements.
Assumptions used by the Company to develop forward-looking
statements include the following: Amarc's projects will obtain all
required environmental and other permits and all land use and other
licenses, studies and exploration of Amarc's projects will continue
to be positive, and no geological or technical problems will occur.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those in forward-looking statements include market prices,
potential environmental issues or liabilities associated with
exploration, development and mining activities, exploitation and
exploration successes, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties
related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and
tenure and delays due to third party opposition, changes in and the
effect of government policies regarding mining and natural resource
exploration and exploitation, exploration and development of
properties located within Aboriginal groups asserted territories
may affect or be perceived to affect asserted aboriginal rights and
title, which may cause permitting delays or opposition by
Aboriginal groups, continued availability of capital and financing,
and general economic, market or business conditions, as well as
risks relating to the uncertainties with respect to the effects of
COVID-19. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not
guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments
may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking
statements. For more information on Amarc Resources Ltd., investors
should review Amarc's annual Form 20-F filing with the United
States Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov and its
home jurisdiction filings that are available at
www.sedar.com.