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NEW YORK , July 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Gold's remarkable surge beyond $3,300 per ounce (all figures are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted) in 2025 has become more than a fleeting price spike—it reflects deepening investor skepticism about the global financial system. With inflation stubbornly persistent and confidence in fiat currencies waning, gold has reasserted its place as a reliable store of value. The shift has triggered a wave of investment into Canadian gold ventures, especially those in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt — Canada's largest gold producing region. LaFleur Minerals Inc.(CSE: LFLR) (OTCQB: LFLRF) (FSE: 3WK0) (Profile) is leveraging this momentum to fast-track its transformation from explorer to producer. The company joins a growing field of forward-focused mining companies including SSR Mining Inc.(TSX: SSRM) (OTCPK: SSRGF), New Gold Inc.(TSX: NGD) (NYSE American: NGD), K2 Gold Corp.(TSX.V: KTO) (OTCQB: KTGDF) and Nicola Mining Inc.(TSX.V: NIM) (OTCQB: HUSIF).

• Investors increasingly view gold as a critical hedge against monetary expansion, debt accumulation and geopolitical volatility.
• With a fully refurbished, permitted mill and an advanced-stage exploration project, LaFleur Minerals is on track to become one of Quebec's newest gold producers.
• LFLR's Swanson Gold Project spans approximately 15,290 hectares, features more than 36,000 meters of historic drilling and benefits from $5-plus million invested in exploration.
• LaFleur's Beacon Gold Mill, a fully permitted facility that underwent ~$20 million in recent upgrades, was just valued at an estimated replacement cost of more than C$61.5 million—more than double the company's entire market capitalization.

Click here to view the custom infographic of the LaFleur Minerals editorial.

Persistent Inflation, Instability Fuel Gold's Rise

After surpassing the $3,300/oz mark, gold has transitioned from rally to revolution. Investors increasingly view the precious metal as a critical hedge against monetary expansion, debt accumulation and geopolitical volatility. Analysts at major banks, including JPMorgan, are forecasting that gold could test the $4,000 threshold by 2026. JPMorgan's gold price forecast outlines this possibility amid persistent inflation and fiscal uncertainty.

Central banks have continued to increase their gold reserves, with net buying hitting record levels in 2023 and sustaining through 2024, reinforcing global demand. The World Gold Council notes that emerging markets, particularly in Asia and the Middle East, are accumulating gold as a buffer against dollar volatility. Sovereign demand has played a significant role in tightening global supply and setting the stage for the recent price escalation.

Central banks have significantly increased their gold reserves in recent years, maintaining net purchases above 1,000 tonnes annually through 2024 and into early 2025, underscoring robust global demand. The World Gold Council reports that 95% of reserve managers expect their official gold holdings to grow over the next year, and 43% plan to add to their own bank's reserves—responses led primarily by emerging-market institutions in Asia and the Middle East. This surge in sovereign gold acquisition has tightened available supply and contributed to the recent surge in prices.

These rising prices are reshaping capital flows across Canadian ventures. TSX and TSXV-listed mining companies raised a total of $6.8 billion in equity during the first half of 2024, an increase of 62% compared to $4.2 billion in the same period in 2023. This marks the largest amount raised in at least a decade.

Canada remains one of the world's leading gold producers, with national output rising approximately 3% in 2024 to around 200 tonnes. This accounts for an estimated 6.7% of global gold production, placing the country among the top five producers worldwide. This status reflects not just mineral wealth but also Canada's political stability and mining-friendly environment. Canada's prime minister Mark Carney recently introduced legislation to streamline permitting for major resource projects, targeting project approval timelines of around two years under a "one project, one review" approach for national interest developments.

The country's legal and regulatory systems offer security for investors, while Canadian stock exchanges are major hubs for mining finance. This blend of resources, stability and financial expertise cements Canada's role in the global gold supply chain. Meanwhile, investor sentiment toward gold equities has strengthened, particularly among institutions seeking near-term exposure to production growth. Juniors capable of transitioning quickly from discovery to development stand to benefit most in this environment.

Advancing a High-Potential Gold Asset in Quebec

LaFleur Minerals Inc. (CSE: LFLR) (OTCQB: LFLRF) (FSE: 3WK0) fits squarely within this new wave. With both a permitted mill and an advanced-stage exploration project, the company is on track to become one of Quebec's newest gold producers. That transition positions LaFleur as an ideal candidate to capitalize on both market dynamics and regional policy tailwinds.

LaFleur's Swanson Gold Project lies at the heart of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, a prolific gold region responsible for more than 200 million ounces of historical gold production. According to LaFleur, the consolidated Swanson Gold Project spans approximately 15,290 hectares, three times the size of the original property acquired from Monarch Mining, and benefits from more than $5 million invested in exploration by the previous owner. This expansion and investment have not only significantly increased the project's footprint but also positioned it as a key player in the region's gold exploration efforts, opening new opportunities for development.

Historical drilling in the project area includes more than 950 drill holes, with 447 located on the Swanson Property alone. Previous drilling has revealed broad zones of gold mineralization, with widths locally reaching up to 40 meters. The area also benefits from previous underground development, including a ramp to a vertical depth of 80 meters for bulk sampling. Notably, Monarch conducted limited exploration drilling outside the main deposit, indicating significant potential for further discoveries.

The company is currently executing a 5,000-plus-meter drill program to test more than 50 prospects, including the Bartec, Marimac and high-grade Jolin targets. Recent surface sampling at Jolin yielded assays up to 11.7 g/t Au. In addition, step-out drilling is being used to test strike extensions of known mineralized zones at Swanson and explore potential open-pit scenarios, particularly around the project deposit's pit-constrained resource.

A September 2024 NI 43-101 resource report confirmed significant upside in both tonnage and grade relative to the 2021 baseline. The mineralized zone measures 475 meter x 425 meter x 500 meter and remains open in all directions. LaFleur has also received all the necessary permits for drilling including the Authorization to Intervene (ATI) and the Forestry Intervention permits. The next step is  a planned 100,000-tonne bulk sample with an average grade of 1.8 g/t Au; LaFleur will truck the mineralized material to its Beacon Mill for processing.

Transforming Legacy Mill into Regional Hub

LaFleur's Beacon Gold Mill, acquired from Monarch Mining in 2024, is a fully permitted, previously refurbished facility located only 50 kilometers from the Swanson Project. It features a nameplate capacity of 750 tonnes per day and underwent approximately C$20 million in capital upgrades before being placed on care and maintenance in early 2023. In addition, the mill boasts the ability to be scaled to 1,100 tonnes per day, and LaFleur has obtained a certificate of authorization from the Quebec government permitting the processing of 1.8 million tonnes of tailings, equivalent to approximately nine years of mineral processing at the full 750-tonne per day capacity.

LaFleur has completed a full inspection and budgeting process, identifying a C$5–6 million restart path that includes equipment upgrades and repairs to the tailings storage facility. To support this effort, the company retained Bumigeme Inc. to complete an independent valuation, which estimated the replacement CAPEX cost to build a similar gold mill today at C$49.5 million. This cost does not include the building of a new tailings storage facility (TSF) including a tailings pond, finishing basin, piping, pumping station, etc., which is estimated at an additional C$12 million, as well as mining and environmental studies and permitting costs estimated at C$10 million.

The goal is to achieve full production at the mill by early 2026 once the restart tasks and ramp-up period are complete, with plans to commence initial production launch by the end of this year. With the Beacon Gold Mill valued at more than 17x its estimated rehabilitation and recommissioning costs, LaFleur Minerals holds a unique, fully permitted processing facility within a major gold mining jurisdiction, providing a path to near-term gold production in a region flush with custom-milling opportunities and nearby gold deposits.

The facility is supported by a robust infrastructure network, including access to road, rail and hydropower. The mill's flowsheet utilizes cyanidation and Merrill-Crowe recovery, suitable for high-grade, free-milling ore. In addition to the main mill, the site includes a 486-meter shaft from historic underground operations, containment ponds and water-management systems.

Beacon's strategic location within Val-d'Or's mining cluster creates opportunities for toll milling and custom processing contracts. More than 100 historical and active mines operate within range, many of which lack in-house processing capacity. With ore stockpiles from projects such as Beaufor already staged at the site, LaFleur could see immediate throughput upon restart.

Backed by Seasoned Team, Market Momentum

Execution at LaFleur is led by CEO Paul Ténière, a geologist with more than 25 years of mining experience across exploration, feasibility and production. His background includes NI 43-101 and S-K 1300 compliance, giving the company a strong governance foundation as it ramps toward producer status. Chair Kal Malhi, who oversees LaFleur's strategic partnerships, has raised more than $300 million for early-stage companies across the mining, oil and gas, biomedical, agriculture and technology sectors. In addition, mining executive Peter Espig has joined the company as an advisor to help shape tolling and financing structures around the Beacon restart and bulk sample programs.

LaFleur is also positioning itself for institutional support, with a valuation strategy designed to reflect not only resource upside but infrastructure replacement value. The company's capital structure is tightly held with more than 30% insider ownership. LaFleur is also advancing a scoping study that will evaluate open-pit mining rates, development timelines and potential production profiles.

The market is increasingly rewarding juniors that can move quickly from exploration to production. With a permitted mill, advanced-stage resource and accelerated timeline to cash flow, LaFleur is years ahead of most early-stage explorers in the Abitibi. The combination of infrastructure, geology and timing may enable the company to generate early revenue while expanding its long-term resource base.

For investors, LaFleur represents a rare combination of fully permitted infrastructure, significant exploration upside and near-term cash flow potential. Its dual-asset model accelerates the path to production and offers leverage to rising gold prices without the buildout risk typical of greenfield projects — yet trades at a valuation more typical of early-stage exploration companies. That disconnect presents a compelling opportunity for investors ahead of a potential rerating as the mill restart advances and drilling delivers results.

Established Players Driving Sector Momentum

As demand for gold accelerates, established public companies are making strategic moves to scale innovation and meet global needs. LaFleur Minerals' progress reflects this same drive to capitalize on historic gold prices, operational readiness, and regional tailwinds.

SSR Mining Inc. (TSX: SSRM) (OTC: SSRGF) operates gold assets across four major jurisdictions, including the United States, Canada, Argentina and Türkiye. The company is leveraging its strong balance sheet and free cash flow profile to advance projects across these territories. Notably, its Seabee mine in Saskatchewan shares geological similarities with Quebec-based deposits, reinforcing SSR's commitment to high-grade gold production in premier jurisdictions.

New Gold Inc. (TSX: NGD) (NYSE American: NGD) is set to release Q2 2025 results amid renewed interest in intermediate producers. The company operates the Rainy River and New Afton mines in Canada and has prioritized operational efficiency and profitability in response to rising gold prices. These efforts underscore the growing emphasis on sustainable output at scale—an approach LaFleur is adopting through its Beacon Mill relaunch.

K2 Gold Corp. (TSX.V: KTO) (OTC: KTGDF) recently secured 100% ownership of its flagship Mojave Project inCalifornia. With past drill results as high as 86.9 meters at 4.0 g/t Au, the company has positioned itself to fast-track development. Like LaFleur, K2 is exploring underappreciated assets in historically productive regions with strong infrastructure access and expansion upside.

Nicola Mining Inc. (TSX.V: NIM) (OTCQB: HUSIF) has commenced long-term production of gold and silver concentrate at its Merritt Mill in British Columbia. The company is also executing custom milling agreements with multiple partners, proving the revenue-generating potential of mill ownership—a strategy that mirrors LaFleur's approach with the Beacon facility.

Together, these firms reflect a shifting narrative in gold investment; production readiness, capital discipline and strategic infrastructure are now key differentiators. As the global economy adjusts to inflationary pressures and fiat uncertainty, LaFleur Minerals is emerging as a differentiated player capable of delivering near-term results. With a clear path to production, high-grade mineralization and a fully permitted mill, the company offers investors an early-stage opportunity aligned with the direction of the broader market.

For more information, visit LaFleur Minerals Inc.

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