VANCOUVER, BC , March 2, 2026 /CNW/ -Kootenay Silver Inc.(TSXV: KTN) (OTCQX: KOOYF) (the "Company" or "Kootenay") is pleased to announce additional assay results from nine more drill holes at its Columba High-Grade Silver Project in Chihuahua, Mexico.

The staged 50,000-meter drill program is well underway with approximately 17,000 meters completed and 24 holes now reported. The recently closed financing allows for an additional 10,000 meters of drilling for a total of 60,000 meters at Columba.

Expansion drilling is the focus with systematic ~ 100-meter step outs from the known resource bodies which remain open in 2 or 3 directions. These known resource bodies currently host an inferred Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") totaling 54.1 Moz of silver based 5.92 Mt at a grade of 284 gpt (see News Release June 17, 2025).

The results contained herein include four holes targeting D Vein and five holes targeting the sub-parallel B2/Lupe Vein System.

Highlights include:

D Vein Trend 

Hole CDH-25-230 was a step out hole and holes CDH-25-232 and 234 were drilled to test a large 200m long zone in the central D Vein trend. Of interest, CDH-25-230 intercepted a thin hanging-wall vein above the D Vein target grading 0.7m of 1,020 gpt silver, 0.6% lead and 1.5% zinc. Hole CDH-25-232 intersected a broad low-grade section on the D trend with a thin high grade footwall vein of 3,640 gpt silver over0.3 meters.

• CDH-25-230
  • Hangingwall (blind) vein system shows some high grades, roughly 100m above Main D Vein target zone includes;
  • 0.7 meters (0.42m estimated true width "etw") grading 1,020 gpt silver and 0.7% lead.
    
• CDH-25-232
  • 16.50 meters (12.64m etw) grading 76 gpt silver, 0.1% lead and 0.2% zinc.
  • Footwall Vein 0.3 meters (0.23m etw) grading 3,640 gpt silver, 1.2% lead and 3.6% zinc from a downhole depth of 457.35 meters.

Lupe-B2 Trend 

Southeasterly extension of the F Vein trend, Lupe/B2 Veins are hosted within a broad corridor of veining oriented to the east-southeast.

Five holes form this corridor are reported herein, two of which, CDH-25-233 and 235 represent the deepest intersections on Lupe Vein to date, both holes returning >1000 gpt silver.

 This corridor of veins is showing excellent potential for strong widths and high grades. It remains open along strike and to depth showing strong growth potential. See the long sections for Lupe and B 2 Veins for visual reference.

• CDH-25-233
  • One of deepest intercepts on Lupe vein to date.
  • Three main silver bearing structures intercepted, the first includes two blind veins related to the G Vein system, then Lupe Vein and B2 Vein deeper downhole.
  • G Vein mineralization 1.15 meters of 106 gpt silver immediately above a second vein hits 1.35 meters of 122 gpt silver (from 158.4 and 161.65 meters downhole respectively).
  • Lupe Vein System;
    • 10 meters (5.30m etw) of 503 gpt silver, 0.1% lead, 0.6% zinc from 372 meters downhole.
    • Includes 1.10 meters (0.58m etw) of 3,620 gpt silver, 0.1% lead, 0.8% zinc.
  • B2 Vein System;
    • 4.80 meters (2.54m etw) averaging 78 gpt silver, 0.2% lead and 0.6% zinc from 392 meters downhole
  • Open along strike and to depth.
    
    
• CDH-25-235
  • One of deepest intercepts on Lupe Vein to date.
  • Intersected Lupe Vein on the westernmost end of the known Lupe structure to date.
  • Lupe Vein intercepted within a zone measuring 9.88 meters (6.08m etw) averaging 319 gpt silver, 0.1% lead and 0.6% zinc from 423.67 meters downhole.
    • Includes:
    • 0.80 meters (0.50 etw) of 946 gpt silver, 0.25% lead and 1.1% zinc from 426.0 meters downhole; and
    • 0.65 meters (0.40 meters etw) of 1,030 gpt silver, 0.3% lead and 0.7% zinc from 430.9 meters downhole

For further details, follow the link to cross sections (B2/Lupe Vein and D Vein) and long sections (B2 Vein, Lupe Vein, D Vein).

Drilling continues with two drills as Kootenay works to expand accommodation and core storage capacity at Columba. Upon completion the Company intends to increase the number of drill rigs at the project.

Kootenay's President & CEO, James McDonald states, 

"Drilling continues to deliver positive results at Columba. Holes CDH-25-220, 223 and 225 along with previously announced 216 are hitting good wide mineralized vein and vein stockwork breccia at some of the deepest point tested thus far on the D Vein leaving this area wide open to depth. Also impressive is the wide-open potential in the Lupe and B 2 veins. This shows well on the long sections."

Drill results, CDH-25-228 to 235

The current phase of work comprises a planned total 50,000 meter drilling now expanded to 60,000 meters program focused on expanding the size of the resource detailed in the Company's recent 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE"). The maiden MRE is detailed in a report entitled "Technical Report on theMaiden Mineral Resource Estimate for the Columba Ag-Pb-Zn Project, Chihuahua State, Mexico" and dated August 1, 2025, MRE effective date, May 29, 2025 was filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and is also available at the Company's website at www.kootenaysilver.com. Kootenay Silver is fully funded through to the completion of the current 50,000 meter exploration drill campaign.

Columba High Grade Silver Project represents the fourth, newest and highest-grade silver deposit discovered and advanced in Mexico by Kootenay Silver since 2006. A comprehensive list of drill results completed on the Columba Property since 2019 may be viewed here: Columba Drill Results.

About Columba Project

The Columba project is a classic high grade epithermal vein system. That management believes is a newly recognized vein district. It is similar in character and size of other vein districts in Mexico known to have deposited significant resources of silver or gold such as La Chispas and Panuco.

Hosted within a volcanic caldera setting, the surface extent of mapped veins measures roughly 4 kilometers by 3 kilometers. Vein mineralization occurs over a minimum vertical extent of 350 meters as shown by drilling. The veins appear to be intermediate sulfidation veins indicating the potential for depths exceeding 700 meters of vertical extent. This remains to be tested, and all veins remain open to depth.

The veins cut every known rock type on the project and the veins or vein structures can be traced across the highest elevations of the caldera. This indicates veins formed late in caldera history. As elevation increases vein development becomes irregular eventually being replaced by breccias at the higher elevations. Silver grades diminish with increasing elevation right down to background values. Correspondingly silver grades increase with depth from background at higher elevations to highs of kilograms per tonne at depth. It is evident from these features that the vein system has undergone almost no erosion and so whatever silver was deposited originally is largely still there.

A general rule of thumb on the project is at levels deeper than 1,750 meters above sea level is where good grades begin to appear. This is what is referred to as the grade line.

Prior to Kootenay Silver no exploration had occurred at Columba in nearly 40 years. Historically there were two periods of mining on one of the veins referred to as the F Vein. The first being in the early 1900's when underground development included 6 drifts (tunnels) at different levels coming off a 200-meter-deep shaft. This work was halted by the Mexican Revolution. Then a second brief period of mining occurred around 1958 to 1960 when a small private company used the old development to mine. It is estimated that around 100,000 tonnes were mined.

Kootenay acquired 100% of the project and has completed detailed mapping, LiDAR, and airborne magnetic surveys across much of the vein system. The company also has a 24-year surface access agreement that includes annual and other payments and allows for both exploration and exploitation. The agreement covers all the mineralized areas drilled to date.

Sampling and QA/QC at Columba

All technical information for the Columba exploration program is obtained and reported under a formal quality assurance and quality control ("QA/QC") program. Samples are taken from core cut in half with a diamond saw under the direction of qualified geologists and engineers. Samples are then labeled, placed in plastic bags, sealed and with interval and sample numbers recorded. Samples are delivered by the Company to ALS Minerals ("ALS") in Chihuahua. The Company inserts blanks, standards and duplicates at regular intervals as follows. On average a blank is inserted every 100 samples beginning at the start of sampling and again when leaving the mineral zone. Standards are inserted when entering the potential mineralized zone and in the middle of them, on average one in every 25 samples is a standard. Field duplicates as well as coarse and pulp duplicates are taken in the mineralized intervals at an average 2 duplicates for each hole.

The samples are dried, crushed and pulverized at ALS Global's Chihuahua laboratory with the pulps being sent airfreight for analysis by ALS Global in Vancouver, B.C. Systematic assaying of standards, blanks and duplicates is performed for precision and accuracy. Analysis for silver, zinc, lead and copper and related trace elements was done by ICP four acid digestion, with gold analysis by 30-gram fire assay with an AA finish. All drilling reported is HQ core and was completed by Globextools, S.A. de C.V. of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Qualified Persons  

The mineral resource was estimated by Ben Eggers, MAIG, P.Geo. of SGS Geological Services, an independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Eggers conducted a site visit to the Columba Property on May 28, 2025. The mineral resource was peer reviewed by Allan Armitage, Ph.D., P.Geo. of SGS Geological Services, an independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Armitage conducted a site visit to the Columba Property on May 24-25, 2024

The Kootenay technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 (Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects) and reviewed and approved on behalf of Kootenay by Mr. Dale Brittliffe, BSc. P. Geol., Vice President, Exploration of Kootenay Silver, is the Company's nominated Qualified Person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101, Standards for Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed the scientific and technical information disclosed in this news release. Mr. Brittliffe is not independent of Kootenay Silver.

About Kootenay Silver Inc. 

Kootenay Silver Inc. is an exploration company actively engaged in the discovery and development of mineral projects in the Sierra Madre Region of Mexico. Supported by one of the largest junior portfolios of silver assets in Mexico, Kootenay continues to provide its shareholders with significant leverage to silver prices. The Company remains focused on the expansion of its current silver resources, new discoveries and the near-term economic development of its priority silver projects located in prolific mining districts in Sonora, State and Chihuahua, State, Mexico, respectively. 

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

The information in this news release has been prepared as at March 1, 2026. Certain statements in this news release, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", constitute "forward-looking statements" under the provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws. These statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expected", "may", "will" or similar terms. 

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Kootenay as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, known and unknown, could cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as otherwise required by law, Kootenay expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in Kootenay's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. 

Cautionary Note to US Investors: This news release includes Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources classification terms that comply with reporting standards in Canada and the Mineral Reserves and the Mineral Resources estimates are made in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (" NI 43-101 "). NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. These standards differ significantly from the requirements adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the " SEC "). The SEC sets rules that are applicable to domestic United States reporting companies. Consequently, Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources information included in this news release is not comparable to similar information that would generally be disclosed by domestic U.S. reporting companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the SEC. 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. 

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