Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - January 27, 2026) - Québec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC) (OTCQB: QIMCF) (FSE: 7FJ) ("QIMC" or the "Company") is pleased to report that results from its most recent geological site work program conducted during the fall and early winter of 2025 reinforce the strength, continuity, and geological significance of hydrogen anomalies initially identified during the Company's summer 2025 campaign. In total, 452 soil-gas samples were collected across the West Advocate project area. Multi-season results demonstrate the consistent persistence of hydrogen anomalies across three expanded, drill-ready target zones along the West Advocate Structural Corridor in Nova Scotia, including in the vicinity of Eatonville Road. Data collected under differing seasonal and atmospheric conditions confirm that these anomalies are spatially coherent and structurally controlled, materially de-risking target definition and advancing the project toward prioritized drilling.

John Karagiannidis, President and Chief Executive Officer of QIMC, commented:

"These results represent a meaningful inflection point for the West Advocate project. The confirmation of consistent hydrogen anomalies across three expanded target zones, validated through multi-season data, significantly strengthens our confidence in the scale and integrity of the underlying system. We are no longer dealing with isolated anomalies, we are systematically defining drill-ready hydrogen targets using repeatable, science-driven methods. This work materially de-risks the project and positions West Advocate as a cornerstone asset within QIMC's natural hydrogen portfolio."

Building on this multi-season validation, QIMC's latest program focused on increasing sampling density across previously identified priority areas to refine and consolidate drill-ready target definition. Despite well-recognized seasonal and atmospheric influences on soil-gas measurements, the Company's integrated analytical approach confirms that hydrogen anomalies persist across survey periods and remain aligned with mapped structural controls. This outcome provides a robust, de-risked framework for prioritizing target zones in the Advocate area.

Together, the confirmation of multi-season persistence and the consolidation of three expanded drill-ready target zones meaningfully reduces geological risk and positions West Advocate as a scalable, repeatable natural hydrogen development platform that can be systematically replicated across QIMC's more than 3773 claims in Nova Scotia and its broader land holdings in Minnesota and the Quebec-Ontario region rather than a single target exploration play.

What Is a Natural Hydrogen "Target Zone"?

Each natural hydrogen target zone defined at West Advocate represents a structurally coherent area defined by the convergence of multiple independent geological and geochemical indicators, including:

• Persistent hydrogen (H₂) anomalies observed across multiple seasons

• Coincident radon-thoron responses indicating deep-sourced gas migration pathways

• Structural alignment with mapped faults and fracture corridors

These target zones form the core building blocks of QIMC's exploration and development strategy, enabling the Company to systematically advance multiple drill-ready opportunities within a single hydrogen corridor, rather than relying on a single, binary exploration outcome.

Why Z-Score Normalization Is Used

Seasonal variability and atmospheric conditions such as temperature and barometric pressure are well-known challenges in soil-gas exploration and can obscure true geological signals if absolute gas concentrations are considered in isolation. To address this, QIMC and INRS applied Z-score normalization independently to each soil-gas dataset.

In simple terms, Z-score normalization measures how strongly each hydrogen reading deviates from its local background, rather than relying solely on absolute concentration values. This approach removes seasonal and atmospheric bias and allows direct, apples-to-apples comparison across survey periods.

When normalized datasets are integrated, hydrogen anomalies that persist across seasons are interpreted as robust, structurally controlled geological features, rather than transient environmental effects. This significantly de-risks target definition and supports the identification of drill-ready hydrogen target zones, as detailed in the technical interpretation below.

The work was carried out by QIMC in collaboration with the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) under the scientific leadership of Prof. Marc Richer-LaFlèche, providing academic scientific oversight and methodological rigor.

Prof. Marc Richer-LaFlèche commented:

"The second soil-gas survey conducted during the fall and early winter of 2025 confirms that hydrogen anomalies initially identified during the summer program persist despite differing seasonal and atmospheric conditions. After normalizing the datasets to account for temperature and pressure effects, the results clearly delineate three highly anomalous hydrogen sectors at West Advocate. The persistence and spatial coherence of these anomalies strongly support a structurally controlled geological hydrogen system."

Integrated Technical Interpretation (Figures 1-3)

According to QIMC's scientific analysis completed in collaboration with INRS, soil-gas data collected during the July (summer) and October (fall) 2025 geological sampling campaigns were assessed independently to account for seasonal differences in atmospheric and environmental conditions known to influence soil-gas concentrations.

Summer sampling was conducted under warmer conditions, with median temperature, atmospheric pressure, and relative humidity values of 26°C, 1021.6 hPa, and 57.3%, respectively. Fall sampling was completed under cooler conditions, with median values of 14.2°C, 1025.4 hPa, and 53.2%, respectively. Variations in temperature and atmospheric pressure are recognized drivers of barometric pumping, a process that can suppress measured soil-gas concentrations during colder periods and higher pressure regimes. Previous work by Avendaño et al. (2021) identifies the Canadian Atlantic Coastal Region and the Gulf of St. Lawrence as areas with elevated barometric-pumping efficiency potential.

As illustrated in Figure 1, direct comparison of raw hydrogen concentrations between the two sampling periods highlights an expected seasonal offset. Median hydrogen concentrations measured during the summer survey were 265 ppm(v), compared to 135 ppm(v) during the fall survey. To address this seasonal bias, hydrogen background thresholds were estimated independently for each dataset. The upper background limit for hydrogen was determined to be <318 ppm(v) for summer samples and <160 ppm(v) for fall samples, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1. Comparison of hydrogen concentrations (ppm(v)) and calculated hydrogen concentrations Z score for the July and October 2025 sample populations from the West-Advocate area, Nova Scotia. Note that the October 2025 survey was conducted using a Ga 5000 detector with an upper detection limit of 1000 ppm. Eight samples exceeded the 1000 ppm threshold.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
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Figure 2. Cumulative frequency diagram of hydrogen soil measurements for the July and October 2025 sampling in the West Advocate area, Nova Scotia.

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https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7968/281750_fa74dc5f7448d8bf_002full.jpg

To enable meaningful cross-season comparison, hydrogen concentrations from each sampling period were normalized using Z-score calculations, computed separately for the July and October datasets. The compiled Z-score dataset, presented in Figure 3, integrates normalized hydrogen anomalies from both sampling periods and delineates three spatially coherent, highly anomalous hydrogen sectors (Zones I, II and III). These anomalies persist across survey periods, indicating a robust, geologically structurally controlled hydrogen system.

Figure 3. Compilation map of Z-score of hydrogen measurements of July and October 2025 samples collected in the West-Advocate area, Nova Scotia. Z-score factors were calculated separately for the July and October sample populations. This data is combined on the map to locate anomalous areas grouped into zones I, II and III.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7968/281750_fa74dc5f7448d8bf_003full.jpg

About Québec Innovative Materials Corp. (QIMC)

Québec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC) (OTCQB: QIMCF) (FSE: 7FJ) is a mining exploration and development company dedicated to unlocking the potential of North America's abundant natural resources. With properties in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Minnesota (USA), QIMC specializes in the exploration of white (natural) hydrogen and high-grade silica deposits.

QIMC is committed to sustainable development, environmental stewardship, and innovation, with the objective of supporting clean energy solutions for the AI-driven and carbon-neutral economy.

Regulatory Disclaimer

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release and has neither approved nor disapproved its contents.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements are based on expectations, estimates, and projections as of the date of this press release and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to differ materially from those expressed or implied.

Forward-looking statements are generally identified by words such as "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential," and similar expressions, or by statements that events or conditions "will," "may," "could," or "should" occur.

Although the Company believes that the forward-looking information contained herein is reasonable as of the date of this press release, such information is subject to change and no assurance can be given that future results will be achieved. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law.

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