Mr. Andrew Nelson reports

WESTWARD GOLD INTERSECTS 13.4 METRES OF 6.55 G AU/T WITHIN 34.8 METRES OF 2.84 G AU/T IN TRENCHING AT THE SSD TARGET, TOIYABE HILLS PROPERTY, NEVADA

Westward Gold Inc. has released the assay results and mapping interpretations for the first of three trenches completed over the SSD target at the company's Toiyabe Hills property in Lander county, Nevada. The 177-metre trench -- part of Westward's 468-metre program in advance of drilling -- was completed near the Roberts Mountains thrust and primarily designed to: (1) expose bedrock for continuous chip channel sampling and Anaconda-style mapping in an area of poor to no outcrop; and (2) improve the company's understanding of structural controls on gold mineralization at SSD, to further refine upcoming drill tests.

Key takeaways:

• Five gold zones were identified in the trench (using a cut-off of 0.14 gram per tonne (g/t) gold (Au)), including a significant subinterval of 13.4 metres of 6.55 g/t Au, within 34.8 metres of 2.84 g/t Au. The ability to produce high-grade gold is a notable characteristic of major systems in the Cortez district.
• Structural controls on gold mineralization include the Roberts Mountains thrust, and high-angle northeast- and northwest-striking faults, with the latter primed for follow-up tests at depth.
• Laterally-extensive hydrothermal alteration was observed in both upper-plate siliciclastic rocks and lower-plate carbonate rocks.
• Two oxidized and clay-altered lamprophyre dikes were exposed along west-northwest-striking faults, another key feature of significant Carlin-style gold deposits in the region.
• The first two shallow core holes completed at SSD (T2601 and T2602, assays pending) were drilled proximal to this trench and will further confirm structural and stratigraphic controls on gold mineralization, with the first of two reverse circulation (RC) drill rigs expected to arrive in the coming days to begin deeper tests.

Steve Koehler, Westward's lead technical adviser, noted: "I've been mapping this ground and relogging historical drill holes for many years now, and this trench has been eye opening in several regards. SSD has always been an enigma, very structurally complex and poorly understood in terms of controls on gold mineralization. Exposing bedrock over a significant distance has allowed us to properly characterize and measure the elusive (previously buried) high-angle faults that likely represent a vital part of the plumbing system driving grade at SSD. Now, we'll sharp shoot the intersection of these high-angle structures and the flat-lying zone of deeper oxidation and deformation that Westward previously identified in the favourable Wenban formation. It's hard to come by a more compelling set of targets in Carlin-type exploration and we're very excited to get holes down imminently."

Technical details -- significant gold zones

Throughout the trench, elevated gold was associated with elevated arsenic, antimony and mercury -- as expected in a Carlin-type setting. Detailed 1:500-scale Anaconda-style mapping was completed and digitized, to identify alteration type and intensity, and model structures (strikes and dips) with increased precision. Gaining a better understanding of how these structures correlate to grade distribution across the SSD target -- with the added benefit of the company's substantial drill hole relogging program -- will render upcoming drilling more efficient:

• 3.0 metres of 0.98 g/t Au: gold associated with brecciated and clay-altered cherty mudstone;
• 34.8 metres of 2.84 g/t Au: broader interval, including two higher-grade gold zones, with individual samples ranging up to 17.90 g Au/t; associated with quartz stringers, limonite and specular hematite in a chert/mudstone/siltstone sequence;
• 18.9 metres of 0.14 g/t Au: gold hosted in a thrust zone and in the immediate footwall of a lamprophyre dike. The larger zone is characterized by weak clay, quartz stringers and local shearing;
• 26.2 metres of 0.83 g/t Au: broader interval is dominated by three unique 318- to 322-degree-striking high-angle faults, clay alteration and quartz stringers; the higher-grade subinterval is pervasively clay altered with limonitic oxidation between two of the northwest-striking faults. These structures appear to have some influence on gold grades;
• 6.1 metres of 0.21 g/t Au: mineralization along a normal fault that juxtaposes upper-plate siliciclastic rocks (hangingwall to the west) against lower-plate carbonate rocks in the footwall. Breccia, clay, quartz stringers, decalcification and limonite occur in this zone.

Upcoming drill targeting

By modelling the newly identified structures in 3-D using Leapfrog and examining their relationship to gold mineralization -- both in the trench at surface and in historical drilling -- new targets have emerged and previously planned holes have been refined.

Quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC)

The company implemented a best practices QA/QC program during its 2026 trenching campaign. All sampling was conducted under the supervision of the company's vice-president of exploration and/or members of its technical team, and the chain of custody from the property to the sample preparation facility was continuously monitored. Samples were transported directly from the field to ALS's facility located at 1345 Water St., Elko, Nev., 89801. Samples were dried at 100 C, crushed to 70 per cent passing minus two millimetres, Boyd rotary split off 250 grams and pulverized the split to better than 85 per cent passing 75 microns. Fire assay and multielement analysis were completed at ALS laboratories either at 4977 Energy Way, Reno, Nev., 89502, or 2103 Dollarton Hwy, North Vancouver, B.C., V7H 0A7. Trench samples were collected at intervals ranging from 1.2 metres to 3.4 metres. The significant gold zones are weight averaged and some intervals contain material grading less than 0.14 g/t Au. Certified standards and blanks were inserted at the beginning of the trench and every 17 samples within the trench for a frequency of 6 per cent. Standards and blanks were sourced from MEG LLC, of Lamoille, Nev., and Rocklabs, of Auckland, New Zealand. Data verification of the analytical results included a statistical analysis of the standards and blanks that must fall within a specified range for acceptance. All standards and blanks were within these ranges. All samples were analyzed for gold and 49 additional elements. Assays consist of fire assays (Au-ICP21) for gold and four-acid analysis (ME-MS61m) for multielement geochemistry. Global Positioning System co-ordinates were collected at the beginning and end of each individual trench sample. The XYZ co-ordinates were used to calculate the lengths, azimuths and inclinations of the continuous samples.

Qualified person

The technical information contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Robert Edie, vice-president of exploration of the company, who is a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Edie is a certified professional geologist (CPG) through the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG).

About Westward Gold Inc.

Westward Gold is a mineral exploration company focused on developing the Toiyabe Hills project, located in the Cortez trend area of Lander county, Nevada, and the Coyote and Rossi projects, located along the Carlin trend in Elko county, Nevada. From time to time, the company may also evaluate the acquisition of other mineral exploration assets and opportunities.

We seek Safe Harbor.