Mr. Sandeep Singh reports

WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD STRENGTHENS BOARD WITH APPOINTMENT OF MARK E. SMITH

Western Copper and Gold Corp. has appointed Mark E. Smith, PE, PEng, to its board of directors.

Mr. Smith is a professional engineer with over 45 years of global mining experience. He co-founded and managed Vector Engineering for nearly 25 years, a consulting and engineering firm with a staff of 500 people and offices in seven countries. His technical leadership and judgment have been relied upon by many of the world's largest mining companies, including BHP, Rio Tinto, Barrick, Newmont, Vale, Glencore and Teck. Mr. Smith holds a master's degree in civil and geotechnical engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno.

He has worked extensively in Yukon, contributing to projects such as Coffee, Macpass and Mactung, and has advised the government of Yukon on mine-waste and heap-leach management practices. More recently, he was appointed by the government of Yukon to chair the independent review board for the Eagle mine investigation.

"We are extremely pleased to welcome Mark to our board," said Sandeep Singh, president and chief executive officer. "Mark has a deep understanding of the Yukon and has been a well-respected technical voice in the north for over a decade. His extensive experience and deep knowledge of the territory will be invaluable as we advance Casino through environmental assessment and permitting."

"Mark's addition to the board builds on Western's commitment to the highest technical and environmental standards," said Raymond Threlkeld, chairman of the board. "His global expertise will strengthen Western's ability to sustainably advance a world-class operation in the Yukon."

"I've dedicated my career to developing successful and environmentally sound copper and gold projects around the world," said Mr. Smith. "From concept to design, construction, operations and closure, I've helped bring hundreds of projects into successful, sustainable production. I'm impressed by the approach taken towards the Casino project and believe it can have a positive impact on the Yukon. I'm very happy to have been invited to join the Western team."

About Western Copper and Gold Corp.

Western Copper and Gold is advancing the Casino project, Canada's premier copper-gold mine in Yukon and one of the most economic greenfield copper-gold mining projects in the world.

The company is committed to working collaboratively with first nations and local communities to progress the Casino project, using internationally recognized responsible mining technologies and practices.

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