AGO ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF EXPERIENCED ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Toronto – February 10, 1999.

The Association of Geoscientists of Ontario (AGO) is pleased to announce that it has established an independent Advisory Committee to work with the Board of Directors of the AGO and officials at the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines. The Advisory committee, composed of experienced senior mining, environmental, financial and legal professionals, will provide advice on preparing legislation, developing a business plan and ensuring that the resulting self regulatory organization (SRO) will enable geoscientists to fully meet the requirements of the "Qualified Person" concept. Once legislation is fully implemented the SRO will administer the regulations and will ensure high standards of entry, discipline and enforcement in the profession.

Bill Pearson, president of AGO said "We are very pleased to have such a high calibre committee advising our Board as we move towards enabling legislation for licensure of geoscientists in Ontario. This committee brings over 200 years of highly varied experience in the geoscience profession."

There are eight members of the AGO Advisory Committee. The selection of members was made independently of AGO by the committee chair with the intent of having highly experienced representation from as many geoscientific disciplines as possible while keeping the Committee to a manageable size. Brief biographies of each of the members of the Advisory Committee are set out below.

Neil D. S. Westoll, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Committee Chair
President and CEO, EXP Resources Ltd.

Dr. Westoll graduated with B.Sc. (1963) and Ph.D. (1968) degrees in Geology from Edinburgh University, and has spent 29 years in mineral exploration and business development, working for major and junior companies, and as an independent consultant. He has extensive international experience in all aspects of the industry, particularly in exploration, acquisition and development of base and precious metals deposits. Dr. Westoll is the Immediate Past Chairman of the CIM Toronto Branch and remains on the Executive Committee of the Branch, is a Co-Chair of the Technical Program for the PDAC/CIM Mining Millennium 2000 Conference and Trade Show and has served on the Environmental Committee of the PDAC. His affiliations include (among others): Professional Engineers Ontario; Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum; Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada; and Geological Society of Edinburgh.

Michael J. Bourassa, LL.B.
Partner, Aird & Berlis

Mr. Bourassa graduated with a B.Sc. in Physical Geography from the University of Saskatchewan (1976) and obtained his Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Ottawa (1984). He is currently a member of the Natural Resource and Environmental Practice Groups of Aird & Berlis, and has 12 years of legal experience in the mining industry. He was legal counsel to the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines from 1986 to 1990, participating in the drafting of the 1990 Amendments to the Ontario Mining Act. He has extensive experience in international mining, and has been a guest speaker on the topic of mine closure and environmental remediation at several conferences. He has been an active member of the Land Access Committee of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada and has served on the Whitehorse Mining Initiative. His affiliations include (among others): Law Society of Upper Canada; Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum; Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada; and Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association.

John F. Gartner, B.A.Sc., P.Eng.
Senior Principal, Gartner Lee Limited

Mr. Gartner graduated from the University of Toronto in 1969 with a B.A.Sc., is a Registered Consulting Engineer in the Province of Ontario and is one of the founding partners of Gartner Lee and its past Chairman (1992-1997). Over his 39 year career in the international mining industry, he has developed expertise in identifying and resolving the environmental conflicts which so often accompany development proposals. He has delivered invited lectures at most of the major universities in Ontario and at the University of British Columbia, and in the U.S., Great Britain and the Peoples Republic of China. Mr. Gartner has served as Chairman, Minister's National Advisory Committee on the Geological Survey of Canada; Chairman, Engineering Geology Division, Canadian Geotechnical Society; Member, University of Waterloo Advisory Council and on many other committees and associations. His affiliations include (among others): Professional Engineers Ontario; Geological Association of Canada; Geological Society of America; and Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum.

Gerald Harper, Ph.D., P.Eng.
President, Gamah International Limited.

Dr. Harper, who graduated from London University with a B.Sc. in Geology and Chemistry in 1965 and a Ph.D. in Geology in 1970, has over 30 years of experience in the international mining industry and during that time has worked for major and junior companies in various capacities, latterly as President of Geddes Resources. He established Gamah International, which provides metals and minerals research services, project management and consulting services, in 1992. He recently became President of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, is its representative on the joint PDAC/Mining Association of Canada Environment Committee, was Chairman of the 1995 and 1996 PDAC Convention Committees and has been an Issues Group member of the Whitehorse Mining Initiative. His affiliations include (among others): Professional Engineers Ontario; Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum; Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada; and Society of Economic Geologists.

Bernie Haystead, B.Sc.
Managing Director, CIBC Wood Gundy Global Mining Group.

Mr. Haystead graduated from Laurentian University in 1974 with a B.Sc. in Geology, and has 25 years of varied experience in mine production, exploration and project evaluation, initially with Sherritt Gordon where he became Chief Geologist and Manager of Mineral Resource Development. Since joining the CIBC in 1989, he has acted as Technical Agent and advisor on a number of large syndicated mine project financings. He is the 1999 Chairman of the CIM Toronto Branch, a past director of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada and currently Co-Chairs the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions. His affiliations include (among others): Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum; Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada; and Geological Association of Canada.

Maureen C. Jensen, B.Sc.
Director, Mining Services, Toronto Stock Exchange

Ms. Jensen graduated from the University of Toronto in 1979 with a B.Sc. in Geology, and has over 20 years experience in exploration, mine development, production and project assessment in many different commodities internationally. Prior to joining the Toronto Stock Exchange in 1998, where she is involved in the review of mining company technical reports for listings and other disclosures, she was President and CEO of a public junior company for ten years. She is currently the First Vice Chair of the CIM Toronto Branch, a director of the PDAC, a director of Professional Engineers Ontario, a member of the Executive Committee for the PDAC/CIM Mining Millennium 2000 Conference and Trade Show and has been an Adjunct Professor at the Lassonde Program for Mineral Engineering at the University of Toronto. Her affiliations include (among others): Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum; Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada; and Geological Association of Canada.

Paul W. A. Severin, B.Sc.
Vice President, Exploration, Falconbridge Limited

Mr. Severin graduated in Geology from Laurentian University in 1970, and has been with Falconbridge and subsidiary companies for 29 years in a variety of mine geology and regional exploration capacities in Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba. With Falconbridge Copper he was involved in the discovery of two ore lenses at the Millenbach Mine in the Noranda camp, and was a key member of the team credited with the discovery of the Winston Lake massive sulphide deposit in northwestern Ontario. Since 1988, with Falconbridge Limited he has been particularly involved with nickel exploration and development, including three discoveries at Sudbury and negotiation of the Makivik Agreement on the Raglan project in northern Quebec. His affiliations include (among others): Geological Association of Canada; Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada; and Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum.

Howard R. Stockford, B.Sc., P.Eng.
Executive Vice President, Aur Resources Inc.

Mr. Stockford graduated with a B.Sc. in Mining Geology from the Royal School of Mines, London University in 1962, and has over 35 years of experience in the mining industry, including underground mine geology and exploration for base metals, precious metals and industrial minerals. He worked with Falconbridge for 13 years, becoming Chief Geologist, Canada before leaving to join Aur in 1983. In 1989, he was named a co-recipient of the Bill Dennis Prospector of the Year Award by the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada for his role in the discovery of the Louvicourt polymetallic deposit. He has served as Chairman of both the Winnipeg and Toronto Branches of the CIM and on various committees of the CIM national body in the past. His affiliations include (among others): Professional Engineers Ontario; Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada; Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum; and Society of Economic Geologists.

With a membership of over 1,000, the AGO was formed in 1996 as the voice for geoscientists in Ontario.

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Contacts:

Richard Puntis (519) 767-9100
Bill Pearson (416) 861-9500