NIOB Diamond Drilling mobilizes at Bardy and Blanchette on June 1

Press Release

Targeting pegmatite trends defined by soil-gas radon and a high-resolution drone magnetic survey

Vancouver, British Columbia, May 21, 2026 — North American Niobium and Critical Minerals Corp. (CSE: NIOB) (FSE: KS82.F) (OTCQB: NIOMF) (NIOB or the Company) is set to follow its successful inaugural exploration program at Seigneurie with a diamond drill program at the second of three pegmatite projects in Québec, Bardy and Blanchette. At least 14 holes covering 4,450 metres are planned on the properties, where the goal is to intersect niobium and rare earth element bearing pegmatite systems. Laurentia Geological Services, a Saguenay, Québec-based geological consulting group, will operate the program.

“The drill targets at Bardy and Blanchette were not chosen on geology alone—they sit where radon data, high-resolution magnetics, and surface mapping all line up,” said Murray Nye, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. “Bringing in Laurentia Geological Services as an operator allows us to move quickly while keeping the technical work tightly integrated with our own team. We also continue to work closely with the Atikamekw community at Wemotaci as we advance into the field.”

Highlights

• Mobilization scheduled – diamond drilling at the 100%-owned Bardy and Blanchette projects in Quebec’s Mauricie region is scheduled to begin on or about June 1, 2026.
• Program scope – 14 diamond drill holes for approximately 4,450 metres (BB2026-01 to BB2026-14), as previously disclosed — six holes at Bardy and eight holes at Blanchette.
• Targeting dataset – soil-gas radon contrasts (415 stations total: 224 on Bardy, 191 on Blanchette) and a high-resolution drone-borne magnetic survey flown by Terrascope at 50-metre line spacing.
• Drill targets – pegmatite dike trends where geophysical breaks and radon contrasts coincide with mapped surface mineralization, and the contact zone of the newly-identified intrusion at Blanchette.
• Operator – Laurentia Geological Services, a Saguenay, Québec-based geological consulting group, contracted to execute the drill program.

Atikamekw First Nation Engagement

The Company continues to be collaborative with First Nations communities and will work closely with the Atikamekw community at Wemotaci as the drill program advances.

NIOB completed initial discussions with the Atikamekw First Nation Council and local family chief members whose traditional territory includes the project area as part of the process for receiving the ATI drilling permit. The Company will continue to engage throughout the course of the exploration program, including during mobilization, drilling, and demobilization. Engagement covers logistical coordination, access, environmental considerations, and opportunities for community involvement in the field program.

Figure 1: Planned drill collar locations at Bardy overlaid on the Terrascope high-resolution drone magnetic survey (50-metre line spacing) and the RadonEx soil-gas radon survey stations.

Drill Program Built on Integrated Targeting Data
Before mobilizing the rig, the Company built a targeting dataset that combines surface mapping, soil-gas radon, and high-resolution drone magnetics. Each dataset was independently collected and processed, and the targets selected for drilling are those where multiple datasets converge on the same geological feature. This approach narrowed targets to locations where the probability of intersecting the niobium- and rare earth element-bearing pegmatite systems is highest.

The soil-gas radon survey, completed by RadonEx across 415 stations, traced linear features at Bardy that match the mapped pegmatite dike orientations on surface, and recorded the strongest contrasts at Blanchette along the margins of the newly identified circular intrusion. The drone magnetic survey, flown by Terrascope at 50-metre line spacing, produced first vertical derivative imagery that exposed structural detail older regional airborne surveys had missed. The resulting radon and magnetic data make the Company optimistic about the location and orientation of the drill holes scheduled to begin on or about June 1.

Laurentia Geological Services
Laurentia Geological Services, a geological consulting group based in Saguenay, Québec, has been contracted to operate the Bardy-Blanchette drill program. Laurentia’s scope includes drill program execution, site supervision, core handling, and geological data collection in coordination with the Company’s technical team.

Prior Disclosures Referenced
The soil-gas radon and drone magnetic survey results, together with the planned 14-hole program, were disclosed in the Company’s news release, Circular Intrusion Discovered on Blanchette; Structural Breaks Delineated; 4,450 Metres of Diamond Drilling Planned. The ATI drilling permit for Bardy and Blanchette, valid from March 24, 2026, through March 23, 2028, was disclosed in the Company’s news release, NIOB Receives ATI Drilling Permit for Bardy and Blanchette Projects.

Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101). Clyde McMillan, P.Geo., a consultant to the Company and a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained herein. Mr. McMillan is non-independent of the Company as an Officer and Shareholder.

ABOUT NORTH AMERICAN NIOBIUM AND CRITICAL MINERALS CORP.
North American Niobium and Critical Minerals Corp. is a North American mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of precious, base, and critical mineral assets. Its portfolio includes the Silver Lake property in British Columbia’s Omineca Mining Division and a district-scale land package covering 29,936 hectares in Québec’s Grenville Province. The Québec properties host rare earth element, niobium, and nickel-copper occurrences, expanding the Company’s footprint into critical minerals that are strategically important for energy and defense applications.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Murray Nye
Chief Executive Officer
info@northamericanniobium.com
+1 (647) 984-4204

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