NZC NorZinc Ltd

VANCOUVER, BC, April 20, 2023 /CNW/ - NorZinc Ltd. (the "Company" or "NorZinc") is pleased to announce it has completed construction of Phase 1 of the All-Season access Road ("ASR") to its Prairie Creek Mine located in the Northwest Territories, Canada. This represents a significant milestone for the Company achieving the first land access to the Prairie Creek Mine in over 40 years.

The ASR alignment runs 170km from Liard Highway 7 to the Prairie Creek Mine and will ultimately consist of a 5m wide single lane road to support the resupply of the Prairie Creek Mine and for concentrate transportation to Liard Highway 7. The ASR will cross the Liard River near Nahanni Butte and will utilize conventional barge during non-winter operations and ice bridge Prairie Creek All-Season Road Project 2 during winter operations.

Phase 1 ASR construction, also known as the Pioneer Winter Road ("PWR"), included a mulched trail followed by typical and non-typical winter road construction. The PWR was constructed to allow access to the Phase 2 ASR alignment in order to complete various geotechnical studies to gather information on permafrost and ground conditions among other objectives. These studies were completed by land and helicopter assisted field teams and included ground penetrating radar, test pitting and bore hole drilling, the latter of which is expected to be substantially complete by the end of this month. 

"Completion of Phase 1 of the ASR marks a significant milestone for the Company, not only in providing seasonal land access to the Prairie Creek Mine, but it also demonstrates the hard work and investment we have made to the Project, our team and the community," said Rohan Hazelton, President & CEO, NorZinc. "The Company is grateful for the support provided by its First Nations partners, especially Naha Dehe Dene Band and Liidlii Kue First Nation, whose ongoing assistance in working with key stakeholders, as well as direct and indirect participation in the project as employees, contractors, and vendors, has been integral to the completion of this venture."

In parallel with construction of Phase 1 of the ASR, the Company has been actively working with both territorial and federal regulatory authorities towards completion and approval of the required Management Plans for Phase 2 ASR construction, which represents the final step to completion of the fully operational year-round access road to the Prairie Creek Project.

The second phase of the ASR will include installation of bridges and culverts, and other road construction activities to complete the ASR, which the Company expects to commence in 2024.

NorZinc Ltd. is a privately held mining company headquartered in Vancouver, BC. The Company is focused on the development of its high-grade zinc, silver and lead Prairie Creek Project located in Canada's Northwest Territories.

The Company has an experienced Leadership team along with an established site infrastructure and is dedicated to responsible mining in the communities in which it operates.

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation, All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the business and operations of NorZinc Ltd. In making the forward- looking statements contained in this press release, NorZinc has made certain assumptions, including, but not limited to the completion of Phase 1 of the ASR, the permits to complete Phase 2 of the ASR and the construction of Phase 2 of the ASR. Although NorZinc believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, NorZinc disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

SOURCE NorZinc Ltd.