The news comes after the company accepted the resignations of Mitchell Adam as a director and president, and Navjit Dhaliwal as a director.

Rascan was most recently a partner, senior investment advisor with Northern Securities, and has 25 years of experience in the investment brokerage industry.

His experience ranges from working with active international trading clients, to raising capital for junior mining companies on the TSX Venture Exchange.

Aside from his time at Northern Securities, other firms he has worked with are CM Oliver, Research Capital, Blackmont, and Jennings Capital.

Before Rascan became an investment advisor, he was vice-president of institutional money market sales with ScotiaMcleod.

In other news, Steven Feldman has also been appointed a director on Weststar's board, and joins Weststar with more than 10 years’ of experience providing investor relations and corporate communications advice to public companies in the resource sector.

He is currently the manager of investor relations with SouthGobi Resources (TSE:SGQ).

At SouthGobi, he helped develop the investor relations and communications plan, aiding in the transformation of the company from a TSX-V-listed explorer into a one-billion-plus market cap coal producer, with senior listings on the Toronto and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges.

Feldman has spent over six years practising as an investment advisor, and has completed the Canadian Securities Course.

Vancouver-based Westar Resources acquires, explores, and evaluates natural resource properties.

In early April, the company said it had optioned more than half of its joint venture Axe property in British Columbia to Xstrata Copper Canada, a unit of Xstrata (LON:XTA), the world's fourth largest copper producer.

The Axe property is an advanced stage project with known porphyry copper mineralization, which has been drill tested several times since the 1960s. The project is comprised of 25 mineral claims, or 4,983 hectares, located in the Similameen Mining Division, 20 kilometres north of Princeton in British Columbia.

Weststar remains focused on its La Paloma property in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, where in February it announced the completion of an induced polarization/resistivity survey. It also started the planning for the upcoming diamond drill program at the site.

The property is located approximately 70 kilometres west of the city of Guadalajara.

The IP/Resistivity survey at La Paloma consisted of a total of 5.8 line-kilometres, which were surveyed along a series of seven lines targeting an 800 metre strike extent of the Main "Piedra Bola" Vein structure.

Shares of the company are currently trading around 12 cents.

The survey represents the final stage in WestStar's phase one exploration program, which included property-wide geologic mapping, the collection of 194 rock grab and channel samples, 656 soil samples, and 174 stream sediment samples.

WestStar is now selecting drill targets in preparation for a 2,000 metre diamond drill program at the property, which will target the most prospective anomalies within the Main "Piedra Bola" Vein structure, as well as evaluate the potential of additional mineralized veins on the project.

The Main Vein has been defined over a one kilometre strike length, with rock channel sampling assaying up to 0.84 grams per tonne (g/t) of gold, and 64 g/t silver over 6 metres.

The primary goal of the company is to define a compliant gold and silver resource at the site. The property was, at one time, owned by Penoles, who relinquished it in 1980.

The property is located approximately 70 kilometres west of the city of Guadalajara.

The IP/Resistivity survey at La Paloma consisted of a total of 5.8 line-kilometres, which were surveyed along a series of seven lines targeting an 800 metre strike extent of the Main "Piedra Bola" Vein structure.

The survey represents the final stage in WestStar's phase one exploration program, which included property-wide geologic mapping, the collection of 194 rock grab and channel samples, 656 soil samples, and 174 stream sediment samples.

In addition, a total of 20.8 line kilometres of ground magnetic survey was completed, the company said.

WestStar is now selecting drill targets in preparation for a 2,000 metre diamond drill program at the property, which will target the most prospective anomalies within the Main "Piedra Bola" Vein structure, as well as evaluate the potential of additional mineralized veins on the project.

"We are extremely encouraged with the results of the Phase 1 exploration program and feel the work to date has culminated in potentially high success drill targets for WestStar," said president Mitchell Adam.

"Since acquiring this past producing gold and silver property WestStar has completed a series of work programs to focus our future drilling on the Property."

Indeed, three main targets have been outlined at La Paloma, the Main "Piedra Bola" Vein, the Ridge Showing and the East Vein.

The Main Vein has been defined over a one kilometre strike length, with rock channel sampling assaying up to 0.84 grams per tonne (g/t) of gold, and 64 g/t silver over 6 metres.

Individual mineralized rock samples of outcropping quartz veins returned assays of up to 7.81 g/t gold and 311 g/t silver.

The company said the Piedra Bola Vein is coincident with a broad 400 by 1,000 metre, 10 parts-per-billion (ppb) gold in soil anomaly that encompasses the nearby Ridge Showing. Individual soil samples within the Piedra Bola Vein soil anomaly have returned assays of up to 3.69 g/t gold.

The Ridge Showing, meanwhile, is situated about 300 metres southwest of the Piedra Bola Vein, and covers an area of around 100 by 30 metres. Individual soil samples within the Ridge Showing anomaly have retuned assays of up to 557 ppb gold.

Finally, a second East Vein structure located 195 metres to the northeast of the Piedra Bola Vein was traced for around 200 metres thus far. The company is hoping to increase this strike with further work, as rock channel sampling in this area returned assays of 8.6 g/t silver over 4 metres.

WestStar has an option to earn up to 80 percent of La Paloma, subject to a two percent net smelter royalty. The property lies at the very southern end of the Sierra Madre Occidental physiographic province, which is well known for gold and silver mineralization and mining.

The primary goal of the company is to define a compliant gold and silver resource at the site.

The property was, at one time, owned by Penoles, who relinquished it in 1980.

The company said the most prospective sample, an outcrop rock chip sample, returned 311 grams per tonne (g/t) silver and 7.81 g/t gold. The sample was collected from a mineralized quartz vein.

Continuous rock channel sampling across this partially exposed zone of mineralization returned assays of 64.1 g/t silver and 0.84 g/t gold over a true width of 6.0 metres, outlining the property's potential, WestStar said.

The company also said that the first phase of work at the 160 hectare La Paloma property is now complete, and included detailed geologic mapping, a wide ground magnetic survey,  and stream and soil geochemical sampling.

Several historic and artisanal surface pit and underground tunnel entrances from past gold and silver mining were located, with outcrop rock grab and channel samples collected at a number of these entrances. However, it was not possible to collect rock samples from within any of the underground workings, WestStar added.

WestStar has now received gold and silver assays for 158 rock samples, eight of which are quality control and quality assurance certified assay standard samples.

The 150 non QA/QC samples comprise 71 outcrop rock grab, 32 outcrop channel, and 47 boulder or talus samples.

Of the 118 outcrops and boulder/talus rock grab samples collected, a total of 23 returned assays greater than or equal to 50 g/t silver or 0.5 g/t gold. Of the 23, a total of 11 returned assays greater than 1.0 g/t gold, and a total of 8 samples found over 100 g/t silver.

Analytical results for an additional 48 rock samples collected by APEX Geoscience are still pending, the company said, along with results from 174 stream samples and 686 soil samples.

"WestStar is encouraged to start receiving assays for our rock sampling program on the La Paloma property. Once the final assays come in for the remainder of WestStar's first phase of work and the IP survey is complete WestStar will select the drill targets with confidence," said president Mitchell Adam.

Geologic mapping within La Paloma thus far has defined a southeast striking Main Vein over a 1 kilometre strike length. A second Eastern vein structure, called the Northeast Vein as it is located 195 metres to the northeast of the Main Vein, occurs over a 200 metre strike length.

In addition, a distance of 300 metres to the southwest of the Main Vein is a zone approximately 100 by 30 metres, which hosts areas of centimetre-scale branching quartz veinlets and quartz vein breccias.

Sampling was focused on outlining new areas at the property, as well as gaining a better understanding of the areas of historical mining.

The upcoming Induced Polarity survey will allow the company to drill the targets found in the first phase work with "greater confidence", WestStar said. The IP survey will cover all the primary known mineralized structures on the property including all areas with historical non-compliant gold and silver resources.

WestStar has an option to earn an initial 60 percent and later 80 percent interest of La Paloma, subject to a two percent net smelter royalty.

The project lies at the very southern end of the Sierra Madre Occidental physiographic province, which is well known for gold and silver mineralization and mining. The property was, at one time, owned by Penoles, who relinquished it in 1980.

The property rests 70 kilometres west of the city of Guadalajara in the State of Jalisco, Mexico. The property lies at the southern end of the Sierra Madre Occidental physiographic province – which is known for gold and silver mineralization and mining.

The work program included geological mapping, reading 16 line kilometres of ground-based magnetics, and a collection of 1,028 samples from the property.

The samples were made up of 193 rock chip samples, 660 soil samples and 175 stream samples.  All samples will be integrated into a 3-D model for the property.

The impetus for phase-one exploration was to verify historical data and to define drill targets for second phase work on the acreage.

Assays from the first phase campaign, which are still pending, will provide the final information needed to refine and plan the upcoming drill program, the company said in a statement.

"WestStar is pleased the first phase of work has identified numerous drill targets on the La Paloma property," president Mitchell Adam said in a release.

WestStar plans on drilling structures hosting historical non-NI 43-101 compliant gold and silver resources, to expand these structures along strike and at depth.

Mineralization appears to strike for approximately 1,300 metres and run through three mountains on the property. Drilling and additional work will be conducted to prove the full strike length of the mineralized zones, it added.

The aim of the entire program is to define a maiden NI 43-101 compliant gold and silver resource for the property.

Of particular interest, the company found a second parallel zone and drill target that lies 195 metres northeast of the primary zone, and of which there are no reports documenting historical mining. This second parallel zone, named the Eastern structure, is located approximately 195 metres northeast of the Primary structure.

"A bonus was recognizing a second parallel zone to integrate into our upcoming drill program on the property," added Adam.

The company said it plans to examine the relationship between the primary and eastern structures.

WestStar also said that a local Mexican company, Minera Sierra de Oro, has sampled the Eastern structure for gold and silver, with the non NI 43-101 compliant sampling revealing gold grades ranging from 0.20 to 12.0 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 10.0 to 321.0 g/t silver.

WestStar, headquartered in Vancouver, gained 5 cents, or 11.90 percent, to reach 47 cents a share on Toronto’s junior stock exchange.

Alberta-based APEX Geoscience will be on site to implement a phase one exploration program at the property, which covers 160 hectares. APEX will be following the recommendations of Snowden Industry Mining Consultants, who was hired to provide an NI 43-101 compliant mineral report for La Paloma, Weststar said.

The recommendation was for Weststar to undertake a $1.4 million phased exploration program of mapping, geophysics and drilling, with the phase one scope of work estimated to cost around $0.5 million.

The phase one program will consist of geologic mapping, ground geophysical surveys (magnetic and induced-polarization), as well as rock and soil/stream geochemical sampling. A preliminary engineering assessment of underground tunnel stability will also be completed at the same time as surface exploration, Weststar said.

The idea will be to create a three-dimensional and digital elevation model of the historic underground workings, while surface investigations will focus on the development of a detailed geologic data-set for the property, including surface mineralization exposures. Surveys, once completed, will be combined with the data to identify targets for phase two diamond drilling, expected to total roughly 3,000 metres based on the results of the phase one program.

Historic government data reported a "potential reserve" of 750,000 tonnes at the site, grading 4.19 grams per tonne (g/t) of gold and 123 g/t silver.

During Snowden's work, the company collected ten samples from outcrops and structures, with assays returning gold values of up to 49.2 g/t and silver values as high as 385 g/t.

Weststar said that eight of the ten samples returned "very good" to "excellent" grades, with the eight taken from inside the old mine workings. Snowden confirmed the presence of both gold and silver mineralization in its report, concluding that La Paloma hosts epithermal-style mineralization and is a property "of merit".

Alberta-based APEX Geoscience will be on site to implement a phase one exploration program at the property, which covers 160 hectares. APEX will be following the recommendations of Snowden Industry Mining Consultants, who was hired to provide an NI 43-101 compliant mineral report for La Paloma, Weststar said.

The recommendation was for Weststar to undertake a $1.4 million phased exploration program of mapping, geophysics and drilling, with the phase one scope of work estimated to cost around $0.5 million.

The phase one program will consist of geologic mapping, ground geophysical surveys (magnetic and induced-polarization), as well as rock and soil/stream geochemical sampling. A preliminary engineering assessment of underground tunnel stability will also be completed at the same time as surface exploration, Weststar said.

The idea will be to create a three-dimensional and digital elevation model of the historic underground workings, while surface investigations will focus on the development of a detailed geologic data-set for the property, including surface mineralization exposures. Surveys, once completed, will be combined with the data to identify targets for phase two diamond drilling, expected to total roughly 3,000 metres based on the results of the phase one program.

Historic government data reported a "potential reserve" of 750,000 tonnes at the site, grading 4.19 grams per tonne (g/t) of gold and 123 g/t silver.

During Snowden's work, the company collected ten samples from outcrops and structures, with assays returning gold values of up to 49.2 g/t and silver values as high as 385 g/t.

Weststar said that eight of the ten samples returned "very good" to "excellent" grades, with the eight taken from inside the old mine workings. Snowden confirmed the presence of both gold and silver mineralization in its report, concluding that La Paloma hosts epithermal-style mineralization and is a property "of merit".

La Paloma is located in the state of Jalisco, which is approximately 75 kilometres west of Guadalajara, and nearby Ahualulco. The Property covers 160 hectares that includes a historically productive gold mine that ceased production in 1928, following a workers strike. 

A historical report from the last year of operations detailed the production of 41,090 tonnes of ore at an average grade of 5.87 g/t gold and 507 g/t silver, with plans to extract a further a further 44,300 tonnes at an estimated grade of 6.64 g/t gold and 500 g/t silver. This includes historical records that indicate the location of ore blocks that were estimated to contain non compliant resources of 4,700 tonnes at 9.8 g/t gold and 663 g/t silver, and 1,900 tonnes at 11.51 g/t gold and 681 g/t silver that were available for ongoing mining operations. 

The old mine workings extend over a horizontal distance of 1,563 metres, with multiple shafts and tunnels developed into mineralized zones, where WestStar has identified a non compliant conceptual resource of 2 million tonnes at 4.0 g/t gold and 400 g/t silver, believed to potentially contain over 250,000 ounces of gold and 25 million ounces of silver, and only covers a small footprint along the mineralized 1.5 kilometre strike line.

The main structural target on the property carrying gold and silver values is known as the Veta Ancha or Wide Vein and contains quartz, calcite and iron oxides, while minor ones are argentite and pyrite, trace galena, chalcopyrite and sphalerite, with kaolin, sericite and chlorite are the most common alteration minerals.  

In 1983 and 1984 the Mexican Government agency known as the Consejo de Recursos Minerals dewatered the northern end of the Veta Ancha workings and completed a sampling program that covered an exploration drift to estimate a non compliant “potential reserve” of 750,000 tonnes grading 4.19 g/t gold and 123 g/t silver. 

In 2006, a small leach plant with capacity to hold 45 tonnes of crushed rock and a 30 tonne per day crusher was erected on site to recover gold from process material recovered form mine workings. Sampling programs were also completed over the next 2 years that identified new mineralized targets across the property.   

The property is located only 15 kilometres from the historically productive Ameca-Etzatlan mining district, and is accessible by road and trails and has electric power and on site water supply. 

In March of 2011, Snowden completed a NI 43-101 compliant evaluation of the property, which included a site visit and collecting samples for assay, from which they confirmed that the property has potential for epithermal gold and silver deposits. They noted that these types of deposits generally contain high precious metals values and low or negligible base metals values, and typically occur as vein systems hosting less than a million tonnes of mineralization, although some have been known to contain several tens of millions of tonnes of ore. Grades within the ore tend to be high, with the potential for the presence of very high grade ore shoots. Samples collected by Snowden from within the old mine workings ranged up to 49.20 g/t gold and 385 g/t silver.

Snowden recommended a 2 phase exploration program with a first phase that completes geological mapping, surface sampling, dewatering and sampling of underground workings along with geophysical surveys estimated to cost $495,000. The second phase estimated at $872,000 will complete 3,000 metres of diamond drilling at $250 per metre, along with core sampling, and assaying.

The Company has the right to secure up to an 80% interest and has already acquired a 20% interest by agreeing to pay out $3 million and to issue 5.85 million common shares to Lekona Mining, who will assign their option interest over La Paloma to WestStar, so that WestStar can meet all of the staggered payment terms. 

Minera, who is the original vendor, has agreed to the assignment and will receive 650,000 common shares in WestStar. WestStar will also pay $300,000 and issue 1 million shares to Minera to increase its interest in the joint venture to 40%.       

Additional settlement terms include payment of $400,000 and issuance of 1 million shares in WestStar to Minera by October 30, 2011, along with the generation of a NI 43-101 Technical Report that will increase its interest to 60%. A final payment of $2 million and issuance of 2 million shares by October, 2011, will increase this interest to a maximum of 80%. 

The Company is also obligated to update the NI 43-101 Technical Report prior to October 30, 2014, or within 12 months of obtaining its 80% interest, and issue the vendor an additional 5 million shares if the resources on the project area exceed 4 million ounces of gold, and 150 million ounces of silver. The agreement is also subject to a 2% Net Smelter Royalty.

The Company has already completed an Environmental Impact Statement and is preparing an application for a mining license, with plans underway to install a 200 tonne per day process and floatation circuit at a cost of $3.2 million.

Michael Michaud has recently been appointed as Executive Chairman, and is a senior geologist with 20 years of experience in developing mines in both North and South America, and will guide WestStar to gold producer status.

He will also manage exploration on the 100% owned Red Chris area, including the Coyote Claim which covers 2,175 acres and abuts Imperial Metal’s (TSX:III)  Red Chris Property in north-western British Columbia, where Imperial have announced 152.5 metres at 4.12% copper and 8.83 g/t gold, averaging 2.00% copper and 3.80 g/t gold over 432.5 metres. 

WestStar has launched initial ground reconnaissance on the property, and at the nearby Hans Claim, which will include stream sediment, geochemical and soil sampling and deploy a portable XRF Analyzer to carry out on site assaying of samples. An airborne geophysical survey is also contemplated to clearly define drill targets.   

The Company also acquired a 100% interest in the Sifton Block in northwest Ontario, which is located 7,000 metres northwest of the Rainy River Resource containing Indicated and Inferred Resources of 5.03 million ounces of gold at 1.2 g/t -1.3 g/t gold. Additional holdings include the McKinnon, Golden Fox and Sunrise Properties in the Yukon, along with the Axe Property in British Columbia.

WestStar Resources offers investors dual exposure to a gold explorer that is seeking near term gold production and exploration upside from La Paloma and other exploration properties.  The pace of news is going to step up in the coming months; one to watch.

Michaud brings over 20 years of experience in mining engineering, and has field experience in the mining industry in both North and South America, having worked for several large-scale mining companies.

For the last year, Michaud has been doing consulting work for MetallurgyInMotion. Prior to this, he was acting as operations manager to Corriente Resources, and was involved in the feasibility study of the large-tonnage copper-gold project in South America.

Michaud's appointment comes less than one month after Weststar announced its initiation of a $9 million private placement financing, to go towards its acquisition of the past-producing La Paloma concession in Jalisco State, Mexico.

Weststar entered a Letter of Intent (LOI) agreement in March with Lekona Minerals, under which Weststar is currently exercising its option to acquire an 80% undivided stake in the La Paloma property.

Gold and silver production at the La Paloma mine dates back over 400 years. Samples taken from the area in late March indicate up to 49.2 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and up to 385 g/t silver.

Weststar's shares on the TSX Venture Exchange have been rising all year, hitting $1.30 in early May, after its LOI announcement. On Tuesday afternoon, its shares were trading at $1.04 each.

The Morgan claims contain numerous historical workings. Since the early 1900s, exploration has included numerous trenches, three adits and three shafts and, more recently, three percussion holes and seven diamond drill holes, of which only four were systematically sampled and assayed for gold.

The McKinnon property, situated approximately 45 kilometres north of the White Gold property, includes an area of 13.5 square kilometers. The company carried out a soil sampling program over 11.5 line kilometers, obtaining 168 soil samples. Soil samples, at 50-metre intervals, were collected from two widely spaced parallel lines which traverse the claim area from north to south over a distance of approximately five kilometres. In addition, silts were collected along drainages in the northwest corner of the claim block.

An anomalous zone approximately 1,600 metres in length is demonstrated by samples with elevated gold values to 70 parts per billion and associated arsenic with up to 240 parts per billion.

The McKinnon property has had intermittent work since 1899 when explorers first found disseminated gold within a conglomerate sequence. Assessment reports from various authors suggest either a paleoplacer source for gold or possibly tectonic and related to a fault structure and/or a carbonaceous-rich portion of an extensive conglomeratic unit.

The next phase of work entails mobilizing a soil and rock sampling crew at first melt. A 100-metre grid soil-sampling program will concentrate on infilling between these new anomalies and will be combined with geological mapping and rock sampling to target follow-up backhoe trenching.

The Morgan claims can be acquired for acquisition costs of C$15,000 and 1.5 million Weststar shares. The property is subject to a 2 percent net smelter royalty, and the company has the option to acquire half of the NSR for C$1 million.

Weststar Resources focuses on discovering and advancing mineral properties by utilizing modern geological science to evaluate historical known discoveries. Its portfolio is currently focused in Canada.

Imperial Metals recently reported 152.5 meters grading 4.12% copper and 8.33 grams per tonne (g/t) gold starting at a depth of 540 meters at the Red Chris property.

Weststar also announced that it had placed 666,667 united at C$0.06 per unit for gross proceeds of C$400,000. Each unit consists of one common share and one share purchase warrant with an exercise price of $0.10.

The 27 claims acquired by Weststar cover an area of approximately 26,544.48 acres located to the north-west of the Red Chris property.

Weststar issued 1 million shares and paid $10,000 in cash for the claims.

“The Company is planning an exploration program to follow up on numerous historic copper showings located on the northwest portion of the newly acquired claims,” Weststar stated, “The Company is also in preliminary discussions to acquire additional claims in the area, which if successfully concluded, will be announced in a timely manner.”

The program envisages 8-10 diamond drill holes aimed at both updating a resource estimate for the South Zone as well as stepping out from the anomalous gold mineralization previously encountered in the West Zone during the company's 2006-2007 drilling program.

Weststar is finalizing an agreement with More Core Diamond Drilling Services Ltd, of Stewart, BC.

Given Axe's proximity to the Copper Mountain Mining Corp (TSX: CUM) project 50 kilometres to the south which recently completed its feasibility study and now appears to be going ahead with construction and partnership with Mitsubishi Corp, Weststar is encouraged to pursue the advancement of the Axe property.

"We're very encouraged to have the commitment from our drilling contractor to deploy equipment and crew as soon as we're in receipt of our permits," said president Mitchell Adam. "With this additional drilling we feel confident adding to our 43-101 compliant resource estimate and enhancing shareholder value in this project."

Weststar is a mineral exploration company focused on discovering and advancing mineral properties by utilizing modern geological science to evaluate historical known discoveries. Weststar's portfolio is currently focused in Canada and is primarily invested in coal properties with known historical coal discoveries. In addition to Tobin Lake, Weststar has two other properties, namely, Nunavut Coal property and Axe property.