1911 Gold Corp (TSX-V:AUMB, OTCQB:AUMBF, FRA:2KY) said it has started drift development on Level 16 of its True North Mine in southeastern Manitoba as the company advances toward test mining later this year and planned production in 2027.
The company said development crews blasted their first round at the end of April in the L10 Zone, a higher-grade mineralized area accessed from Level 16, initiating work in one of the areas targeted for bulk sample and test mining activities.
"Our focus is on safely advancing access and opening the necessary mining blocks for our bulk sample program and other test mining activities, which will continue through 2026," chief operating officer Eric Vinet said.
Material recovered from test mining will be held underground and brought to surface once the Level 26 loading pocket is ready, then processed through the new crushing circuit ahead of production next year, Vinet added.
Predevelopment work completed during the first quarter of 2026 included dewatering, electrical and ventilation upgrades, communications infrastructure, and rehabilitation of select areas.
The company said a significant milestone was reached with the completion of a second egress from Level 16 to surface, a safety requirement for resuming active mining.
The L10 and Hinge zones are the primary targets for test mining, selected to provide data to reconcile current block models and refine the longitudinal narrow-vein mining method planned for those areas. Delineation drilling on the lower portion of the Hinge Zone has been completed from Level 16, with stope planning and design now being finalized.
1911 Gold said it has awarded an underground development contract with crew mobilization expected in June 2026. The company said additional underground equipment is on order, including three two-yard scoops arriving in June and a single-boom jumbo arriving in July, which it expects to accelerate development rates.
The preliminary mine plan calls for 3,551 metres of total new development to prepare designed stopes for extraction, including 2,160 metres of ramp development and 1,391 metres of sill drives.
The True North project is fully built and permitted.