Last Chance for LabGold Shareholders to Make Their Vote Count Only on the Blue Proxy and Protect Their Investment From a Self-Serving Dissident

• Crescat, a top shareholder holding approximately 8.9% of LabGold’s issued and outstanding shares, has indicated their intention to support LabGold’s BLUE Proxy and voting recommendations based on their independent review
• Read the Letter to Shareholders: The Clear Choice – Recommended by ISS and Glass Lewis, Independent Experts Trusted by Institutional Investors
• The Dissident falsely claimed it evaluated the Watson property in fall 2025. A statement Nemo Resources has called “100% false”
• Don’t Wait! Vote ONLY on the BLUE Proxy Today! Shareholders are reminded to vote as the voting deadline is approaching fast and is on February 20, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. (Toronto Time)
• Questions? Need Help Voting BLUE? Contact Kingsdale Advisors at 1-888-518-6813 (toll-free in North America), email contactus@kingsdaleadvisors.com, or visit www.TheFutureofLAB.com
  
  

TORONTO, Feb. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Labrador Gold Corp. (TSX.V: LAB | FNR: 2N6) (“LabGold” or the “Corporation”) today urged shareholders to exercise their voting rights immediately and protect their investments from a risky, self-serving shareholder, Coloured Ties Capital Inc. (the “Dissident”). With the proxy voting deadline – February 20, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. (Toronto Time) – just hours away, shareholders are encouraged to vote ONLY on the BLUE Form of Proxy or BLUE Voting Instruction Form (“BLUE Proxy”).

The Corporation and its Board of Directors (the “Board”) thanks the many shareholders who have already voted ahead of the Corporation’s Annual General and Special Meeting of shareholders to be held on February 24, 2026 (the “Meeting”).

In particular, Crescat Capital LLC (“Crescat”), one of the largest shareholders of LabGold holding approximately 8.9% of the issued and outstanding shares, has indicated to LabGold that their intention is to vote their shares on the BLUE Proxy in line with LabGold’s recommendations.

“We appreciate Crescat’s continued support of Labrador Gold,” said Roger Moss, President and CEO of LabGold. “Along with the recommendations from the global leading independent proxy advisors, ISS and Glass Lewis, it reminds our shareholders of the opportunistic and self-serving nature of the Dissident’s action. We continue to encourage our shareholders to vote with the recommendations ONLY on the BLUE Proxy in the final hours before the voting deadline and disregard any other proxy they have received from the Dissident.”

LETTER TO LABGOLD SHAREHOLDERS

The Corporation today also announces that a new Letter to Shareholders (the “Letter”) has been filed on the Corporation's SEDAR+ issuer profile on www.sedarplus.com and mailed to shareholders. The Letter summarizes independent voting recommendations from global leading independent proxy advisors Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”) and Glass, Lewis, & Co. (“Glass Lewis”), recent actions, and a reminder of what is at stake with the voting deadline approaching. Read the Letter here:

The Clear Choice — Recommended by Independent Experts Trusted by Institutional Investors

WHY YOUR VOTE ON BLUE IS IMPORTANT

Your vote on BLUE determines who controls approximately CAD $16 million in cash to execute a long-term strategy to create shareholder value. This is a one-way decision. Once capital is mismanaged, it is gone forever. As the Meeting approaches, ask yourself: Would you allow your investment to be controlled by the Dissident with a history of shareholder value and capital destruction? The Corporation had previously reported to its shareholders the five facts that they must know to protect their investment¹.

Protected Treasury vs. High Risk With the Dissident

• LabGold’s Prudent Approach: In the toughest junior mining market in years, we reviewed 50+ deals and walked away from those that were highly dilutive or did not measure up. We chose disciplined due diligence over the quick fix.
  
  
• The Result of LabGold’s Actions: Your capital is intact and a long-term plan is already underway. We recently announced a joint venture with Nemo Resources Inc. (“Nemo”)to execute our structured plan for the Watson Project, a district-scale opportunity in Ontario that limits downside while maximizing upside.
  
  
• The Dissident Risk: The Dissident has provided no credible project details, no timelines, and no milestones when compared to LabGold. They are asking for a “blank check” at your expense. They have also used misinformation to try to get votes, most recently claiming that “Coloured Ties evaluated the Watson property from Nemo Resources in the fall of 2025”², a claim that Nemo Resources Inc. (“Nemo Resources”) calls “100% false.”
  
  

Independent Experts Agree: Vote ONLY The BLUE Proxy

Both global leading independent proxy advisory firms, ISS and Glass Lewis, have reviewed the facts and recommended shareholders vote ONLY on the BLUE Proxy and reject the Dissident’s attempt to seize control³.

• ISS on the Dissident’s Unwarranted Campaign: "...the dissident's campaign lacks many basic hallmarks of thoughtful activism, such as a refined view on the qualifications of management nominees. Thus, the dissident has not presented a compelling case for any level of change, let alone a majority position.”
  
  
• ISS on the Dissident’s Lack of Strategy: ISS noted that being “in data rooms” is not a strategy. Generic claims cannot replace LabGold’s executable, funded, and active plan.
  
  

CONFLICTS VS. INDEPENDNECE

• The Board: Focused on shareholder value and governed by a clear, transparent strategy.
  
  
• The Dissident’s Nominees: All four Dissident nominees have financial or business ties to LaFleur Minerals Inc., raising serious concerns about whose interests they would truly serve⁴.
  
  

DON’T DELAY. VOTE BLUE TODAY
Shareholders are urged to vote ONLY the BLUE Proxy to ensure their votes are counted ahead of the voting deadline of February 20, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. (Toronto time).

To ensure your vote is counted:

• Vote ONLY using the BLUE Proxy. Shareholders are urged to vote as soon as possible and not wait until the deadline.
• Disregard any gold or other proxy materials you may receive from the Dissident.
  
  

If you have already voted on the Dissident proxy, you may vote again on the BLUE Proxy prior to the voting deadline. The later dated BLUE Proxy will count as it supersedes any previously voted proxy.

Visit www.TheFutureofLAB.com for additional information and the Corporation’s Meeting materials.

HAVE QUESTIONS OR NEED HELP VOTING BLUE?

Shareholders who require assistance should contact LabGold’s strategic advisor, Kingsdale Advisors.

About Labrador Gold Corp.

LabGold is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and exploration of prospective gold projects in Eastern Canada.

The recently announced Watson Project, a joint venture with Nemo Resources Inc., represents the largest landholding in the Fort Hope Greenstone Belt which is significantly underexplored compared to other greenstone belts (e.g. Red Lake and Pickle Lake) in northwestern Ontario. While the exploration focus will be on gold, the Watson project also hosts significant potential for critical minerals (e.g. antimony, nickel, copper and zinc). The proposed road to the Ring of Fire, expected to begin construction in mid-2026, runs through the Watson property and once complete, will significantly reduce exploration and development costs.

The Hopedale property covers much of the Archean-age Florence Lake greenstone belt, which extends over 60 kilometers. While typical of greenstone belts globally, the area has been underexplored. LabGold’s work to date has identified gold anomalies in rocks, soils, and lake sediments across a three-kilometer section of the northern portion of the belt. Five gold occurrences lie along this trend, four of which were discovered by LabGold. Additional anomalous gold values occur across approximately 40 kilometers of the southern portion of the belt. Recent exploration has also demonstrated potential for copper, nickel, and cobalt.

The Borden Lake project near Chapleau, Ontario lies immediately southeast of Discovery Silver Corp’s Borden gold mine. Past exploration by LabGold identified two anomalous gold zones based on geochemistry and geophysics.

The Corporation has 170,009,979 common shares issued and outstanding and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol LAB.

For more information, please contact:
Roger Moss, President and CEO
Tel: 416-704-8291
Website: www.labradorgold.com
X: @LabGoldCorp

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. When used in this document, the words “may”, “would”, “could”, “will”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from the statements made, including those factors discussed in filings made by us with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties, such as actual results of current exploration programs, the general risks associated with the mining industry, the price of gold and other metals, currency and interest rate fluctuations, increased competition and general economic and market factors, occur or should assumptions underlying the forward looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, or expected. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

¹ Source: The Dissident’s Motives Exposed: A Message From Your Board of Directors at Labrador Gold
² Source: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/coloured-ties-views-labrador-gold-s-choice-of-nemo-project-as-value-destructive-851471949.html
³ Source: https://labradorgold.com/news-releases/leading-proxy-advisory-firms-iss-and-glass-lewis-a-13392/
⁴ Source: LabGold’s 2026 Management Information Circular

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a1088915-d7eb-45ae-b590-5d298c863af1