VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 23, 2026 /CNW/ - Kootenay Silver Inc. (TSXV: KTN) (OTCQX: KOOYF) (the "Company" or "Kootenay") is pleased to announce that it will be attending the 2026 PDAC in Toronto with a Core Shack booth showcasing the Columba High Grade Silver Project in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Please come visit us during Session B of the Core Shack at Booth #3100B. We will be there from Tuesday, March 3, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. until Wednesday, March 4, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Columba is an example of a classic epithermal vein system hosted within a felsic volcanic caldera. One of the unusual aspects of the vein system is that it is almost entirely preserved from erosion. Thus, the classic zonation of an epithermal vein model can be observed from the top edge of the vein system right into the high grades beneath. This is observed at surface with elevation changes and in drill core.
Come and see this zonation displayed in core, hand samples, plan maps, and cross sections. For example, we have found surface hand samples grading 1 gpt silver while 300 meters vertically below we intercepted 28.63 meters of 175 gpt Ag including 9 meters of 302 gpt Ag in CDH 24-166 (news release: Sep 23, 2024). At lower elevation there are grab samples grading 109 gpt Ag and ~ 150 meters deeper drilling encountered 29.9 meters of 453 gpt Ag with 16.5 m of 650 gpt silver in CDH 21-110 (news release: Nov 3, 2021) . An even more dramatic example is hole CDH 24-164 that hit 98.7 meters grading 211 gpt Ag including 12 meters of 531 gpt Ag (news release: Aug 14, 2024). At surface some 450 meter above the intercept there are no silver values and the structure is hard to recognize.
An intensive 50,000-meter drill program is currently underway at Columba. Drilling is focused on the expansion of the known resource bodies that remain open in all directions. The extensive Columba vein system currently hosts an inferred Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") totaling 54.1 Moz of silver based 5.92 Mt at a grade of 284 gpt. (The technical report entitled "Technical Report on the Maiden Mineral Resource Estimate for the Columba Ag-Pb-Zn Project, Chihuahua State, Mexico" and dated August 1, 2025, MRE effective date, May 29, 2025 has been filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and is also available at the Company's website at www.kootenaysilver.com).
About Columba Project
The Columba project is a classic high grade epithermal vein system. That management believes is a newly recognized vein district. It is typical in character and size of other vein districts in Mexico known to have deposited significant resources of silver or gold such as La Chispas and Panuco.
Hosted within a volcanic caldera setting, the surface extent of mapped veins measures roughly 4 kilometres by 3 kilometres. Vein mineralization occurs over a minimum vertical extent of 350 meters as shown by drilling. The veins appear to be intermediate sulfidation veins indicating the potential for depths exceeding 700 meters of vertical extent. This remains to be tested, and all veins remain open to depth.
The veins cut every known rock type on the project and the veins or vein structures can be traced across the highest elevations of the caldera. This indicates veins formed late in caldera history. As elevation increases vein development becomes irregular eventually being replaced by breccias at the higher elevations. Silver grades diminish with increasing elevation right down to background values. Correspondingly silver grades increase with depth from background at higher elevations to highs of kilograms per tonne at depth. It is evident from these features that the vein system has undergone almost no erosion and so whatever silver was deposited originally is largely still there.
A general rule of thumb on the project is at levels deeper than 1,750 meters above sea level is where good grades begin to appear. This is what is referred to as the grade line.
Prior to Kootenay Silver no exploration had occurred at Columba in nearly 40 years. Historically there were two periods of mining on one of the veins referred to as the F Vein. The first being in the early 1900's when underground development included 6 drifts (tunnels) at different levels coming off a 200-meter-deep shaft. This work was halted by the Mexican Revolution. Then a second brief period of mining occurred around 1958 to 1960 when a small private company used the old development to mine. It is estimated that around 100,000 tonnes were mined.
The Company acquired 100% of the project and has a 24-year surface access agreement that includes annual and other payments and allows for both exploration and exploitation. The agreement covers all the mineralized areas drilled to date.
Sampling and QA/QC at Columba
All technical information for the Columba exploration program is obtained and reported under a formal quality assurance and quality control ("QA/QC") program. Samples are taken from core cut in half with a diamond saw under the direction of qualified geologists and engineers. Samples are then labeled, placed in plastic bags, sealed and with interval and sample numbers recorded. Samples are delivered by the Company to ALS Minerals ("ALS") in Chihuahua. The Company inserts blanks, standards and duplicates at regular intervals as follows. On average a blank is inserted every 100 samples beginning at the start of sampling and again when leaving the mineral zone. Standards are inserted when entering the potential mineralized zone and in the middle of them, on average one in every 25 samples is a standard. Duplicates are taken in the mineralized intervals at an average 2 duplicates for each hole.
The samples are dried, crushed and pulverized with the pulps being sent airfreight for analysis by ALS in Vancouver, B.C. Systematic assaying of standards, blanks and duplicates is performed for precision and accuracy. Analysis for silver, zinc, lead and copper and related trace elements was done by ICP four acid digestion, with gold analysis by 30-gram fire assay with an AA finish. All drilling reported is HQ core and was completed by Globextools, S.A. de C.V. of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Qualified Persons
The mineral resource was estimated by Ben Eggers, MAIG, P.Geo. of SGS Geological Services, an independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Eggers conducted a site visit to the Columba Property on May 28, 2025. The mineral resource was peer reviewed by Allan Armitage, Ph.D., P.Geo. of SGS Geological Services, an independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Armitage conducted a site visit to the Columba Property on May 24-25, 2024
The Kootenay technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 (Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects) and reviewed and approved on behalf of Kootenay by Mr. Dale Brittliffe, BSc. P. Geol., Vice President, Exploration of Kootenay Silver, is the Company's nominated Qualified Person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101, Standards for Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed the scientific and technical information disclosed in this news release. Mr. Brittliffe is not independent of Kootenay Silver.
About Kootenay Silver Inc.
Kootenay Silver Inc. is an exploration company actively engaged in the discovery and development of mineral projects in the Sierra Madre Region of Mexico. Supported by one of the largest junior portfolios of silver assets in Mexico, Kootenay continues to provide its shareholders with significant leverage to silver prices. The Company remains focused on the expansion of its current silver resources, new discoveries and the near-term economic development of its priority silver projects located in prolific mining districts in Sonora, State and Chihuahua, State, Mexico, respectively.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:
The information in this news release has been prepared as at February 22, 2026. Certain statements in this news release, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", constitute "forward-looking statements" under the provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws. These statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expected", "may", "will" or similar terms.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Kootenay as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, known and unknown, could cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as otherwise required by law, Kootenay expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in Kootenay's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Cautionary Note to US Investors: This news release includes Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources classification terms that comply with reporting standards in Canada and the Mineral Reserves and the Mineral Resources estimates are made in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. These standards differ significantly from the requirements adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The SEC sets rules that are applicable to domestic United States reporting companies. Consequently, Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources information included in this news release is not comparable to similar information that would generally be disclosed by domestic U.S. reporting companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the SEC. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards.
SOURCE Kootenay Silver Inc.
For additional information, please contact: James McDonald, CEO and President at 403-880-6016; Ken Berry, Chairman at 604-601-5652; 1-888-601-5650 or visit: www.kootenaysilver.com
