VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 16, 2026 /CNW/ -- Kootenay Silver Inc. (TSXV: KTN) (OTCQX: KOOYF) (the "Company" or "Kootenay")(EQNX::nobreakspace)is pleased to report assay results from expansion drilling along the D Vein at its Columba High-Grade Silver Project(EQNX::nobreakspace)in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Kootenay is advancing a staged 60,000-metre drill program at Columba, with more than 29,700 meters completed. Results from 42 holes have now been reported, with an additional 14 holes awaiting assays.

The first half of the 2026 program is focused on systematic 100-metre step-outs from the limits of existing mineral resource, which remains open in two or three directions. Drilling reported in this release has now tested and expanded the D Vein to over approximately 1,320 meters of strike and to depths of up to 600 meters below surface. The Columba maiden inferred Mineral Resource Estimate totals 54.1 million ounces of silver contained in 5.92 million tonnes grading 284 g/t silver(EQNX::nobreakspace)(see news release dated June 17, 2025).

This release details mineralized intervals from holes designed to test D Vein and includes incidental intercepts from the Lupe/B2 Vein system encountered during this work. The two vein systems have converging orientations and come within 50m of each other toward the eastern end of D Vein. In some cases individual holes intercepted both systems. This batch of results is from holes primarily targeting D Vein, a subsequent batch of results from the Lupe/B2 drill holes will follow in the coming days.

Blind Veins Representing New Targets

Kootenay's Senior Geological Engineer, Roberto Jordan Balbastro states "Systematic drilling of known mineralized structures along D and Lupe trends has identified additional hanging-wall and footwall structures blind to surface, representing new potential exploration targets.(EQNX::nobreakspace) CDH-26-248 returned several such blind structures, including 1.0m (0.5m estimated true width (etw)) grading 703 Ag gpt and combined 1.46% Pb and Zn, within a broader 4.0m (2.0 m etw) mineralized interval grading 288 Ag gpt and 0.54% combined Pb and Zn.

Additional mineralized zones highlighting further exploration potential also identified at depth in hole CDH-26-250 from 450 meters downhole, including a 22.0m (11.44m etw) interval grading 83 Ag gpt, including 2.0m (1.04m etw) grading 265 Ag gpt.(EQNX::nobreakspace)

These results highlight additional styles and mineralized zones that warrant further exploration along D and Lupe trends.(EQNX::nobreakspace)Our team is currently working to define and trace along strike and at depth these new zones."

D Vein Drill Highlights

CDH-26-253 (EQNX::endash) Central D Vein area

• Two broad zones 4 meters apart intercepted
• 274 gpt Ag, 0.1%lead, 0.2% zinc across 6.28 meters (3.33 meters etw) from 422.0 meters downhole, including:
  • 509 gpt silver(EQNX::nobreakspace)0.1%lead, 0.2% zinc over 2.40 meters (1.27 meters etw)
• 31 meters (16.43 meters etw) of 94 gpt silver, 0.06% lead and 0.17% zinc.
  • includes 4 meters (2.12 meters etw) 253 gpt silver, 0.12% lead, 0.5% zinc

CDH-26-243 (EQNX::endash) Central D Vein area

• Hydrothermal breccia and quartz-calcite veining on D VEIN structure with highly anomalous gold values in addition to silver lead zinc.
• 17 meters (3.74 m estimated true width "etw") grading(EQNX::nobreakspace)178 gpt silver, 0.1 gpt gold, 0.1%(EQNX::nobreakspace)lead, 1.2% zinc from 435.0 meters downhole including;
  • 291gpt silver, 0.28gpt gold, 0.1% lead and 1.9% zinc across 5.50 meters (1.21 m etw).

Lupe Vein System Drill Highlights

CDH-26-251

• Several zones were encountered down hole including a 31 meter zone of anomalous silver values including the following;
• 10.0 meters (4.70m etw) grading 96 gpt silver, 0.1% lead, 0.3% zinc from 422.0 meters downhole including;
  • 520 gpt silver, 0.6% lead, 1.5% zinc over 0.96 meters (0.45m etw) from 424.20 meters downhole;
• 230 gpt silver, 0.1% lead and 0.5% zinc over 3.79 meters (1.78m etw) from 439.21 meters downhole including;
  • 816 gpt silver, 0.33% lead and 1.04% zinc over 0.4 meters (0.19 meters etw).

Blind Veins Representing New Targets

CDH-26-237

• Blind veins in hanging wall to the Lupe Vein.
• 232 gpt silver, 0.06% lead, 0.09% zinc over 2.4 meters (2.26 meters etw)(EQNX::nobreakspace)includes;
  • 476 gpt silver, 0.11% lead, 0.12% zinc over 1.1 meters (1.03 meters etw).
• 252 gpt silver, 0.15% lead, 0.17% zinc over 2.2 meters (2.07 meters etw) includes;
  • 524 gpt silver, 0.26% lead, 0.35% zinc over 0.94 meters (0.89 meters etw).

CDH-26-239

• Blind veins in D vein footwall.
• 94 gpt silver over 11 meters (6 meters etw) and;
• 111 gpt silver over 12 meters (6.54 meters etw)(EQNX::nobreakspace)includes;
  • 265 gpt silver, 0.2% lead, 0.9% zinc over 2.5 meters (1.38 meters etw) includes;
    • 559 gpt silver, 0.45% lead and 2.34% zinc.

CDH-26-242

• Hangingwall to D vein.
• 1580 gpt silver over 0.3 meters (0.16 meters etw)

CDH-26-247

• Footwall to D vein.
• 102 gpt silver over 6.82 meters (4.36 etw)(EQNX::nobreakspace)includes;
  • 429 gpt silver over 0.58 meters (0.37 meters etw).

CDH-26-248

• Hangingwall to D vein.
• 288 gpt silver 0.13% lead, 0.41% zinc over 4 meters (2 meters etw)(EQNX::nobreakspace)includes;
  • 496 gpt silver, 0.2% lead, 0.7% zinc over 2 meters (1 meter etw) includes;
    • 703 gpt silver, 0.26% lead, 1.2% zinc over 1 meter (0.5 meter etw).

CDH-26-250

• Footwall to D vein.
  • 231 gpt silver over 0.75 meters (0.39 meters etw)
  • 335 gpt silver over 0.7 meters (0.36 meters etw)
  • 226 gpt silver over 0.45 meters (0.23 meters etw)
• Hangingwall to D vein intercepts.
  • 83 gpt silver over 22 meters (11.44 meters etw)(EQNX::nobreakspace)includes;
    • 265 gpt silver over 2 meters (1.04 meters etw).

Deep Holes

Holes CDH-26-244, 246 and 247 are some of the deepest drilled to date in the D vein and demonstrate the vein is strong and open to depth with hole 247 being the deepest of this current program. Future programs will follow up on these deep targets as we are currently focused on numerous other shallow ones.

CDH-26-247

• Strong structure over 3.93 meters true width grading 40 gpt silver, 0.14% lead and 0.22% zinc
• At about 1225 meters above sea level.
• Extends the mineralized system over 600-meter vertical depth from surface.

Gold Mineralization

Gold mineralization appears in holes CDH26-242, 243, 244, 245 and 246. Observations thus far include:

• Gold does appear now and again but in the case of vein mineralization it has been irregular. This is the first time gold occurs more consistently in a given area.
• The intervals range from 0.11 gpt over 5.71 meters true width to 1.61 gpt over 0.66 meters true width. Various widths range from 5.71 meters to 0.18 meters true width.
• It occurs in the veins along with generally lower grade silver and better zinc grades.
• Silver with the gold is 13 gpt to 291 gpt silver.
• Zinc ranges from 1.19 to 9.44%
• Depths are from about 1,250 meters to 1,510 meters above sea level.
• No clear relationships are apparent to date.
• This is separate from the long low-grade gold+/-molybdenum intercepts reported in holes CDH-25-218 and CDH-25-217 (see News Release dated November 19 2025)

For further details, follow the link to the long sections, plan map, and cross sections(CDH- 25-236 and CDH-26-238, CDH-26-237, CDH-26-239,241,243,245,247, CDH-26-240,242, CDH-26-244,226, CDH-26-248,249, CDH-26-250, CDH-26-251,253)

Drilling continues with two drills while Kootenay expands accommodation and core-storage capacity at Columba.

Kootenay's President & CEO, James McDonald, states:

"Systematic drilling has substantially advanced our understanding of not only the D Vein. Results continue to demonstrate the scale and complexity of the mineralized system at Columba. With this phase of drilling on D Vein now largely complete, our focus is shifting to expansion drilling on other priority veins, including Lupe/B2, J and La Preciosa. The next drill hole release is expected soon and will be from the high-priority Lupe/B2 system which is adjacent to and converges with the D vein.

Drill results, CDH-25-236 to CDH-26-253

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