VANCOUVER, BC: Integra Gold Corp. (TSX-V: ICG; OTCQX: ICGQF), ("Integra" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Raynald Vzina to its Board of Directors ("Board"). Mr. Vzina, a mining engineer with a long and successful career focussed on mine building and operations in Qubec, will join the Board as a non-executive, independent director.
George Salamis, Executive Chairman of the Board, commented, "As Integra transitions from an exploration company to an advanced-stage, operations focussed company, the addition of Mr. Vzina, with his background in the construction of underground mines and operations in Qubec, make him a great asset to our Board."
"Highly regarded within the ranks of the Qubec mining industry, Mr. Vzina played an instrumental role during one of Qubec's most prolific growth stages for the mining industry, 1980 to 1995. During this period, Mr. Vzina took a lead role in the construction and operation of 8 mines, a monumental feat by any measure. The team at Integra looks forward to Mr. Vzina's input as Integra enters into this next important phase of growth in Qubec, both at the Triangle Deposit and elsewhere."
Mr. Vzina is a graduate of Laval University's mining engineering program and has served in several executive positions during his 40 year career, both in Qubec and abroad. In the 1970s and 1980s, Mr. Vzina held several positions at Falconbridge Limited within the engineering and operations group, including the position of General Superintendent of Operations of the Lac Dufault division, based in Rouyn-Noranda, Qubec.
Through the 1980s, he held the position of General Manager of the Kiena Gold Mine, long considered to be the sister operation to the Sigma Mine which was acquired, along with the Sigma Mill and historic Lamaque Mine, by Integra in 2014. At the Kiena Gold Mine, Mr. Vzina was involved in the construction of the underground mine and mill complex and went on to supervise gold production at the mine on behalf of its owners Falconbridge Nickel Ltd. and then Placer Dome Inc.
In 1988, Mr. Vzina joined the ranks of Cambior Inc. as Senior Vice President of Mining Operations, managing the construction and operation of 8 mines (7 underground and 1 open pit), including 7 in Qubec. This period in time, 1980 to 1995, is regarded as one of the largest periods of exponential resource growth and mining expansion in the history of Qubec, and Mr. Vzina is widely viewed as being an integral part of that growth.
Mr. Vzina is a member of the "Quebec Order of Engineers," a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Mining and a consultant on mining engineering projects across the globe.
Project and Company Profile
Integra Gold is a junior gold exploration company advancing projects in Val-d'Or, Qubec, one of the top mining jurisdictions in the world. The Company's primary focus is its high-grade Lamaque South project. In the fall of 2014, Integra completed the accretive acquisition of the Sigma Mill and Mine Complex, a fully permitted 2,200 ton per day mill and tailings facility. With major federal and provincial permits in place, existing infrastructure and significant exploration potential, this acquisition removed major costs and shortened timelines typically associated with mine projects. Integra has raised over $120 million since 2013, at successively higher share prices, despite depressed gold prices. In August 2015, Eldorado Gold Corporation completed a strategic investment in Integra, acquiring 15% of the outstanding common shares. Integra was recently named to the TSX Venture top 50 performers in 2015 and the OTCQX Best 50 award for 2015.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Stephen de Jong
CEO & President
CONTACT INFORMATION
Corporate Inquiries:
Chris Gordon: chris@integragold.com
Or visit the company website:
www.integragold.com