Richmond Hill-based explorer Richmond Hill Resources has released surface exploration results from its Martello gold project in Canada that confirmed several high-grade gold occurrences and set the company on course to begin diamond drilling in the fourth quarter of 2026.
High-grade surface results at two targets
The company reported strong metallic-screen fire-assay values from two separate areas on the property. At the historic Sakoose mine area, results included 25.9 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from an outcrop between two historic stope shafts and 16.2 g/t from material sampled inside Shaft 2. At a separate target, described as the New Church Lake discovery, the company returned a high-grade value of 23.3 g/t gold, with visible gold observed, and 7.53 g/t from stockpile material on the same structure.
The company cautioned that follow-up sampling at New Church Lake produced many low results — 14 additional samples returned values below 0.25 g/t — suggesting the gold is associated with a discrete shear structure rather than being widely distributed across the area.
“Our first surface programme at Sakoose has confirmed high-grade gold at a historic mine that produced at a reported grade of approximately 16 grams per tonne gold,”
Planned drilling and exploration strategy
Richmond Hill Resources said it intends to move to diamond drilling at Sakoose in the fourth quarter of 2026. The proposed programme would comprise approximately 1,400 metres of diamond drilling arranged in nine holes from five pad locations. The stated aims are to confirm historic high-grade intercepts, test the down-plunge extension of the principal high-grade shoot below the historic workings, test beneath the main historic underground workings and probe an eastern extension and a structural intersection.
The plan reflects a typical approach for testing historic high-grade zones: use relatively shallow, targeted holes to confirm continuity and then expand once the orientation of mineralisation is better understood.
Land holdings and immediate implications
Alongside assay results, Richmond Hill Resources disclosed a recent acquisition of 16 single cell mining claims, totalling around 330 hectares. The claims were acquired for a nominal amount from two individual vendors and add ground near the past-producing Tabor mine and close to New Church Lake, the company said.
For local stakeholders in Richmond Hill the news is significant on several fronts. The company is headquartered in the city, and positive early-stage results can boost investor interest, potentially affecting share liquidity and local investor relations. If the drill programme demonstrates continuity of high-grade gold, the property could attract further financing, contractor work and regional service activity tied to exploration and potential future development.
- Key assay highlights: 25.9 g/t and 16.2 g/t at Sakoose; 23.3 g/t and 7.53 g/t at New Church Lake.
- Planned work: ~1,400 metres of diamond drilling in nine holes from five pads in Q4 2026.
- Land acquisition: 16 claims adding ~330 hectares near Tabor and New Church Lake.
A measured next step for a regional explorer
Company commentary emphasises that the New Church Lake occurrence may represent a distinct mineralised centre separate from the Sakoose system, and that follow-up channel sampling and more focused drill targeting will be evaluated. That staged, data-driven approach is typical of junior explorers seeking to delineate target geometry before committing to larger, costlier drill campaigns.
For Richmond Hill residents and local investors, the immediate impact will be watching for drill permits, contractor engagement and further assay releases. The company’s next technical steps — channel sampling, the Q4 drill campaign and subsequent assay tables from those holes — will determine whether the surface high grades translate into a coherent underground or near-surface resource.
| Location | Reported assay | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sakoose (outcrop) | 25.9 g/t | Between two historic stope shafts |
| Sakoose (Shaft 2) | 16.2 g/t | Sample inside Shaft 2 |
| New Church Lake (structure) | 23.3 g/t | Visible gold reported |
| New Church Lake (stockpile) | 7.53 g/t | Stockpile material from same structure |
Further technical disclosure from Richmond Hill Resources — including precise sampling locations, assay certificates and a drill log once the programme is completed — will be necessary for independent assessment of the discovery potential at Martello. Until then, the company’s plan to shift from surface work to a targeted diamond-drilling programme represents the next test of the property’s exploration upside.
