Noront Resources announces historic formation of First Nations Advisory Council

TORONTO, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ – Noront Resources Ltd. (“Noront” or the “Company”) (TSX Venture: NOT) The Company is pleased to announce that it has formed a historic First Nations Advisory Council to guide the Company in establishing exemplary relationships with the local First Nations Communities in the Ring of Fire, in the James Bay Lowlands, where the Company’s primary assets, including the Eagle’s Nest and the Blackbird Deposits, are located.

Wes Hanson, Noront’s Chief Executive Officer, states: “The formation of our historic Advisory Council will assist Noront with the development of best practices policies regarding aboriginal affairs. The Company’s intention is to encourage First Nations’ development and education throughout the region. We have assembled what we believe to be some of Canada’s leading authorities on Aboriginal Affairs and we look forward to benefitting from their wisdom and guidance in establishing lasting relationships with the First Nations Communities in and around our projects.”

Members of Noront’s First Nations Advisory Council will consist of the following individuals:

Mr. Phillip “Jerry” Asp

Mr. Jerry Asp is one of western Canada’s most prominent Aboriginal leaders. He is committed to enhancing the quality of life for Aboriginal people through the creation of new business opportunities and development of skills and capacity in the community. In addition to supporting Aboriginal business development, Jerry has also applied his leadership skills to serve the public. Jerry is currently President of C3 Alliance Corporation.

His field experience in the mining industry began in 1965 when he started working on diamond drills. He then went on to work underground for six years in the Tantalus Butte Coal Mine. During this stage in his career, he was President of the only all-native United Steelworkers Local in North America.

Since then, he has become progressively more involved in Canada’s mining industry and in supporting Aboriginal business development across Canada. Mr. Asp was President and founder member of the Tahltan Nation Development Corporation (1985), the largest native-owned and operated heavy construction company in Western Canada. He is also a founding member of the National Indian Businessman’s Association (1981) as well as the Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association (CAMA) (1991), where he is currently a Vice President. During his tenure as President, the Tahltan Nation Development Corporation organization and the Tahltan Tribal Council were jointly recognized with the BC Environmental Award. Jerry served on the Whitehorse Mining Initiative for three years, and in 1998, while working with CAMA, Jerry critiqued the Canadian Environmental Act for Natural Resources Canada. He has also served as a member of the International Mining, Minerals, and Sustainable Development Committee – North American Branch.

Mr. Asp is an experienced consultant and negotiator. His success in this area includes negotiating the first native-owned Independent Power Producer contract with BC Hydro, the first significant Impact and Benefits Agreement in BC’s mining industry ( Golden Bear Mine) and he successfully negotiated for a new health facility to serve the Dease Lake area.

Mr. Asp has shared his knowledge, on mining issues, with Indigenous People in Peru, Chile, Dominica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Argentina, Panama, the Philippines, Australia, Canada, and the United States.

Mr. Asp has served on the following Board of Directors for the following organizations:

    -   BC Rail Group of Companies,
    -   BC Round Table on Environment and the Economy (4 years),
    -   First Citizens Fund BC
    -   Housing Commission for the Council of Yukon Indians
    -   Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (BC Chapter)
    -   Stikine Regional Health Board (President)

Ms. Leanne Hall

Demonstrating strong leadership ability, commitment to excellence, and a strong business and management background, Leanne Hall has tirelessly mined profitable opportunities and delivered priceless resources to involved stakeholders: communities, employers, partners, clients and others.

Ms Hall is Founder, President and owner of Woodland HR Inc., an “achievement company”. Her strategic foresight has attracted the involvement of industry leaders such as Service Canada, Alberta Employment and Immigration, and Alberta Aboriginal Relations. Her vision and ability to build impressive teams has resulted in the development of award-winning HR programs and other groundbreaking initiatives specifically targeting the aboriginal communities. Woodland HR Inc. began in 1998 out of her desire to contribute to the Northern Alberta, First Nation and aboriginal communities by providing professional career development, training and employment programs and services. It has since helped thousands of employers, tens of thousands of youth, and many communities to achieve their goals.

Additionally, Ms. Hall is the founder, President and owner of Woodland Tires Inc., a leading off the road (OTR) tire supplier that sources and delivers hard to find OTR tires for the mining exploration and earthmoving industries. Woodland Tires has a solid reputation and a trusted network of suppliers and manufacturers.

Ms. Hall obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Chief Glenn Nolan

Chief Nolan is a strong advocate for sharing information between the mining industry and Aboriginal Communities in Canada and internationally. Chief Nolan attends various conferences and state functions where he presents on the Canadian Aboriginal experience in the mineral industry and recently presented to the Brazilian legislature at a special hearing on Indigenous people and mining.

Chief Nolan advises a number of exploration and mining companies on Aboriginal issues as well as providing information to Aboriginal communities on partnership development and opportunities related to resource development. He is committed to continuing the creation of greater dialogue between industry, government and Aboriginal communities through his organization Learning Together Corporation, a nationally incorporated, non-profit company with the objective of building greater awareness of Aboriginal issues for the mining industry as well as supporting the greater participation of Aboriginal people and Aboriginal communities in the mining industry.

Chief Nolan is the second Vice President of Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada where he is the co-chair of the Aboriginal Affairs committee and is also a director of a publicly traded Jr. mining company.

Chief Nolan began his career in mining in the mid seventies, prospecting throughout northern and western Canada working for a number of major mining companies before starting his own contracting company, conducting geophysical surveys, staking claims and camp management.

Besides his advocacy work, Chief Nolan was first elected as Chief of the Missanabie Cree First Nation in July 2001. Missanabie is located in northeastern Ontario. He is negotiating a land claim for the community and has been instrumental in developing a number of community-owned businesses.

Mr. Roy Whitney

Mr. Whitney has a long and distinguished career in business and community politics. As a former Chief of Tsuu T’ina First Nation from 1984 to 2001, Mr Whitney was instrumental in improving relations between his community, all three levels of government and the non-aboriginal business community. In the year 2000, Roy was the recipient of the National Aboriginal Achievement award for business and commerce along with the Paul Harris Fellow Award for bridging relations and building understanding for Indigenous peoples of the world.

Beyond his work on economic development initiatives, Mr. Whitney has been instrumental on the political front wherein, he Co-chaired the Prime Ministers dinner in Calgary in 2002/03, attended the UN Forum on International Peoples issues, and served as Board member for the G8 Summit in 2002. Roy also sat as Chairperson for the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board, retiring in 2003 after eight years of service.

Today, Mr. Whitney continues to promote socio-economic opportunities for Aboriginal people and sustaining relationships with Industry through Wynterose Consulting Group.

Mr. Paul Semple, Chief Operating Officer, Noront Resources

Mr. Paul Semple, recently appointed Chief Operating Officer of Noront Resources, will round out the Council group and will represent the best interests of the Company on the Advisory Council.

About Noront:

Noront Resources is focused on its significant and multiple, high-grade nickel-copper-platinum-palladium, chromite and vanadium discoveries in an area known as the “Ring of Fire”, an emerging multi-metals district located in the James Bay Lowlands of Ontario, Canada. Noront is the dominant land holder at the Ring of Fire and continues to delineate and prove up its discoveries with NI 43-101 technical and economic reports and an aggressive and well financed drill plan for the remainder of 2009 and 2010. All material information on Noront can be found on the Company’s website at www.norontresources.com or at SEDAR at www.sedar.com

                                                         Wesley (Wes) Hanson
                                         President & Chief Financial Officer

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, including predictions, projections and forecasts. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including such things as future business strategy, competitive strengths, goals, expansion, growth of the Company’s businesses, operations, plans and with respect to exploration results, the timing and success of exploration activities generally, permitting time lines, government regulation of exploration and mining operations, environmental risks, title disputes or claims, limitations on insurance coverage, timing and possible outcome of any pending litigation and timing and results of future resource estimates or future economic studies.

Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “planning”, “planned”, “expects” or “looking forward”, “does not expect”, “continues”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “potential”, “anticipates”, “does not anticipate”, or “belief”, or describes a “goal”, or variation of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved.

    The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept
    responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Noront Resources Ltd.