This is the Investing News Network. I'm Georgia Williams and we're here at day two of PDAC 2026. Joining me today is Barry Bame, director and corporate secretary for West High Yield Resources. Thanks for joining me today, Barry. >> My pleasure. Thanks for having me. There's a buzz in the air. It's great to be here at Pedak again. Absolutely. Yesterday was the biggest turnout I've seen for a Sunday. So, good things are happening. >> It was busy. So, we're happy to see all


these people interested in the mining industry and moving it forward. >> Absolutely. I was wondering if we could start with your share price. Oh, sorry, your ticker symbol and the exchange that you trade on. >> So, we're on the TSXV and and we trade under the symbol WHY. >> Perfect. Just like your name. >> Exactly. [laughter] Um I was wondering if you could give us a little overview of the Record Ridge asset and what it's like working in that jurisdiction. >> Yeah, so uh Record Ridge is uh we we


started off looking for gold and we've evolved into a magnesium mine and um over over time we've evolved now into a multi multiple critical minerals mine because we have within our ore we have magnesia magnesium, silica, nickel, and iron. All of those are on the critical minerals list for Canada, United States, and all G7 countries for that matter. And as I'm sure you're aware, China controls 95% pretty much of all critical minerals in rare earth. So we have a very valuable resource and an ore that


is contained with again four critical minerals and magnesium specifically is a a key element to help with a lowcarbon transition. So yeah, we're excited. >> In October, West High Yield received a mine permit for Record Ridge. Can you tell us a little bit about this process? I know it was probably a long time coming. >> Yeah, I mean getting a mining permit in Canada is a huge milestone for any company and it takes a lot of work and energy and effort. But you know what's uh reassuring about that I think for


anyone is to understand that Canada and specifically British Columbia has some of the highest mining standards in the world. And that means we're responsibly mining and and extracting ore um from our resource. So that that's a huge milestone for our company which allows us now to move forward from a exploration and development company into a commercial mining company. >> So we fully expect to be on the ground in in the end of Q2 Juneish to start construction of the mine. >> That's really exciting and


congratulations. I know a mine permit is a big deal in Canada like you were saying. [laughter] >> Um on the website it notes that the company plans to use green processing techniques to minimize waste and CO2 emissions. Can you walk us through these processes? Yeah. So I mean that's a huge differentiator for our company. Um the the current for magnesium specifically process is a high heat thermal process where a lot of carbon is admitted CO2 is admitted as a result of using coal and and heat to extract the ore extract


magnesium from the ore. In our particular case we're using a closed loop hydrochloric acid leeching process which has little to no CO2 admissions. It's closed loop. So the acid is recycled and it's um allows us to extract both the magnesium, the silica, nickel and iron. So it's very efficient process. It's low carbon which puts our product then in a very um uh green uh lowcarbon input for many manufacturers who are looking to reduce their own uh carbon footprint with respect to their


manufacturing of whatever product it is. And and magnesium uh you know goes into so many verticals. pharmaceutical lightweing of metals, uh, fertilizer, wallboards. There's there's so many applications for it. And silica, as you may be aware, is is highly used in computer glass, fiber optics, and most importantly, computer chips. And there's a real shortage of computer chips coming with the AI evolution. >> Absolutely. And having, you know, a domestic source here in North America is


so important. >> It is. I mean, everyone's uh concerned about where their supply is going to come from. So a safe, secure supply chain onshore North America is important and that's what we offer. We have a generational size resource. We're in a geopolitically stable environment and um we have a resource that's at surface with a small environmental footprint because we're we're only having to build a couple of kilometers of road to access the mine site. It's at surface. Uh and


we are using 94% of the ore. Um, so it's not like we're, you know, extracting a bit of con and having to make concentrate. We have no tailings ponds. Uh, we have, uh, no processing on site. It's a very simple, uh, um, blast, uh, crush and ship operation. >> And I think the environmental aspect of it really stands out because like you were saying, you know, there's no tailings, like all of that stuff that, you know, traditional mines have. So I think that's very alluring to investors.


>> Yeah. Yeah, I mean it's important to understand that, you know, mining and agriculture play such a role in society existing and and the fact that we're in British Columbia and Canada and doing it in a very responsible manner with some of the highest standards of the world, I think is important to investors and consumers to understand. Um it it it needs to happen. I mean, Ernson Young put out a paper that we need to do more mining in the next 30 years than we've done in the last 70,000 years, right?


Um, so you know, we're excited because we're extracting four critical minerals using 94% of the ore uh and adding value to uh so many different uh manufacturing chains that are important for society. Yeah, >> absolutely. And you mentioned the diversity in your um resource. Do you have any offtake agreements or how do you plan on you know getting that to the market? Yeah. So, we currently have an LOI in place with a company that's going to be buying our ore for the first couple of years, which is important. And


we have a three-phase project. The first one is get up and running with the mine, sell the ore, generate cash flow. Phase two will be to develop uh our um our man our processing extraction plant onshore North America, which will be uh one of the first. >> Absolutely. I think, you know, a lot of times we talk about where the resources are, but we don't talk about where they're getting processed. And a lot of that is in China. So having a domestic processing facility is so important.


>> Well, what what it allows us to do too is as Canadians is is to now have a value chain where we're taking our raw resource. Now we're processing it into an input product and hopefully even creating an end product. Economic sustainability. It's good for the country. Um and um you know it it it just it makes all the sense in the world rather than to export raw materials. So that's good. >> Um you know in late January the company started the processing pilot testing.


Can you give us a little update? How is it going? >> Yeah. So we're excited about it. The uh the process is underway and basically what it's it's meant to do is just validate the bench testing that we have as well as uh optimize the process and then start to build out the commercial uh plant designs and engineering. So, we're really excited and it's our commitment to say that, you know, we've invested now, you know, a lot of money in this process to ensure that we can


take the next step in our in our development of our company. >> Um, we want to be a value added processor in North America and make a difference both economically and and and uh to society because we think it's important. >> Absolutely. And now with uh permit in hand and processing plant testing underway, what can investors expect next from West High Yield? Well, the exciting thing is we uh expect to start mobilizing in June sometime onto the site, starting construction. Um the mine


site development we hope to have done in 3 to four months and and if it all goes according to plan, we expect uh some commercial sales off of the property by the end of the year. >> Wow. >> So, that's exciting. And the other thing that I want to mention quickly is is just uh you know we we have a strong indigenous support group the Osoyas Indian Band and uh we've we have a cooperation agreement with them that started with an early conversation. They undertook their own environmental


assessment of our project before they got involved and and they recognized that you know we're doing it in a very environmentally responsible way. the fact that we are extracting so much value from the ore and and its contribution to the needs. >> Yeah. >> Um so that that's one aspect and then the other is they actually have developed uh or or entered into a partnership agreement with a company uh that formed their own joint venture mining and construction company. So the Indian band now through a company called


Skema Solutions will be undertaking the construction and mining on site. So that not only gives them jobs and training and economic revenue and and long-term sustainability, but most importantly environmental oversight over the whole project. >> Absolutely. >> As it's important that as they're undertaking the work, they'll ensure that everything is done according to the regulations or exceed them. >> Absolutely. And yesterday during the um opening ceremonies they had a blessing


from um a wisdom and and peacekeeper and he was talking about the importance of early engagement and I'm sure you know being engaged with the indigenous community has helped you to sort of navigate um any sort of potential problems that might arise in the future. Yeah, I mean this not only early engagement and inclusion and and as part of reconciliation but uh you know having them embedded in the project is important because now they they uh have a voice and and also benefit. >> Absolutely.


>> Yeah. >> Well, thank you so much for sharing the West High Yield story with us today. >> Yeah. Well, thank you. We're excited about it. We think we have a great year ahead and uh and like I say that's a that's a true inflection point to have this mining permit get on the ground and unlock the value of our resource. >> Absolutely. I look forward to speaking with you again Barry. >> Me too. Enjoy PETA and thank you for your time. >> Thank you very much.


>> Bye. >> I'm Georgia Williams and that was Barry Bane of West High Yield Resources. [music]