HOUSTON LAKE MINING INC.

(HLM-CDNX)

PRESS RELEASE

Five Major IP Zones Identified on Tib Lake Palladium Property

April 5, 2000: Sudbury, Ontario - Houston Lake Mining Inc. ("Houston Lake") is pleased to announce that the Company has received preliminary results from the recent geophysical exploration program on the Tib Lake Palladium Project which is located in the Thunder Bay Mining District of northwestern Ontario just 6 miles northwest of the Lac Des Iles Mine of North American Palladium Ltd. ("NAPL"), where a proposed US$126 million expansion of the mine is currently planned. As announced in the Press Release dated March 15, 2000, Houston Lake has completed its 100 percent earn in of the 1632 hectare (4030 acre) Tib Lake property subject to a 2.5 percent Net Smelter Royalty.

Houston Lake has completed a total of 70 km. (44 miles) of line-cutting and magnetic surveys and 40 km. (25 miles) of IP (Induced Polarization) geophysical surveys on the Tib Lake Palladium Property. The data has been interpreted by and is currently being compiled by independent consulting geologist Ike Osmani, F.G.A.C., B.Sc., M.A.Sc. The reader should be cautioned that the interpreted IP targets provide a focus for future exploration and are not definitive proof of palladium mineralization.

Five major IP anomalies have been depicted by the recent surveys. Four of the five zones are characterized by medium chargeability (relatively high sulphide content), high resistivity (magma contamination) and moderate to low magnetic response (sulfides present).

Anomaly 1 is a 2.5 km. curvilinear zone that is open in both directions. This zone encompasses all three known palladium occurrences on the property. Sulphide mineralization is interpreted as being present along the entirety of the known strike length. This interpretation is in part confirmed by numerous surface sulphide showings. The Kuhner Occurrence is found at the eastern extremity of this zone and is the site where a 1995 drill hole, TL-95-09, intersected a core length of 18.47 metres of 1.68 g/t PGE’s (palladium, platinum, and gold) including 7.47 metres of 2.76 g/t PGE’s and including 4.53 g/t PGE’s over 2.12 metres at a depth of 30.5 metres (60.6 ft. of 0.05 oz/T PGE’s including 24.5 ft. of 0.08 oz/T PGE’s and including 0.14 oz/T over 7.0 ft.). The profile of the IP anomaly in the vicinity of the Kuhner Occurrence is interpreted as a fine to coarse grained sulphide response and starts at a depth 80 to 100 metres (260 to 320 feet). This interpretation may support the contention that PGE mineralization improves with depth at the Kuhner Occurrence. Drill holes TL-95-09 and TL-99-14 may have passed through the upper reaches of this IP anomaly at a depth of approximately 30 m. (100 feet). This 2.5 km. long anomaly will be an important focus of future PGE exploration on the property.

Anomalies 2 to 4 are also characterized by medium chargeability (relatively high sulphide content), high resistivity (magma contamination) and moderate to low magnetic response. These anomalies are 200 to 600 m. (660 to 1970 ft.) long and are open to the east.

Anomaly 5 is a 2.5 km. long zone that is open in both directions and characterized by IP responses of high chargeability and high resistivity and a high magnetic signature. This IP anomaly is interpreted as a gabbroic anorthosite containing oxides and about one percent sulfides. This anomaly is interpreted as having good potential for PGE mineralization similar to that found in the Duluth Complex of Minnesota. As yet this zone has remained untested by previous surface exploration.

Independent consulting geologist, Ike Osmani states in his report:

"The association of pegmatitic phases and magma mixing with PGE mineralization at these occurrences are similar to that of the Roby zone at the nearby Lac Des Iles Mine. Hence the potential of a similar deposit occurring also exists on the Tib Lake property."

A $500,000 exploration program is recommended for the Tib Lake project. The program would culminate in a 15 hole, 3400 m. (11,000 ft.) diamond drill program. The timing of the exploration program is dependent on financing.

Houston Lake is actively exploring for rare metals, platinum group metals and gold in northwestern Ontario. The common shares of Houston Lake Mining Inc. trade through the facilities of the Canadian Venture Exchange under the symbol HLM. Houston Lake Mining Inc. has a total of 12,077,016 common shares issued and outstanding. For further information on all of the Company’s projects, we invite you to visit us at www.houstonlakemining.com.

For more information, please contact:

E. Grayme Anthony B.Sc., P. Geo., F.G.A.C., M.B.A.

Tel: (705) 897-7622

Fax: (705) 897-7618

e-mail: houston@vianet.on.ca

Web Site: www.houstonlakemining.com

 

The Canadian Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved of the information contained herein.