HOUSTON LAKE MINING INC.

(HLM-TSX.V)

PRESS RELEASE

Tib Lake Palladium Property Surface Exploration Program Concluded, Drilling Planned To Begin Later This Month

October 9, 2002: Sudbury, Ontario - Houston Lake Mining Inc. (CDNX:HLM, "Houston Lake") is pleased to provide an exploration update after this past weekend’s property visit by Company president Grayme Anthony, P. Geo., on the 1632 hectare (4030 acre) Tib Lake property which is located in the Thunder Bay Mining District of NW Ontario.  Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited (TSE:AGE, NYSE:AEM “Agnico-Eagle”) of Toronto, Ontario has concluded the surface portion of a $500,000 exploration commitment.  Results are currently being compiled to identify targets for the follow up drilling program expected to begin later this month.   The combined programs are expected to meet all of the first year option requirements of $500,000 in exploration while cash payments of $100,000 have been completed.

Under the Tib Lake Option Agreement Agnico-Eagle has the right to earn a 50 percent interest by making cash payments of $650,000 and expending $3.6 million over four years. The property interest has an underlying 2.5 percent NSR.  The companies would form a 50/50 partnership upon earn in of the option interest.  Agnico-Eagle would have the right to earn an additional 10 percent upon delivering a positive bankable feasibility study and is the operator.  Both parties are protected from dilution past a 30 percent interest level.  Agnico Eagle has made cash payments of $100,000 and is in the process of completing the $500,000 exploration program as required in the first year of the Tib Lake option agreement.  Agnico Eagle has the right to accelerate the four year option schedule.

The Tib Lake property is located in the Lac Des Iles area just 15 km. (9 miles) from the Lac Des Iles mine of North American Palladium Ltd.  At December 31, 2001, the total proven and probable reserves, and measured and indicated resources at the Lac Des Iles mine had increased to 159 million tonnes averaging 1.55 grams of palladium per tonne containing 8.0 million ounces of palladium.  The Tib Lake gabbro is the second largest intrusion of the Lac Des Iles suite of rocks and, as such, is a prime target for palladium-platinum-gold exploration. The Tib Lake property covers 6.5 km (3.9 mile) in strike of the Lower Zone of the Tib Lake gabbro.  The Lower Zone encompasses all known PGE (palladium-platinum-gold) occurrences on the property. 

An initial two phase program was planned for the current year.  Phase 1 of the current program has been completed as of October 7, 2002 and involved geological and detailed mapping, soil sampling, trenching and stripping, channel sampling and reinterpretation of previous geophysical surveys (magnetics and IP).  Preliminary evaluation indicates that the more mafic to ultramafic rock units such as peridotite are important hosts to the PGE mineralization.  Results from the surface program are still coming in and will be made available upon completion of  the geological compilation.

The drilling program is anticipated to begin later this month. The program is expected to concentrate on two main areas: the Kuhner Zone and the West Dog Occurrence.  The Kuhner Zone is located in the south-central portions of the property.  Stripping has exposed gabbro-norite and pyroxenite gabbro with local peridotite bodies.  Sulphide (chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite) disseminations and blebs are more common proximal to the peridotite bodies.  Previous drilling intersected 18.47 metres (60.6 feet) of core length grading 1.68 g/t PGE’s at an average depth of 35 metres (100 feet) and 22 metres (72.2 feet) of core length grading 1.456 g/t PGE’s at an average depth of 65 metres (213.2 feet) under the Kuhner Occurrence.  The West Dog Occurrence also is found in the south-central portions of the property.  Here, the geology mainly consists of gabbro-norite and peridotite.  Grab samples from the West Dog peridotite have returned values up to 1.6 g/t PGE’s.  Other drill targets will be selected after all the data is compiled.  Results from the surface exploration program and the date of commencement of the drilling program will be announced at first availability.

Houston Lake is actively exploring for Gold, Rare Metals, and Platinum Group Metals with a strategic focus on northwestern Ontario. Houston Lake Mining Inc. has a total of 15,425,695 common shares issued and outstanding.  The common shares of Houston Lake Mining Inc. trade through the facilities of the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol HLM.  For further information on all of the Company's projects, we invite you to visit us at www.houstonlakemining.com.

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