HOUSTON LAKE MINING INC.

(HLM-TSX.V)

PRESS RELEASE

Closing of $200,000 Financing Initiates Drilling Program on
Houston Lake’s West Cedartree Gold Project

October 9, 2003: Sudbury, Ontario - Houston Lake Mining Inc. (TSX.V:HLM, "Houston Lake") is pleased to report that the Company has completed a $200,000 non-brokered, flow-through private placement financing. Proceeds will be used for working capital purposes to execute the recommended 1000m. (3280 ft.) drill program on the West Cedartree Gold Project which is located near Sioux Narrows, Ontario. The drill program is expected to begin towards the end of the month to allow time for the completion of the regulatory approval process.

The financing offered 500,000 units at a price of $0.40 per unit for maximum gross proceeds of $200,000. Each unit consisted of one flow through common share and one purchase warrant. Each full warrant can be exercised into one non-flow-through common share at a price of $0.50 for the first year and $0.60 for the second year. The proposed offering has a hold period of one year and is subject to regulatory approval.

Houston Lake now owns, or has under 100 percent option on a total of 603.6 hectares (1490.9 acres) spanning four properties in the West Cedartree Lake area. Houston Lake has recently completed an extensive stripping, systematic channel sampling and detailed mapping program over a 130m. (426 ft.) segment of the Angel Hill Gold Zone ("AHGZ"). The AHGZ was directly tested by 77 of the systematic channel samples which ranged from trace to 71.30 g/t Au (2.080 oz/t) and had a weighted average of 4.04 g/t Au (0.118 oz/t). The 1000m. (3280 ft.) drill program is planned to systematically test the exposed portion of the AHGZ and to provide the basis for a resource estimate. Consulting geologist, Dean Cutting, P. Geo. is the Qualified Person responsible for the project.

Houston Lake is actively exploring for Gold, Platinum Group Metals and Rare Metals with a strategic focus on northwestern Ontario. The Company has a total of 16,009,695 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, we invite you to visit us at www.houstonlakemining.com.

For more information, please contact:

Web Site: www.houstonlakemining.com

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