Interview with
Kiran Patankar, President & CEO of Maple Gold Mines
Matt Manson, President & CEO of Radisson Mining Resources Inc.
Recording date: 16th October 2025
Two junior mining companies are systematically advancing high-grade gold projects in Quebec's Abitibi greenstone belt, leveraging the region's extensive infrastructure while pursuing disciplined capital allocation strategies that prioritize technical de-risking over speculative development.
Radisson Mining Resources focuses on the O'Brien Gold Project, a historical high-grade mine that operated until 1957 when economic constraints at $35-per-ounce gold forced closure at one-kilometer depth. CEO Matthew Manson now targets two kilometers as the economic floor, with approximately 1.5 million ounces of high-grade resources currently identified. The company has launched a 140,000-meter drill program, its largest ever, to systematically expand the resource base within the well-understood Piché formation geology adjacent to the Cadillac-Larder Lake break.
Maple Gold Mines controls 481 square kilometers straddling the Cadillac Break, hosting over 3 million ounces including the historical Eagle mine that produced one million ounces at 6.5 grams per tonne between 1974 and 1993. Since 2021, CEO Kiran Patankar has restructured operations, reducing annual administrative costs from $6 million to $2 million while repositioning the company's joint venture with Agnico Eagle. The restructuring secured 100% project ownership while maintaining Agnico Eagle as a strategic equity partner.
Both companies executed substantial institutional financings, with Radisson raising approximately $25 million through a fully institutional bought deal involving 22 institutions, and Maple securing investment at a 100% premium to previous rounds, including a $7 million lead order from a US mutual fund. These financings deliberately targeted long-term institutional investors rather than retail speculators, with Maple implementing 12-month lock-up agreements to ensure shareholder alignment.
The Abitibi region provides critical infrastructure advantages that fundamentally alter project economics. Highway access, grid power at 4 cents per kilowatt-hour, proximity to multiple operating mills with existing permitted capacity, and an established mining workforce reduce capital requirements and enable toll milling opportunities. Both CEOs reject small-scale, bootstrapped development approaches in favor of right-sizing projects based on optimal economics.
Strategic investor Michael Gentile plays a central role in both companies, providing capital, board expertise, and validation through thorough diligence-based investment decisions. His involvement signals quality to sophisticated investors and provides network access to institutional capital sources.
With discovery costs around $30-40 per ounce against current company valuations near $150 per ounce, both management teams emphasize that successful systematic exploration creates immediate shareholder value accretion while positioning assets for potential acquisition by producers seeking to extend existing mill operations.
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