Drilling at Red Chris East Ridge Intersects 170 Metres Grading 1.1g/t Gold and 1.1% Copper

VANCOUVER, June 09, 2021 - Imperial Metals Corp. (the "Company") (TSX:III) reports expanded high grade mineralization in the newly discovered East Ridge zone.

Results from East Ridge drill hole RC688, located 100 metres east of hole RC684, returned 344 metres of 0.70 g/t gold and 0.75% copper from a depth of 776 metres including 170 metres of 1.1 g/t gold and 1.1% copper.

Brian Kynoch, President of Imperial Metals, said, "This exciting new discovery at the East Ridge is located outside the envelope of the current mineral resource and has the potential to increase the already large mineral resource at Red Chris."

In the Main Zone, hole RC683 returned 300 metres grading 0.41g/t gold and 0.51% copper from a depth of 260 metres, including 114 metres of 0.67g/t gold and 0.85% copper from a depth of 390 metres, and 22 metres of 1.1 g/t gold and 1.4% copper from a depth of 464 metres. Drilling in the Main Zone continues to confirm the potential to define further zones of higher-grade mineralization.

Red Chris - Significant results:

^ updated intercept or ^^ previously reported.

During the 2nd Quarter, there were up to eight diamond drill rigs in operation and an additional 15,342 metres of drilling was completed in 11 drill holes, with all drill holes intersecting mineralization (except for two dedicated geotechnical holes). Since Newcrest acquired its interest in the joint venture 111 drill holes, for a total of 136,631 metres of drilling, have been completed. The planned exploration program includes approximately 50,000 metres of drilling this year.

Jim Miller-Tait, P.Geo., Imperial Metals Vice President Exploration, is the designated Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for the Red Chris exploration program and has reviewed this news release. Red Chris samples for the 2020 drilling reported were analysed at Bureau Veritas Mineral Laboratories in Vancouver. A full QA/QC program using blanks, standards and duplicates was completed for all diamond drilling samples submitted to the labs. Significant assay intervals reported represent apparent widths. Insufficient geological information is available to confirm the geological model and true width of significant assay intervals.

Cross section and plan view maps are available on imperialmetals.com.

About Imperial

Imperial is a Vancouver based exploration, mine development and operating company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owns a 30% interest in the Red Chris mine, and a 100% interest in both the Mount Polley and Huckleberry copper mines in British Columbia.

Company Contacts

Brian Kynoch | President | 604.669.8959
Darb Dhillon | Chief Financial Officer | 604.488.2658
Jim Miller-Tait | Vice President Exploration | 604.488.2676

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this news release are not statements of historical fact and are "forward-looking" statements. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect Company management's expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's expectations with respect to the current and planned drilling programs at Red Chris, including plans to define the extent and continuity of the mineralization in the East Ridge Zone and statements regarding the potential to increase the mineral resources at the Red Chris mine site.

In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "outlook", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative of these terms or comparable terminology. By their very nature forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

In making the forward-looking statements in this release, the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on information currently available to the Company as well as the Company's current beliefs and assumptions. These factors and assumptions and beliefs and assumptions include, the risk factors detailed from time to time in the Company's interim and annual financial statements and management's discussion and analysis of those statements, all of which are filed and available for review on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and all forward-looking statements in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Such information is given only as of the date of this news release. The Company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking information to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by law.