Kirkland Lake Gold Appoints Dawn Whittaker, LL.B to Board of Directors

KIRKLAND, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 01/17/12 -- Kirkland Lake Gold Inc., ('Kirkland Lake' or the 'Company') (TSX: KGI)(AIM: KGI), an operating and exploration gold mining company located in Ontario, Canada, announces the appointment of Dawn Whittaker, LL.B as a non-executive director with immediate effect.

Dawn Patricia Whittaker (51) is a partner of Norton Rose Canada LLP and a senior member of the law firm's Toronto business law group. Ms. Whittaker is Norton Rose's Canadian Mining and Commodities Leader. She has over 20 years experience providing corporate finance, M & A, corporate governance, disclosure, reporting and executive compensation advice to mining and resource companies. Dawn is also a member of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, a former member of each of the Ontario Securities Commission's Continuous Disclosure Advisory Committee and the Canadian Institute of Investor Relations' Issues Committee.

Mr. Harry Dobson, Chairman commented, 'We are pleased to welcome Dawn Whittaker to the Board. As Kirkland Lake transitions into an intermediate gold producing company, Dawn's strategic advisory skills will be a valuable asset to the Company at this stage in our evolution.

Save for the above, there is no further information that is required to be disclosed under paragraph (g) of Schedule 2 of the AIM Rules for Companies, with respect to the appointment of Dawn Whittaker.

About the Company

The Company purchased the Macassa Mine and the 1,450 ton per day mill along with four former producing gold properties - Kirkland Lake, Teck-Hughes, Lake Shore and Wright Hargreaves - in December 2001. These properties, which have historically produced approximately 22 million ounces of gold, extend over seven kilometres between the Macassa Mine to the west and Wright Hargreaves to the east and, for the first time, are being developed and explored under one owner. This camp is located in the Southern Abitibi Greenstone Belt of Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This Press Release may contain statements which constitute 'forward-looking, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities and operating performance of the Company. The words 'may', 'would', 'could', 'will', 'intend', 'plan', 'anticipate', 'believe', 'estimate', 'expect' and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities or performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such risks, uncertainties and factors are described in the periodic filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including the Company's Annual Information Form and quarterly and annual Management's Discussion & Analysis, which may be viewed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange has reviewed and neither accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Contacts:

Kirkland Lake Gold Inc.

Brian Hinchcliffe

President

1 705 567 5208

1 705 568 6444 (FAX)
bhinchcliffe@klgold.com


Kirkland Lake Gold Inc.

Lindsay Carpenter

Director of Investor Relations

1 416 840 7884

416 850 1617 (FAX)
lcarpenter@klgold.com
www.klgold.com


Pelham Bell Pottinger

Lorna Spears / Philippe Polman

+44 (0) 20 7861 3232
pr@pelhambellpottinger.co.uk


Ocean Equities Ltd.

Guy Wilkes

+44 207 786 4370
guy.wilkes@oceanequities.co.uk


NOMAD: Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited

Katherine Roe

+44 20 7459 3600
katherine.roe@panmure.com


NOMAD: Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited

Callum Stewart

+44 20 7459 3600