Interview with Gord Glenn, President & CEO of Minnova Corp.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/minnova-mci-planning-price-pace-potential-partners-1103

Recording date: 28th October 2025

Minnova Corp (TSXV:MCI) presents a distinctive investment opportunity in the junior gold development space, combining near-term production potential with substantial infrastructure advantages and exceptional leverage to elevated gold prices. The company is advancing the past-producing PL Gold Mine in northern Manitoba toward production by late 2027 or early 2028, following a strategic pivot from underground to open-pit mining that transforms the project's risk-return profile.

The company's most significant competitive advantage lies in its existing infrastructure. An on-site 1,000-ton-per-day mill remains in serviceable condition, requiring only $15-20 million in refurbishment versus the $100+ million that peer companies must invest to build new processing facilities. Combined with owned power lines connected to Manitoba's hydroelectric grid and major permits still in place from the 1980s operation, Minnova effectively enjoys a $50-75 million head start over grassroots developments. The mill's location just 200-300 meters from the planned open pit eliminates the substantial haulage costs and logistical complexity that burden many competing projects.

The transformation in gold prices has fundamentally altered project economics. Minnova's 2017 feasibility study, prepared when gold traded at $1,250 per ounce, contemplated an 800-ton-per-day underground operation producing 46,000 ounces annually. While technically viable, the project struggled to attract financing. With gold now above $4,000 per ounce, the company has shifted to an open-pit strategy that can utilize the mill's full 1,000-ton-per-day capacity from day one. The 2017 underground scenario showed a 300% after-tax internal rate of return at $2,500 gold; the lower-cost open-pit approach should deliver even stronger metrics.

The technical program supporting this strategy has progressed rapidly. Minnova engaged A&B Global Mining, a South African engineering firm with extensive open-pit and narrow-vein experience, to develop preliminary pit designs and engineering studies. Current drilling, initiated in September 2025, has intersected visible gold in mineralized structures outside the existing resource estimate, while infill drilling aims to upgrade resource confidence levels. The company targets Q1 2026 for its preliminary economic assessment and updated mineral resource estimate, followed by an updated feasibility study in Q3 2026.

The financing environment has shown early signs of validation. In summer 2025, Minnova attracted its first Australian institutional shareholder, along with new interest from European and US investors—a geographic diversification that signals the investment thesis is resonating beyond traditional Canadian junior mining circles. Open-pit development specifically appeals to project financiers, offering lower operating costs, reduced technical risk, and shorter development timelines compared to underground operations.

For investors, Minnova occupies an interesting position on the risk spectrum—beyond grassroots exploration but before established production. The 24-30 month timeline to cash flow generation, existing infrastructure, and advanced permitting status reduce several categories of development risk that plague many junior mining projects. The company expects annual production of 40,000-50,000 ounces at full throughput, with significant resource expansion potential demonstrated through recent drilling results.

Key near-term catalysts include assay results from the current drill program, the Q1 2026 PEA release, and the Q3 2026 feasibility study—each representing inflection points where investors can evaluate whether preliminary economic expectations are validated by detailed engineering and costing. The combination of infrastructure advantages, gold price leverage, and near-term production timeline creates a differentiated opportunity for investors seeking exposure to elevated gold prices through an advanced development project with reduced capital intensity.

View Minnova's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/minnova-corp

Sign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com