WTM Reports 8.86 g/t (0.26 oz/t) Gold Over 24.85 Metres (81.58 Feet) From Rusk Zone-Is History Being Repeated in Timmins, Ontario?

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - March 31, 2009) - West Timmins Mining Inc. (TSX:WTM) ("WTM" or the "Company") today announced multiple high-grade gold intercepts from on-going drill testing of its Thunder Creek Joint Venture in Timmins, Ontario. The results are highlighted by the highest grades and thickest intercepts to date from the Rusk Zone - 8.86 g/t (0.26 oz/ton) gold over 24.85 metres (81.58 feet) including 19.55 g/t (0.57 oz/t) gold over 6.00 metres (19.68 feet). In addition the deepest hole to date from the Property intersected a 122.15 metre (400.65 foot) gold mineralized interval from the Porphyry Zone which includes high-grade zones returning 5.80 g/t (0.17 oz/t) gold over 13.65 metres (44.77 feet) and 5.29 g/t (0.15 oz/t) gold over 12.85 metres (42.28 feet).

WTM President and CEO Darin Wagner said, "We are thrilled with today's results and the implications for further expansion of the Rusk and Porphyry Gold Zones at Thunder Creek. The continuity to depth of the high grade gold mineralization in the Rusk and Porphyry Gold Zones is a hallmark of the historic and world class Hollinger, McIntyre and Dome gold deposits, around which the Timmins Camp was built. Over the last century, the Timmins Camp has been the most productive high-grade gold camp in North America. It's now clear we are dealing with another major gold-bearing system in this historic camp. As the Timmins Camp heads into its second century, these results, the development of the Timmins West deposit, and the recent results from our adjacent wholly-owned Thorne and Hwy 144 properties, all confirm the West Timmins District as the next frontier for growth."

Today's results expand the Rusk Zone an additional 200 metres down-plunge, to a vertical depth of 775 metres (2,542 feet). They confirm the continuity of the recently discovered sub-parallel Porphyry Gold Zone to depth. Drilling also indicates the initial development of a second, deeper high-grade gold zone within the host syenite porphyry as the intrusion widens at depth. The association of the porphyry hosted mineralization with visible gold, tungsten, molybdenum and zinc mineralization is characteristic of the larger deposits throughout the Timmins Camp.

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Hole             From        To   Interval(i)  Gold(iii)
Number        (metres)  (metres)   (metres)    (g/t)     Comments
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TC08-60        546.80    567.95      21.15     3.48      Rusk Zone
including      548.05    548.70       0.65    13.33
and including  552.45    553.05       0.60    15.00
and including  567.60    567.95       0.35    25.50
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TC08-61         48.90     49.40       0.50     6.03      Rusk Zone
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TC08-62                       No significant intercepts
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TC08-64        587.85    598.90      11.05     3.02      Rusk Zone
Including      595.55    598.90       3.35     6.81
and including  596.50    597.00       0.50    12.80
and including  598.50    598.90       0.40    12.10
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TC09-68        894.00    897.00       3.00     7.41      Rusk Zone
               897.00    899.00       2.00               2 metres of lost
                                                         core(ii)
               899.00    900.50       1.50     3.87      Rusk Zone


And            906.40   1028.55     122.15     1.81      Porphyry Zone
Including      915.45    929.10      13.65     5.80
and including  952.90    965.75      12.85     5.29
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TC09-69        781.40    806.25      24.85     8.86      Rusk Zone
Including      783.20    787.25       4.05    10.88
and including  789.20    795.20       6.00    19.55
and including  801.00    806.25       5.25     7.95


And            810.45    855.00      44.50     1.00      Porphyry Zone
Including      810.45    810.90       0.45    17.45
and including  853.70    854.10       0.40    11.25
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(i)   Due to uncertainties in zone orientations, true widths are not known
      at this time. Assays reported are uncut
(ii)  Re-drilled as TC08-68A - results pending
(iii) Metallic screen assays remain pending for certain samples

Since the commencement of the current 22,000 metre drill program at Thunder Creek, a total of 10,954 metres in 19 holes have been completed. Four of the above holes, and one wedge intercept of the Rusk and Porphyry Zones from each of holes TC09-68 and -69 (holes -68A and -69A), are still being sampled and assayed. Drilling continues with two drills (holes TC09-70 and TC09-71) currently testing along the strike extension of the Rusk and Porphyry Zones.

Tony Makuch, President and CEO of Lake Shore Gold, commented: "The results being announced today are extremely encouraging. In the tradition of Timmins gold deposits, we are seeing that the mineralized system within the porphyry is not only continuing but is widening as it deepens. These results highlight the significant potential of the historically un-mined portion of Timmins gold camp lying west of the Mattagami River Fault, an area that we believe represents an important new chapter to this legendary mining camp."

WTM's Thunder Creek Property is being explored and developed as a joint venture with Lake Shore Gold who hold a 60% interest in the Property and act as project operator. Lake Shore is currently developing the 1.3 million ounce Timmins West gold deposit located less than 800 metres from the Rusk discovery. In addition to the Thunder Creek Property, WTM continues to drill test its 100% owned Hwy 144 gold discovery located 1,600 metres south of Thunder Creek along the same structure which hosts the Rusk and Porphyry Zones and the Timmins West deposit. The Company has identified porphyry hosted gold mineralization very similar in character to the Porphyry Zone on the Hwy 144 Property at vertical depths of less than 50 metres.

Quality Control and Assurance

The Thunder Creek Joint Venture is operated by Lake Shore Gold. Mr. Jacques Samson (P.Geo.) is Lake Shore Gold's qualified person ("QP") for the Thunder Creek Property. As QP, he has prepared or supervised the preparation of the scientific or technical information for the Property and has verified the data disclosed in this press release. Mr. Darin Wagner (P.Geo.), President and CEO of the Company, and QP for WTM, has examined the drill intercepts reported. No quality control or analytical data were supplied to the Company or Mr. Wagner by Lake Shore Gold prior to this release and the Company is therefore relying on information supplied by the project operator in this regard.

Lake Shore Gold employs a quality control program to ensure best practices in the sampling and analysis of drill core. Assays have been completed using a standard fire assay with a 30-gram aliquot. For samples that return a value greater than three grams per tonne gold, another pulp is taken and fire assayed with a gravimetric finish. Zones with visible gold are tested by pulp metallic analysis. NQ size drill core is saw cut and half the drill core is sampled in standard intervals. The remaining half of the core is stored in a secure location. The drill core is transported in security-sealed bags for preparation at ALS Chemex Prep Lab located in Timmins, Ontario, and the pulps shipped to ALS Chemex Assay Laboratory in Vancouver, B.C. ALS Chemex is an ISO 9001-2000 registered laboratory preparing for ISO 17025 certification.

About West Timmins Mining Inc. (www.westtimminsmining.com):

WTM is focussed on the exploration and development of district-scale gold projects in the major gold camps of North America. The Company is advancing the high-grade Rusk Gold discovery on its Thunder Creek joint venture in Timmins, Ontario and continues to test the nearby 5.0 kilometre long Golden River Trend. WTM also has active gold exploration projects in Mexico, highlighted by the high-grade Lluvia de Oro gold-silver Project in Chihuahua State. West Timmins Mining is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol WTM.

On behalf of the Board of West Timmins Mining Inc.

Darin W. Wagner, President and Chief Executive Officer

For further details on West Timmins Mining Inc. please refer to prior disclosure at www.sedar.com. The securities described in this press release have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or under any U.S. state securities laws, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent an exemption from such registration requirements.

This press release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities regulation, including statements regarding the future activities of the Company. Forward looking statements reflect the current beliefs and expectations of management and are identified by the use of words including "will", "expected to", "plans", "planned" and other similar words. Actual results may differ significantly. The achievement of the results expressed in forward looking statements is subject to a number of risks, including those described in the Company's annual information form as filed with the Canadian securities regulators which are available at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward looking statements.

To view the maps accompanying the release, please click on the following links: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/wt... .

The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this news release, which has been prepared by management.