Toronto, Ontario, December 8, 2009. Noront Resources Ltd. (“Noront” or the “Company”) (TSX Venture: NOT) is pleased to report that check assays of hole 09-070-W1 at the Company’s Eagle’s Nest deposit, at the McFaulds Lake Property, confirm the impressive platinum and palladium grades originally reported on November 19, 2009. More interestingly, the high grade platinum and palladium grades triggered internal quality controls which included assaying samples with both platinum and palladium results exceeding 10.0 gpt for rhodium. Preliminary rhodium results indicate grades in excess of 2.0 grams per tonne associated with the higher-grade platinum and palladium samples. In light of the preliminary results which strongly suggest the presence of additional platinum group elements, specifically, rhodium, iridium, osmium, ruthenium and rhenium; Noront has instructed Activation Laboratories Ltd. (“Actlabs”) to immediately begin the process of assaying the entire 22.8 metre interval for additional platinum group elements.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Hole #NOT-09-070-W1 original assaying intersected 22.8 metres averaging 28.1 gpt Pt and 8.0 gpt Pd
  • Including 8.4 metres averaging 1.2% Ni, 1.5% Cu, 68.8 gpt Pt and 7.6 gpt Pd
• Hole #NOT-09-070-W1 check assaying intersected 22.8 metres averaging 26.0 gpt Pt and 7.6 gpt Pd
  • Note a sample within the interval (619.3-620m) had insufficient material to accurately rerun, considering this the intervals above and below this sample are as follows
  • (607.6 – 619.3m) original Pt was 50.3gpt and rerun Pt 50.0gpt, original Pd 9.0gpt rerun Pd 9.0gpt
  • (620-630.4m) original Pt was 2.6gpt and rerun Pt 3.9gpt, original Pd 6.7gpt and rerun 6.4gpt
• Sample 432113 measuring 0.5m returned a rhodium grade of 2.19 gpt with 312.0 gpt platinum and 11.5 gpt palladium
• Sample 432116 measuring 0.15m returned a rhodium grade of 3.13 gpt with 943 gpt platinum and 11.3 gpt palladium

Rhodium is a relatively rare and valuable platinum group element (pge) found in platinum ores and is commonly used to harden platinum and palladium. It is found in the nickel-copper-pge deposits of the Sudbury basin and at this stage the abundance in the Eagle’s Nest is not completely understood due to insufficient sampling. However, the Company plans to undertake a comprehensive sampling campaign and study to evaluate the significance of the rhodium and other platinum group elements throughout the entire Eagle’s Nest deposit.

The first step in developing an understanding of the significance of the platinum group elements at Eagle’s Nest will be a complete resampling of the entire mineralized interval in hole NOT-09-070-W1 for the additional platinum group elements including rhodium, iridium, osmium, ruthenium and rhenium. The Company anticipates this analysis to be completed in the coming weeks and results will be reported when available.

Drilling results continue to expand the size of the Eagle’s Nest deposit and have definitively filled in all remaining gaps along the vertical length defining the mineralization to depth to below 1,000 metres. Hole NOT-09-068-W1 was targeted to fill in the gap between the B and C lenses at Eagle’s Nest. In addition hole NOT-09-070-W1 intersected very significant massive mineralization including the highest platinum grades encountered to date at Eagle’s Nest. The massive sulphide zone is taking shape and is close to being defined along the down dip length of the deposit.

Noront’s President and CEO, Wes Hanson, states: “The discovery of rhodium within our Eagle’s Nest deposit continues to demonstrate the robust and unique nature of the Ring of Fire and the mineral deposits within it. Rhodium is primarily recovered as an accessory mineral in a number of the world’s major nickel sulphide deposits. Our analysis to date suggests our rhodium grades are within the upper quartile worldwide albeit, over a very limited area. More importantly, this discovery resulted from our rigid quality control, quality assurance program. Our check assaying confirmed the very high-grade platinum and palladium results from hole 09-070-W1 as expected. That our procedures also turned up the presence of high grade rhodium is an additional benefit.”