MACDONALD MINES INITIATES 2009 SUMMER EXPLORATION PROGRAM ON NICKEL, PGM & BASE METAL PROPERTY IN THE LARONGE DISTRICT OF SASKATCHEWAN

TORONTO, Jun 17, 2009 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX News Network) --

MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:BMK) ("MacDonald" or the "Company") announces that it has mobilised an exploration crew to LaRonge Saskatchewan to begin ground follow up of the VTEM airborne geophysical survey completed in 2008 on the Nielsen-Chisholm Property. The program is designed to qualify the numerous high strength EM conductors generated by the survey for drill testing later in 2009. The program includes detailed prospecting, geologic mapping and BEEP MAT EM(TM) surveys as well as testing with a newly developed organic soil geochemical technique known to be effective in Saskatchewan.

Employs Latest XRF Technology

The Company has also deployed its mobile Innovex 50, mobile XRF analytical unit to provide real time analyses of rock and soil samples generated by the program. This XRF unit being used is a state-of-the-art exploration tool that is currently used for accurate, in-the-field analysis of rocks and soils.

It is expected that the program will allow Company personnel to isolate the most prospective drill targets from the many known EM conductors present on the property in a fashion which is much quicker and better focused than previously possible. This advanced technology was not available to exploration companies in the 1960's, when the region was last explored intensively.

Historical Mining District of LaRonge

The LaRonge area is host to what is known as the "LaRonge Horseshoe", an area related to the LaRonge Greenstone Belt that is known to host a large number of ultramafic hosted magmatic Cu-Ni deposits of the Lynn Lake type. This type of deposit is also prospective for platinum group elements (PGE) similar to the mined out Rottenstone Lake deposit located 95km northwest of the property. The property is bracketed by the Mac and Howard Lake Cu-Ni-PGE deposits.

The region is thought to be underlain by an extension of the metavolcanic rocks which host the former Anglo-Rouyn mine, a Cu-Au producer of the Volcanic Massive Sulphide (VMS) type which closed in 1975 as well as the un-mined Elizabeth lake deposit. The Nielsen-Chisholm property is considered by the Company to be highly prospective for both Magmatic and VMS type deposits in an area well known to host a large number of gold deposits in the LaRonge Gold Camp.

About the Nielsen-Chisholm Property

The Property comes with the compelling added features of geological knowledge, proximal mines, mineral showings and a new helicopter-borne VTEM survey.

The Property is proximal to a number of mineral occurrences with historical resources which include, on trend, both magmatic nickel and VMS base metal deposits.

The Nielsen-Chisholm Property is located in the LaRonge District of Saskatchewan, and covers an area of 201 km(2). The Property is largely covered in outwash sand with somewhat limited outcrop exposure. This physical feature offered very limited prospecting opportunity in the past. Apart from geological mapping carried out by the Saskatchewan Government, there appears to be limited historical exploration work conducted in the area.

Robin Chisholm P.Geol of Taiga Consultants Ltd is the qualified person in regard to the technical data contained within this news release and oversees all aspects of the exploration program.

The Company employs currently accepted Quality Control-Quality Assurance practises including insertion of Certified Reference Standards in regard to its sampling and analytical practises and will be employing Acme Labs of Vancouver to complete all of its assay requirements.

WARNING: The statements made in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that may involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results could differ materially from expectations and projections set out herein.

<< The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. >>

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SOURCE: MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd.

MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd., Email: info@macdonaldmines.com, Website:
www.macdonaldmines.com, (800) 818-5442, (416) 364-4986, (416) 364-2753 (FAX), Brent
Nykoliation, Vice President, Business Development; J. A. Kirk McKinnon, President
& CEO; Richard Schler, Chief Operating Officer & CFO