Freewest Update on Exploration Activities on Its 100%-Owned McFaulds Property, Northern Ontario

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Nov. 5, 2009) -

- Drilling delineates potential mineral deposit at Black Thor occurrence ranging from 50 million to 60 million tonnes in size, with a grade between 31% to 38% Cr2O3

- Black Thor occurrence has potential to host between 278,000 and 406,000 ounces of platinum as well as between 260,000 and 381,000 ounces of palladium

Freewest Resources Canada Inc. (TSX VENTURE:FWR) is pleased to provide the following exploration update on Freewest's wholly-owned McFaulds property. The wholly-owned McFaulds Property, consisting of 1,036 hectares, comprises one of three properties in the "Ring of Fire" metals district in northern Ontario which Freewest is exploring on its own or under joint-venture agreements.

This news release reports on the Black Thor chromite occurrence as a potential mineral deposit. To comply with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, the potential quantity and grade of a potential mineral deposit such as Black Thor must be reported as ranges. This news release also provides an update of the current diamond drilling program being completed on the McFaulds Property.

POTENTIAL MINERAL DEPOSIT

To date, Freewest has completed 22,845 metres of diamond drilling comprising 67 holes on the Black Thor chromite occurrence. The drilling has tested Black Thor over a strike length of 2,600 metres and to a maximum depth of 400 vertical metres, with an average drill test depth of approximately 300 metres over this strike length. Most importantly, Black Thor remains completely open-ended along strike and to depth as the limits of chromite mineralization have yet to be defined.

To supplement the completion of an independent mineral resource estimate on Black Thor that is being currently undertaken in compliance with National Instrument 43-101, Freewest has calculated an inventory comprising a potential mineral deposit on Black Thor. The drilling delineates a potential mineral deposit at Black Thor ranging from 50 million to 60 million tonnes in size with a grade of between 31% to 38% Cr2O3 (chromium oxide), as set out in the table below. In addition to chromite, the Black Thor occurrence has the potential to host between 278,000 and 406,000 ounces of platinum as well as between 260,000 and 381,000 ounces of palladium.

(1) The potential mineral deposit at Black Thor is conceptual in nature; the tonnage and grade are uncertain due to insufficient exploration data. It is uncertain if further drilling will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource. The tonnage and grade for the potential mineral deposit were calculated employing the cross-sectional method utilizing mineralized blocks that are continuous half the distance to adjacent drill sections. Mineralized blocks were extended up-dip and down-dip a distance of 75 metres on-section, unless otherwise constrained. A cut-off grade of 25% Cr2O3 was utilized to define mineralized blocks and a specific gravity of 3.7 was used to calculate quantity. The potential mineral deposit for Black Thor was calculated to an average depth of about 300 metres along the 2,600-metre strike length.

Shallow drilling above the 100-metre level is currently being completed along Black Thor's 2,600-metre strike length in an effort to extend the mineralized blocks utilized in the calculation to surface. This is expected to have the effect of significantly increasing the size of the potential mineral deposit upon completion. In addition, selected chromite-bearing samples are being analyzed for the complete package of platinum-group elements that include platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium and osmium. The latter three platinum-group elements tend to partition with oxide-phase minerals including chromite. Results for these analyses will be released by Freewest as they become available.

DIAMOND DRILLING UPDATE

Currently, the third phase of diamond drilling continues to fill-in and expand the mineral resource of the Black Thor chromite occurrence. As indicated, much of the current drilling at Black Thor is shallow in nature, generally above the 100-metre level. Highlighting the initial holes completed during the third-phase drilling program are massive chromite intercepts of 33.7 metres (BT-09-88), 32.5 metres (BT-09-96), 26.7 metres (BT-09-83), 26.1 metres and 21.4 metres (BT-09-86), 24.4 metres (BT-09-81) and 22.6 metres (BT-09-84).

Of the 13 holes completed to date during Phase 3 at Black Thor, 11 of the holes intersected significant chromite mineralization, representing a success rate of 85%. The visual results of current drilling at Black Thor are as follows.

Click On Chart To View Larger Image

FREEWEST MOVING FORWARD

Freewest expects that an independent mineral resource estimate on Black Thor to be prepared in compliance with National Instrument 43-101 will be completed by the end of 2009. A site visit to the McFaulds camp by the author of the technical report remains to be done. In addition, baseline environmental studies are well underway, involving a soil and groundwater investigation to establish the baseline level of potential contaminants in soils and groundwater beneath the concerned sites.

Final reports are also expected shortly for a preliminary assessment on chromite metallurgy and recovery from the Black Thor and Black Label occurrences (completed by Micon International Limited) as well as scoping-level geometallurgical studies investigating ore quality from same, completed by Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.

Drilling will continue on the McFaulds Property, employing three drill rigs testing Black Thor, Black Label as well as the AT12 Extension and F2 sulphide zone. It is expected that drilling will continue until the Christmas break. Results will be released by Freewest as they become available.

INDEPENDENT QUALITY-CONTROL AND ANALYTICAL PROTOCOL

A thorough quality-control program has been implemented for the McFaulds Property, including grouping samples into batches of 35 into which are added two certified reference material standards, two field blanks composed of barren drill core and a field duplicate. Coarse reject and pulp duplicates also form part of the quality-control program. Freewest believes that all assays reported in this news release have passed rigorous control guidelines as set out by Freewest's independent Quality Assurance/Quality Control person.

All samples were submitted to Activation Labs (Actlabs) of Ancaster, Ontario for analysis. The samples were analyzed for multi-elements using a 4-acid digestion followed by ICP analyses. Gold, platinum and palladium were assayed by the fire-assay method on 30 grams of prepared sample. All chromite-bearing samples are analyzed by fusion x-ray fluorescence (XRF). The x-ray emissions allow the composition of the sample to be determined with a high degree of accuracy. Additional information on the analytical techniques employed is available on the Actlabs website at www.actlabsint.com.

Additional quality-control measures have also recently been adopted for Cr (chromium) and Fe (iron), including the insertion of a certified-reference material, SARM 8, purchased from Mintek in South Africa. This quality-control method provides a check for high-grade chrome samples yielded by INAA analyses provided by Actlabs.

Donald Hoy, P. Geo. (Ontario), Vice-President, Exploration and a Director of Freewest, is the Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 for the McFaulds Property and is responsible for the preparation of, and verification of the data disclosed in, this news release.

Freewest is a well-financed mineral exploration company. It is actively exploring for gold, base-metals and chromite within eastern Canada. Corporate information can be accessed on the Internet at www.freewest.com. Freewest's shares are listed on Tier 1 of the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol FWR.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information, please contact

Freewest Resources Canada Inc.
Mackenzie I. Watson
President and CEO
(514) 878-3551 or 1-888-878-3551
(514) 878-4427 (FAX)
info@freewest.com
www.freewest.com

or

Bay Street Connect
Michael D'Amico
Investor Relations
(647) 500-6023

or

AGORACOM Investor Relations
FWR@Agoracom.com
http://agoracom.com/ir/freewest