Kootenay Discovers Seven New 
Strongly Mineralized Zones at Promontorio

Breaking News for: February 17, 2009
Trading Symbol: TSX-V:KTN

Vancouver, B.C. - Kootenay Gold Inc. TSX.V: KTN (�Kootenay�) is pleased to report the discovery of 7 new mineral zones located north of the Pit and Doretea Discoveries at its wholly owned Promontorio property.  A total of 835 grab samples assayed indicate strong mineralization throughout the entire area explored to date.

James McDonald, CEO of Kootenay commented, �Given the positive results on over 15,000 meters of drilling at Promontorio in 2007/08, these new discoveries are extremely encouraging. Promontorio is a large 90,000 hectare property and many areas are yet to be prospected leaving a high probability that additional areas of mineralization will be found�. (see Feb 5, 2009 News for drill results).

Discovery Zone highlights are listed below; complete assays can be viewed at www.kootenaygold.ca

These newly discovered areas contain variously, anomalous to highly anomalous levels of gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc along with anomalous levels tungsten, molybdenum and the rare earths lanthanum.

Mineralization has been located throughout the whole of the area explored and is dominated by copper, gold and silver, with associated lead, zinc, arsenic, molybdenum, lanthanum, cobalt and bismuth.  Alterations vary from argillic-sericitic-silica-pyritic to hematite-magnetite-tourmaline-biotite-epidote-actinolite-chlorite.

Highlights of what is known of the various areas to date include Additional Geologic Detail of each of the zones can be viewed at www.kootenaygold.ca

Rio Yaqui East:

In the western section of the area (Vinateria), anomalous copper, gold and silver are related to an veins trending east/west, tourmaline-quartz-hematite are found intermittently for a length of about 4 km.   The veins range from centimetre to metre in size. The copper is all secondary, oxidized from pre-existing chalcopyrite.  Of 15 samples collected, gold averages 0.762 grams per tonne (�g/t�), to a high of 3.4 g/t and copper averages 3.1% to a high of 12%.

The eastern part of the Yaqui River east zone (Aquas Calientes) is underlain by limonitic-quartz stockworks associated with argillic alteration that has porphyry affiliations.  Metal values are low in this zone, with gold to 0.261 g/t, silver to 31 g/t and moderate to weak anomalous copper, lead and zinc. Two samples gave 799 and 408 ppm molybdenum. 

Rio Yaqui West:

In the western section of the area, north-south zone veins, stockworks and shears can be traced for 900 metres.  Sampling from prospecting grabs in this zone gave anomalous gold including 8.0, 4.68 and 0.491 g/t and silver 280, 152, 98, 91 and 70 g/t from 17 prospector samples.  The samples are also anomalous in lead, arsenic and molybdenum.

Intense brecciation associated with strong propylite, argillic, sericitic and silica alteration was traced northwesterly for 1500 metres and ranges up to 400 metres width in the central part of the area.  Prospecting samples peripheral to this zone gave values of up to 1.965 g/t gold and 465 g/t silver. 

In the eastern sector of the area, an zone measuring some 1000 x 500 metres is marked by the presence of quartz-limonitic stockworks returned values of 0.798 and 0.5 g/t gold.  Shears with copper mineralization were noted in the peripheral part of the area.

Prom-5

In the northwest corner of the Promotorio 5 concession and to the immediate east of the Yaqui River, reconnaissance exploration noted the presence of a number of veins with highly anomalous silver which from 9 samples taken averaged 320 g/t and anomalous gold 0.19 g/t.  The veins appear east-west, hosted within and near the contact with granitic rocks.

Nopalera Area

The Nopalera area is a 4 x 4 km area in the central part of the Promontorio 4 concession.  A variety of mineralized systems are recognized with anomalous values in gold, silver, copper, lead and arsenic associated with zinc, antimony, bismuth and molybdenum.  Lanthanum is strongly anomalous in much of the Nopalera area.  The Nopalera area is coincident with a magnetic anomaly adjacent an intrusive contact.

There are five zones within the Nopalera area with values of upto 4.94 g/t gold and 786 g/t silver with three of the five areas returning an average of greater than 2.0% copper from prospecting grab samples. The rare earth mineral lanthanum is also very anomalous with values to 1081 ppm.

Champi�on Area

Mineralization in the Champi�on area underlies a northerly trending 6 x 2 km area. Mineralization includes highly anomalous gold, silver and copper and anomalous molybdenum, cobalt, lanthanum and bismuth. From the 190 prospecting grab samples collected the average gold content is 0.532 g/t and silver is 44 g/t with copper averaging 1.6%. The high for gold is 12.0 g/t gold and 547 g/t for silver

The extent and number of mineralized areas is very encouraging and the next step is to conduct more work over the next several weeks to get a preliminary assessment of the size potential of each of the areas.

Tourmalina Area

In the east central part of the concession, two areas of anomalous copper and molybdenum were located associated with quartz veins and stockworks within the granitic rocks.  The westernmost of these anomalies contains anomalous molybdenum, 607 ppm and cobalt to 904 ppm.  To the east, in the Copper Zone, a 150m x 150m area of poor exposure, strong secondary copper mineralization averaged 4% copper from prospecting grab samples values with values in gold to 0.267 g/t, silver to 52 g/t and cobalt to 237 ppm.

Tarayes Area

The Tarayes area in the north end of the Promontorio 4 concession contains separate vein systems with anomalous gold and silver mineralization.  The most western vein is located at an old adit where a northwest trending vein (0.5m) gave grab samples of 180, 8 and 4 g/t of gold and 216, 265 and 26 g/t of silver.  A separate system was discovered 2.2 km to the southeast that gave 1.32 g/t gold across 1.5 metres. 

Sampling and Assaying

All samples are bagged in a plastic sample bag which is labeled, tagged, documented and sealed with wire. Each sample is placed in a rice sack and sealed with a zip tie. All samples are recorded and delivered to International Plasma Labs Ltd. (�iPL�) sample preparation lab in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Receipt of the samples is signed off at the preparation lab. Pulps of each sample are then prepared and sent to iPL Laboratories in Richmond B.C. Canada an ISO 9001-2000 certified full service laboratory. All of the samples referred to herein are core samples. A QA/QC program which includes the regular insertion by the Company of duplicates, blanks and standards has been instituted.  iPL Laboratories also has its own system of replicate analysis and blanks which it provides to the Company. Each pulp is analyzed using iPL�s AU(FA/AAS) Ag/Ore-Grade by Multi acid digestion ICP (Cu/Pb/Zn/Ag) assay package. This is a multi acid digestion with gold analyzed with an AA finish with over limits done with gravimetric finish and silver analyzed by ICP (inductively coupled plasma) and a gravimetric finish on over limits while zinc was analyzed by ICP and lead by fire assay.

The foregoing geological disclosure has been reviewed and verified by Kootenay�s VP of Exploration, Dr. Thomas Richards, P.Geo, BSc, PhD, (a qualified person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects). 

About Kootenay

Kootenay is an emerging exploration Company actively developing mineral projects in the Sierra Madre Region of Mexico and in British Columbia, Canada. The Company's top priority remains the ongoing development of its Promontorio Silver project in Sonora State, northwest Mexico, which encompasses the former producing Promontorio Silver Mine.