Grande Portage Resources Ltd. (GPTRF)

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Grande Portage Resources Ltd. Announces Drill Program Now Underway at Merry Widow Property

VANCOUVER, BC, June 12, 2006 -- Grande Portage Resources Ltd., (TSX-V "GPG") ("Grande Portage" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that it has received the necessary permits for a Phase I diamond drilling program on its Merry Widow Massive Sulphide project on Vancouver Island. The permits allow for camp construction on Crown grants purchased by the Company and drilling on 23 drillsite locations. The Company has contracted Westcore Drilling of Hope, B.C. to drill the initial 4,000 metre program. The core diameter will be NQ or BTW.

The first 11 drillsite locations will be centered in and around the past producing Merry Widow Mine - an open pit magnetite skarn mine that produced mainly iron ore, as well as, appreciable quantities of primarily gold, copper and cobalt.

A previous operator, Taywin Resources Ltd., commencing in the late 1980's attempted to define a mineable gold/copper resource located in the hanging wall of the former producing pit. This work pre-dates current NI 43-101 reporting standards. However, well documented Taywin news releases and files demonstrate significant intersections of gold and copper such as:

Hole 89-20
43.4 metres @ 0.20 opt Au, 1.34% Cu

Hole 89-19
2.0 metres @ 1.72 opt Au, 5.41% Cu.

Hole 89-7
14 metres @ 0.39 opt Au, 0.21% Cu, 0.09% Co

The initial 11 drill sites planned will provide a platform for a series of fence drill holes designed to obtain a better indication of overall grade and thickness of mineralization, down dip extensions and along strike.

In his September, 2005 NI 43-101 report for the Company entitled "Geological, Mining History and Mineral Deposits Merry Widow Group Property", Dr. W. Geiger states that, "based on current knowledge, the main showings are situated along a north-south trending zone of favourable host rocks between the Coast Copper intrusive diorite stock to the west and Quatsino Formation limestone rocks to the east. The favourable host rock zone is about 5 kilometres long."

The Company will work to establish, with diamond drilling, the known mineral occurrences along this trend as well as continuing with step-out drilling based on geological mapping, sampling and geophysics. Similar to the adjoining former producing Cominco Coast Copper Mine, Grande Portage will be closely reviewing and assessing all the assays for recovery of not only gold and copper but also silver, cobalt and magnetite. A property wide silt sampling program will also be undertaken along all accessible roads and drainages to help locate other possible mineral occurrences.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
________________________________________
Alistair MacLennan, President/CEO