Kootenay Silver Inc. announced that Hans Smit, P.Geo. has agreed to join the Kootenay team as a technical advisor. Mr. Smit is a Professional Geologist with over 35 years of experience in all aspects of the mineral industry. Career successes include being one of the founders of Orla Mining Ltd. and guiding the evaluation of the Camino Rojo oxide gold project in Zacatecas State, Mexico as Orla's former Chief Operating Officer (COO). After managing a positive feasibility study, permitting and the start of construction engineering and procurement for an open pit mine and heap leach facility at Comino Rojo, Mr. Smit retired as COO of Orla in December of 2019. The Camino Rojo project is currently in construction with production planned at the end of 2021. Prior to Orla Mining, as Vice President Exploration for Grayd Resource Corporation ("Grayd"), Mr. Smit played a key role in advancing the La India heap-leach gold project in Mexico from a grassroots exploration discovery through mineral resource estimation and a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment. This resulted in Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. acquiring Grayd for $275 million and bringing La India into production, using a mine and production plan based on the work Mr. Smit managed for Grayd. Mr. Smit has worked on the evaluation of several other precious metal projects including Cerro Quema in Panama for Orla Mining and in Mexico for various Canadian companies. He guided exploration, feasibility, and permitting work on Canadian gold projects including the original studies at Dublin Gulch in the Yukon and Red Mountain in British Columbia. He also managed the feasibility, environmental assessment and permitting of the Swamp Point Aggregate Mine located on the coast of British Columbia.