Independence Gold Corp. July 6 announced the start of its 2017 Yukon exploration program.

The primary focus of this program is to define additional gold mineralization within the Sunrise-Sunset zone at the company's Boulevard project, adjacent to Goldcorp's Coffee gold mine project.

The Company also plans to complete regional exploration activities to discover new targets on Boulevard and its other White Gold District properties.

"The Yukon is a great jurisdiction to invest and explore in and we are excited to continue our work at Boulevard and throughout the district," said Michael McPhie, interim chairman and CEO, Independence Gold.

The company plans to complete 1,500 meters of diamond drilling this year to follow-up gold mineralization outlined with reverse circulation drilling completed at the Sunrise-Sunset zone over the previous two years.

Highlights from the previous drilling include 6.1 meters of 4.36 grams per metric ton gold in hole BV16- 53; and 39.6 meters of 1.58 g/t gold in BV16-54.

The Sunrise-Sunset zone is identified as a 2,300-meter-long gold-arsenic-antimony geochemical anomaly.

"We look forward to testing and further defining the mineralization and geology at the Sunrise-Sunset Zone," said Kendra Johnston, interim president, Independence Gold. "RC drilling over the last two years has successfully outlined multiple intervals of high grade gold mineralization. This year"s diamond drill program will give us far greater insight into the controlling geological features."

Regional exploration will consist of approximately 3,000 reconnaissance style soil samples testing the extents of the Boulevard, Moosehorn, Henderson and Stinger gold properties, as well as 1,000 soil samples in two detailed grid formations on Boulevard.

This work will be followed-up later this season with a GeoProbe to test new anomalies at or just below the soil- bedrock interface.

Independence Gold President and CEO Randy Turner is on a temporary leave of absence for personal and family reasons.

-SHANE LASLEY