Cumberland Resources: Meliadine West Project Update: First Results Received; Four Drills Planned for Summer Program.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 13, 1997-- Cumberland Resources Ltd. (TSE: CBD.) reports initial results from the spring 1997 drill campaign on the Meliadine West Gold Project, operated by WMC International Ltd. Results have been received from 9 (totalling 2600m) of approximately 20 holes completed to date and represent approximately 1/15th of the planned 1997 program of 40,000 meters. Highlights include additional deep intersections from the TC ZONE and several very important intersections from wide-spaced drilling on the F-ZONE.

The Meliadine West Project is located 15 km north of Rankin Inlet in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut (NWT) and is held 50-50 percent by Cumberland Resources Ltd. and Comaplex Minerals Corp. The property is currently under option to WMC International Ltd. who have the right to earn up to 60 percent interest by spending $12.5 million in exploration expenditures and by financing production expenses.

First Results Received

Drill progress in the spring campaign has been slowed by technical difficulties caused in part by perma-frost (ground freezing) conditions. This has effected the completion of deeper holes (below 400 m, vertical) in the TC ZONE and to date 3 of 5 planned deep holes have been abandoned. However, results from hole MEL 97-82, which reached target depth and yielded two intersections grading 6.01g/t over 4.01 meters and 6.49g/t over 7.72 meters indicates the persistence of both the mineralized zones down-plunge and to the east from last year's drilling. WMC plans to intensify drilling this summer on the TC ZONE which includes testing the eastward projection of the zone and continued deep drilling.

Positive F-Zone Results

Recent wide-spaced drilling from the F- Zone, located 3.5 km west of the TC Zone, has returned several intersections including 10.78 g/t over 5.77m in hole MEL97-113 and 8.2 g/t over 4.5 m in hole MEL97-112. These holes indicate the F-Zone mineralization has very good continuity at depth and further deep drilling is planned for the summer.

Four Drills Active This Summer

WMC expects approval for its second phase budget which will provide funding for continued aggressive exploration from July onwards. WMC plans to intensify the program by adding a fourth drill rig to the project in July and attempt to meet its 40,000m drilling target for the year.

Further results from the ongoing Phase I program will be released as available.

Cumberland Resources is a Canadian mineral exploration company with two emerging gold projects, Meadowbank (60 percent) and Meliadine (50 percent) located in the Northwest Territories. Cumberland is also actively exploring for base-metals in the N.W.T., Northwestern Ontario and Portugal. -0-

MELIADINE WEST GOLD PROJECT - 1997 SPRING DRILLING

HOLE   COLLAR LOCATION   INTERVAL     CORE   GRADE   OPT/FEET
         NORTH  EAST    FROM    TO   LENGTH   gpt
          (m)    (m)            (m)    (m)

TC ZONE

97-81   5292N  5900E  537.30  538.30  1.00   16.64   0.49/3.3

97-82   5317N  6003E  367.77  376.53  8.76    4.82  0.14/28.7
                      404.7   412.42  7.72    6.49  0.19/25.3

TIRIRUNIAK EAST

97-86   6600N  5185E  205.23  209.59  4.36    5.63  0.16/14.3
                      220.20  227.59  7.39    1.68  0.05/24.2

97-88   6500N  5220E  194.00  195.51  1.51    7.10   0.20/4.9
                      314.68  316.42  1.74   10.32   0.30/5.7

F ZONE

97-112   400S   432E  177.42  186.43  9.01    6.38  0.19/29.6
             includes 177.42  181.95  4.53    8.28  0.24/14.9

97-113   460S   330E  130.71  153.82 23.11    4.44  0.13/75.8
             includes 131.44  137.21  5.77   10.78  0.31/18.9

97-114   400S   230E                          NSV

WOLF  ZONE

97-101  1100S  7600W   86.00   87.00  1.00    9.25   0.27/3.3

97-103  1150S  7700W   64.07   70.40  6.33    1.92  0.03/20.8


Shares Issued:    19,700,081
Fully Diluted:    22,792,501
Working Capital:  $13.2 million

Emerging Canadian Gold Projects

Meadowbank (60 percent and Operator)

- 1.1 million oz. (cut) resource
- Phase II drilling program to start in late June.

Meliadine East (50 percent and Operator)

- 400,000 oz. resource
- 3,000m drill program planned for July start

Meliadine West (20 percent carried to production)

- wide spaced drilling indicates potential for greater than 1
  million oz. resource
- WMC International Ltd. currently operating a 40,000m drill
  program

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Note: Location map available from the Company at the phone number listed below.

CUMBERLAND RESOURCES LTD. "Kerry M. Curtis"

Kerry M. Curtis, B.Sc., P.Geo., Senior Vice President

CONTACT: Cumberland Resources Ltd.

Glen Dickson, 604/608-2557

604/608-2559 (FAX)

or

Cumberland Resources Ltd.

Kerry Curtis, 604/608-2557

604/608-2559 (FAX)