Seabridge Gold Contributes $100,000 towards Aboriginal Essential Skills Upgrading in Northwestern British Columbia

VANCOUVER, Jan. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Seabridge Gold Inc. (TSX: SEA) (NYSE Amex: SA) is proud to announce its contribution of $100,000 to the British Columbia Aboriginal Mine Training Association (BC AMTA). This contribution will help fund the delivery of an essential skills upgrading program in three Aboriginal communities in northwestern BC. Seabridge presented the cheque to BC AMTA at a reception held at the 2012 Mineral Exploration Roundup conference in Vancouver, BC.

"Responsible mine development is about finding ways to ensure that the benefits of mining are shared, and that includes hiring locally and supporting economic development in regions where projects are based, " said Jay Layman, Seabridge's Executive Vice President  and Chief Operating Officer. "Our contribution to BC AMTA's Pathways to Success program was the right decision for us to make."

The Pathways to Success (P2S) program provides Aboriginal candidates access to learning tools and resources to enhance their overall employability. P2S incorporates workplace based training, job readiness and skills enhancement, with a focus on helping students to develop literacy skills (including reading, writing and numeracy) so that they can attain the necessary prerequisites for occupational training. Seabridge's contribution will support the delivery of three, 10-person PS2 training programs in Gitanyow, Gitxsan and Tahltan communities.

"With so much development underway in northwestern BC, it's already becoming a challenge for exploration and mining projects to find the people they need for their BC projects," says Laurie Sterritt, BC AMTA's Executive Director. "Seabridge's contribution clearly demonstrates they understand that workforce capacity development in Aboriginal communities is a way to deliver business results. We hope other companies recognize the importance of investing in educational programs like this, not only to benefit their financial bottom lines, but to create measurable impacts in the communities where they wish to operate."

Canada's mining sector is growing at twice the rate of the economy with a forecasted shortfall of almost 100,000 workers over the coming decade. In BC alone, it's estimated the industry will need 15,000 additional workers over the next 10 years, at a time of strong economic growth in the province, and amid fierce competition from other provinces and industries for labour with similar skill sets. Attracting under-represented groups to the mining industry - such as members of Canada's Aboriginal communities, as well as women, immigrants and person with disabilities- is critical to ensure a strong provincial and national mining sector for years to come.

About Seabridge Gold Inc.
Seabridge holds a 100% interest in several North American gold projects. The Company's principal assets are the KSM property located near Stewart, British Columbia, Canada and the Courageous Lake gold project located in Canada's Northwest Territories. For more information, visit www.seabridgegold.net.

SOURCE Seabridge Gold Inc.

Video with caption: "Seabridge Gold Contributes $100,000 towards Aboriginal Essential Skills Upgrading in Northwestern British Columbia. ". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20120126_C6533_VIDEO_EN_9244.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20120126_C6533_PHOTO_EN_9244.jpg&clientName=Seabridge%20Gold%20Inc%2E&caption=Seabridge%20Gold%20Contributes%20%24100%2C000%20towards%20Aboriginal%20Essential%20Skills%20Upgrading%20in%20Northwestern%20British%20Columbia%2E%20&title=SEABRIDGE%20GOLD%20INC%2E%20%2D%20Seabridge%20Gold%20Contributes%20%24100%2C000%20towards%20Aboriginal%20Essential%20Skills%20Upgrading%20in%20Northwestern%20British%20Columbia&headline=Seabridge%20Gold%20Contributes%20%24100%2C000%20towards%20Aboriginal%20Essential%20Skills%20Upgrading%20in%20Northwestern%20British%20Columbia

Image with caption: "Seabridge Gold with regulators on the Mitchell Deposit at the KSM Project in northwestern British Columbia. (CNW Group/Seabridge Gold Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120126_C6533_PHOTO_EN_9242.jpg

Image with caption: "L to R: Brent Murphy and Jay Layman (Seabridge Gold) with Laurie Sterritt (BC AMTA). (CNW Group/Seabridge Gold Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120126_C6533_PHOTO_EN_9243.jpg