Harvest Gold Corporation (HVG – TSX.V) January 18, 2006 (the “Company”) announces the discovery of a gold zone on the Johnston property, Rice Lake Gold Belt, Manitoba. The property is located in the Rice Lake Gold Belt, approximately 20 km east of the mining community of Bissett, Manitoba. The Johnston property consists of 12 claims covering an area of approximately 19 square km. Provincial highway #304 runs through the claim block providing excellent access to the property.

The Company undertook a geological reconnaissance survey, a soil geochemistry survey and a drill program between September and November of 2005 as part of its due diligence and initial phase of exploration of the property. During the program, Company geologists recognized that a zone of carbonate-rich rocks represented extensive carbonate alteration with ankerite and fine gained quartz. Geologists also recognized that this was similar to alteration associated with gold-bearing mineralization in mining camps such as Red Lake, Timmins, and elsewhere.

Four holes were drilled into the zone of carbonate alteration and one hole was drilled to test a strong VLF conductor approximately 500 m north of the zone of alteration. All four holes drilled into the zone of carbonate alteration intersect gold-bearing mineralized rock with values that ranged from <100 ppb to >12 g/t (samples were cut to 1 m core lengths where lithology permitted). The fifth hole, DDH L-05-05 was drilled 500m north and 300 m west of the alteration zone and intersected a wide zone of shear but did not intersect mineralization.

The Company is pleased with the results of this program as it confirms that a systematic approach and combination of geochemistry and geophysics can be used in this relatively unexplored area to make new gold discoveries.

Summary of Johnston Claims Autumn 2005 Drilling Program

All samples were assayed using the ICP ES multi-element method at TSL laboratories in Saskatoon which provides Au contents up to 5000 ppb. Samples with over 1000 ppb are routinely assayed using 15 g sample alliquots. The technical information in this release has been reviewed by Dr. George Gale, P Eng. Qualified Person.

Together these 4 drill holes tested the alteration zone for a strike length of 265 meters and indicate the presence of significant mineralization along strike for a distance of 80 meters within the alteration zone. In addition, drill hole L-05-03 indicates the presence of gold mineralization in association with the iron formation. The carbonate alteration extends eastwards along the shear zone for at least another 100 m before it disappears into a swamp and the gold-bearing zone intersected in drill hole L-05-01 is open to the east.

The zone of alteration occurs within a regional shear zone and is situated adjacent to both a VLF conductor and a strong magnetic anomaly. The position of the alteration zone adjacent to the strong geophysical features will assist geologists in following this prospective geology into overburden covered areas such as the swamp where rock outcropping is limited or nonexistent.

An Enzyme Leach soil geochemistry survey was conducted over the zone of alteration and several of the VLF conductors. Over the carbonate alteration zone the survey produced multiple sample gold anomalies on two lines spaced 100 m apart. Test profiles over other geophysical anomalies produced pathfinder element anomalies, but did not detect any Au or Ag. These results, backed by drilling, demonstrate the usefulness of the technique in helping to detect hidden or buried mineralization in the prospective low lying areas of the property, which are relatively unexplored.

The Company holds two additional claim groups in the belt, the Mabel Lake claim block covering an area of approximately 9 sq km 5 km to the SE and the Wyatt claims comprising 11 claims 20 km located to the south.

Harvest Gold Corporation will be attending The Vancouver Resource Investment Conference being held at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre on Sunday January 22 and Monday January 23, 2006. Management invites attendees of the conference to visit the Harvest Gold booth, (number 908). This Conference, which is one of the largest of its kind, is an annual event where individual resource investors, professional advisors, analysts and fund managers meet with publicly-listed resource companies.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

John Roozendaal, B.Sc.
President,
Harvest Gold Corporation