Noront and Freewest Reach Agreement on Shareholders Rights Plan - Freewest Waives Application of the Plan to Noront's Offer

TORONTO, November 12 -

    Symbol:              NOT:TSX-V
    Shares Outstanding:  163,631,957
    Fully Diluted:       173,461,957

Noront Resources Ltd. ("Noront" or the "Company") (TSX Venture: NOT)
announces that it has reached an agreement with Freewest Resources Canada
Inc. ("Freewest") whereby Noront will extend its Offer of 0.25 of a Noront
common share and C$0.0001 in cash for each Freewest common share until
5:00pm (Toronto time) on December 1, 2009, and terminate its application to
the Bureau de Décision et de Révision en Valeurs Mobilières for a
cease-trade order in respect of Freewest's Shareholder Rights Plan. In
exchange, Freewest has agreed to waive the application of its Shareholder
Rights Plan to Noront's Offer.

Wes Hanson, President and CEO of Noront stated, "Under the agreement
reached today between Noront and Freewest, we have agreed to extend our Offer
until December 1, 2009 and Freewest has agreed to waive effective immediately
at 5:00 p.m. on December 1, 2009 the application of the Shareholder Rights
Plan to our Offer. We encourage Freewest shareholders to take this
opportunity to realize the full and fair value of our Offer, which is the
only outstanding offer, and to tender their shares. Mr. Hanson further
stated, "We note the entering into of a confidentiality and exclusivity
agreement by Freewest with a single, unnamed party on the 40th day following
the original announcement of our intention to make the Offer. Typically,
parties seek to canvass all strategic alternatives and we are surprised
that Freewest has essentially admitted at this stage that the range of
options available to them consist only of the certainty of the Noront bid
and the uncertainty of one unnamed offeror. This confirms our view that
Noront's offer is the only realistic opportunity for Freewest to consummate
a transaction which maximizes value for its shareholders."

All other terms and conditions of Noront's Offer for Freewest, described
in the October 13, 2009 Offer to Purchase and Circular previously mailed to
all shareholders, remain unchanged. Noront will mail to the Freewest
Shareholders a Notice of Variation to the Offer, which will be subsequently
filed on SEDAR.

Freewest Shareholder Luncheon - Postponed

—————————————–

In light of the foregoing, Noront has decided to postpone its upcoming
Freewest Shareholder Discussion Luncheon originally scheduled for November
13, 2009. Noront intends to reschedule the Luncheon for the week of
November 23rd, with further details to follow. We urge Freewest shareholders
to participate in the event so that they may have their questions answered.
The Discussion Luncheon location and call in information for participants
will be reconfirmed at a later date. Please note that the Luncheon will be
an invitation only event; however there will be ample opportunity in an open
audio session after the presentation and during the Question and Answer
portion of the Luncheon for all shareholders to call in and ask Wes Hanson
questions regarding the Offer. For further information regarding the
Discussion Luncheon, please contact Sheena Anderson at the Investor
Relations Department at +1(416)367-1444 ext 120.

Freewest Offer

————–

Noront's Offer remains the only offer outstanding for Freewest
shareholders.

For more information on the Freewest Offer, please visit Noront's
website at www.norontresources.com or contact the Investor
Relations Department at Noront at +1(416)367-1444. ext 126

    To tender your Freewest shares, please contact;
    Laurel Hill at Laurel Hill Advisory Group
    North American Toll Free Phone: 1-888-882-6742
    Email: assistance(at)laurelhillag.com
    Outside North America, Banks and Brokers Call Collect: +1(416)-637-4661

About Noront

Noront Resources Ltd. is focused on its significant and multiple,
high-grade nickel-copper-platinum-palladium, chromite, gold and vanadium
discoveries in an area known as the "Ring of Fire", an emerging multi-metals
district located in the James Bay Lowlands of Ontario, Canada. Noront is the
dominant land holder at the Ring of Fire and continues to delineate and
prove up its discoveries with NI 43-101 technical and economic reports and an
aggressive and well financed drill plan for the remainder of 2009 and 2010.
All material information on Noront can be found on the Company's website at
www.norontresources.com or at SEDAR at www.sedar.com

                                           Wesley (Wes) Hanson
                           President & Chief Executive Officer

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of
applicable Canadian securities legislation, including predictions,
projections and forecasts. Forward-looking statements include, but are not
limited to, statements that address activities, events or developments that
the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future,
including such things as future business strategy, competitive strengths,
goals, expansion, growth of the Company's businesses, operations, plans and
with respect to exploration results, the timing and success of exploration
activities generally, permitting time lines, government regulation of
exploration and mining operations, environmental risks, title disputes or
claims, limitations on insurance coverage, timing and possible outcome of
any pending litigation and timing and results of future resource estimates
or future economic studies.

Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by
the use of words such as "plans", "planning", "planned", "expects" or
"looking forward", "does not expect", "continues", "scheduled", "estimates",
"forecasts", "intends", "potential", "anticipates", "does not anticipate",
or "belief", or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases
or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would",
"might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved.

Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and
assumptions, including, the result of drilling and exploration activities,
that contracted parties provide goods and/or services on the agreed
timeframes, that equipment necessary for exploration is available as
scheduled and does not incur unforeseen break downs, that no labour
shortages or delays are incurred, that plant and equipment function as
specified, that no unusual geological or technical problems occur, and that
laboratory and other related services are available and perform as
contracted. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
future events, conditions, uncertainties and other factors which may cause
the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different
from any future results, prediction, projection, forecast, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such
factors include, among others, the interpretation and actual results of
current exploration activities; changes in project parameters as plans
continue to be refined; future prices of gold; possible variations in grade
or recovery rates; failure of equipment or processes to operate as
anticipated; the failure of contracted parties to perform; labour disputes
and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental
approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those
factors disclosed in the company's publicly filed documents. Although Noront
has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions,
events or results to differ materially from those described in
forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions,
events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can
be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate,
as actual results and future events could differ materially from those
anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue
reliance on forward-looking statements.

    Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as
    that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts
    responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information: regarding this Offer, please contact Wes Hanson,
President and Chief Executive Officer or Joanne Jobin, Vice President
Corporate Communications at +1-416-367-1444, or visit Noront's website at:
www.norontresources.com/

For further information: regarding this Offer, please contact Wes Hanson, President and Chief Executive Officer or Joanne Jobin, Vice President Corporate Communications at +1-416-367-1444, or visit Noront's website at: www.norontresources.com/