"We've got an awful lot of knowledge coming from what's happened next door to Detour Gold so our challenges are probably less difficult for us to face than maybe if we were out in the middle of nowhere doing this initially," admits Ian Lambert, President and CEO of Toronto-based Trade Winds Ventures Inc (TSX-V:TWD). Ian's been with Trade Winds for 21 years.

Ian Lambert, President and CEO of Vancouver-based Trade Winds Ventures Inc. at the Cambridge House World Resource Investment Conference in Vancouver

We met up with Ian at the Cambridge House World Resource Investment Conference in Vancouver recently and asked him about his company's Detour Lake project which is set in the Abitibi Greenstone Gold Belt, about 300 km north of Timmins in Ontario. The particular part of the area that concerns Trade Winds is a 13.26 square kilometer land package called Block A which is sited just west of the Placer Dome Detour Lake that has already produced 1.7m oz of gold at just over 5g per tonne, now owned by Detour Gold. Block A abuts Detour Gold's claim and the two normally rival companies are collaborating on this project.

"We've been doing a lot of drilling in 2011," Ian says. Trade Winds also produced a 43-101 report in February this year, showing an estimated in-pit gold resource of 2.7m oz. "We're working on expanding that resource," he states. "To date we've done 30,000 meters of diamond drilling. We're processing the core right now and announcing the results as we go forward which we anticipate will trickle out right through to the middle of the summer. At this point in time, we're working on a plan to secure another 20,000+ m of diamond drilling in the second half of the year, in and around the pit area and we will be doing both infill drilling and some exploration drilling. In addition to that, we have about 8,000 to 10,000 other meters of core that's already been drilled and that's yet to be assayed. So, at the end of the year, we're looking at updating up to 60,000m of new core into the block model."

Before production can get underway, Trade Winds needs to carry out a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) and this will "probably be done in the early part of 2012". Ian explains how it will work: "We’re looking at two scenarios on the Block A property which is a 50-50 joint venture between us and Detour Gold, of which we are the operator. This PEA will evaluate a scenario where we would build a standalone facility on the Block A property to put the pit into production as a separate facility. Or the other alternative we will study is to look at incorporating the feed of our pit into an expanded facility next door at Detour Gold's operation. They're building a 60,000 tonne a day mill for which they have adequate feed for some 20 years of mine life left.

However Detour Gold are also looking at concurrent studies to evaluate the impact of expanding that mill up to 100,000 tonnes a day and, under that scenario, Block A which is about 6km away, could be a source of feed for that. We'll have to look at the economics of hauling the ore that extra distance versus the standalone facility where a mill is constructed nearby the pit. So, those are the factors that have to be determined but," he concludes, "I believe the important point here is that we're at the point where we're studying now which method is going to go into production rather than whether we're going to make it or not."

According to Ian, the feasibility study won't be finished until 2014 however, given the size of the project, preparation is vital. Detour Gold's site is turning into a "$1billion+ development - the largest goldmine in Canada," therefore it would not be prudent to rush into production without considering all aspects of the mine first.

Trade Winds is able to self-finance for the immediate future, "Right now I think we're in pretty good shape going forward. We've go lots of money in the bank - I think we're sitting on $8m. We've got adequate dollars to carry us through to the end of this year and to do the PEA." He doesn't rule out the possibility of looking for outside cash, though, "We may consider a raise this Fall for further financing for further exploration work next year.”

The main advantage of following in Detour Gold's footsteps is, of course, that they have already beaten a path. For example, "They've looked at impact agreements with the aboriginals - the First Nations People - for the area and we're going to be able to work on and build on the groundwork that's been done by our partners, Detour Gold."

Ian thinks that Trade Winds shares are seriously undervalued "when you compare us to our peer group". The stock is currently trading at $0.20 to $0.25 - considerably less, though, than their price of $0.475 at the turn of the year, however a rise on last summer's low of $0.18. Just under 170m shares are currently in circulation which represents a market capitalization value of $37.2m.

Ian summarizes how he thinks potential investors should view Trade Winds Ventures, "I think this is a great project that really is undervalued. It represents an opportunity to get into the Detour Lake play for those people who didn't participate in Detour Gold when they were $3 or $4 - and now they're $30! We certainly have that upside potential in terms of the same kind of growth potential and I think that this is still a good time for the readers to get involved."

SUMMARY

Trade Winds Ventures is exploring their 'Block A' property in the Abitibi Gold Belt in Ontario - a project which is being operated as a joint venture with Detour Gold who run the neighboring $1bn gold production site. President and CEO of Trade Winds Ventures, Ian Lambert, talks to us at the Cambridge House World Resource Investment Conference in Vancouver about his company's activities and their investment potential.

For more information:

http://www.tradewindsventures.com

Corporate Office:

Trade Winds

Ventures Inc.

1166 Alberni Street,

Suite 1006

Vancouver, BC, Canada

V6E 3Z3

Tel:

604-648 6228

Toll Free:

1-866-698-9187 ext 228

Fax:

604-288-2436