Northgate Announces Dramatic Increase in Resources at its Young-Davidson Project

Underground Measured and Indicated Resources Double to Three Million Ounces of Gold

VANCOUVER, December 10, 2008 – Northgate Minerals Corporation (TSX: NGX, NYSE ALTERNEXT/AMEX: NXG) is pleased to report the results of a new NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate at its 100% owned Young-Davidson property near Matachewan, Ontario. The resource estimate includes both underground and open pit resources and incorporates all diamond drilling on the property up to September 30, 2008.

Highlights

Total Measured and Indicated resources underground have increased by 1.6 million ounces to 3.0 million ounces of gold at an average grade of 3.62 grams per tonne (g/t) using a cutoff grade of 2.3 g/t.

Inferred resources underground have increased by over 300,000 ounces to 748,000 ounces of gold at an average grade of 3.39 g/t.

Open pit indicated resources now total 5.0 million tonnes at an average grade of 1.7 g/t containing 270,000 ounces of gold in a pit shell with a strip ratio of 1.5:1.

Ken Stowe, President and CEO, commented, “Our 2008 exploration program at Young-Davidson has been a resounding success by any measure. Our priority at the beginning of 2008 was to increase the indicated ounces underground by an additional 0.5 million ounces. The exploration team at Young-Davidson far surpassed this goal by more than doubling the underground gold resources to over 3.0 million measured and indicated ounces at an average grade of 3.62 g/t. Equally as important, the continuity of the four main ore zones has been clearly demonstrated, which will have very positive implications for mine design and development. This new larger resource will flow into the conceptual review of the Young-Davidson project that is now underway, focusing on maximizing the utilization of existing underground infrastructure during the early production years in order to significantly reduce capital costs.”

Overview of the Young-Davidson Exploration Area

The Young-Davidson property is situated within the southwestern part of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt of northern Ontario. Gold mineralization on the property is present primarily in an intrusive syenite host rock dipping at approximately 70 degrees to the south. Figure 1, shown below, presents known resource areas (as defined in the legend), historic mine workings and simplified geology. Elevations in the longitudinal section are based on an artificial mine grid where the surface is defined as 10,355 metres.

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Figure 1: Young-Davidson Property (Vertical, North Looking, Longitudinal Section with Metric Grid)

2008 Exploration Program

The 2008 exploration program was extraordinarily successful, expanding the measured and indicated resources underground to 3.0 million ounces of gold consisting of 25.97 million tonnes at an average grade of 3.62 g/t. This represents an increase of 1.6 million ounces of gold and compares to the 11.92 million tonnes of measured and indicated resources at a grade of 3.7 g/t that was announced in February 2008. Notably, the additional underground tonnes that have been delineated are close to the same grade as the previous resource estimate, demonstrating the consistent grade distribution throughout the Young-Davidson deposit.

The open pit resource on the property has been remodeled by Northgate using resource solids defined by a 0.6 g/t gold cutoff grade resulting in a pit shell that contains 4.95 million tonnes of indicated resources at an average grade of 1.7 g/t.

In total, the Young-Davidson property now contains approximately 3.3 million ounces of measured and indicated resources and an additional 749,000 ounces of inferred resources (see Table 1).

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Table 1 –Young-Davidson Gold Resources

Category Tonnes (000s) Grade (g/t) Gold (ounces)

Underground Measured 3,170 3.95 402,000 Indicated 22,804 3.57 2,621,000

Total Underground Measured & Indicated 25,974 3.62 3,023,000

Open Pit Indicated 4,955 1.70 270,000

Total Property Measured & Indicated 30,929 3.31 3,293,000

Underground Inferred 6,873 3.39 748,000

Open Pit Inferred 15 1.74 851

Total Property Inferred 6,888 3.39 748,851

Tables 2 and 3 provide summaries of measured and indicated and inferred resources by zone for underground resources at Young-Davidson.

Table 2 – Underground Measured and Indicated Gold Resources by Zone

Measured & Indicated Resources (2.3 g/t cutoff)

Zone

Tonnes (000’s)

Gold (Cut to 20 g/t) Grade (g/t) Ounces

Upper Boundary 3,347 3.93 423,000

Lower Boundary 5,961 3.89 745,000

Lower YD 10,874 3.49 1,221,000

Lucky 5,792 3.40 634,000

Total Measured & Indicated Resources 3.02 million ounces

Table 3 – Underground Inferred Gold Resources by Zone

Inferred Resources (2.3 g/t cutoff)

Zone

Tonnes (000’s)

Gold (Cut to 20 g/t) Grade (g/t) Ounces

Upper Boundary 84 3.66 10,000

Lower Boundary 523 3.26 55,000

Lower YD 4,503 3.40 491,000

Lucky 1,763 3.39 192,000

Total Inferred Resources 748,000 ounces

Notes: 1. Inferred Resources are separate from Measured and Indicated Resources 2. Inferred Resources should not be added to Measured and/or Indicated Resources

Mineral Resource Estimation Notes: Geological interpretation of the underground mineralized body resulted in the creation of 3D solids based on a 1.7 g/t gold cutoff

grade, 1.3 g/t gold incremental cutoff grade and a minimum horizontal thickness of three metres (m). Block sizes underground are 15m by 15m by 7m. Specific gravity of 2.69 tonnes/m3. Inverse distance squared was used for grade interpolation on 3m thick composites. One cutting or capping level of 20 g/t was applied to all zones. Measured Resources were defined as blocks within 30m of the nearest sample. Indicated Resources were defined as blocks between 30m – 65m of the nearest sample. Open pit interpretation of the mineralized body was based on a 0.6 g/t gold cutoff grade. Open pit blocks are 5m by 5m by 5m. Waste tonnes: 7.7 million; strip ratio 1.5:1. Excludes unconsolidated overburden.

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Underground Exploration and Development Update

Underground exploration and development work at Young-Davidson during 2008 targeted four specific goals as follows:

1. Driving the ramp to a total length of 3,000 metres (m) and a vertical depth of approximately 475m to provide underground access to the deposit for exploration and bulk sampling.

2. Dewatering and refurbishing of the existing No. 3 shaft down to the 13th level at approximately 625m in depth, in order to provide ventilation and secondary access to the underground ramp workings.

3. Extracting a bulk sample of ore from the Upper Boundary Zone for metallurgical testing.

4. Increasing the resources in the Upper Boundary and Lucky Zones and upgrading some of these resources from an indicated to measured category through underground diamond drilling.

The underground ramp development project was completed at the beginning of December after advancing a total of 3,039m to a total vertical depth of 483m. During December, mining equipment is being demobilized while the remaining shaft refurbishing work on the 13th level is completed. The number of people working at the Young-Davidson site will drop from 115 to 23 at the end of 2008. In 2009, Northgate’s Young-Davidson project group will continue to perform a variety of activities related to permitting and development and will keep the mine dewatered.

Now that the new resource estimate is complete and basic geotechnical and other information has been collected, the project focus has shifted to optimize the NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment Report, which was filed in August, by incorporating the new, dramatically larger resource and attempting to make better use of the existing ramp and shaft infrastructure at the site. Once this process is completed, a full feasibility study will be commissioned.

2009 Exploration and Development Program

As the 2008 resource conversion and expansion drill program was completed at the end of the third quarter, exploration in 2009 will focus on other targets of the property outside of the known resource area. Three of the four drill rigs on the property have been demobilized and the remaining rig has commenced drilling on these targets.

The rocks that host the Young-Davidson deposit are known to extend to the west under barren cover rocks. Historically, only a handful of drill holes have been tested along strike west of Young-Davidson. Other targets on the property are geophysical anomalies that have similar characteristics to those of the known Young-Davidson deposit.

Updated Mineral Resource Estimate

The updated mineral resource estimate incorporates all resource definition diamond drilling on the property as of September 30, 2008 and comprises 814 mineralized intercepts from 512 drill holes. In 2008, Northgate drilled 114 diamond core holes (55 surface and 59 underground), totalling 41,131 metres. Northgate will be filing a NI 43-101 Technical Report, which will be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on Northgate’s website at www.northgateminerals.com within the next 45 days.

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Quality Control – Analyses and Sample Location Details of quality assurance/quality control procedures for sample analysis and drill hole survey methodology are reported in detail in the most recent National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) Technical Report filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) on May 16, 2008. A summary of these procedures may also be found in a press release dated April 10, 2006.

Qualified Persons The program design, implementation, quality assurance/quality control and interpretation of the results is under the control of Northgate’s geological staff that includes a number of individuals who are qualified persons as defined under NI 43-101. Overall supervision of the program is by Carl Edmunds, PGeo, Northgate’s Exploration Manager.

Note to US Investors: The terms “Mineral Reserve”, “Proven Mineral Reserve” and “Probable Mineral Reserve” are Canadian mining terms as defined in accordance with NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects under the guidelines set out in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the “CIM”) Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves Definitions and Guidelines adopted by the CIM Council on August 20, 2000 (the “CIM Standards”). The terms “Mineral Resource”, “Measured Mineral Resource”, “Indicated Mineral Resource”, and “Inferred Mineral Resource” used in this news release are Canadian mining terms as defined in accordance with NI 43-101-Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects under the guidelines set out in the CIM Standards.

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Northgate Minerals Corporation is a mid-tier gold and copper producer with mining operations, development projects and exploration properties in Canada and Australia. The company is forecasting approximately 365,000 ounces of unhedged gold production in 2008 and is targeting growth through further acquisition opportunities in stable mining jurisdictions around the world. Northgate is listed on the TSX under the symbol NGX and on the NYSE Alternext US (formerly AMEX) under the symbol NXG.

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Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains certain “forward-looking statements” and “forward-looking information” under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” or “continue” or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Certain of the statements made herein, including any information as to the future activities of and developments related to the business activities of Northgate Minerals Corporation (Northgate) and its subsidiaries, the market position, and future financial or operating performance of Northgate, are forward-looking and subject to important risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the corporation’s ability to control or predict. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: gold price volatility; impact of any hedging activities, including margin limits and margin calls; discrepancies between actual and estimated production, between actual and estimated reserves and resources and between actual and estimated metallurgical recoveries; costs of production, capital expenditures, costs and timing of construction and the development of new deposits, success of exploration activities and permitting time lines; changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in any of the countries in which the corporation does or may carry out business in the future; risks of sovereign investment; the speculative nature of gold exploration, development and mining, including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits; dilution; competition; loss of key employees; additional funding requirements; and defective title to mineral claims or property. In addition, there are risks and hazards associated with the business of gold exploration, development and mining, including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins, flooding and gold bullion losses (and the risk of inadequate insurance or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks), as well as the factors described or referred to in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Northgate’s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2007 or under the heading “Risks and Uncertainties” in Northgate’s 2007 Annual Report, both of which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and which should be reviewed in conjunction with this document. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The corporation does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or release any revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except in each case as required by law.

For further information, please contact:

Ms. Keren R. Yun Director, Investor Relations

Tel: 416-216-2781 Email: ngx@northgateminerals.com Website: www.northgateminerals.com