Filing of Certain Prospectuses and Communications in Connection With Business Combination Transactions (425)

				Filed by Hecla Mining Company pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933   Subject Company: Alexco Resource Corp. File No. 001-33621 Date: August 4, 2022

On August 4, 2022, Hecla Mining Company (“Hecla”) held its second quarter 2022 financial results conference call. In that call, Hecla included the following statements regarding its previously announced proposed acquisition of Alexco Resource Corp. (“Alexco”):

THE FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPT OF A PORTION OF HECLA’S SECOND QUARTER 2022 FINANCIAL RESULTS CONFERENCE CALL WHICH TOOK PLACE ON AUGUST 4, 2022. THIS TRANSCRIPT WAS PREPARED BY A THIRD PARTY AND HAS NOT BEEN INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED BY HECLA AND MAY CONTAIN ERRORS.

Phillips S. Baker, Jr., Hecla’s President and Chief Executive Officer made the following statements:

 

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So Lucky Friday, Keno Hill and combined with the small increase at Greens Creek productivity really could increase our silver production to a sustainable 17 million to 20 million ounces of silver a year in the next few years and this would, I think, make Hecla the fastest growing silver miner with about 30% growth in production and would make us one of the two or three largest silver mining companies. We’re already the largest silver producer in the United States, and I think we will likely become Canada’s largest silver producer.

Lauren Roberts, Hecla’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer made the following statements:

 

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We announced the acquisition of Alexco in July and expect the transaction to be completed in early September, with the goal of sustaining mill feed at about 400 tons per day. We are planning ramp up and development, and infill ramp up development and infill drilling at the Bermingham and Flame and Moth deposits in 2022 and 2023. Slide 13 highlights some of the work we have at the Bermingham deposit where the focus will be on the Bear Zone. The area under the ellipse shows the work we plan to execute and the footage of the development and drilling that we intend to complete.

 

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Moving to slide 14. This image shows our work plans in the upper lightening zone of the Flame and Moth deposit concurrent with this scope of work at both mines. We plan to build out the supporting infrastructure and work on improvements to the processing facility.

Important Additional Information About the Transaction and Where to Find It

This material relates to Hecla’s proposed acquisition (the “Transaction”) of Alexco. Shares of Hecla’s common stock (the “Hecla Shares”) issued in connection with the proposed Transaction may be registered pursuant to a registration statement to be filed with the SEC or issued pursuant to an available exemption. This information is not a substitute for any registration statement or any other document that Hecla may file with the SEC or that it or Alexco may send to their respective shareholders in connection with the offer and/or issuance of Hecla Shares. Investors are urged to read any registration statement, if and when filed, and all other relevant documents that may be filed with the SEC or with Canadian regulatory authorities as and if they become available because they will contain important information about the issuance of Hecla Shares. Documents, if and when filed with the SEC, will be available free of charge at the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov) and under Hecla’s profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. You may also obtain these documents by contacting Hecla’s Investor Relations department at Hecla Mining Company; Investor Relations; 1-800-HECLA91 (1-800-432-5291); [e-mail]. These materials do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.

 

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In connection with the proposed transaction, Alexco will file proxy soliciting materials with the SEC and/or Canadian regulatory authorities. The information contained in any such filing may not be complete and may be updated, amended or changed. SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ SUCH MATERIALS WHEN AVAILABLE AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT MATERIALS FILED WITH THE SEC AND/OR CANADIAN REGULATORY AUTHORITIES CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION WITH RESPECT TO THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND THE PARTIES THERETO.

Proxy solicitation materials will be mailed to Alexco’s shareholders seeking their approval of the Transaction. Anyone may also obtain a copy of such materials free of charge once available by directing a request to: Alexco Resource Corp., Suite 1225, Two Bentall Centre, 555 Burrard Street, Box 216, Vancouver, British Columbia, V7X 1M9, Attention: Investor Relations or, Hecla Mining Company, 6500 N. Mineral Drive, Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815-9408; Investor Relations; 1-800-HECLA91 (1-800-432-5291). In addition, any relevant materials filed with the SEC will be available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and under Alexco’s profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Interested persons may also access copies of such documentation filed with the SEC by visiting Alexco’s website at www.alexcoresource.com.

Participants in Solicitation

Hecla, Alexco, their respective directors and certain of their respective executive officers may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of Hecla is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, which was filed with the SEC on February 23, 2022, its proxy statement for its 2022 annual meeting of shareholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 12, 2022, and its Current Report on Form 8-K, which was filed with the SEC on May 27, 2022. These documents may be obtained free of charge from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and Hecla’s website at www.hecla-mining.com. Information about the directors and executive officers of Alexco is set forth in its Management Information Circular filed on SEDAR on May 5, 2022. This document may be obtained free of charge from SEDAR at www.sedar.com and Alexco’s website at www.alexcoresource.com. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitations and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the Alexco information circular and other relevant materials to be filed on SEDAR and with the SEC when they become available. These documents may be obtained free of charge from SEDAR at www.sedar.com and the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and Alexco’s website at www.alexcoresource.com.

Cautionary Statements to Investors on Forward-Looking Statements

This prospectus contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by such sections and other applicable laws. Forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance and financial condition and often contain words such as “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “estimate,” “should,” “expect,” “believe,” “project,” “target,” “indicative,” “preliminary,” “potential” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release may include, without limitation: (i) the Company’s plan to increase its investment in operations and exploration programs with the goal of further accelerating production, earnings and cash flow growth; (ii) the expected completion of the Alexco acquisition late in September 2022; (iii) Hecla could become the largest silver producer in Canada; (iv) upon completion of the Alexco acquisition, the Company expects to focus on (1) development and drilling at the Bermingham and Flame & Moth deposits in Alexco’s Keno Hill project (“Keno Hill”) over the next 12-18 months to open multiple sources of feed, (2) to complete certain underground infrastructure projects at Keno Hill, and (3) to make improvements to the processing facility at Keno Hill; (v) at the Bermingham deposit, development will focus on the Bear zone to open working faces in addition to infill definition drilling; and (vi) at the Flame & Moth deposit, the Company anticipates advancing development and conducting infill drilling focusing on the upper Lightning zone.

Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements include but are not limited to: (i) Hecla and Alexco’s ability to complete the proposed transaction, (ii) Hecla’s ability to successfully develop and drill at Keno

 

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Hill, (iii) Hecla will be able to produce ore at Keno Hill, (iv) gold, silver and other metals price volatility; (v) operating risks; (vi) currency fluctuations; (vii) increased production costs and variances in ore grade or recovery rates from those assumed in mining plans; (viii) community relations; (ix) conflict resolution and outcome of projects or oppositions; (x) litigation, political, regulatory, labor and environmental risks; and (xi) exploration risks and results, including that mineral resources are not mineral reserves, they do not have demonstrated economic viability and there is no certainty that they can be upgraded to mineral reserves through continued exploration.

These forward-looking statements are also subject to the principal risks and uncertainties applicable to Hecla’s business and activities generally that are disclosed in Hecla’s 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 23, 2022 and other Hecla filings with the SEC, including its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on or about August 4, 2021.

Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Projections and other forward-looking statements included in this prospectus have been prepared based on assumptions, which Hecla believes to be reasonable, but not in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) or any guidelines of the SEC. Actual results may vary, perhaps materially. You are strongly cautioned not to place undue reliance on such projections and other forward-looking statements. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to Hecla or to persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Except as required by federal securities laws, Hecla disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

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