Northern announces acquisition of additional equity interest in High Desert Gold

TORONTO, Nov. 14, 2008 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) ----Northern Financial Corporation ("Northern") (TSX: NFC) announced that it acquired today an additional 308,500 common shares of High Desert Gold Corporation ("HDG"; TSX: HDG) representing approximately 0.75% of the total issued common shares of HDG. The HDG shares were acquired on the Toronto Stock Exchange for investment purposes. The highest price paid per HDG share was $0.20 and the average price paid per HDG share was $0.193. Combined with the HDG shares previously owned, Northern now owns a total of 8,807,400HDG shares, representing approximately 21.5% of the total issued HDG shares, based on the number of issued and outstanding HDG shares disclosed in HDG's press release on November 3, 2008.

Northern commenced an offer to acquire all of the HDG shares on October 30, 2008 (the "Offer"). Copies of the Offer documents are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

During the currency of the Offer, Northern has acquired an aggregate of 1,512,500 HDG shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange at an average price per HDG share of $0.182.

About Northern Financial Corporation

Northern Financial Corporation wholly owns Northern Securities Inc., a full service investment dealer that provides financial advisory services to retail and institutional clients and investment banking services to small capitalization companies. Northern's head office is at 145 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario.

The Toronto Stock Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This news release may contain certain forward looking statements which involve known and unknown risks, delays, and uncertainties not under Northern's control which may cause actual results, performances
or achievements of Northern to be materially different from those implied by such forward looking statements.

This press release does not constitute an offer to purchase shares of HDG. Such an offer can only be made through an offer to purchase and circular filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities. Northern urges shareholders of HDG to read the Offer documents which are available on www.sedar.com as they contain important information.

SOURCE: Northern Financial Corporation

Vic Alboini, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, (416) 644-8110; or Kyler Wells, General Counsel, (416) 644-8177