News Releases

BMO Nesbitt Burns Webcasts First Retail Conference

BMO Nesbitt Burns is holding its first conference exclusively dedicated to the retail sector on January 18, 2006 in Toronto. Retail analyst Karim Salamatian and small cap (retailing) analyst Adam Clark of BMO Nesbitt Burns' top-ranked Equity Research team*, will moderate the one-day conference featuring senior management from North America's leading retail companies. Among the presenters will be the presidents and CEOs of household banners such as Canadian Tire, Golf Town, Rona, Sobeys and The Hudson's Bay Company.

The conference will feature three roundtable discussions each followed by an interactive question & answer period.

Topics to be covered include:

Pricing and Merchandising Strategies in Canada
Network Build Out – Opportunities and Challenges in Canada
Internal and External Perspectives on the Future of Canadian Retailing

The conference will be webcast at:

http://events.onlinebroadcasting.com/bmoconferences/011806/index.php

*2005 Brendan Wood International Survey

Scheduled presenters and times**:


8:30 AM	OPENING REMARKS Eric Tripp, Vice Chair, Head of Capital Markets


8:35	INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW Karim Salamatian, Retail Analyst


8:45	ROUNDTABLE 1 – Pricing & Merchandising Strategies in Canada

	Sobeys Inc.
	Bill McEwan, President & CEO

	Katz Group North America
	Andy Giancamilli, President & CEO

	Canadian Tire Corporation
	Mark Foote, President, Canadian Tire Retail

	The Forzani Group Ltd.
	Bob Sartor, CEO


10:15	BREAK


10:30	ROUNDTABLE 2 – Network Build-out – Opportunities & Challenges in Canada

	RONA inc.
	Claude Bernier, EVP Traditional and Specialized Stores

	First Pro Shopping Centres
	Mitchell Goldhar, President & CEO

	GolfTown
	Stephen Bebis, President & CEO

	Lowe's
	Doug Robinson, President of Canadian Operations


12:00	LUNCH


12:30	ROUNDTABLE 3 – Internal & External Perspectives on the Future of Retailing in Canada

	J.C. Williams Group Limited
	John C. Williams, Founder

	Reitmans
	Jeremy H. Reitman, President

	Retail Council of Canada
	Diane J. Brisebois, President & CEO

	HBC
	George Heller, President & CEO


2:00	CLOSING REMARKS

**Agenda subject to change

BMO Nesbitt Burns is a leading full-service investment bank offering corporate, institutional and government clients access to a broad range of products and services including investment and corporate banking, treasury services, market risk management, institutional investing and research. BMO Nesbitt Burns is a member of BMO Financial Group (TSX, NYSE: BMO). For more information, please visit www.bmonb.com.

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