News Releases

BMO Bank of Montreal today celebrated the opening of its new free-standing bank branch in Leamington, Ontario.  The branch is located at 297 Erie Street South in the heart of the thriving Southwestern Ontario community.

“Our investment in this new larger and updated branch demonstrates our strong confidence in the future of Leamington as a regional commercial center,” said Michael Klopchic, Vice President, Windsor District, BMO Bank of Montreal.  “We are delighted to be able to provide our customers with a conveniently located facility that will make it easier for them to access a full range of financial planning and banking services.”

Features of the new branch include:

�            Extended banking hours for added customer convenience (Monday to Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.);

�            Two automated banking machines (ABMs) including a drive-through ABM, which provide   customers access and banking information 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week;

�            Free customer parking, with 50-plus spaces available;

�            Full wheelchair accessibility;

�            A Commercial Banking Area Manager and a team of Account Managers offering complete loan, cash management and deposit services; and

�            A Personal Banking team, which includes a Retirement and Investment Specialist, a BMO Nesbitt Burns Investment Advisor and a Mortgage Specialist.

“By combining BMO's separate commercial and personal banking centers into one branch and by having all 20 personal and commercial banking managers under one roof we can now serve more effectively, customers who, in the past, have traditionally had to travel back and forth between locations,”  noted Kelley McCracken, the branch's new manager.

The new Erie Street branch replaces the older BMO branches that were located at 10 Erie Street South and 275 Erie Street South as well as the BMO commercial banking unit located at 33 Princess Street.

Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified North American financial services organization.  With total assets of $306 billion as at January 31, 2006, and more than 33,000 employees, BMO provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and solutions.  BMO Financial Group serves clients across Canada through its Canadian retail arm, BMO Bank of Montreal, and through BMO Nesbitt Burns, one of Canada's leading full-service investment firms.  BMO Financial Group is the second largest small business lender in Canada and one of the largest in North America.

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