News Releases
BMO Bank of Montreal today announced it has completed the integration of bcpbank Canada into the BMO Financial Group of Companies. To mark the occasion, BMO also launched a specifically designed BMO Mosaik MasterCard for the Portuguese-Canadian community: the Luso Card.
The conversion provides former bcpbank Canada customers with access to BMO products and services at all branch locations across Canada. In addition, the eight converted branches expand BMO's branch network and provide BMO customers with greater access to banking services across the Greater Toronto Area. All former bcpbank Canada locations now carry the BMO Bank of Montreal name.
“This integration benefits all of our customers given that both institutions share a customer-first spirit and a strong commitment to the Portuguese-Canadian Community,” stated Heather Grand, Managing Director, GTA Division, Specialty Markets, BMO Bank of Montreal. “Customers can be assured they will be met by the same familiar faces that have provided exceptional service over the years.
“At BMO we are excited at the opportunity to take on the central role bcpbank has developed in the community through its continuous involvement and support of local initiatives such as the Portugal Day Parade, Casa dos A�ores, the Portuguese Disabled Building Fund, Working Women Community Centre and many other valuable projects in the community.
Remittances to Portugal will be maintained and available through BMO's Global Money Transfer account services. Customers can send money to Portugal from their former bcpbank Canada branch, any BMO Bank of Montreal ABM, via telephone banking or online at bmo.com. Plus, starting January 2008, BMO Global Money Transfer services will also be available at all BMO Bank of Montreal branches across Canada."
“The Portuguese-Canadian community has a rich and vibrant culture with a long history of explorers and discoverers. BMO is proud to offer a specially designed BMO Luso Mosaik MasterCard to the Portuguese-Canadian community that symbolizes an expression of their pride and roots,” added Grand.
‘Luso' is used to describe a person of Portuguese origin. The card depicts the Monument of Discoveries in Lisbon detailing Henry the Navigator and other relevant heroes of Portuguese history. The full-service Mosaik MasterCard will also allow customers to collect Air Miles Reward Miles. No other bank can help customers collect Air Miles Reward miles faster and redeem quicker than BMO. BMO is the only major financial institution that rewards debit and credit card purchases with access to a comprehensive choice of more than 800 reward and travel options.
"We're very excited that our conversion is complete and we can now offer our Portuguese-Canadian customers in the GTA access to our full suite of banking, lending, investing and wealth management solutions," said Alex Dousmanis-Curtis, SVP Greater Toronto Division, BMO Bank of Montreal. "We will continue to provide a high level of service that bcpbank customers have received, as well as foster and enhance the strong relationships that have been built throughout the years.”
BMO also announced that all eight personal and commercial bank branches, will receive electricity from Bullfrog Power, which provides homes and businesses in Ontario and Alberta with electricity generated from clean, renewable sources like wind power and low-impact hydro. BMO has purchased 5,000 Megawatt Hours per year of clean, emission-free electricity from Bullfrog Power.
BMO Bank of Montreal acquired bcpbank Canada in December 2006. bcpbank was a full-service chartered bank that was wholly owned by BCP Internacional II, Sociedade Unipessoal, SGPS, Lda, a wholly owned subsidiary of Millennium bcp of Lisbon, Portugal.
About BMO Financial Group
Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified North American financial services organization. With total assets of $359 billion as at July 31, 2007, and more than 35,000 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 its wealth management firms BMO Nesbitt Burns, BMO InvestorLine and BMO Harris Private Banking. BMO Capital Markets, our North American investment and corporate banking division, provides a full suite of financial products and services to our North American and international clients. BMO also serves personal and commercial clients in the United States through Chicago-based Harris, an integrated financial services organization that provides more than one million personal and business clients with banking, lending, investing, financial planning, trust administration, portfolio management, family office and wealth transfer services.
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