News Releases

Montreal, September 10, 2008 – The Montreal Heart Institute Foundation is pleased to announce that BMO Financial Group has donated $2 million to the Heart Beat for the Future Capital Campaign. More specifically, this gift will go toward funding the activities of the Montreal Heart Institute's (MHI) Prevention Division.

In today's world, it is estimated that 80 to 90 percent of cardiovascular accidents could be avoided through significant lifestyle changes (exercise, nutrition, smoking cessation). It is also believed that second-line prevention (preventive treatments after a cardiovascular event) could reduce the risk of relapse by 30 to 40 percent. For that reason, prevention is now, more than ever, one of the cornerstones of the MHI's mission.

“I am particularly proud to support an institution dear to my heart and renowned in North America and throughout the world in terms of cardiovascular disease research, treatment and prevention,” said L. Jacques M�nard, President of BMO Financial Group, Quebec, upon presenting his company's $2 million contribution to the MHI Foundation.

Here is an overview of the five areas of prevention development at the MHI:

1. Development of current first-line and second-line prevention services
   Significantly improve our first-line and second-line prevention services. More specifically, we would like to ensure that each patient receives systematic and intensive follow-up care according to his or her risk factors. We also plan on offering these services to patients referred by doctors working in medical clinics and CLSCs.
2. Community involvement of the MHI and EPIC Centre
   Influence the population and decision makers in the area of prevention. Through a strategic partnership with the Acti-Menu group, we will organize prevention activities for schools, businesses, the media and the general public.
3. Support for the development of prevention centres in Montreal and outlying regions
   Continue to develop a unique and practical training model in heart disease prevention to be taught then applied across all regions of the Province of Quebec.
4. Teaching prevention to the health professionals of today and tomorrow
   In partnership with the Universit� de Montr�al, pursue the development of a specific and comprehensive teaching program on prevention intended for all health professionals, including doctors.
5. Research development and partnership
   Significantly increase research efforts in terms of lifestyle changes. Prevention research is, in fact, an integral part of the three main research areas at the MHI (vascular axis, myocardial axis and electrophysiology).

“When I talk to my patients about prevention, they answer ‘We must all die sometime',” says Dr. Martin Juneau, Director of Prevention at the Montreal Heart Institute. And who wants to live even an extra year when disease is eating away at you? Recently, however, we've learned that a healthy lifestyle can make those senior days much more pleasant. The real question to ask ourselves should be: In what state of health do I want to be between 60 and 85?

“The same trend has been observed across all Western countries; lack of physical exercise and junk food will not only kill our young people prematurely compared to previous generations but will also ruin their final days,” explained Dr. Juneau. “Cardiovascular diseases do not just mean a heart attack followed by death. They also mean strokes and heart failure, which sabotage a person's last years of life.”

The MHI Foundation
The Montreal Heart Institute Foundation supports research and technological development at the Montreal Heart Institute, thereby promoting the excellence of a world-renowned institution dedicated to serving the population of Quebec.

Montreal Heart Institute
Founded in 1954 by Dr. Paul David, the Montreal Heart Institute strives constantly for the highest standards of excellence in the area of cardiovascular health through its leadership role in prevention, ultra-specialized care, professional training, clinical and basic research and new technologies evaluation. Affiliated with the Universit� de Montr�al, its clinical results rank among the best in the world.

BMO Financial Group
Founded in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group has a long history of community involvement and contributed more than $50 million in corporate donations and sponsorships in 2007, supporting numerous universities and health-care facilities in Quebec. BMO's gift of two million dollars to the Foundation of the Montreal Hearth Institute is the second largest ever gift by BMO in Quebec.

- 30 -

Dr. Martin Juneau, Prevention Director at the Montreal Hearth Institute, L. Jacques M�nard, President of BMO Financial Group, Quebec, and Louis Tanguay, Chairman of the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation, rode their stationary bikes to acknowledge the $2 million gift by BMO to support the MHI cardiovascular prevention programs.