BMO Grows to Support Expanding Barrie PopulationLocal Economic Growth Expected to Exceed National Average
BARRIE,             September 15, 2008 –  BMO Bank of Montreal today opened             the doors to its sixth branch in booming Barrie, Ontario. The 6,221             square foot branch is conveniently located in the south-end at Mapleview             and Bryne Drives. The City of Barrie can benefit from familiar faces             and a knowledgeable staff who will provide each customer with a tailored             banking experience. 
“BMO is confident about the economic long-term growth of Barrie,” said         Kelly Hastings, Branch Manager, BMO Bank of Montreal. “Our customers         have been requesting a branch in the south-end area for quite some time.         We are extremely excited to open this new branch and provide an exceptional         customer experience, in a convenient location,” added Ms. Hastings. 
“The Barrie Computer Centre is another example of BMO's         commitment to the City of Barrie. The state-of-the-art data centre provides         a highly-efficient processing infrastructure that supports BMO's operations         worldwide.” 
“Population growth in Barrie was a robust 4.8% per year between         2001 and 2006, well above both the provincial and national rates,” said         Robert Kavcic, Economic Analyst. “In addition, the recent opening         of GO Train services to Toronto has enhanced commuting ease and the ability         of residents to take higher-paying jobs in the downtown core. This is         great for the economy, merchants, and community at large,” added         Mr. Kavcic.
Kelly's team of 14 employees       include: 
    - Customer Service           Representatives
 
    -  Financial Services Managers 
 
    -  BMO Bank         of Montreal Financial Planner 
 
    -  Investment and Retirement Planning 
 
    -             BMO Nesbitt Burns� Investment Advisor
 
BMO's               Barrie branch offers longer hours and will operate from:
    
        
            | Monday to Wednesday | 
            9:30am to 4:30pm | 
        
        
            | Thursday & Friday | 
            9:30am to 8:00pm | 
        
        
            | Saturday | 
            9:30am to 3:00pm | 
        
    
The branch                   is equipped with two Instabank machines for your everyday financial                   transactions as well as a drive-through ABM.
 “Plus if you're one of the millions of AIR MILES collectors         in Canada, we have another reason for you to bank with BMO,” said         Susan Markus, Personal Banking Area Manager. “No other bank can         help you collect faster and redeem more quickly because we are the only         major financial institution that rewards debit and credit card purchases,         including online purchases, with access to a comprehensive choice of         more than 800 reward and travel options,” she said. 
In April, BMO Bank of Montreal enhanced its Mosaik Gold AIR MILES Reward         Option, providing cardholders an exclusive 20 per cent discount on all         AIR MILES flight redemptions worldwide.
The branch will hold a grand opening ceremony on Thursday, October 9,         2008.
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