News Releases

CALGARY, March 9, 2009 – The Calgary Stampede and BMO Financial Group today announced that BMO has acquired the naming rights to the newly-expanded Roundup Centre in Stampede Park for the next 10 years.

“Our 2700 employees in Alberta are very proud that our relationship goes back to the very beginning. We've been their banker since the first Stampede in 1912, and have been a sponsor for three decades,” said Ted McCarron, Senior Vice President, Prairies Division, BMO Bank of Montreal. “Companies succeed when they support the economic growth of the communities they serve – and Alberta is a driver of growth in the Canadian economy. BMO will continue to play a significant part in that growth as we have done in Calgary since 1886 when there was a population of just 1200.”

“We're very excited that BMO has deepened its relationship with the Calgary Stampede; this is the largest corporate sponsorship in Stampede history,” said Vern Kimball, Chief Executive Officer, Calgary Stampede. “BMO is a great Canadian company, and they have been with us consistently right from the beginning.”

As part of today's announcement, BMO also said that it is increasing its Stampede sponsorship to the highest level: Stampede Champion. This places BMO in exclusive territory as the financial services provider to the Stampede.

About BMO Centre:

• The 265,000-square-foot, year-round meeting and consumer/trade show facility is one of the largest in Western Canada
• The BMO Centre will host roughly 700,000 visitors at 600 events throughout the year
• Earlier this year, for the fifth consecutive year, it was awarded the Consumer's Choice Award as the city's favourite banquet and reception hall

“We're thrilled to be associated with the number one brand in Calgary,” added McCarron. “Putting our distinctive BMO blue on the best meeting and consumer/trade show facility in Alberta is one more way of demonstrating that we are the bank for Albertans and their businesses.”

The partnership between BMO Financial Group and Calgary Stampede also includes the continuation of title sponsorships of the Farm Family Awards, honouring the contribution of those working in the agriculture industry, and BMO Kids' Day, which welcomes more than 30,000 people annually for a free pancake breakfast and plenty of fun family entertainment.

 
George Brookman, Chairman, Calgary Stampede, Ted McCarron, Senior Vice President, Prairies, BMO Bank of Montreal and Vern Kimball, CEO, Calgary Stampede, celebrate the naming of BMO Centre, formerly the Roundup Centre in Stampede Park – the largest sponsorship in Stampede history.

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