News Releases

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct. 18, 2011) - BMO Bank of Montreal invites members of the community to celebrate the grand opening of its new full-service branch located at 591 Queen Street West, Toronto, on Wednesday, October 19^th.

"Toronto is the economic heart of Canada, and the local economy continues to gather momentum," said Robert Kavcic, Economist, BMO Capital Markets. "The jobless rate has fallen below 8 per cent for the first time in almost three years, and average home prices have risen nearly 9 per cent in the past year, to a record level."

The Trinity-Spadina area has often been referred to as a microcosm of Toronto at-large, featuring a balance of residential neighbourhoods, commercial activity and historical roots. Located on the border of Toronto's famed Chinatown and Kensington neighbourhoods, the new BMO facility is one of Toronto's newest BMO branches and is designed to serve the growing needs of this diverse community. In an open-concept layout, the branch is outfitted with the latest banking conveniences including sit-down wickets, access to commercial and deposit services, two ATMs and a free-of-charge coin counting machine.

"We are not only excited to be celebrating the grand opening of our branch, but this week we are also recognizing the enormous contribution that small businesses make to our national economy," said Gitta Jongedijk, Branch Manager, BMO Bank of Montreal. "With this in mind, we encourage members of the community and local business owners to come in and speak with our team about their financial needs, including our commercial banking services. For instance, business owners can take advantage of BMO SmartSteps for Business, an online assessment tool which generates a free, customized Action Plan in minutes with solutions to help entrepreneurs run their business more efficiently."

Interested media are welcome to attend the event and are asked to RSVP by contacting Rachael McKay at rachael.mckay@bmo.com or (416) 867-3996.

Grand Opening Details:

Who	Alex Dousmanis-Curtis, Senior Vice President, Greater Toronto Division, BMO Bank of Montreal
	Lily Capriotti, District Vice President, Greater Toronto – Central, BMO Bank of Montreal
	Gitta Jongedijk, Branch Manager, BMO Bank of Montreal
What	Grand Opening Celebration – Queen Street West & Portland Branch
	•	Great give-aways and prizes including a raffle draw with the chance to win one of three 'Gift Certificate' prizes valued at $500 each. Prize includes gift certificates to Calphalon Culinary Center ($250), The Healthy Butcher Shop ($150) and the LCBO ($100).
	•	Complimentary cocktail party featuring Ontario wine pairings.
	•	Official ribbon-cutting ceremony and photo opportunities.
When	Wednesday, October 19, 2011, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET
	Speeches and ribbon-cutting at 8:00 p.m. ET
Where	BMO Bank of Montreal Queen & Portland Branch
	519 Queen Street West
	Toronto, Ontario
	M5V 2B7