News Releases

KITCHENER, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 27, 2012) - BMO Chief Economist Dr. Sherry Cooper will be the keynote speaker - addressing the economic and financial outlook for Canada and the U.S. - at the third annual fundraising event for hospitals in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, ON.

The fundraiser will benefit the foundations of St. Mary's General Hospital, Cambridge Memorial Hospital and Grand River Hospital by providing funds towards a CT Scanner, capital expansion and Interventional Radiology equipment. Now in its third year, the event will provide an opportunity to hear one of Canada's leading economists.

"The Foundation board and staff are thrilled that the proceeds from this event will support our upcoming Capital Redevelopment process," said Jennifer White, Executive Director of the Cambridge Memorial Hospital Foundation. "This five-year $25 million campaign will help fund the building of a 175,000 square foot wing and the complete renovation of all remaining inpatient units - an additional 78 000 square feet. This transformational campaign will benefit patients throughout the region and will allow us to continue to provide excellent patient care in a brand new facility. We are grateful to BMO for its continued support."

"BMO is proud to host this event for the third year in a row. Over the past two years, we've raised $115,000 for Waterloo Region hospitals, and we expect similar success this year," said Susan Brown, Senior Vice President for BMO Bank of Montreal, Ontario Regional Division. Our company and employees are committed to improving the communities in which we live and work, and this fundraiser allows us to make a significant contribution to healthcare in the area."

Dr. Cooper will be available for interviews and photo opportunities from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m.

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 $538 billion as at January 31, 2012, and more than 47,000 employees, BMO Financial Group provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and solutions.