News Releases

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 5, 2013) -

Editors Note: There is a photo associated with this press release.

BMO Financial Group announced a donation of $250,000 in Laurentian University's Goodman School of Mines. The gift was presented at BMO's offices at First Canadian Place, at a gathering held during the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada International Convention and Trade Show.

"We are delighted to count BMO Financial Group among the significant private sector supporters of our Goodman School of Mines," said Laurentian University President and Vice-Chancellor, Dominic Giroux. "I believe that we share a sincere conviction that both graduate education and life-long learning for mid-career professionals will enrich and strengthen the mining industry in Canada and abroad."

"At BMO Financial Group we believe in personal growth and achievement through continuous learning and access to education. We're impressed with the vision of the Goodman School of Mines at Laurentian University, and with its focus on training the next generation of mining professionals in Canada," said Jason Neal, Managing Director & Global Co-Head, Global Metals & Mining, BMO Capital Markets.

The BMO Financial Group investment will be used to support the Goodman School of Mines in its objectives, which include:

• Enhancing the skills of future professionals in mineral exploration and mining, in areas such as occupational health and safety, Indigenous relations, mining management and finance;
• Driving the creation of executive programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, in modular, short-course or distance education formats, and other delivery mechanisms as opportunities may arise;
• Formalizing new provincial, national and international alliances with other post-secondary institutions, including an International Network of Schools of Mines with Laurentian serving as a major hub;
• Doubling enrolment in mining related programs by 2020; and
• Improving the university experience for students in Earth Sciences and Engineering.

"This investment by one of the largest financial service organizations in the country is a welcome indication of support from the investment community," said The Next 50 Campaign Chair Terry MacGibbon. "We are taking the 'long view' in mining education, and we are gratified by the support of partners like BMO Financial Group in this ambitious venture."

About Laurentian University

Laurentian University is one of the fastest growing universities in Canada in the past decade, now serving close to 10,000 students. With its main campus in Sudbury, it now offers a growing number of programs in Barrie to the 1,200 students located on that campus. Laurentian has the highest post-graduation employment rates in Ontario and receives high recognition for its enviable class sizes, having one of the lowest average class sizes in Canada.

For more information on Laurentian University visit www.laurentian.ca.

About BMO Financial Group

For more than 195 years, BMO Financial Group has believed in community reinvestment and corporate and social responsibility in the communities it serves. In 2012, BMO contributed more than $87.6 million in donations, sponsorships and events in Canada and the United States to groups, organizations and programs that help build and sustain resilient, vital and healthy communities.

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