Métro Newspaper and Les Affaires Are Publishing a Special RRSP Section for Desjardins Securities

MONTREAL, January 26, 2005 —Métro newspaper and Les Affaires are joining forces to publish a special RRSP section simultaneously tomorrow for Desjardins Securities.

  

This marks the first time Métro has linked up with a publication from Transcontinental (part owner of Métro Montréal). The special section gives Desjardins Securities the combined reach of two newspapers and provides it with efficient access to two highly desirable target groups – business people and young active people.

Metro International publishes 43 editions in 17 countries and 16 languages. With 32 million weekly readers around the world, Metro is the largest free daily paper on the planet and the third most read newspaper overall. Canadian editions of Metro are published in Montreal and Toronto. The Montreal edition of Metro is a unit of Metro International and also includes Transcontinental and Gesca as shareholders.

Les Affaires was founded in 1928 and has been a pioneer in the financial news field in Quebec. This weekly newspaper is a key reference source in areas ranging from economics and finance to communications and education. It provides full coverage of economic and financial news as well as reports on the industries and companies that define Quebec. Its weekly readership is 374,000.

Desjardins Securities is the brokerage arm of Mouvement Desjardins, an integrated financial group with a cooperative base. Mouvement Desjardins is the largest financial institution in Quebec and the sixth largest in Canada. Desjardins Securities administers more than $16 billion in assets and has over 40 branches in Quebec and Ontario. It employs more than 1,200 people serving a customer base of individuals, businesses and institutions.

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Source: Mr. Stéphane Gagné / Journal Métro (514) 286-1066, ext. 2264
Mr. Pierre Marcoux / Journal Les Affaires (514) 392-4111
Ms. Carole Foster / Valeurs Mobilières Desjardins (514) 281-4248