REPEAT-MEDIA ADVISORY/PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: BMO Bank of Montreal Celebrates Grand Opening of New Branch in Markham

MARKHAM, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 31, 2012) - Today, BMO Bank of Montreal invites customers and members of the community to celebrate the grand opening of its new full-service branch in Markham at 5221 Highway 7, located at the intersection of Highway 7 and McCowan Road.

The new open-concept branch offers customers extended banking hours - including Saturdays - and is designed to provide a great banking experience through a variety of financial services and conveniences, including:

--  A free coin counter - a simple-to-use kiosk which counts your loose
    change; 
--  Services provided in five languages; 
--  Access to commercial account and deposit services; 
--  Two indoor ATMs; and 
--  Barrier-free access. 

"The GTA represents the heart of the Canadian economy, home to a diverse range of Fortune 500 businesses," said Robert Kavcic, Economist, BMO Capital Markets. "Markham is an important and fast-growing part of the Toronto economy and has seen its population more than double since 1990."

"With the spring home buying season underway, we encourage new and existing members of the community to come in and speak with our team about their home financing needs," said Nancy Chiu, Branch Manager, BMO Bank of Montreal. "BMO offers a new 10-year mortgage with a maximum 25-year amortization, which is modeled after our award-winning 5-year maximum 25-year amortization mortgage."

Ms. Chiu added that choosing a shorter amortization allows Canadians to build equity in their home sooner and save on interest costs. For example, on a $400,000 mortgage at a 5 per cent interest rate, moving from a 30 year to a 25 year amortization can save upwards of $70,000 in interest over the life of the mortgage.

In celebration of the grand opening, customers who use BMO's new Coin Counter at the Britannia & Creditview branch and deposit the funds into a new Premium Rate Savings Account before May 15 will receive a matched deposit from BMO of up to $25.

In addition, customers who open a new BMO Kids Discounted Banking Plan and deposit $25 before April 30 will receive another $25 from BMO to help kick-start their child's savings. For more information, please visit www.bmo.com/smartparentspromo.

BMO SmartSteps for Parents is part of BMO's ongoing commitment to Making Money Make Sense. Since 2009, BMO has introduced various tools to help Canadians stay on top of their personal finances, including BMO SmartSteps, BMO SmartSteps for Business, BMO SmartSteps for Students, BMO SmartSteps for Investing and BMO MoneyLogic.

BMO's new Markham branch hours of operation are:

--  9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Wednesday; 
--  9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday; and 
--  9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday. 

Ms. Chiu is joined by a team of 14 financial professionals including a financial planner, a mortgage specialist and a BMO Nesbitt Burns advisor.

Grand Opening Details:                                                      
                                                                            
Who:    Frank Scarpitti, Mayor, Town of Markham                             
        Carolina Moretti, Councillor, Ward 4, Town of Markham               
        Andrew Auerbach, Senior Vice President, BMO Bank of Montreal        
        Vivien Yung, Personal Banking Area Manager, BMO Bank of Montreal    
        Nancy Chiu, Branch Manager, BMO Bank of Montreal                    
                                                                            
What:   Grand Opening Celebration - Markham Branch                          
         - Great giveaways and a chance to win a BMO Guaranteed Investment  
           Certificate (GIC) contribution of $1000                          
         - Complimentary refreshments, sandwiches and desserts              
         - Formal celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony                   
         - Family-fun activities including a balloon twister, a traditional 
           lion dancer and photo opportunities with BMO the Bear            
                                                                            
When:   Saturday, March 31, 2012, from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.               
         - Speeches and ribbon-cutting will commence at noon                
                                                                            
Where:  BMO Bank of Montreal - 900-5221 Highway #7, Markham, ON L3R1N3      

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.