May 26, 2008 - OTTAWA, ON

Today Skate Canada announced that Oshawa, Ont., will be
the host for the 2009 BMO Synchronized Skating
Championships. The event will run from Feb. 26 - March 1,
2009 at the General Motors Centre.

"We are very excited to bring the 2009 BMO Synchronized
Skating Championships to Oshawa," said Skate Canada CEO
William Thompson. "Synchronized skating is a unique
discipline of our sport that requires precision teamwork
at great speed. This will give the inhabitants of the
Greater Toronto Area the chance to experience the
vitality and energy of a team sport that can rock the
building with excitement."

"BMO Financial Group is proud of its partnership with
Skate Canada and is pleased to be the title sponsor of
the BMO Skate Canada Synchronized Championships for a
thirteenth consecutive year," said Sandy Bourne,
Vice-President, Advertising, Sponsorships, Corporate
Events and Merchandising, BMO Financial Group. "Our
support of synchronized skating in Canada fosters a
spirit of involvement and a passion for skating in the
communities we serve."

The 2009 BMO Synchronized Skating Championships will
bring approximately 1,400 skaters from across the country
to Oshawa.

"We are absolutely ecstatic to welcome the BMO Skate
Canada Synchronized Skating Championships to Oshawa",
stated Vince Vella, for Global Spectrum Facility
Management in conjunction with Maple Leaf Sports and
Entertainment at General Motors Centre. "This is an
event which puts the spotlight on world class athletes in
an elite event. We are pleased to work with Skate Canada
for the first time at General Motors Centre".

Competitive teams will compete for national titles in the
senior, junior, novice and adult categories. The top two
senior teams will go on to represent Canada at the 2009
ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships in Zagreb,
Croatia, taking place April 2-4, 2009.

The 2009 BMO Skate Canada Synchronized Figure Skating
Championships will also provide the opportunity for
skaters in the Festival SynchroSkate Program a chance to
compete at a national level competition. Festival teams
will compete in the festival open, festival novice,
festival junior and festival adult categories.

http://www.skatecanada.ca/en/news_views/press_room/news_releases/2008/may26.cfm