Windspeaker business briefs - October

BMO Capital Markets will for a third consecutive year make a donation to
the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, which will assist First Nations, Inuit and Métis students pursuing post-secondary education. BMO Capital Markets support the foundation through its Equity Through Education program. The foundation is among a number of other charities which will benefit from $1.5 million. The total represents one day’s worth of institutional equity trading commissions earned by BMO Capital Markets in Canada and the U.S.

BMO’s Equity Through Education program has raised more than $9.6 million since the launch of the special trading day program in 2005. This translates into assistance to more than 2,000 students through scholarships, bursaries and job search strategy forums. Equity Through Education is a charitable initiative aimed at creating a more diverse workplace by offering support to help people realize their educational ambitions by giving them opportunities they might not otherwise have.

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The National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association (NACCA)

announced performance achievements by Aboriginal Financial Institutions (AFIs) for Fiscal 2010 at its 14th Annual General Meeting in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.

AFIs provided a record $100 million in loans in 2009 and the consolidated AFI loan portfolio now totals $239 million. The AFI loan portfolio has more than doubled from $111 million to $239 million over the course of the last 10 years. The Native Commercial Credit Corporation (Societe de Commercial Autochtone) of Quebec City, Que. was recognized as the overall top performing AFI, while other top achievers, listed alphabetically, were Akaitcho Business Development Corporation of Yellowknife, N.W.T., Community Futures Development Corporation of Central Interior First Nations, Kamloops BC, and Louis Riel Capital Corporation of Winnipeg. NACCA is a membership-driven association of over 50 AFIs with assets in excess of $400 million, spanning the entire country.