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IR Magazine: Investment Community Nominates Best in Investor Relations

Nominees announced for this year's IR Magazine Canada Awards

Despite the global financial crisis, the investment community found praise for top-flight investor relations professionals in the research for the 12th annual IR Magazine Canada Awards. An independent survey of investors and analysts provides the basis for the awards, which will be one bright spot of celebration in a chilly economic climate. Only 17 percent of respondents said they had been getting less information from companies since the credit crunch hit.

The nominees are from across a wide range of companies and sectors, including oil & gas, finance and mining. Once again this year, the survey process focused especially on smaller-cap companies to more accurately reflect the makeup of the Canadian market.

The survey was conducted by Mary Maude Research using samples provided by Thomson Reuters and Equicom and additional data from TSX Group. To identify the nominees in two special categories, PrecisionIR Group surveyed retail investors and Erdos & Morgan surveyed US investment professionals. The complete results of the survey will be published in IR magazine's Investor Perception Study, Canada 2009.

The winners will be announced at a gala event at the Fairmont Royal York on Thursday, February 5, 2009. Leading companies will be recognized in categories including best investor relations officer, best corporate governance, and best IR in the US market by a Canadian company.

The event will be hosted in association with The Globe and Mail and is co-sponsored by Barnes McInerney, Bell, Broadridge, Business Wire, CCR Solutions, CIBC Mellon, the Canadian Investor Relations Institute, CNSX Canadian National Stock Exchange, CNW Group, Computershare / Georgeson, Laurel Hill Advisory Group, Marketwire, NASDAQ OMX, NYSE Euronext, otcQX, and Toronto Stock Exchange.

A full list of this year's nominees is available below, or on our website at www.irmagazinecanada.com.

The IR magazine investor perception studies together make up the world's largest survey of this kind, canvassing over 5,000 analysts and investors in more than 10 countries and regions. Survey respondents nominate companies in specific categories and offer their opinions on IR-related topics and trends. For more information on the study, please contact Kate Giblin at the number listed at the bottom of this release.

About Cross Border Ltd and IR magazine

Cross Border Ltd is the publisher in New York and London of IR magazine, the only global publication focused on the interface between companies and their investors. IR magazine hosts annual awards ceremonies in the US, Europe, Canada, the Nordic region, Asia, Brazil and Ireland, with a combined annual attendance of around 8,000 investor relations professionals. Visit www.thecrossbordergroup.com for more details.

Full list of nominees

Grand prix for best overall investor relations
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Mega-cap(i)
CN
Rogers Communications
Suncor Energy
TD Bank Financial Group

Large-cap(i)
ARC Energy Trust
Corus Entertainment
Eldorado Gold Corporation
Precision Drilling Trust
Trinidad Drilling

Mid-cap(i)
Canadian Hydro Developers
Cascades
Cineplex Entertainment
Maple Leaf Foods

Small-cap(i)
Allon Therapeutics
Computer Modelling Group
Logibec Groupe Informatique

(i) Note about market caps: Mega-cap (over $10 bn), large-cap ($1 bn
to $10 bn), mid-cap ($250 to $1 bn) and small-cap (under $250 mn) all
refer to market capitalization as of the end of August 2008. The survey
was conducted in October and November 2008.

Best investor relations officer
------------------------------------------------------------
Mega-cap
Bob Noorigian - CN
Bruce Mann - Rogers Communications
John Rogers - Suncor Energy

Large-cap
David Smith - Agnico-Eagle Mines
David Carey - ARC Energy Trust
Chaya Cooperberg - BFI Canada
Greg Kist - Progress

Small or mid-cap
Didier Filion - Cascades
Pat Marshall - Cineplex Entertainment
Dale Noseworthy - Killam Properties
Nicole Sayler - Matrikon

Best investor relations by a CEO
------------------------------------------------------------
John Cassaday - Corus Entertainment
Patrick Daniel - Enbridge
Kevin McArthur - Goldcorp
Kevin Neveu - Precision Drilling Trust
Edmund Clark - TD Bank Financial Group

Best annual report
------------------------------------------------------------
CN
PotashCorp
TD Bank Financial Group
TELUS

Best use of conferencing
------------------------------------------------------------
EnCana
Rogers Communications
TD Bank Financial Group

Best corporate governance
------------------------------------------------------------
CN
EnCana
RBC
Scotiabank

Most progress in investor relations
------------------------------------------------------------
GLV
Kinross Gold Corporation
Trinidad Drilling

Best investor relations by a CFO - under $10 bn market cap
------------------------------------------------------------
David Garofalo - Agnico-Eagle Mines
Derek Aylesworth - Baytex Energy Trust
Tom Medvedic - Calfrac Well Services
 (SVP, corporate development as of 11/17/08)
Huw Thomas - Canadian Tire Corporation

Best investment community meetings - under $10 bn market cap
------------------------------------------------------------
Addax Petroleum Corporation
Agnico-Eagle Mines
Canadian Tire Corporation
Cineplex Entertainment

Best investor relations website - under $10 bn market cap
------------------------------------------------------------
CGI Group
Coastal Contacts
First Quantum Minerals
SNC-Lavalin

Best practice of corporate social responsibility
-------------------------------------------------------------
Addax Petroleum Corporation
Barrick Gold
Suncor Energy
TELUS

Best IR by a TSX Venture Exchange company
------------------------------------------------------------
Cervus Limited Partnership
Diamonds North Resources
Pure Technologies
VIQ Solutions

Best IR in the US market by a Canadian company
------------------------------------------------------------
EnCana
PotashCorp
Research In Motion
Suncor Energy

Best retail investor communications
------------------------------------------------------------
RBC
Research In Motion
TD Bank Financial Group