Announcement of the winners of the 13th edition of the Caisse de dépôt et
placement du Québec - Bank of America Merrill Lynch Economic and Financial
Journalism Awards of Excellence

    
             First Prize: Anne Panasuk, Radio-Canada television
                 Second Prize: Daniel Chrétien, L'actualité
                 Third Prize: Martine Turenne, Les Affaires
    

MONTREAL , Jan. 26 /CNW Telbec/ - The winners of the 13th Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec - Bank of America Merrill Lynch Economic and Financial Journalism Awards of Excellence were announced at a ceremony held last night by the Association des économistes québécois (ASDEQ) at the Centre CDP Capital. Three prizes totalling $17,500 were awarded for the prestigious competition, which celebrates the important contribution made by journalists who participate daily in Québec's economic life by providing the public with quality business and financial information that is thorough, critical and accessible.

The first prize, along with a $10,000 award, went to Anne Panasuk of Radio-Canada Télévision for her short report "Le papier commercial" (commercial paper). The second prize, and $5,000 , was awarded to Daniel Chrétien of L'actualité magazine for his story "Les nouveaux monstres des mers" (the new sea monsters). The third prize, and $2,500 , went to Martine Turenne of the Les Affaires newspaper for her report "Plus les femmes travaillent, plus elles ont d'enfants" (the harder women work, the more children they have).

The jury for this 13th edition of the competition comprised Charles A. Carrier, General Manager of ASDEQ; Claude Beauchamp , journalist and former host of the "Capital Action" show on the RDI network; Alain Guilbert, journalist and former President of Transcontinental Publications Inc.; Marie-Agnès Thellier, President and CEO of the Cercle des présidents du Québec and previously in charge of the business pages at Le Journal de Montréal; and Colette Brin , Professor in the Department of Information and Communications, Faculty of Arts, Université Laval.

"I would like to thank the members of the jury who, once again this year, were faced with the difficult task of selecting winners from very high quality reports. This prize publicly not only recognizes journalistic excellence but also promotes economic knowledge among Québecers," Sylvie Dillard , President of ASDEQ and Chair of the Conseil de la science et de la technologie, pointed out.

Guy Savard , Chairman of Merrill Lynch Canada and the prime mover behind the award, said: "The reputation and credibility of the award speak to its importance to the journalistic community and the business world. By recognizing the quality of the reporting and popularization work done by Québec journalists, we are acknowledging the vital role they play in ensuring that Québecers have a better understanding of major financial and economic issues."

"Through in-depth analyses, the diversity of perspectives they present and their talent for explaining complex issues, the journalists who write about finance and the economy give Quebecers a better understanding of our business world," says Michael Sabia , President and CEO of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. "More than ever, they play an essential role in today's context of instantaneous information. The Caisse is proud to continue its association with ASDEQ to recognize excellence in the work of these journalists."

Partners in the prize

The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is a financial institution that manages funds primarily for public and private pension and insurance plans. At December 31, 2008 , it held $120.1 billion of net assets. As one of the leading institutional fund managers in Canada , the Caisse invests in the main financial markets as well as in private equity and real estate. For more information: www.lacaisse.com.

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions. Bank of America Merrill Lynch focuses on middle-market and large corporations, institutional investors, financial institutions and government entities. It provides innovative services in M&A, equity and debt capital raising, lending, trading, risk management, research, and liquidity and payments management. Bank of America Merrill Lynch serves clients in more than 150 countries.

The ASDEQ is the principal organization bringing together economists in Québec and is dedicated to the professional advancement of its approximately 700 members. Its primary objective is to foster awareness of, and knowledge about, the field of economics. ASDEQ is a dynamic association that is open not only to economists, but also to anyone interested in economic and financial issues. The association is becoming increasingly recognized as a vital participant in today's great economic debates. www.asdeq.org.

For further information: Valérie Gonzalo, [phone], [email protected]