BIXI station returns to Hotel Le Germain-Dominion

Residents and visitors are invited to explore Old-Quebec on two wheels

QUEBEC, June 1, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Mr. Alain Ayotte, president of the PBSC Urban Solutions (PBSC) and Ms. Christiane Germain, co-president and CEO of Groupe Germain Hospitalité, are pleased to announce the return of the BIXI station in the parking lot of Le Germain-Dominion Hotel located at 126 Saint-Pierre Street in the Old Port of Quebec.

''We are very happy that BIXI will be back in Quebec for a second year. Approximately 150 trips were made last year. We are confident that many citizens of Quebec City and tourists will use the bikes in greater numbers this year! ", said Mr. Ayotte.

The station has 11 bikes and 11 docking points, and will allow everyone to enjoy of the bike rental system in Quebec. The usage model of the system is very simple. There is a base rate of $ 10 which includes the first hour of use. Each additional half hour is $ 5.

"A ride on BIXI is a fun and environmentally friendly way to discover the historical streets and attractions of the Old Port of Quebec, whether it is for the first or the hundredth time! We are delighted to make this experience available to customers of The Germain-Dominion Hotel as well as all residents and visitors of the area, for a second time" announced Ms. Christiane Germain.

As elsewhere in Canada, the system will be supported by TELUS, BIXI's national partner.

"Whether it is for the citizens of Quebec City or tourists, we encourage everyone to use this environmental friendly mode of public transport. At TELUS, we are dedicated to contribute to a better world by supporting the communities where we live and by supporting innovative initiatives dedicated to creating a healthy environment for all, "said Jean-François St-Germain, vice president of the Quebec City region and public markets at TELUS Quebec.

About BIXI and PBSC Urban Solutions

PBSC Urban Solutions is the organization behind the concept, development and operation of the first large-scale bike sharing system in North America, the BIXI. Destined to become a complementary means of public transportation, this service allows citizens to borrow a bike from a given station, carry out trips and return the bike to any station in the network.

PBSC offers a highly advanced bike sharing system on three continents, to private campuses and cities, such as London (UK), Melbourne (Australia), Minneapolis, Washington and Arlington (USA). PBSC also offers realistic solutions as to alternative transportation and consultant services, both technical and operational.

About Groupe Germain Hospitalité

The Groupe Germain Hospitalité is a family-owned business from Quebec City employing over 500 people nationally. It owns and operates five Le Germain Boutique hotels: one in Quebec, Montreal and Calgary, and two in Toronto. This banner has a warm and comfortable atmosphere, and a personalized service that has received numerous awards.

The company also offers the ALT experience: a hotel concept combining chic design, eco-friendly features and atmosphere at an affordable price. Groupe Germain Hospitalité owns and operates two ALT Hotels, one in Quartier Dix30 in Brossard and one in Quebec City, and plans to have ten across Canada by 2015. In fact, four new ALT Hotels are currently under construction at the Toronto Pearson airport, at the Stanfield International Airport in Halifax, in Montreal'sGriffintown and in downtown Winnipeg.

All of the company's hotels are characterized by impeccable hospitality, unique atmosphere and design. Every year they generate more than 209.000 overnight stays, for a total of nearly 2M since opening of the first property in 1988. For more information, visit www.groupegermain.com

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $10.5 billion of annual revenue and 12.7 million customer connections including 7.4 million wireless subscribers, 3.5 million wireline network access lines and 1.3 million Internet subscribers and more than 550,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed more than $260 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 4.2 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Eleven TELUS Community Boards across Canada lead TELUS‟ local philanthropic initiatives. TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition.

For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

Marie-Hélène Houle
Société de vélo en libre-service
Tél. : [phone], ext. 2053
Cell Phone : [phone]
[email protected]

Stacey Masson
Germain Hospitality Group
514 954-4414 ext. 224
[email protected]

Amélie Cliche
Media relations, TELUS
514-242-8870
[email protected]