Caisse centrale Desjardins announces a $500 million issue of Medium Term
Deposit Notes due 2014

MONTREAL , Dec. 1 /CNW Telbec/ - Caisse centrale Desjardins (CCD) announces an issuance of $500 million of Medium Term Deposit Notes due 2014. This $500 million issuance of Notes is the second to be made by CCD under the terms of its short form base shelf prospectus dated March 14, 2008 , which provides for the issuance of a maximum of $5 billion of Notes.

The issuance of Notes announced today is scheduled to close on December 4, 2009 . The Notes shall be dated as of December 4, 2009 and shall mature on December 4, 2014 . They shall bear interest at the rate of 3.114% per annum, payable in arrears in equal semi-annual payments.

The Notes were issued on a marketed basis through a syndicate of agents led by Desjardins Securities Inc. and including BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. and Scotia Capital Inc.

Gross proceeds resulting from the issuance of the Notes will be used by CCD to carry out its functions as financial agent of the Desjardins Group, Canada's largest cooperative financial group, namely in its lending operations to its members, large and medium-sized business corporations and governmental and paragovernmental entities.

The Notes have been rated AA- by Standard & Poor's, a division of the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., Aa1 by Moody's Investors Services, Inc. and AA by DBRS Limited.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy securities in any province, state or jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such province, state or jurisdiction.

The Notes have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws and may not be offered or delivered, directly or indirectly, or sold in the United States absent an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Caisse centrale Desjardins

CCD acts as financial agent of the Desjardins Group. The shares of the capital stock of CCD are held primarily by the Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec which, along with its member caisses, is a full member of CCD, and by the three federations of caisses populaires in Ontario, Manitoba and New-Brunswick , which are auxiliary members of CCD.

About Desjardins Group

Desjardins Group is the largest cooperative financial group in Canada , and the eighth largest in the world, with overall assets of $163 billion . Drawing on the strength of its caisse network in Québec and Ontario, as well as its subsidiaries, several of which are active throughout Canada , Desjardins offers a full range of financial products and services to its 5.8 million individual and business members and clients. Desjardins Group is also home to a wealth of expertise in property and casualty insurance, life and health insurance, wealth management, services for businesses of all sizes, securities brokerage, venture capital, asset management and secure leading-edge virtual access methods, all part of an integrated offer that is the only one of its kind in Canada . One of the largest employers in the country, Desjardins is backed by the knowledge and skills of its 42,000 employees and the commitment of its 6,300 elected officers. To find out more, consult www.desjardins.com.

For further information: (for journalists only): André Chapleau, Director, Media Relations, Desjardins Group, [phone], 1-866-866-7000, ext. 7229, [email protected]