CN Future Links Kicks off Community Tour in Kamloops Region with 15 Golf in Schools Adoptions

CN reaches 135 Golf in Schools adoptions since 2013 as part of their dedication to junior golf and the community

KAMLOOPS, BC, June 8, 2015 /CNW/ - CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) and Golf Canada announced the continuation of CN's school adoption program this year in Kamloops as an extension of their dedication to junior golf through the CN Future Links Community Tour. 

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150608/221450)

Close to 50 students from both Sk'elep School of Excellence and Pinantan Lake Elementary celebrated with a CN Future Links Field Trip event on Friday, June 5^th at Mount Paul Golf Course in honour of CN's recent adoption of 15 local schools in the Kamloops region. Students received lessons in safety, putting, driving and chipping from Head Professional, Danny Latten.

As part of CN's focus towards safety, each of the 15 adopted schools will receive an all-encompassing rail safety demonstration from CN's partner, Operation Lifesaver, a national organization dedicated to keeping Canadian kids and the public safe around all rail tracks.

"Junior golf is a perfect fit for our focus on health and safety within our physical education curriculum," said Denise Harper, Chair of the Board of Education for Kamloops District No. 73. "Our school board is very thankful to have the opportunity to introduce the sport and its life-long lessons to our students for many years to come."

The celebration at Mount Paul marks 135 schools adopted by CN since 2013, reinforcing their vision of helping communities share in the health and safety values associated with junior golf. The Kamloops region was also the first of three communities visited in 2015 by the CN Future Links Community Tour, a nation-wide event that brings the values of junior golf to regions across Canada.

"CN is proud to extend our support of junior golf to Canadian students through the school adoption program," said Claude Mongeau, CN President and Chief Executive Officer. "Kamloops is an important operations centre on CN's network and we are very pleased to share the CN Future Links Community Tour experience with the community."

The first Community Tour event of 2015 touched down the following day (Jun. 6) in the heart of Kamloops at The Bandshell at Riverside Park, engaging community youth and attendees in various golf activities in addition to rail safety tips from CN Police.

"CN continues to move the needle in terms of initiating creative ways to expose golf to Canada's youth," said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada's Chief Sport Officer. "The Community Tour is a very exciting national initiative for introducing golf in fun, community-based festival environments across the country—an engaging method of taking the sport directly to youth."

Current CN Future Links programming includes the Learn to Play program as well as mobile clinics, PGA Jr. League, Girls Club, Field Trip and the CN Future Links Championships. As part of its investment in Canadian junior golf, CN is also a proud supporter of Golf in Schools.

In 2014, CN Future Links junior golf activities were conducted at 455 golf facilities with more than 7,000 juniors registered in the Learn to Play program. In addition, 160 golf facilities took part in the Junior Skills Challenge running more than 3,200 juniors through qualifying events. More than 56,000 youngsters participated in more than 1,200 mobile golf clinics across the country. Since 2006, more than 1.2 million children have been introduced to golf through the CN Future Links program.

ABOUT CN
CN is a true backbone of the economy, transporting more than C$250 billion worth of goods annually for a wide range of business sectors, ranging from resource products to manufactured products to consumer goods, across a rail network spanning Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico. CN – Canadian National Railway Company, along with its operating railway subsidiaries -- serves the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the metropolitan areas of Toronto, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For more information on CN, visit the company's website at www.cn.ca. (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI).

ABOUT CN FUTURE LINKS
CN Future Links is Canada's national junior golf program conducted by Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada and Canada's provincial golf associations. The program is designed to forge a link between Canada's youth and golf to ensure the future of the game in Canada. Since the inception of the program in 1996, more than 1.2 million young Canadians have taken part in CN Future Links. A number of new initiatives, including Field Trips and Learn to Play, have succeeded through CN's sponsorship of the program.  For more information, visit www.cnfuturelinks.com.

Golf Canada's CN Future Links program is proudly sponsored by CN, Acura, Cobra Puma Golf and supported by ClubLink, Heritage Canada and the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA).

ABOUT OPERATION LIFESAVER

Established in Canada in 1981, Operation Lifesaver is a national public-rail safety program sponsored by Transport Canada and the Railway Association of Canada. Through partnerships with provincial safety councils, police, railways, the trucking industry and community groups, Operation Lifesaver is dedicated to saving lives by educating Canadians about the hazards surrounding highway/railway crossings and trespassing on railway property.

Operation Lifesaver spreads its motto of "Look, Listen and Live" through its many year-long initiatives that complement PRSW, including interactive kids websites, online new and professional driver education modules, and social media outreach on Twitter and Facebook. Additionally, OL's network of volunteers conducts more than 500 rail safety presentations and activities across Canada each year.

ABOUT THE PGA OF CANADA—THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE GAME OF GOLF:
Established in 1911, the PGA of Canada is the second oldest and third largest professional golf association in the world. The PGA of Canada is a non-profit Association comprised of 3,700 golf professionals across the country. The Association's mandate is to develop, promote and support our Members as experts in the game and business of golf and, in so doing, serve both its Members' needs and those of the golfing public through the Association's varied programs and events. The Association consists of the National Office located in Acton, Ont., and nine Zone Offices across the country.
www.pgaofcanada.com

GOLF CANADA – LOVE THE GAME. GROW THE GAME.
Golf Canada is the National Sports Organization and governing body for golf in Canada representing close to 310,000 golfers at more than 1,400 member clubs across the country. A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada's mission is to grow participation, excellence and passion in the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. By investing in the growth of the sport and introducing more participants of all ages to the game, our goal is to be relevant to and respected by all Canadian golf enthusiasts from coast to coast. For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit www.golfcanada.ca.

SOURCE CN

Image with caption: "Peter Sampson, Assistant Superintendant at CN and Constable Mark Chupik, CN Police presenting a Golf in Schools banner to Ms . Cody Kelsey from Sk’elep School of Excellence at Mount Paul Golf Course in Kamloops, BC, one of the 15 schools adopted by CN through the 2015 CN Future Links Community Tour. (CNW Group/CN)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150608_C8932_PHOTO_EN_17705.jpg

Image with caption: "Constable Mark Chupik, CN Police talking to kids about rail safety at Mount Paul Golf Course in Kamloops, BC. CN adopted 15 schools in the Kamloops region through the 2015 CN Future Links Community Tour. (CNW Group/CN)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150608_C8932_PHOTO_EN_17706.jpg

CN: Emily Hamer, Regional Manager, CN Public & Government Affairs, Tel: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Golf Canada: Dan Pino, Director, Corporate Communications, Phone: [phone] ext.: 406, Cell: 416-434-5525, Email: [email protected]; Operation Lifesaver: Mike Regimbal, National Director, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]