The new TELUS House Toronto: taking the "LEED" in healthy design, innovation
and environmental sustainability

Technology-driven 25 York Street delivers a truly mobile workforce

TORONTO, May 26 /CNW/ - Toronto luminaries, honoured guests and members of the TELUS team celebrated the opening of TELUS House Toronto today, opening the doors of the new $250 million tower at the heart of Canada's business epicentre. TELUS House Toronto is built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certification, an internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance sustainable buildings.

Darren Entwistle, TELUS president and CEO, the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment, and Peter Menkes, president of Menkes Developments, praised TELUS House Toronto at 25 York Street as one of the most publicly accessible, technologically advanced and environmentally sustainable buildings in North America.

"Since 2000, TELUS has invested $18.6 billion to bring advanced technologies and services to our clients in Ontario," said Mr. Entwistle. "The official opening of TELUS House Toronto marks a decade of investment and drive to put down deep roots in Ontario. This magnificent building not only sets a new standard for energy conservation and environmental leadership, it also demonstrates TELUS' resolute commitment to our team, customers and communities here. We are honoured to celebrate the new home of more than 1,600 TELUS team members and are excited to have it take a place in Toronto's signature skyline."

The 30-storey TELUS House offers street-level access as the newest leg of the PATH connecting commuters to the busiest transit hub in the country. It also aligns with Waterfront Toronto's revitalization project to bring sustainable developments that create deeper connections to the waterfront.

"Congratulations to Darren Entwistle and Peter Menkes for taking the 'go-green' philosophy to heart and having the vision to design and build a signature tower that sets a precedent for innovation and environmental sustainability in the city of Toronto," said the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment.

Designed by Adamson Architects with support from Sweeney Sterling Finlayson & Co. Architects, TELUS House Toronto's advanced heating and cooling system reduces the cost of energy by up to 60 per cent; its auto-dimming allows for a 25 per cent reduction in energy consumption; and the storm water management system recycles water for washrooms and outdoor irrigation and reduces TELUS' water consumption by 10,000 litres per year.

"Menkes is proud to be leading a new era in commercial real estate development in Toronto," said Peter Menkes, president of Menkes Developments. "In partnership with TELUS, we celebrate the new TELUS House Toronto, a building that engages with Toronto through its environmental sustainability, its architectural beauty and its public accessibility."

TELUS House Toronto brings together TELUS team members from 15 offices across the GTA and is wired to create a truly mobile workforce. Championing the technology at their fingertips, TELUS team members can work on any floor, in shared spaces and connect virtually with team members across Canada. Technological advancements like Telepresence - super high definition video conferencing - allow for virtual meetings and have reduced travel costs at TELUS by an incredible 40 per cent.

As a committed member of the community, TELUS will invest $5 million to support community projects in Ontario in 2010. The TELUS Toronto Community Board, comprised of local community and business leaders, will donate $600,000 to local grassroots charities across Toronto and the GTA this year. Since 2005 the Board has donated over $3 million to local organizations including SKETCH, The Toronto Friendship Centre and Eva's Phoenix. Since 2000, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed nearly $23 million and 150,000 volunteer hours to more than 760 charitable and community organizations in Ontario.

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $9.6 billion of annual revenue and 11.9 million customer connections including 6.6 million wireless subscribers, 3.9 million wireline network access lines, 1.2 million Internet subscribers and 200,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed $158 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 3.1 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Nine 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.

/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/

For further information: For media inquiries, please contact: Megan Fielding, TELUS Media Relations, [phone], [email protected]