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TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - May 13, 2010) - BMO Financial Group (TSX:BMO)(NYSE:BMO) today announced that effective May 7^th, 2010, Jones Heward Investment Counsel Inc. has changed its name to BMO Asset Management Inc. in Canada and, with its global asset management affiliates, will operate under the BMO Asset Management brand.

Under its new name, BMO Asset Management Inc. will continue to provide its current high standard of Canadian investment management services. Under the BMO Asset Management brand, its services and those of its affiliates Harris Investment Management, Inc. in Chicago, HIM Monegy Inc. in Toronto and Pyrford International Ltd. in the United Kingdom will be made available where appropriate for each client's investment objectives.

The names of the pooled funds that are affected by this re-branding will be changing to reflect this new corporate identity.

About BMO Asset Management Inc.

BMO Asset Management Inc. has been a wholly-owned subsidiary within the BMO Financial Group since 1994 and over the past 16 years has grown and evolved into a multi-discipline institutional investment management company with over $38 billion in assets under management as at December 31, 2009. Today the company manages assets for mutual funds, pooled funds, wrap accounts, separately managed institutional client accounts and, most recently, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).

About BMO Financial Group

Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group is a highly-diversified North American financial services organization. With total assets under management of $399 billion as at January 31, 2010, and more than 36,000 employees, BMO Financial Group provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and solutions.