Government of Canada Supports Youth Employment Program in Saskatchewan

SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN-Feb. 18, 2009 - At-risk Aboriginal youth facing barriers to employment are getting valuable job-preparation training thanks to the Government of Canada's investment in a local employment program. Mr. Maurice Vellacott, Member of Parliament for Saskatoon-Wanuskewin, made the announcement today on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.

"In today's environment, it is more important than ever that youth develop the skills to help them participate and succeed in the job market," said Mr. Vellacott. "By working with our provincial and community partners to support this project, we are helping at-risk young Canadians gain the skills, knowledge and work experience they need to reach their potential."

The Generations Ahead Family Learning Centre, through its Work Preparation Project, will help six at-risk Aboriginal youth in the Rosthern area develop life and job skills to ease the transition to work or to return to school. This project will receive over $37,000 in funding through the federal Youth Employment Strategy's Skills Link program.

"Our on-site and funding partnerships with North West Regional College, the Rosthern Employment Program, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada's Skills Link program, CanSask, the Prairie Spirit School Division and the Town of Rosthern, as well as a new partnership with the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Literacy Network and many close ties with the Aboriginal community, make Generations Ahead an ideal resource for serving the local youth and community of Rosthern," said Ms. Donna Lerat, Executive Director of Generations Ahead Family Learning Centre Inc.

Skills Link is part of the Government of Canada's strategy to create the best-educated, most-skilled and most flexible work force in the world. The Government underscored this commitment in January when it introduced Canada's Economic Action Plan. A key component of the Plan is to create more and better opportunities for Canadian workers through skills development.

"We are delighted to partner with the Government of Canada to assist more First Nations and Metis youth," Saskatchewan Advanced Education, Employment and Labour Minister Rob Norris said. "By gaining valuable knowledge and skills, these young people will be well positioned to contribute to and benefit from the economic growth underway in our province."

The federal government works in partnership with the provinces and territories and other stakeholders to ensure that Canadians get the training, skills and opportunities they need to participate in the work force and contribute to the quality of life in their communities.

Zarlink Enables Fast Synchronous Ethernet Upgrade for Existing Carrier Equipment

Zarlink standards-compliant solutions allow simple upgrade of PDH/SONET/SDH equipment to include Synchronous Ethernet and support cost-effective delivery of time-sensitive services over IP networks
OTTAWA, CANADA--(Marketwire - Feb. 18, 2009) - Zarlink Semiconductor Inc. (TSX:ZL) today expanded its market-proven Synchronous Ethernet portfolio with new solutions for timing card and line card applications. These single-chip solutions help service providers increase revenue and lower operating costs by ensuring accurate end-to-end transmission of voice, video, data and wireless applications and services over packet networks.

Zarlink is the only supplier offering single-chip Synchronous Ethernet solutions in full compliance with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU-T) G.8262 recommendation, while supporting very low jitter clocks for both 1 GbE and 10 GbE PHYs. Zarlink is helping guide the development of standards governing Synchronous Ethernet timing requirements, including editing the ITU-T G.8262 recommendation. Full compliance with this recommendation is essential for service providers as they plan the synchronization of packet networks.

Zarlink's new timing card and line card solutions support both PDH/SONET/SDH and Synchronous Ethernet frequencies to offer a seamless interface between traditional and Ethernet clock domains. For equipment manufacturers, this translates into a simple, quick and cost-effective line card upgrade to fully support Synchronous Ethernet. Zarlink is already shipping its new Synchronous Ethernet solutions in volume, with lead customers designing the chips into access, wireless, router and metro Ethernet applications.

"Carriers are demanding new technologies that lower operating costs and enable revenue-generating communication services, translating into growing demand for Synchronous Ethernet solutions," said Jeremy Lewis, product line manager with Zarlink's Timing and Synchronization group. "Zarlink delivers the most comprehensive portfolio of integrated, ITU-T G.8262 compliant Synchronous Ethernet solutions tailored for the full range of architectures. The fully featured solutions provide unparalleled performance and integration to help our customers reduce costs and quickly deliver products to market."

Comprehensive Synchronous Ethernet portfolio

Zarlink's expanded Synchronous Ethernet portfolio includes two devices with integrated analog and digital phase locked loops (APLL/DPLL) targeting central timing cards in carrier-grade networking equipment. The ZL(TM)30143 Synchronous Ethernet timing card device provides two independent DPLLs for applications that require independent transmit and receive timing paths, while the ZL30142 device uses a single DPLL for clock and/or frame pulse synchronization. Both devices require only an inexpensive temperature controlled crystal oscillator (TCXO) to achieve full ITU-T G.8262 compliance, including low bandwidth wander filtering requirements, to enable high performance and lower design costs. The devices support full hitless reference switching for any frequencies on any combination of inputs.

Zarlink's Synchronous Ethernet portfolio also includes two devices tailored to line card applications. The ZL30146 chip incorporates two independently configurable DPLLs for PDH/SONET/SDH and Ethernet network interface cards requiring both transmit and receive paths between the backplane and physical layer. The ZL30145 provides one DPLL for clock synchronization, and delivers rate conversion and jitter attenuation compliant performance for Synchronous Ethernet, SDH and SONET equipment. To help lower design costs, the devices require only off-the-shelf, low-cost 20 MHz oscillators or even a crystal. In comparison, competing devices require an expensive high precision clock or high frequency rate oscillator.

The Government of Canada Supports Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People

TORONTO, ONTARIO-Feb. 18, 2009 - The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, today announced funding for the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People (LKTYP) before attending a performance of The Forbidden Phoenix.

This funding will support the Theatre's 2009-2010 season for schools and general public audiences. The Theatre will present a total of six productions focusing on youth activism for children aged 3 to 18. The presentations will include international and national theatre, puppetry, and multimedia work.

"Our Government recognizes that creativity and innovation are vital to our Canadian cultural life and to our economy," said Minister Moore. "The Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People was at one time home to horses that pulled the Toronto Street Railway Company's streetcars. The award-winning conversion of this space into a well-designed theatre and studio space is a prime example of what can happen when talent, innovation, and infrastructure come together."

"In addition to producing its own theatre, Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People is a dedicated presenter of professional theatre for young audiences from the finest Canadian artists," said Nancy Webster, Managing Director, LKTYP. "For many years, the Government of Canada has ensured that the diverse audience we serve may access this excellent work."

The Theatre's current show, The Forbidden Phoenix, is a mix of martial arts, musical drama, and Peking opera. Nearly 400 students in grades 3 to 6 from four schools in the Greater Toronto Area attended today's performance.

The Government of Canada has provided $70,000 through the Arts Presentation Canada Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage. This program gives Canadians increased access to the diversity and richness of Canada's culture through professional arts festivals, presentation of live professional performances, and other artistic experiences.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Expands Footprint in India

Fairmont Jaipur to Open in 2010

TORONTO, ONTARIO- Feb. 18, 2009 - Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has announced its second project in India, Fairmont Jaipur. Scheduled to open in 2010, the hotel, located in Rajasthan in the northwest of India, joins Fairmont Hyderabad as the luxury hotel brand's first forays into the Indian market. The property is being developed by Capricorn Hospitality Investments India, Limited and its local partner.

The 248-room hotel will offer guests a variety of restaurants and bars, including a poolside bar, a 10,000 square foot Willow Stream spa, and a 5,000 square foot health club. To accommodate the area's growing meetings market, there will also be a 48,500 square foot Convention Center as well as gardens that can host over 1000 guests, perfect for business functions or weddings. The building's design will reflect the city's rich cultural heritage and the Fairmont Jaipur will be located not far from the Amber Fort, one of the area's major landmarks.

Jaipur is a popular tourist and meetings destination, considered part of the "Golden Triangle" travel circuit, along with Delhi and Agra. Its history dates back almost three hundred years, and it was the first planned city in India, resulting in broad avenues and plentiful gardens. Known as the "Pink City", as many buildings were painted pink to mark the arrival of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) in 1876, Jaipur offers charm along with striking architecture, on display in its many temples, palaces and heritage buildings. Attractions include the Amber and Jaigarh Forts, which reflect the medieval architecture of India, and the Jantar Mantar observatory. The city is also gaining prominence as a commercial destination, with established industries in handicrafts, gems, garments and textiles and future investment from international companies in the information technology and biotechnology fields.

"We're proud to be affiliated with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, and look forward to building on the brand's growing presence in India," stated Hitesh Bhayani, Executive Finance Director, Capricorn Hospitality. "We're confident that with a global reputation for hospitality excellence, and a commitment to reflecting the best of a community in its hotels, Fairmont Jaipur will embody the rich history and culture of this city."

The Fairmont Jaipur joins another property opening in 2010, the Fairmont Hyderabad, in the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The hotel, conveniently located near the growing business development area of the city will feature 350 rooms and suites, meeting and function space and varied recreational facilities.

"This second development in India highlights our commitment to global brand expansion, particularly in Asia, where Fairmont Jaipur will join a growing collection of hotels in South Asia and South East Asia including Singapore and Manila," said Thomas W. Storey, President, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. "India is a new and exciting market for us, with great future potential, and represents another destination to showcase to our discerning guests."

Fairmont Jaipur joins the growing number of new Fairmont developments across the globe, including the Fairmont Zimbali, South Africa; Fairmont Anguilla; Fairmont Abu Dhabi Creek and Fairmont Peace Hotel, Shanghai.

ABOUT FAIRMONT HOTELS & RESORTS

A leader in the global hospitality industry, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is an extraordinary collection of luxury hotels, which includes iconic landmarks like the Fairmont Singapore, Fairmont Le Montreux Palace in Switzerland and New York's The Plaza. Fairmont hotels are one-of-a-kind properties where sophisticated travellers can discover culturally rich experiences that are authentic to the destination. Situated in some of the most exclusive and pristine areas in the world, Fairmont is committed to responsible tourism and is an industry leader in sustainable hotel management with its award-winning Green Partnership program. Fairmont's portfolio includes 56 distinctive hotels, with plans to develop over 20 new properties in the coming years in destinations as diverse as Shanghai, Abu Dhabi and Anguilla.

Government of Canada Supports More Than 800 Projects Across Canada for Seniors

OTTAWA, ONTARIO-Feb. 18, 2009 - The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and the Honourable Marjory LeBreton, Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister of State (Seniors), today announced the Government of Canada's support for more than 800 New Horizons for Seniors Program projects across the country. These projects will ensure that seniors have the opportunity to participate and take an active leadership role in their communities.

Ministers Finley and LeBreton made the announcement at an event held at Lifetime Networks Ottawa, which received funding for its project entitled Mentoring Seniors with Developmentally Disabled Adult Children. Under this project, seniors in the community will mentor other seniors by sharing skills and knowledge to help plan for the future of their adult children with disabilities and develop social networks.

"The Government of Canada is proud to support seniors in strengthening our communities and building our country," said Minister Finley. "These projects across Canada enable seniors to continue participating and taking leadership roles in their communities."

Total funding for these projects under the Community Participation and Leadership component of the New Horizons for Seniors Program is more than $15 million.

"Our goal is to improve the ability of seniors to make a positive difference in their own lives, and of those around them," said Minister LeBreton. "Seniors possess significant experience and have so much knowledge to share."

The Community Participation and Leadership component of the New Horizons for Seniors Program encourages seniors to continue to play an important role in their communities by helping those in need, providing leadership, and sharing their knowledge and skills with others.

Projects may address a wide range of activities led by seniors that benefit communities. Examples include organizing a volunteer outreach program between seniors and youth, and teaching peers new skills such as gardening or cooking. To receive funding, activities must be based locally and endorsed by the community.

With two additional components of the New Horizons for Seniors Program-Capital Assistance and Elder Abuse Awareness-the overall budget of the Program is now $35 million per year.

Since its beginning, the New Horizons for Seniors Program has funded over 4,200 projects across Canada.

Canada's Economic Action Plan and other recent federal initiatives are also addressing the needs of seniors through the introduction of a series of important measures that include:

- Increasing the Age Credit by $1,000, allowing low- and middle-income seniors to receive up to an additional $150 in annual tax savings, for a total of up to $961 in tax relief.

- Providing seniors with $200 million in tax relief by reducing the required minimum withdrawal to the Registered Retirement Income Fund by 25 per cent.

- Providing $400 million over two years through the Affordable Housing Initiative for the construction of housing units for low-income seniors.

- Helping older workers and their families through these tough economic times by investing an additional $60 million over three years in the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers, and by expanding the number of eligible communities to include older workers in cities with a population of less than 250,000.


New Horizons for Seniors Program

Across Canada, the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) helps to ensure that seniors are able to actively contribute to and benefit from the quality of life in their communities.

Building on the success of the NHSP, in Budget 2007, the Government of Canada increased the Program's budget by $10 million per year to provide capital assistance for repairs to facilities and equipment related to existing seniors' programs, and to raise awareness of elder abuse across Canada. This has increased the total budget for the NHSP to $35 million per year.

As a result of the additional $10 million, the Program offers three types of funding to organizations:

1. Community Participation and Leadership funding (up to $25,000 in funding): this funding supports community-based projects across Canada. The projects encourage seniors to continue to play an important role in their communities by helping those in need, providing leadership and sharing their knowledge and skills with others.

2. Capital Assistance funding (up to $25,000 in funding): this funding helps non-profit organizations that need to upgrade facilities or equipment used for existing seniors' programs and activities. It enables seniors to continue to lead active lives by participating in existing programs and activities in their communities.

3. Elder Abuse Awareness funding (up to $250,000 in funding annually over a maximum of three years): this funding helps non-profit organizations and coalitions raise awareness of the abuse of older adults on a national or regional level. Through this funding, new educational and awareness resources about elder abuse will be available to improve quality of life, safety and security for seniors.



- Funding Breakdown by Province and Territory -

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Province or Territory Number of Projects Total Funding Amount
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Alberta 70 $1,380,370
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British Columbia 70 $1,250,629
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Manitoba 37 $565,939
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New Brunswick 34 $596,992
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Newfoundland and Labrador 19 $379,548
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Northwest Territories 5 $106,400
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Nova Scotia 26 $333,759
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Nunavut 3 $74,000
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Ontario 277 $6,105,293
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Prince Edward Island 9 $119,401
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Quebec 223 $3,800,767
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Saskatchewan 24 $301,493
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Yukon 5 $87,075
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Total 802 $15,101,666
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Minister Finley Delivers Keynote Address at Conference on Housing and Homelessness

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Feb. 18, 2009) - The Government of Canada is helping those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless build a stronger future for themselves.

Today, the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), gave a keynote address at Growing Home: Housing and Homelessness in Canada, the second national conference on homelessness.

"Our government supports many Canadians with housing needs and is fulfilling its commitment to help those seeking to break free of the cycle of homelessness and poverty," said Minister Finley. "That's why I am pleased that our Government's Economic Action Plan outlines major investments for low-income Canadians that will allow governments to work together to improve the quality and energy efficiency of up to 200,000 social housing units for Canadians who need it most."

The Minister delivered the keynote address at the University of Calgary's Faculty of Social Work, as part of a three-day conference aimed at providing a venue for sharing ideas, experiences, research and best practices regarding homelessness. A wide range of individuals attended the conference, including people who are, have been or are at risk of becoming homeless, service providers, policymakers, academics and students.

"Our government is working hard at breaking down barriers that prevent Canadians from achieving self-sufficiency and full participation in society," said Minister Finley.

In September 2008, the Government of Canada announced $1.9 billion over five years for housing and homelessness programs for low-income Canadians. This funding will ensure we can continue to assist those who need support, including homeless people and those at risk of homelessness-low-income Canadians, seniors, people with disabilities, recent immigrants and Aboriginal Canadians.

This funding was confirmed in the Economic Action Plan. In addition, the Government is taking action to strengthen the country's economy with a further investment of more than $2 billion over two years to build new and renovate existing social housing, as well as up to $2 billion in low-cost loans to fund housing-related infrastructure.

The Homelessness Partnering Strategy recognizes that housing stability is essential to self-sufficiency and full participation in Canadian society. It focuses on transitional and supportive housing to help people overcome homelessness. With its clear goals of improved partnerships, enhanced sustainability and tangible results, the Strategy provides concrete, meaningful and lasting results for Canadians in need.

As Canada's national housing agency, CMHC draws on more than 60 years of experience to help Canadians gain access to a variety of quality, environmentally sustainable, and affordable homes-homes that will continue to create vibrant, healthy communities and cities across the country.

Quorum Announces Revenue Milestone

Total Monthly Support Revenue Surpasses $1.4 million for the Fourth Quarter

CALGARY, ALBERTA- Feb. 18, 2009 - Quorum Information Technologies Inc. (TSX VENTURE:QIS) (Quorum) announced today that its core recurring operational revenue continues to grow. Quorum has four key revenue streams; recurring support, migrations, integration services and new sales. Recurring support revenues are a significant key to the valuation, profitability and cash flow of the company. For the fourth quarter of FY2008, Quorum will report recurring support revenues of over $1.4 million, an increase of 21% over the $1.16 million reported in Q4 2007. Recurring support revenue is now almost two thirds (2/3) of Quorum's total quarterly revenue. Quorum will report fourth quarter and annual results on all revenue streams in April 2009.

Migrations revenue is generated from selling services and hardware to bring existing customers up to the current technology platform so that they can convert to the latest version of XSELLERATOR(tm) and the IDMS program offered by General Motors. Currently, of Quorum's 230 customers, more than 190 customers are now migrated. Expectations are for the balance of customers to migrate prior to the end of Q2 2009.

Integration Services with General Motors continues to move forward with several key Parts integration points being released in the U.S. in February, specifically:

- Parts Workbench "Material Returns and Part Claims" (U.S.) is the replacement functionality from the previous RAPID system that was decommissioned by GM.

- Parts Invoice Parts Workbench "Parts Invoice" (U.S.) is a new ebXML interface that will all dealerships to view and print invoice reports in XSELLERATOR.

- Parts Workbench "Parts Shipment" (U.S.) involves integration between GM and XSELLERATOR with regard to parts shipment information.

A number of new integration functions have already been deployed in the past few months in the U.S., including Parts Order, Parts Availability, SPAC Inquiry and Parts Information. These integration points create substantial efficiencies and move Parts staff towards conducting most of their job functions using XSELLERATOR.

Several integration points to support dealerships' Sales functions are also being released in the U.S. in February, including:

- Sales Workbench "Send Deal" - Vehicle Sale quotes initiated on the Sales Workbench can be sent to the Quorum DMS creating a new vehicle sale record.

- Sales Workbench "Vehicle Locate" - Allows the user to make a request for vehicle status from the sales workbench. The web service will advise the user if a vehicle is "In Quote", "Quote Approved", "Blocked by Sales", "Available".

And in Canada:

- Open Leads Interface (OLI) - This project will replace the leads available to GM Dealers in Canada via GM Global Connect spreadsheets with a true STAR standard lead interface. The leads will be received from GM and flow into the XSellerator customer prospecting area.

Finally, testing is currently underway for the following integration for the U.S. and Canada:

- Customer Delivery Reporting (CDR) - this interface developed in the U.S. designed to electronically submit delivery records from XSELLERATOR to GM will also replace the Canadian version known as VDR.

- Global Warranty Management (GWM) - This integration point will replace the current GM WINS warranty claim integration.

"Although the current dealership environment is difficult, our sales group continues to offer creative sales programs to prospective new customers. There has never been a better time for a dealership to purchase XSELLERATOR, and we continue to sell systems. Given market conditions, however, we expect our new sales to be down for 2009," commented Maury Marks, Quorum's President and CEO. "As a result, we have reduced our cost structure to a level where we forecast that by Q2 FY2009, our recurring support and integration services revenues will cover over 95% of our fixed costs.

In other news, the Company has cancelled 1.64 million employees' and consultants' options. The Company has issued 1.86 million new options to employees and consultants at $0.15 per share. The options are governed by the Company stock option plan and are an important component of the Company's employee compensation and retention strategy.

About Quorum

Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Quorum's focus is on developing, marketing, implementing and supporting its DMS products for the automotive vertical. Quorum's suite of dealership and customer management software products automate, integrate and streamline every process across departments in a dealership. One of the select North American suppliers of General Motors' IDMS, Quorum is the third largest DMS provider for GM's Canadian dealerships with over 20% of the market. Quorum is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and Field-Level Managed ISV in both Canada and the United States. Quorum Information Technologies is traded on the Toronto Venture Exchange (TSX-V) under the symbol QIS.