Holiday Poll finds that 66 per cent of British Columbians are giving
    gifts to a charity this holiday season

    VANCOUVER, Dec. 21 /CNW/ - At a time of year when people are looking
forward to gifts and indulgences, Scotiabank's 2007 Holiday Poll reveals that
73 per cent of Canadians are also planning to make a personal donation to
charity this holiday season.
    "It's great to see that, for many Canadians, getting caught up in the
spirit of the season includes setting aside part of their gift giving budget
to remember community organizations that need help all year round. Supporting
the organizations and the communities in which we live and work is a
commitment that Scotiabank shares," said David Poole, Scotiabank Senior
Vice-President, B.C. and Yukon Region. "Through our philanthropic sponsorships
and donations, we are committed to enriching the lives of people and
charitable organizations in our communities."
    Residents in the Atlantic provinces ranked highest among those who
indicated they will make a personal donation to a charity this holiday season,
followed closely by residents in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, the Prairies and
B.C. However, the majority (83 %) of Canadians are not planning to make a
charitable donation in lieu of giving a gift to those on their holiday gift
list.Canadian  Atlantic  Quebec  Ontario  Prairie  Alberta   B.C.
                  Total %     %         %       %        %        %        %
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Definitely will  52       61       50       54       55       51      47
    Probably will    21       24       25       21       13       20      19
    Will donate
     (net)           73       85       75       75       68       71      66
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Holiday Poll also found that women (77%) are more likely than men
(69%) to say they will donate to charity this holiday season. Canadians who
are 35 years or older are more likely to say they will give whereas younger
Canadians tend to be more undecided.
    "Contributions to charitable organizations extend beyond writing a cheque
and aren't limited to the holidays either. It's important to recognize the
annual commitment made by volunteers who help power community organizations
throughout B.C. and across the country," added Mr. Poole. "At Scotiabank, our
employees help extend our spirit of community giving even further by
volunteering their time and skills to support community causes that are
important to them, their friends, family and customers."
    Scotiabank supports a number of local community organizations and causes
which reflect what is important to customers, employees and shareholders. The
following are a few of the many charities that Scotiabank and its employees
have supported over fiscal 2007 within B.C. This is not an inclusive list, but
represents the broad-base of important local initiatives that Scotiabank is
proud to support:

    -   Abreast In A Boat Society - Breast Cancer Dragon Boat team
    -   Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver
    -   British Columbia Children's Hospital Foundation
    -   British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
        (SPCA)
    -   British Columbia Institute of Technology
    -   Heart and Stroke Foundation of British Columbia & Yukon
    -   Junior Achievement of British Columbia
    -   Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific
    -   Lions Gate Hospital Foundation
    -   Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, B.C. Division
    -   Rick Hansen Foundation
    -   Simon Fraser University, Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue
    -   St. Paul's Hospital Foundation
    -   United Way of the Lower Mainland
    -   University of British Columbia
    -   University of Northern British Columbia
    -   Whistler Adaptive Sports Program
    -   Zajac FoundationThis study was conducted for Scotiabank using Decima's teleVox panel.
Data collection was conducted via CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone
Interviewing). A total of 774 interviews were completed between December 7 and
10, 2007. A random sample was generated for the month of December and quotas
were established by each region. The quotas were instilled to maintain an
adequate number of completed interviews in Canada's three largest markets:
Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. Final data are weighted by age and sex within
region and are considered accurate to within +/- 3.5 percentage points,
19 times out of 20.

    Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live
and work, both in Canada and abroad. Recognized as a leader internationally
and among Canadian corporations for its charitable donations and philanthropic
activities, in 2007 the Bank provided more than $43 million in sponsorships
and donations to a variety of projects and initiatives, primarily in the areas
of healthcare, education, social services and arts and culture. Scotiabank is
on the World Wide Web at www.scotiabank.com.