In the spirit of the holiday season, 72% of Canadians will make
    charitable donationsMONTREAL, Dec. 17 /CNW/ - This holiday season, Canadians are stuffing
their stockings with more than gifts and indulgences - they're making a
conscious effort to support charities that are important to them.
    Scotiabank's 2008 Holiday Poll reveals that 72% of Canadians are planning
to make a personal donation to charity this holiday season. Despite uncertain
economic times, this year's result is consistent with last year's finding of
73%.
    "At a time when some areas of charitable giving are declining, the
continued generosity of individual Canadians is more important than ever
before," said Malcolm Burrows, Scotia Trust Head of Philanthropic Advisory
Services. "It's heartening to see Canadians acknowledge and support the great
work that charities do in our communities, especially around the holiday
season."
    The Holiday Poll also found that women (52%) are more likely than men
(45%) to say they will donate to charity this holiday season. Canadians who
are 50 years or older are more likely to say they will give.
    "Contributions to charitable organizations extend beyond writing a cheque
and are important year-round. We applaud the countless volunteers who help
empower community organizations throughout Quebec and Eastern Ontario and
across the country," said Diane Giard, Scotiabank Senior Vice-President,
Quebec and Eastern Ontario Region. "Supporting the organizations, the
volunteers and the communities where we live and work is a commitment that
Scotiabank shares and we encourage our employees to extend the spirit of
community giving even further by volunteering their time and skills to support
community causes important to them."
    In Quebec and Eastern Ontario, 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 supported in this community, representing the broad-base of
important local initiatives:-   Canadian Cancer Society, Relay for Life
    -   Centraide du Grand Montreal
    -   United Way
    -   Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
    -   Fondation de l'Hôpital Sainte-Justine
    -   Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
    -   Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation
    -   Ottawa Hospital Foundation
    -   Prostate Cancer - Ride for Dad, Ottawa
    -   Roger's House, Walk/Run/Roll
    -   Terry Fox Walk/Run
    -   Association d'entraide Le Chainon inc.
    -   Fondation Mira
    -   Le Phare, Enfants et Familles
    -   B'nai Brith Canada
    -   Fondation Hôpital Sacré-Coeur de Montréal
    -   Fondation pour la recherche en chirurgie thoracique
    -   Enfant-retour Québec
    -   Université du Québec a Montréal
    -   Université du Sherbrooke
    -   Université du Québec a Trois-Rivières
    -   Fondation Centre hospitalier régional de Trois-Rivières
    -   Fondation Centre hospitalier de vallées de l'Outaouais
    -   Concordia University
    -   Fondation Centre Hospitalier Pierre Boucher
    -   Fondation de L'Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont
    -   Fondation de L'Universite Laval
    -   St. Mary's Hospital Foundation, MontrealThis study was conducted for Scotiabank using Harris/Decima's national
telephone omnibus - teleVox. Data collection was conducted via CATI (Computer
Assisted Telephone Interviewing). A total of 1,029 interviews were completed
between December 4 and 6, 2008. 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 +/- 3.1
percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
    Harris/Decima completed 1,006 online surveys among a random sample of
Harris/Decima panel members. The study was conducted between November 11th,
2008 and 17th, 2008. This was a standard panel survey among a random sample of
Canadian panel members. In a fashion similar to a telephone study, email
addresses from Harris/Decima's panel were pulled at random, according to
population and gender specifications, in order to make the study
representative of the Canadian population by region and gender. When contacted
to solicit participation, participants had no prior knowledge of the subject
matter of the study. Harris/Decima controls access to the study through
passwords to ensure that respondents can participate only one time. Subsequent
to completion of the study, the data was weighted for region, age, and gender.

    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 2008 the Bank provided about $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. Visit us online
at www.scotiabank.com.