TORONTO, ON - February 27, 2014 /CNW/ - The Canadian Tire Family of Companies and Scotiabank today announced that they are getting families back into action and on the ice as they respond to outdoor municipal ice rink closures by the City of Toronto. With March Break around the corner and cold weather showing no signs of letting up, Canadian Tire and Scotiabank are stepping in to help offset the costs of keeping municipal rinks open to help Torontonians enjoy the last few weeks of winter.

Building on Canadian Tire's commitment to keeping Canadians active, and fresh off its national "Hoser" campaign -- honouring Canada's best backyard and community rink builders -- Canadian Tire is proud to partner with Scotiabank to keep 11 outdoor rinks open across Toronto. 

"Enjoying a winter skate is part of life in Canada and one of the great Canadian family traditions," said Susan O'Brien, Vice President, Canadian Tire. "Our We All Play for Canada program is about inspiring Canadians through the power of sport and active play, aiming to create healthier families and healthier communities. We look forward to working with Scotiabank and the City to help keep Torontonians active and enjoying the cold weather activities that define life in Canada."

Scotiabank is committed to supporting communities both in Canada and abroad through its global philanthropic program, 'Bright Future'. Scotiabank has a long tradition of supporting Canadian hockey from local teams and minor hockey associations to professional players and leagues.

"There is something so truly Canadian about an outdoor rink, whether you are skating or playing hockey," John Doig, Chief Marketing Officer, Scotiabank. "We believe it's important to build teamwork, camaraderie and sportsmanship in both hockey and the community -- and we think keeping these rinks open a little while longer will help. We are excited to be partnering on this with Canadian Tire and we want to encourage other companies to join us in helping the City of Toronto keep even more rinks open for families to enjoy."

ABOUT CANADIAN TIRE
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited, (TSX: CTC.A)(TSX: CTC) or "CTC," is a family of businesses that includes a retail segment, a financial services division and CT REIT. Our retail business is led by Canadian Tire, which was founded in 1922 and provides Canadians with products for life in Canada across its Living, Playing, Fixing, Automotive and Seasonal categories. PartSource and Gas+ are key parts of the Canadian Tire network. The retail segment also includes Mark's, a leading source for casual and industrial wear, and FGL Sports (Sport Chek, Hockey Experts, Sports Experts, National Sports, Intersport, Pro Hockey Life and Atmosphere), which offers the best active wear brands. The nearly 1,700 retail and gasoline outlets are supported and strengthened by our Financial Services division and the approximately 85,000 people employed across the Company. For more information, visit Corp.CanadianTire.ca.

ABOUT SCOTIABANK
Scotiabank is the Official Bank of the NHL®, NHL Alumni™, CWHL, Vancouver Canucks®., Winnipeg Jets®, Toronto Maple Leafs®, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers® and the Calgary Flames® whose home arena is the Scotiabank Saddledome. The Bank also has a partnership with the Montreal Canadiens®. Scotiabank has a long tradition of supporting hockey in Canada from local teams and minor hockey associations to professional players and leagues. Across Canadian communities coast to coast, Scotiabank's Community Hockey Sponsorship Program reaches out to over 5,000 minor hockey teams. To find out more about Scotiabank's hockey programs, please visit www.facebook.com/scotiahockeyclub.

Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad, through our global philanthropic program, 'Bright Future'. Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has provided on average approximately $47 million annually to community causes around the world over each of the last five years. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com.

For further information: 

Erin Chard
North Strategic
905-806-2956
Erin.Chard@northstrategic.com

Sharon Lassman
Canadian Tire
647-530-4826
Sharon.Lassman@cantire.com

Diana Hart
Scotiabank
647-821-3849
Diana.hart@scotiabank.com