NEWS RELEASE December 21, 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Extended store hours for Boxing Day

Thompson, MB - December 21, 2010 – The Province of Manitoba has passed legislation that allows retailers to extend their hours of operation on Boxing Day when that shopping day falls on a Sunday. However, municipalities have the option to restrict these hours of operation, and following a debate on December 20 at City Hall, mayor and council decided to support the changes made by the Province. Therefore, in 2010, retailers in Thompson are permitted to operate with extended hours on Boxing Day, Sunday, December 26. Each individual retailer can extend their Boxing Day hours if they choose to do so. The City of Thompson would also like to remind all retailers and customers that on December 31, 2010 the Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban will become effective. Please remember to bring your own reusable shopping bags. Visit thompson.ca or facebook/cityofthompson for details.

-30- On behalf of the City of Thompson, contact: Tammy Lee Marche, BullMarket Consulting Ltd. 204.679.5436 tmarche@bullmarketconsulting.com The City of Thompson is the third largest city in Manitoba and home to a diverse population of 13,446 people. Known as the Hub of the North, Thompson is the regional trade and service centre of northern Manitoba, representing an additional 36,000 – 65,000 Manitobans. As such, it has all of the services and amenities of a much larger urban centre. The city is located 830 kilometers north of the international border, and 739 kilometers north of the provincial capital of Winnipeg.