NEWS RELEASE January 6, 2011 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NOTICE OF INTERIM RATES City of Thompson water and wastewater utility

Thompson, MB – January 6, 2011 – During a special meeting held on December 29, 2010, city council approved the implementation of a water and wastewater utility for the City of Thompson. At the same time, council set and accepted the utilities interim rate schedule: $0.62/cubic metre for water and $0.47/cubic metre for wastewater.

Interim rates effective as of January 1, 2011:

The Public Utilities Board (PUB), through Order 139/10, has approved the utility rates on an interim basis. In the fall of 2011, the PUB will conduct a detailed review of the City’s revenue requirements and rate application. Following this review, which will include a public hearing process, the PUB will issue an order that will set the water and wastewater utility rates for 2012 and 2013. From January to March 2010, customers will not be required to pay for their actual water usage as metered readings will not begin until the first week of January. Therefore, the first utility bill, which will be issued at the end of January, will only include the minimum quarterly bill charge of $67.17. In March, customers will be billed for their January to March usage and invoiced for the following three months, April to June. The interim rates provide adequate revenues for the operation and maintenance of the utility and allow the City to proceed with studies that will help determine its future capital plans. Consideration of these matters will take place during the subsequent review. The City has been recovering costs associated with the operations of the utility through

$/cubic metre Interim Rates January 1, 2011

Water $0.62

Sewer $0.47

Quarterly Service Charge $50.82

Minimum Quarterly Bill (includes a minimum usage of 5 cubic metres per month, or 15 cubic metres per quarter)

$67.17

Bulk $6.00

taxation; however, rates will now be based on consumption and billed quarterly, and taxes should no longer be affected by the operation and maintenance of the utility. Utility customers are encouraged to contact City Hall for more information on how they may be affected by these interim rates. Please visit City Hall or call 204.677.7910.

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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.