RETRANSMISSION/Standard Life Gives Boost to Three Montreal Charities

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - April 9, 2015) -

Editors Note: Ten photos for this release are available on the Canadian Press picture wire via Marketwired.

Standard Life announces that following the sale of its Canadian companies earlier this year and the winding up of the Standard Life Canadian Foundation, it is making three substantial donations to organisations in Montréal. The donations will create new partnerships and provide sustainable support to benefit future generations.

Standard Life first set up an office in Canada in 1833, becoming the first company to sell life insurance in the country. It has been contributing to the progress of communities across Canada ever since.

Speaking in Montréal today, David Nish, Chief Executive, Standard Life, said: "We have entered a new chapter of our history in Canada, a country we are proud to have a long and continuing commitment to. Montréal has been a home to our business and our people for 170 years and our presence in Canada goes back even further. We're keen to celebrate our long-standing connection and to continue to contribute to the society and rich heritage we have been part of for so long. So I'm delighted to announce we are making donations to The YMCAs of Québec, the McCord Museum and Heritage Montréal. Our purpose is to help build a more prosperous world and the funds we are donating will bring benefit for generations to come."

Three Donations for the Future

• The Standard Life Youth Fund - a partnership with The YMCAs of Québec to support youth programmes and help young people in Montréal to reach their full potential. A gift donation of C$750,000 will be used to establish an endowment fund to support the community now and in the future. The YMCAs of Québec are long standing partners of Standard Life who always aims to help people take a real step forward and achieve more.
• Standard Life - Notman Fund - a partnership with the McCord Museum to support the important Notman Collection of 400,000 historically invaluable photographs which provide a unique visual history of Quebec, Canada and Montréal. A C$475,000 gift donation will be used to create an endowment fund that will provide a sustainable source of income. Originally from Glasgow, William Notman (1826-1891) was a 19^th century pioneer of new technologies. Standard Life has several of Notman's historic images in its own archives.
• Donation to Heritage Montréal of C$100,000 to create an online toolkit that will help policymakers and Montréalers make informed decisions about their urban landscape. Heritage Montréal has been working to promote the protection of the architectural, historic, natural and cultural heritage of Greater Montréal since 1975.

Stéphane Vaillancourt, President and CEO at The YMCAs of Québec commented: "I am extremely pleased to see such an important international organization place their trust in our ability to capitalize on their donation and help even more young people in more communities to thrive and reach their full potential."

Suzanne Sauvage, President and Chief Executive Officer, McCord Museum, said: "The Standard Life - Notman Fund will enable us to further preserve, develop and share the Notman collection, which contains more than 400,000 photographs, including 200,000 glass plate negatives, portraits and landscapes of priceless historical value. It is one of the most significant collections of its type in Canada, and we are very grateful to Standard Life for its generosity. This celebrated photographer and businessman of Scottish origin will be the subject of a major exhibition in 2017, accompanied by an extensive catalogue."

Marie-Claude Landry, Chief Executive Director, Heritage Montréal added: "We are delighted as this partnership will mean that Montréalers will have new ways to explore and understand their city and to become engaged in its future. The project for an interactive web platform will bring to light many different corners of a city whose heritage is undeniable. Heritage Montréal is very proud and thankful to Standard Life for making this project possible."

Notes to Editors

Standard Life plc is a leading long term investment savings business, dedicated to helping to build a more prosperous world and enabling people to have confidence in their own future. This has been important to Standard Life since it was established in Edinburgh in 1825. Around 4.5 million customers worldwide trust Standard Life with their financial future, and the company supports a further 20 million customers through its Chinese and Indian joint venture businesses.

The sale of Standard Life's Canadian companies to Manulife completed at the end of January 2015. The transaction with Manulife includes a Global Collaboration Agreement where Manulife will seek to distribute Standard Life Investments' funds in Canada, the US and Asia. Standard Life Investments and Manulife will also explore other potential opportunities for collaboration between their respective investment capabilities and distribution platforms.

Standard Life's first "director for Canada" was posted in Montreal in 1846. Shortly after, Standard Life opened its first Montreal office in 19 St James Street. The Standard Life Canadian Foundation was established by Standard Life and its employees to mark the 175^th anniversary of Standard Life Canada.

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