TORONTO, ON TD Canada Trust announced that it will assume title sponsorship of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival starting in the 2004 season. At a press conference held on October 30, 2003 in Toronto, TD Canada Trust also confirmed the acquisition of title sponsorship of the jazz festivals in Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax, and has established supporting sponsorships of the jazz festivals in Victoria, Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg and Montreal.

“We ‘re very excited to support the success of jazz festivals in communities across Canada,” said Chris Armstrong, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, TD Bank Financial Group. “These events are deeply rooted in Canada’s cultural scene and contribute greatly to their local communities by generating revenue and tourism. TD Canada Trust wants to help ensure their continuation so that Canadians can enjoy these events for years to come.”

TD Canada Trust has committed to a four-year, multi-million dollar sponsorship of the 10 festivals. Corporately, TD Bank Financial Group will also be announcing some upcoming community programs involving youth and music events in the host cities.

The Vancouver International Jazz Festival is world renown for its innovative and exciting programming, celebratory atmosphere and community spirit. A burgeoning and spectacular cultural event now entering its 19th year, the 10-day festival draws almost half a million visitors to 40 venues with over 400 performances featuring more than 1700 international artists.

“This is outstanding news for both the festival and our community,” said Robert Kerr, Executive Director, Coastal Jazz & Blues Society, producer of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. “The Jazz Festival has become Vancouver’s largest and most popular festival through the support of incredible fans, volunteers and community partners. With Bill C-71 banning tobacco company sponsorships we have been hard at work to find a new title sponsor for this much loved festival. Our success with TD Canada Trust speaks to the strength of our event and its position in the community. This announcement also speaks volumes about the strength of the Canadian jazz festival scene overall, and I'm proud to have been able to work with my jazz festival colleagues across Canada to create this unprecedented sponsorship. Our sponsorship partners are critical to the growth and continuation of these important community events, and we ‘re thrilled to have TD Canada Trust on board.”

“From the beginning, the Vancouver International Jazz Festival has offered our audiences musical diversity and innovation, through the world ‘s most creative artists in jazz, world and improvised music, “ said Ken Pickering, Artistic Director of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. “This new sponsorship enables the festival to continue this wonderful tradition in one of the most beautiful environments anywhere.”

“Contributing to the growth and vitality of our communities is a core value at TD Canada Trust,” said Armstrong. “We were looking for ways to extend our own brand positioning of comfort, and we believe this relationship with the jazz festivals is a natural fit. These events are about enjoyment and accessibility, and allow customers to experience our brand in a different way.”

Stats Canada estimates that nearly one in four (23 per cent) or 5.5 million Canadians attend arts and cultural festivals. These events play an important role in local communities.

Jazz Festivals Overview

• The TD Canada Trust Vancouver International Jazz Festival will take place June 25 July 4, 2004. Founded in 1986, it attracts more than 450,000 attendees.

• The TD Canada Trust Jazz Festival -Calgary will happen in June 25 July 4, 2004. Founded in 1998, it generates attendance of more than 120,000.

• The TD Canada Trust Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival will take place from June 25-July 4, 2004. Founded in 1987, this festival generates a loyal audience in excess of 400,000.

• The TD Canada Trust Ottawa International Jazz Festival will happen in June 2004. Founded in 1980, it generates attendance of more than 200,000 visitors to its paid and free events.

• The TD Canada Trust Atlantic Jazz Festival, Halifax will happen July 9-18, 2004. Founded in 1987, it generates attendance of more than 65,000.

• JazzFest International Victoria will happen June 25 July 4, 2003. Founded in 1985, it traditionally attracts more than 35,000 attendees.

• The Jazz City International Music Festival in Edmonton will happen June 25 July 4, 2004. Founded in 1980, it generates attendance of more than 90,000.

• The SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival will happen in June. Founded in 1986, it generates attendance of more than 40,000.

• The Jazz Winnipeg Festival will happen June 17 26, 2004. Founded in 1990, it generates attendance of more than 40,000 attendees.

• The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal will happen June 30 26, 2004. Founded in 1979, it generates attendance of more than 1.7 million.

TD Bank Financial Group is committed to supporting music and jazz in Canada. In addition to supporting the ten jazz festivals, TD Bank Financial Group sponsors Learning Through The Arts, a public school program created by the Royal Conservatory of Music, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and the Canadian Opera Company, and also supports a variety of local, regional and national programs across Canada promoting literacy, health, education and the environment.

About TD Bank Financial Group

The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Financial Group. In Canada and around the world, TD Bank Financial Group serves more than 13 million customers in three key businesses: personal and commercial banking including TD Canada Trust; wealth management including the global operations of TD Waterhouse; and a leading wholesale bank, TD Securities, operating in a number of locations in key financial centres around the globe. TD Bank Financial Group also ranks among the world's leading on-line financial services firms, with more than 4.5 million on-line customers. TD Bank Financial Group had CDN $302 billion in assets, as of July 31, 2003. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges under the symbol “TD “.