The Medicine River Wildlife Centre’s land conservancy to grow, ensuring continued protection of local wildlife and natural habitat

(July 6, 2009) CALGARY, AB – The Medicine River Wildlife Centre (MRWC) plans to add an additional 150 acres of wild bush and slough to its existing 300 acre nature reserve just outside of Innisfail, AB, thanks in part to support from several local TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) Chapters. "Supporting the Medicine River Wildlife Centre’s efforts is a natural fit for us, as we're committed to helping our community learn more about how they can preserve and protect the environment and wildlife in their own backyard,” said Andrew Gartner, Branch Manager, TD Canada Trust and Central Alberta TD FEF Chapter Coordinator.

The MRWC operates a wildlife hospital and environmental education centre, treating over 1000 injured and orphaned wild animals each year and assisting their return back to their natural environment.

“In addition to caring for animals in-need, promoting an understanding and respect for wildlife within the community is a key part of our mandate,” said Carol Kelly, Executive Director of the MRWC. “Each year we welcome about 12,000 visitors to our Centre, helping them explore and understand Alberta’s unique wildlife.”

The MRWC, founded in 1984, treats approximately 1000 wildlife patients each year from all across Alberta. For more information on the MRWC, visit www.medicineriverwildlifecentre.ca. TD FEF is a unique partnership that brings Canadians, and TD Bank Financial Group – including its customers and employees -- together to help protect Canada's wildlife and environment.

“In fact, together Alberta’s TD FEF Chapters have provided more than $4 million in funding to 1086 projects across the province since 1990,” added Chandler.

The local TD FEF Chapter meets regularly to review funding requests from local applicants, and they encourage regional non-profit organizations with a charitable registration number and schools to apply online at www.tdfef.com.

TD FEF supports a wide range of projects, including:

• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Education programs for children
• Environmental cleanups
• Tree planting campaigns
• Conservation and recycling initiatives
• Urban renewal

There are several ways that the Alberta community can get involved with the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation:

• They can make a donation knowing that 100% of your contribution will be spent in Central Alberta communities.
• They can volunteer for an environmental project like the TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup taking place September 19-27, 2009
• They can volunteer to be apart of our local advisory board, helping allocated TD FEF dollars to local, grassroots environmental projects.

About TD Friends of the Environment Foundation:

Since 1990, TD FEF has provided $47 million in funding to over 17,500 grassroots environment and wildlife projects across Canada. In 2008, FEF provided more than $3 million in support of over 800 projects. Thousands of Canadians -- including TD customers and employees -- donate to TD FEF on a monthly basis and TD Bank Financial Group contributes in excess of $1 million annually. TD also covers the management costs of running TD FEF; this ensures 100 percent of every dollar donated goes directly to funding environment and wildlife projects in the community where the donation was made. For more information on how to donate and get involved in your community, visit www.tdfef.com.

For further information:

Aurora Bonin Regional Manager, Western Canada
TD Friends of the Environment Foundation
TD Bank Financial Group
Phone: 604-654-8832
Email: aurora.bonin@td.com
www.tdfef.com