No. H175/05
For release August 30, 2005

TRANSPORT MINISTER
ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENTS TO VIA RAIL

OTTAWA — Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre today announced the appointments of Ms. Lore Marie Mirwaldt of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Mr. Kenneth Savage of Chatham, New Brunswick, to the board of directors of Via Rail Canada Inc.

"Mr. Savage has an impressive background in accounting and Ms. Mirwaldt has an impressive background in law," said Mr. Lapierre. "Their combined experience will serve them well as they take up their duties on the board of directors at Via Rail."

Ms. Mirwaldt received a diploma in arbitration from the Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Manitoba and her bachelor of law degree from the University of Manitoba. She practices family law at Mirwaldt and Gray in The Pas and Winnipeg, Manitoba. She currently acts as general counsel to the Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency. In addition to having been a board member on the Canada Ports Corporation in Ottawa, Ms. Mirwaldt has also served as northern continuing legal education coordinator for the Law Society of Manitoba and part-time instructor at the Keewatin Community College in The Pas.

Mr. Savage, a chartered accountant and a certified financial planner, is a retiring partner at KPMG. During his career, he has provided advice on taxation, estate planning, corporate reorganizations, financing, business sale and purchase, projections and forecasts, management information systems and operational management planning. Mr. Savage is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Brunswick, the Financial Planners Standards Council and the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, where he served as treasurer from 2000 to 2003.

Via Rail Canada Inc., a Crown corporation created in 1977, operates Canada’s national passenger rail service. The board of directors is responsible for the management of the business activities and other affairs of the corporation.

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