Sainte-Marguerite, Quebec, August 22 , 2005 – The Commission des loisirs de Sainte-Marguerite Inc. is benefiting from the Farm Credit Canada (FCC) AgriSpirit Fund with a donation of $15,000.

Through the FCC AgriSpirit Fund, a soccer field will be built for the residents of the Municipality of Sainte-Marguerite. It will be a place where the community’s children can take part in sports and enjoy recreational activities in a rural setting. The objective of the project is to improve the quality of life for the next generation of farmers and encourage young people to stay in the area.

Marco Deblois from the Commission des loisirs de Sainte-Marguerite Inc. noted, “Building a soccer field will be good for farm families and all the other residents who want to sign their children up for soccer. The field’s location will provide easy access for everyone. In addition, it will encourage families to stay in the area. Young people and adults alike will be able to take up this wonderful and ever-changing sport.”

“We’re proud to give even more back to rural Canada and to the community of Sainte-Marguerite where our customers and employees live and work,” said FCC District Manager Jocelyn Jeffrey. “The enthusiasm of Canadians is evident in the projects that are being created in our rural communities. It’s that spirit and passion that makes Quebec a great place to live.”

From the 489 applications received this past winter, FCC selected 38 projects from across Canada.

In November 2004, FCC announced the AgriSpirit Fund. This Fund awarded $400,000 towards capital projects for rural communities with populations under 100,000. These projects will receive between $5,000 and $25,000 to create or enhance facilities in their community. A significant amount of time and consideration went into each evaluation including how the project would make a difference in the community.

The FCC AgriSpirit Fund will continue for a second year. Details regarding the eligibility criteria and application process will be posted this fall through the FCC website at www.fcc-fac.ca.

Operating out of 100 offices located primarily in rural Canada, FCC employees are passionate about the business of agriculture. FCC's healthy portfolio of more than $11 billion and 12 consecutive years of portfolio growth are a reflection of our customers' success.

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For more information, please contact:

Jocelyn Jeffrey
Farm Credit Canada
District Manager
(418) 648-5655

Nadine Hakim (Bilingual)
Farm Credit Canada
Corporate Communications
(306) 780-8572