TELUS Corporation to become Naming Donor of Performance and Learning Centre

June 8, 2004

Building National Dreams Campaign Reaches 74 Per Cent of its $60 Million Goal

Toronto - The Royal Conservatory of Music announced an historic relationship today with TELUS Corporation. In addition to a lead gift of $10 million over five years to the Building National Dreams Campaign, TELUS will assist The Royal Conservatory in efforts to raise an additional $5 million for the Campaign from the corporate sector.

The Hon. Bob Rae, Chair of the Board of Directors, also announced that the Campaign has now raised more than $44 million, representing 74 per cent of its total $60 million goal.

In recognition of this generous contribution, the Conservatory's Performance and Learning Centre will be named the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning. Ground-breaking for this state-of-the-art facility is scheduled for late September 2004, with the completed building opening in the fall of 2006.

The Hon. Bob Rae, and Dr. Peter Simon, President of The Royal Conservatory of Music, made the announcement at a news conference attended this morning by 200 guests, including prominent members of the cultural, educational, business and government communities.

"We are extremely grateful to TELUS and its President and CEO, and Chair of the Building National Dreams Campaign, Mr. Darren Entwistle for this very generous gift," stated Dr. Peter Simon. "In TELUS we are gaining not only a Lead Donor for our Campaign, but also a major partner in our mission to develop human potential through the arts. Thanks to the support from one of this country's most respected companies, Canadians will soon have access to one of the finest buildings for arts education in the world - the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning."

"Our exciting partnership with The Royal Conservatory of Music is a genuine opportunity to use new technology to help shape Canadian communities and minds," said Mr. Darren Entwistle. "TELUS has a long history of using future friendly technology to connect Canadians and communities, and through our national community investment programs in education and the arts, TELUS supports life-long learning, a key to success in today's knowledge-based economy. By combining TELUS' leading technology and the Conservatory's innovative approach to education, we will promote and enhance Canada's creative culture. As a truly national company, TELUS is proud to support the Royal Conservatory of Music and communities across Canada."

In addition to the $10-million gift from TELUS, this morning the Conservatory unveiled new donations from corporate supporters totalling $2 million and including a $1 million gift from TD Bank Financial Group. The other donors in this group will be announced at a later date.

"Today's announcement marks a historic milestone for our Building National Dreams Campaign," said the Hon. Bob Rae. "Following the unveiling in early May of very generous contributions from individual donors, the gifts from TELUS and other corporate supporters and foundations give our campaign an unstoppable momentum and pave the way for the groundbreaking ceremony in late September. Thanks to this incredible support from individuals and corporations, we are strengthening our status as a cultural nation builder and making our "national dreams" an exciting reality."

The Building National Dreams Campaign first received a tremendous boost and a remarkable vote of confidence in May 2002, when the Government of Canada and Government of Ontario made equal investments totaling $20 million through the Canada-Ontario Infrastructure Program.

"The McGuinty government knows that investment in culture helps create vital communities, a strong economy and a quality of life that is second to none," said the Hon. Madeleine Meilleur, Ontario Minister of Culture. "The campaign for the new Performance Learning Centre will ensure that The Royal Conservatory of Music will continue to meet the growing demand for excellence and innovation in music training throughout Ontario and around the world."

Opening in September 2006, the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning will be one of the world's greatest arts and education venues and a wonderful resource for all Canadians. Designed by Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects (KPMB), this stunning 215,000 square foot facility will feature 165,000 square feet of new academic and performance space, including an acoustically perfect 1,000-seat concert hall, new studios and classrooms, a new-media centre, library and rehearsal hall. Technologically sophisticated, it will be the heart of creative education in Canada.

Founded in 1886, The Royal Conservatory of Music is the largest and oldest independent arts educator in Canada, serving more than 500,000 active participants each year. Based in Toronto, Canada, it offers extraordinary opportunities for learning and personal development through music and the arts in all Canadian provinces and increasingly in a number of international settings. The Royal Conservatory of Music is committed to developing human potential through leadership in music and arts education.

For more information about The Royal Conservatory of Music and its Building National Dreams Campaign, please visit the new website of The Royal Conservatory at www.rcmusic.ca

TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is the largest telecommunications company in Western Canada and the second largest in the country, with more than $7 billion of annual revenue, 4.8 million network access lines and 3.5 million wireless subscribers. The company provides subscribers with a full range of telecommunications products and services including data, voice and wireless services across Canada, utilizing next generation Internet-based technologies. TELUS was a premier founding supporter of the successful bid to bring the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to Canada.

For more information, contact Jack Kado, Director of Public Relations, at media@rcmusic.ca or (416) 408-2924, ext. 461.