RONA Announces Refurbishment of South Surrey Athletic Park Football Field

BOUCHERVILLE, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Sept. 7, 2012) - RONA inc. (TSX:RON) (TSX:RON.PR.A), the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products, is proud to announce the major refurbishment of the football field at South Surrey Athletic Park in Surrey, British-Columbia, through its Home Field Advantage program. This $30,000 investment, primarily in materials, will have direct and tangible benefits for the community.

Throughout the 100^th Grey Cup Tour, RONA will gradually reveal the names of the eight football fields to be restored in communities where Canadian Football League (CFL) teams are based. As announced earlier this summer, this program involves a total investment of $240,000.

"As a partner of the CFL since 2000 and the official presenter of the 100^th Grey Cup Tour, RONA is proud to bring the excitement of the Grey Cup to football fans across Canada," said Karim Salabi, Executive Vice-President, Marketing. "We'll also have a unique opportunity to restore eight local football fields where families and friends gather to share their passion for the game," he added.

RONA is the official presenter of the 100^th Grey Cup Tour, a trans-Canada train journey designed to inspire Canadians to celebrate the Grey Cup, to be held in Toronto on November 25. The train schedule is available at greycuptour.ca.

In-store tailgate party

As part of the Tour, RONA will host 14 in-store tailgate parties across the country, events where visitors can have their picture taken with the Grey Cup.

In British-Columbia, the Cup will be on display at the following RONA stores:

• RONA Grandview (Vancouver) on September 11, from 1 to 3 p.m.
  2727 East 12^th Avenue
• RONA Kamloops on September 12, from 9 to 11 a.m.
  416 Mt. Paul Way

Employees will be on hand to answer questions and provide advice to fans who wish to host Grey Cup tailgate venues at their homes. From tables and chairs to storage, seating and barbecues, local RONA stores offer everything Canadians need to prepare their homes for a major gathering. They can also visit rona.ca or install RONA's new iPhone application.

About RONA

RONA (TSX: RON, RON.PR.A) is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, home renovation and gardening products. The Corporation operates a network of more than 800 corporate, franchise and affiliate stores of various sizes and formats under several banners. With more than 30,000 employees working under its family of banners in every region of Canada, the RONA store network generates consolidated sales of more than $6 billion. For more information, visit rona.ca.

Media contact

Upon request, the RONA ambassador overseeing the refurbishment project at South Surrey Athletic Park is available for interviews.