November 28, 2007 (Vernon, B.C.) – Canada’s elite cross- country ski athletes are set to kick off the fifth season of the Haywood NorAm race series on Saturday at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre near Vernon, B.C.

The Haywood NorAm series, featuring 16 race days at six ski clubs across the country, is part of a long-time sponsorship commitment from Haywood Securities Inc. that has helped produce many of Canada’s international racing stars including Beckie Scott, Sara Renner, Chandra Crawford, Devon Kershaw, Drew Goldsack and George Grey.

“This long-standing partnership demonstrates Haywood’s continued commitment to cross-country ski racing in this country and to ensuring the success of Canada’s athletes in this sport for future generations,” said Rob Blanchard, president of Haywood Securities, whose organization has doubled the prize purse for Canada’s athletes racing on the NorAm series this year to $34,000. “The success of the Haywood NorAm series in the past speaks for itself and Haywood’s staff in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto are proud of the small role we have played in the development of the National Cross-Country Ski Team, and our racing program in Canada.”

Haywood Securities first joined Cross Country Canada’s team in 2002 with a $40,000 donation to help the Canadian women’s team prepare for the Games in Salt Lake City. Since that time, Haywood’s investment has grown to more than $1 million, and has played a key role in Beckie Scott and Sara Renner becoming the first Canadian athletes to win a medal in cross-country skiing at the Olympics and World Championships respectively.

Haywood’s increased funding provides access to additional resources, essential training camps, altitude exposure, off-season skiing opportunities and premium technical services for the country’s dedicated cross-country skiing stars.

The 2007-08 Haywood NorAm series will open at Sovereign Lake Nordic Club near Vernon, B.C., December 1-2, 2007. Athletes will compete in the women’s and men’s 10- and 15-kilometre distance races respectively on Saturday. Canada’s next generation of cross-country skiing stars will hit the start line again on Sunday for the Teck Cominco sprints.

Brian McKeever, who continues his quest to become the first winter-sport athlete to compete in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2010, will headline a stellar line-up of Canada’s top Nordic skiers this weekend. Legally blind as a result of Stargardts disease, McKeever has won seven Paralympic medals and finished a remarkable 24th place in the 15 km at the able-bodied 2007 World Ski Championships.

Among those athletes that will compete with McKeever on the domestic series this December include 2007 Haywood NorAm series winners – Brent McMurtry, of Calgary, and Madeleine Williams, of Edmonton.

Following this weekend’s season-opener, the Haywood NorAm race series will travel east to the Canmore Nordic Centre, where the second set or races will be held on the World Cup courses in Alberta, December 6-9, 2007.