Ipsos-Reid Retains Legal Counsel, Demands Immediate Retraction and Apology by Environmental Activist, Bob Hunter, On Comments Made About Its Polling On Kyoto Accord

Toronto, ON - The Ipsos-Reid Corporation today retained legal counsel Paul Schabas of Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP to commence legal action against environmental activist and CITY TV commentator, Bob Hunter as a result of remarks attributed to him in the November 6, 2002 edition of the Globe and Mail.

Mr. Hunter was making comments with respect to a publicly released poll conducted for the Alberta government on the issue of the Kyoto Accord which was publicly released and posted on the Ipsos-Reid website at www.ipsos-reid.com on Friday, November 1, 2002.

The legal action demands an immediate retraction and apology because his comments are false and defamatory.

Mr. Hunter is quoted in the Globe and Mail as a result of comments made at a press conference held yesterday in Toronto wherein he indicated that "...the Alberta Government and its buddies are paying a lot of money to hire pollsters to ask stupid questions" and implied that the poll "...was in fact, fraudulent".

The notice prepared by Blake Cassels & Graydon indicates that there is no basis for the statements that Mr. Hunter made in attacking Ipsos-Reid and its poll and while he is entitled to express his opinion on the Kyoto Accord it does not mean that he is free to make false and defamatory statements against Ipsos-Reid.

As this matter is now in the hands of its solicitors, Ipsos-Reid Corporation has no further statement to make at this time.

John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos-Reid Corporation
Telephone: (416) 324-2900