RONA Acquires Shares of Totem Building Supplies

On April 14, 2005 RONA Inc. completed its
acquisition from Jimmy Thorogood and Ryan Thorogood of all the issued and outstanding shares of Totem Building Supplies Ltd., for a purchase price of approximately $100 million.

RONA was represented in-house by France Charlebois, corporate secretary and head of legal affairs, and by Ogilvy Renault LLP with a team that included Jean-Pierre Colpron, Eric Stevens and Dustin Sean Isaacs (acquisition), Norman Lieff and Julie Paquette (real estate), Catherine Mateu (banking) and Denis Gascon and Thierry Dorval (competition); and for Alberta-specific acquisition and financing matters by Lawson Lundell LLP with a team that included Andrew Bedford, Kenneth Flowers and Linda Garvey. Jillian Frank and Kate Morisset (employment) of Heenan Blaikie LLP also acted for RONA.

Totem was represented by Dunphy Best Blocksom LLP with a team that included John Minchin (acquisition and real estate), Mark Sawyer (acquisition) and Fulvio Durante (real estate). Stephen Raby, Q.C., (real estate) of Macleod Dixon LLP also acted for Totem.