Ms. Jill Schnarr reports

CANADA SOCCER AND TELUS ANNOUNCE NEW MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP

Telus Corp. will become Canada Soccer's official telecommunications, digital health and home security partner for the Federation and its National Teams. The dynamic new multiyear partnership will see Telus become title partner of the Telus Canadian Championship starting in 2024 -- the nation's premier club competition. To kick off the partnership, Telus and Canada Soccer are helping ensure more women and girls enjoy the benefits of soccer, with Telus being named the title partner of the Telus She Can Coach Program, a national female coach recruitment, development and training program. The multiyear partnership will enable both organizations to join forces to drive meaningful change across Canada through impactful community initiatives and programs supporting youth and women.

"We are proud to welcome Telus to the Canada Soccer family and excited to work together to elevate our premier club competition nationally," said Jason deVos, Canada Soccer general secretary. "This partnership really emphasizes the importance of corporate partners like Telus as we collectively work to drive the growth of the sport in our country and continue to invest in advancing gender equity. We look forward to collaborating together with Telus to drive positive outcomes in our communities."

"As a proudly Canadian, global technology company, we're focused on connecting Canadians to the people and activities they're passionate about, bringing communities together and keeping them connected to what matters most," said Jill Schnarr, chief social innovation, communications and brand officer, Telus. "Soccer is the largest and fastest-growing sport in Canada. While its popularity grows, so too does the need to address inequities and barriers to access. In addition to supporting both our women's and men's national teams, we are thrilled to help support and expand the Telus She Can Coach Program, helping drive positive social change in our communities and enabling equitable access, opportunity and recognition for female athletes."

Studies show that in Canada, less than 1 per cent of women are actively working as professional coaches and decision-making members on national and provincial boards. The Telus She Can Coach Program -- a newly formed Canada Soccer initiative, will support and advance gender equity in sport by breaking down barriers of entry and balancing the current gender gap in participation. The inaugural phase of the Telus She Can Coach program will launch in Alberta and Nova Scotia as part of the initial club recruitment and onboarding phase this September. Coach recruitment will begin in September, with programming starting in January, 2024. Applications for the Telus She Can Coach program are now open until July 31, with coach recruits to be announced in August.

"It's great to see organizations coming together to support women and girls in soccer and helping improve gender equity in the sport," said Kadeisha Buchanan, three-time Canadian Women's Player of the Year. "It's important to have organizations like Telus step up their support in Canada, investing in all aspects of the game, from grassroots to professional and ultimately, empowering women and girls through the Telus She Can Coach program. I'm excited to see Telus make a real impact for women and girls on and off the pitch."

To celebrate Canada Soccer's Women's National Team competing at the FIFA Women's World Cup, taking place from July 20 to August 20 in Australia, Telus is leading several initiatives, in support of the Women's National Team, as well as helping advance gender equity across the sport by donating $1,000 for every goal Canada scores during the tournament, up to $20,000, to EqualPlayFC, an organization that is dedicated to making changes for the betterment of girls and women. Telus will also provide its world-leading technology and connectivity to the players, helping keep Canada Soccer's Women's National Team connected to loved ones back home.

In addition, Canada Soccer and Telus will help make soccer more accessible to young fans facing economic barriers to playing the game by rallying Canadians to bring gently used soccer equipment at select 2023 Canada Soccer and Canadian Premier League events that will be collected and redistributed to underprivileged communities nationwide. Through the annual initiative kicking off this summer, Telus hopes to impact thousands of new soccer players by removing barriers to getting them on the field, ultimately helping create opportunities for soccer participation in Canada while inspiring youth to reach their full potential through the sport.

About Telus Corp.

Telus is a dynamic, world-leading communications technology company with more than $18-billion in annual revenue and 18 million customer connections spanning wireless, data, IP (Internet protocol), voice, television, entertainment, video and security.