MONTREAL,Oct. 12 2001 --A simple phone call alerting authorities of an
unusual incident, a potentially dangerous situation or an emergency can
sometimes make all the difference! In an initiative to honour the important
contributions of people who have helped their fellow citizens quickly receive
necessary help or assistance, Bell Mobility rewards these deserving men and
women during its annual "Annual Cellular Samaritan Awards". The ninth annual
awards ran from May 28 to August 15, 2001. This year, three individuals were
recognized in Québec and Ontario and one in Western Canada. In addition, three
Québec-based Bell Mobility employees were finalists in the first edition of
the employee contest.

    THREE GOOD SAMARITANS, THREE EXAMPLES OF EFFECTIVE ACTION
    In Québec, this year's first-prize winner in the "Annual Cellular
Samaritan Awards" is Mascouche resident Susan J. Dornan. Honourable mentions
went to Paul D. Finlayson, from Candiac, and Erika Gracielle Sills, from
Aylmer. Susan Dornan saved the life of a 17-year-old passenger who was
involved in a serious accident after the car he was riding skidded off a road
near Mascouche during a snowstorm at night. Paul Finlayson regularly reports
careless drivers and his actions have helped police in their efforts to curb
speeding, dangerous and impaired drivers. Erika Sills, for her part, was
horseback riding with her pregnant cousin and used her cell phone to alert her
aunt that her riding companion was going into labour and needed to be driven
to the hospital.
    The Bell Mobility employee winners in Québec, all three of whom work in
the Montréal area, earned certificates of merit for helping others, not only
by using their cell phones to contact the appropriate resources, but in some
cases by risking their own safety to assist them. The winners are Micha
Mladek, Group Manager, Customer Service; Benoît Gilbert, Shop Supervisor; and
Luc Brunet, Customer Service sales representative.
    "Taking quick action to prevent a crime, provide roadside assistance or
intervene in an emergency situation is a way for us to help each other and be
responsible citizens at the same time," says Bell Mobility President and CEO
Pierre Blouin. "Through their impromptu actions, these good Samaritans became
an essential link in the communication chain by reducing the risk of a
potentially serious incident or by assisting as a first responder to a serious
accident. Bell Mobility is proud to tangibly acknowledge these heroes-for-a-
day, whose spontaneous actions reflect our Company's values."
    Thanks to constantly improving and expanding networks and increasingly
sophisticated equipment, cellular is allowing a steadily growing number of
people to offer a helping hand to fellow citizens in difficulty. Peter Barnes,
President and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association,
says it has become common to hear radio traffic reporters thank cellular
subscribers for helping them provide their listeners with updated road
conditions or for reporting problems. "What we see today with these winners
and finalists of Bell Mobility's "Annual Cellular Samaritan Awards" is an even
more personal involvement with the use of their cell phone. And that's what I
particularly want to recognize on behalf of the members of our Association."
    There were 158 written submissions from across Canada for the 9th edition
of the awards, more than half of them from Québec. The most frequent actions
reported among the 81 submissions from Québec for 2001 were: roadside
assistance (70%), emergency situations (24%) and crime prevention (6%).

    A CONTEST WITH A RIPPLE EFFECT
    Bell Mobility also received 48 submissions for the first employee
edition. "We are proud to honour the responsible citizenship of our employees
who took the time - sometimes even at personal risk - to provide assistance in
emergency situations," Blouin said, adding: "Our employees are truly our best
ambassadors."

    SUPPORT FROM QUEBEC'S OFFICE OF THE MINISTER OF CITIZEN RELATIONS AND
    IMMIGRATION
    Jean-Claude Delorme, Director, Programs and Support for Citizen
Relations, with Québec's Office of the Minister of Citizen Relations and
Immigration, said his department supports Bell Mobility's initiative. He added
that public recognition of incidents of mutual assistance between citizens can
have a ripple effect that encourages everyone to exercise more vigilance.

    ABOUT BELL MOBILITY
    Bell Mobility, a division of Bell Canada, provides a complete range of
innovative wireless communications solutions : PCS and cellular, web-browsing
and data, two-way messaging, paging and airline passenger communications
services. Bell Canada, Canada's national leader for communications in the
Internet world, provides connectivity to residential and business customers
through wired and wireless voice and data communications, high speed and
wireless Internet access, IP-broadband services, e-business solutions, local
and long distance phone and directory services. Bell Canada is owned by BCE
Inc. of Montréal (80%) and by SBC Communications Inc. of San Antonio, Texas
(20%). For more information please visit www.bell.ca.




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For further information: France Poulin, Media Relations, Bell Canada,
1 877 391-2007, (514) 391-2007, france.poulin@bell.ca