TORONTO, December 20, 2005 – CNQ, Canada’s New Stock Exchange announced today that Desjardins Securities has joined the exchange as a participating dealer.



Desjardins Securities is the securities brokerage arm of Desjardins Group. Desjardins is an integrated investment dealer that offers an extensive range of products and services tailored for both individuals and for institutional and corporate investors. Desjardins is a stock, bond and option brokerage dealer. They offer investment banking, research and market making services. Desjardins Securities’ head office is located in Montreal at 2 Complex Desjardins, East Tower, 15th Floor. Additional information about Desjardins Securities can be found online at www1.vmd.ca.



CNQ's participating dealers now include:



Blackmont Capital Inc., BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., Byron Securities Ltd., Canaccord Capital Corporation,

Desjardins Securities, e3m Investments Inc., Global Securities Corporation

Haywood Securities Inc., Integral Wealth Securities Limited, Jones, Gable & Company Ltd., Laurentian Bank Securities Inc., Leede Financial Markets Inc., National Bank Financial

Northern Securities Inc., Octagon Capital Corporation, Pacific International Securities Inc., Research Capital Corporation, Scotia Capital Inc.

TD Securities Inc., Union Securities Ltd., Wolverton Securities Ltd., W.D. Latimer Co. Limited.



Additional Investment Dealers Association of Canada members participate through correspondent arrangements.



CNQ commenced operations in July 2003 and became recognized by the Ontario Securities Commission as a stock exchange in May 2004, the first new stock exchange in Canada in over 70 years. CNQ meets the same regulatory requirements as all other exchanges in Canada. CNQ's innovative market addresses the needs of emerging companies and their investors by providing a transparent, electronic trading system with full protection of client priority. CNQ's market fosters liquidity through the unique combination of a central auction market with a competitive market making system. There are over 50 companies listed, 22 investment dealers from across Canada with direct access to the market and additional dealers participating indirectly. Most recently, CNQ announced its intention to launch a new alternative market to trade securities listed on the TSX.



For further information please visit www.cnq.ca or contact:

Natasha Blackburn, Manager-Market Development, CNQ

604-331-1213 x119 natasha.blackburn@cnq.ca