My RONA Home will feature the television debut of LEED® Canada for Homes, a new certification program for eco-responsible home construction 

Boucherville, Quebec, September 28, 2009 - RONA Inc. (TSX: RON), the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, home renovation and gardening products, is proud to announce the upcoming premiere of the new reality TV series, My RONA Home. The first one-hour episode of the ten-part show will be broadcast by Citytv on Sunday, Oct. 4^th at 9:00 pm (ET/PT), 8:00 pm (CT/MT).

Click here to view first episode

My RONA Home will follow two Calgary families with young children as they compete to design, construct and decorate brand new homes-all the way from the foundation to the finishing touches. The winning family, as voted by viewers, will win their dream home, with all the furnishings, valued at $400,000.

Each family is teamed up with a designer, a contractor and two assistants. Each room in the house must be finished within 30 hours in a gruelling, emotional and ultimately thrilling experience for all concerned. The Blue Team (Cottrell/McCarty family) and the Yellow Team (Mooney family) will live in on-site trailer homes and will work side-by-side in a fierce, but friendly, contest.

My RONA Home will feature new trends in decoration and renovation, with each home incorporating personal design decisions unique to each family and their needs. The ongoing voting by viewers (either online or by phone) as the series progresses will fuel a head-to-head rivalry between the two families that will make the show highly entertaining.

"This is a thrilling, life-changing experience for both of these families which will make for a fascinating and emotional television show," said Claude Bernier, Executive Vice-President of Marketing and Customer Innovations, RONA.  "However, this will be more than just another home improvement series. MY RONA Home will show viewers how we can all reduce our impact on the environment. At RONA, we are honoured to be the presenters of the first Canadian television show featuring the construction of houses being built to the LEED® Canada for Homes standard."

My RONA Home and the environment

LEED® Canada for Homes is a recently-introduced (March 2009) certification system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance green houses. To receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, the houses must be constructed with particular attention to energy efficiency, water efficiency, better materials and indoor air quality.

To gain points toward LEED Canada for Homes certification, the houses featured in My RONA Home will incorporate many eco-responsible products, such as: locally-sourced certified lumber, low flow faucets and dual flush toilets, low VOC (volatile organic compound) and recycled paint, Energy Star® and CSA-certified windows, and more. Landscaping around the homes will be designed to minimise water consumption by using plants and drought-tolerant grass seed. Special attention was put on Energy Star ventilation fans in bathrooms.

"At RONA, our commitment to the environment calls for rigour and transparency," Mr. Bernier said. "We have selected the life-cycle approach as the basis for all our environmental initiatives. Featuring LEED techniques on My RONA Home is another example of this."

"We applaud RONA for targeting LEED certification for the houses they will feature in their new television series," said Thomas Mueller, President and CEO of the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), which administers the LEED Canada for Homes program. "My RONA Home will demonstrate how a LEED home can dramatically reduce energy and water consumption and CO₂ emissions, use environmentally-friendly and healthy building materials and improve the indoor air quality and comfort for homeowners."

The host of the show is Elissa Lansdell, well-known for her work on The Weather Network and at CMT (Country Music Television) as a host of Dedicated, CMT Music and Chick Flick Fridays. She is a passionate home renovator and decorator.

My RONA Home is produced by ZONE3, an entertainment production company specializing in television, film, live entertainment and music and home video. It is the largest independent production company in Quebec and the fifth-largest in Canada.

Citytv has stations in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg. It broadcasts culturally-diverse television in its own unique, interactive style. It is a division of Rogers Media Inc., a division of Rogers Communications Inc., a diversified Canadian communications and media company.

RONA opens LEED-targeted stores

RONA's pioneering involvement with the rigorous LEED standard for environmentally-responsible building goes well beyond the homes on its new TV show. Recently, RONA has opened two new stores (in Strathmore, Alberta and Saint-Georges, Quebec) that were built with the goal of receiving LEED certification. These stores contain highly-advanced energy-, water- and waste-saving features that make them among the most environmentally-respectful commercial structures in Canada.

About the Canada Green Building Council
The Canada Green Building Council was established in December 2002 to promote and accelerate the design and construction of high-performance buildings. In addition to promoting green building principles and benefits, the Council holds the license for LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) in Canada.

For more information, please visit the Canada Green Building Council website at www.cagbc.org.

About LEED® Canada for Homes
LEED® Canada for Homes is a national Canadian rating system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes. A green home uses less energy, water and natural resources; creates less waste; and is healthier and more comfortable for the occupants.

Benefits of a LEED home include lower energy and water bills; reduced greenhouse gas emissions; and less exposure to mold, mildew and other indoor toxins. The net cost of owning a LEED home is comparable to that of owning a conventional home. 

For more information, please visit the LEED Canada for Homes website at www.cagbc.org/leed/homes.

About RONA
RONA is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, home renovation and gardening products. RONA operates a network of nearly 700 corporate, franchise and affiliate stores of various sizes and formats. With close to 30,000 employees working under its family of banners in every region of Canada and more than 15 million square feet of retail space, the RONA store network generates over $6 billion in annual retail sales. For more information, please visit www.rona.ca.

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Information:

RONA
Media
Michèle Roy
Vice President , Communications and Public Affairs  
514-599-5900, extension 5398  
michele.roy@rona.ca                                                             

Financial Community
Stéphane Milot                       
Senior Director, Investor Relations
514‑599‑5951
stephane.milot@rona.ca

Canada Green Building Council
Ron Lemaire
Vice President
613-288-8097
rlemaire@cagbc.org

Citytv
Veronica Logue, Public Relations
416-764-3195
veronica.logue@rci.rogers.com