HALIFAX (August 10, 2015) – Assante Hydrostone today announced a new stage in the growth of its team with the addition of five highly regarded advisors. The advisors, who are currently with Beacon Securities Limited (“Beacon”), will join Assante Hydrostone effective September 1, 2015. Assante Hydrostone is a collection of branches of Assante Wealth Management administering over $1 billion in assets on behalf of residents of Atlantic Canada.

The advisors joining Assante Hydrostone from Beacon’s Private Client group are Graham C. Starratt, Gary Bliss, J. Richard Johnson, Bob Mackay and Jane M. Smith. Starratt, Mackay, and Smith will move to the Hydrostone location while Bliss and Johnson will continue to operate from their existing locations in Halifax and Antigonish, respectively.

“The Assante Hydrostone team is very pleased to welcome these advisors and their clients to the Assante family,” said Chris Rafuse, Senior Financial Advisor, Assante Capital Management Ltd.  “We’re looking forward to working with the new advisors to assist them in meeting their clients’ long-term financial planning, estate and investment goals.”

Beacon, a full-service investment dealer serving clients across Canada and globally, announced on July 23, 2015 that it would focus on the expansion of its institutional equity and fixed-income businesses and, as a result, would no longer operate its retail Private Client group in Nova Scotia.

The addition of the advisors will accelerate the next phase of growth for Assante Hydrostone, which appointed a new Branch Operations Manager, Stephen Doane, in June 2015.

“It’s been an exciting year for Assante Hydrostone and the new team members will contribute to our future growth and success,” said Mr. Doane. “Chris Rafuse has been instrumental in establishing these relationships, and I can say with confidence that we’re getting a solid group of knowledgeable advisors who first and foremost align with our core values.”

“The fact that these established and experienced advisors chose Assante Wealth Management is a strong vote of confidence in the firm and in the Assante Hydrostone organization,” said Bob Dorrell, Senior Vice-President, Distribution Services of Assante Wealth Management. “Their move to Assante was made possible by our shared commitment to professionalism and to providing clients with a complete approach to wealth management.”

Assante Wealth Management is one of the largest Canadian professional services firms in wealth management, supporting 750 advisors who oversee approximately $34 billion in assets for 300,000 clients and their families nationwide. Assante provides its clients with a complete approach to planning that incorporates all aspects of their financial lives – risk management, estate planning, tax planning, as well as investment management. Assante is a subsidiary of CI Financial Corp. (TSX: CIX), a financial services company with $140 billion in assets as of June 30, 2015.

For further information:
Stephen Doane
Branch Operations Manager
Assante Capital Management Ltd.
(902) 423-1200
sdoane@assante.com