MONTREAL--Sept. 13, 2004-- Transcontinental Inc. announces the appointment of Helene Levesque as vice president, legal affairs and secretary of the Corporation. Ms. Levesque will report directly to Luc Desjardins, president and chief executive officer. The appointment takes effect September 15, 2004. Ms. Levesque brings to Transcontinental more than 20 years of experience on the management teams of major North American companies. From 1999 to 2004 she was vice president, legal affairs for Harlequin Enterprises Limited, the biggest publisher of romance novels in North America. Owned by Torstar Inc., Harlequin has offices in 90 countries. From 1996 to 1999 she was vice president, services for Quebecor Printing Canada where, in addition to overseeing the legal department, she was responsible for the real estate portfolio and environmental management. From 1987 to 1995, Ms. Levesque was vice-president, legal affairs for the Fonds de solidarite des travailleurs du Quebec (FTQ), the largest risk capital fund in Canada. Prior to that, she held similar positions at Cambior and Les rotisseries Saint-Hubert, among others. With a master's in Business Administration (MBA) and a degree in law from the Universite de Sherbrooke, Helene Levesque is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association and the Barreau du Quebec. She replaces Pierre Poirier, who held this position since May, 2000 but has devoted his time exclusively to his duties as secretary of the Corporation since March, 2004. Mr. Poirier will depart at the end of the fiscal year to seek other challenges.