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AGF Management has been honoured as Corporate Community Champion by the Yee Hong Community Wellness Foundation. The award was presented at the foundation’s annual Dragon Ball fundraiser on Sunday.

The award is given to a corporation that supports the non-profit foundation’s work in raising funds to maintain the four Yee Hong long-term care facilities in the Greater Toronto Area and the unique continuum of care that they offer to seniors.

“We take great pride in the level of care provided in our four centres,” said Dr. Joseph Wong, founder and chair of the foundation. “We also take great pride in the corporate citizens who have stepped up to help us raise the funds necessary to ensure seniors have the quality of life they deserve. AGF has played a tremendous role over the years in our fundraising efforts and helping to connect us with other corporate partners.”

Yee Hong provides culturally and linguistically appropriate care to 15,000 seniors and their families across the GTA.

“We are humbled to receive this prestigious award. We have supported the Foundation over the years because the Yee Hong centres are models of respectful care to seniors,” said Blake C. Goldring, AGF chairman and CEO. “The centres are an admirable combination of affection, dynamism and optimism – the same characteristics exhibited by the tiger in this, the Chinese Year of the Tiger.”

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Tactico buys equity stake in Omega ATS

Tactico Inc. has announced the purchase of a 24% equity stake in Omega ATS, Canada’s fourth largest alternative trading system. Tactico, an advisory firm specializing in strategic and tactical solutions for the financial services industry, will also provide Omega with financing, infrastructure support and consulting services.

“Omega’s volume has tripled in the past two months and they have significant price and speed advantages over TMX, Alpha, Chi-X and Pure,” said Eric Stoop, managing director, Tactico. “Coupled with Tactico’s investment and experience, Omega is poised to challenge the larger alternatives by providing an improved trading experience at a much lower cost.”

Omega has more than 70 subscriber firms including Alpha Trading Systems’ eight founding member banks: BMO Nesbitt Burns; Canaccord Capital; CIBC World Markets; Desjardins Securities; National Bank Financial; RBC Dominion Securities; Scotia Capital; and TD Securities.

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JovInvestment names new VP

JovInvestment Management, a subsidiary of Jovian Capital Corporation, named Stephen Rogers as vice-president and portfolio manager. He will lead the team responsible for managing U.S. equity mandates, including the new Horizons AlphaPro North American Growth ETF.

“We are thrilled to strengthen our team of investment professionals with such a skilled and experienced asset manager,” said Steven J. Hawkins, president, JovInvestment. “His solid reputation and track record speaks for itself and adds to our organization’s growing presence in Canada.”

Rogers is a 25 year veteran, most recently managing the Mavrix North American Growth Fund. During his stint at senior vice-president at AGF Management, he won “Best U.S. Equity Fund” at the 1998 Canadian Mutual Fund Awards, and in 2000, was named “U.S. Equity Manager of the Decade” in Gordon Pape’s Guide to Mutual Funds.

(02/08/10)