August 1, 2013

Brookfield to Team with Professional Angler Joe Thomas for Free Water Safety and Fishing Clinic

Wear a Life Jacket for Chance to Win $50 Gift Card

THE FORKS, MAINE (July 22, 2013) ? Brookfield Renewable Energy Group recently announced that it is teaming with professional bass angler and Outdoor Channel series television host Joe Thomas to promote water safety. The first event in this national partnership will be a water safety and fishing clinic in The Forks. This free, family-friendly event will be held on Saturday, August 10, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Indian Pond Campground in The Forks, Maine.

All attendees who wear a life jacket to the event will be entered into a random raffle drawing to win door prizes, including the $50 Visa gift card grand prize.

According to Shannon Ames, Brookfield?s Director of Community and Stakeholder Relations, ?The water safety and fishing clinic at Indian Pond Campground is a great way for Brookfield and Joe Thomas to promote the national Wear It! campaign. Wear It! raises public awareness about responsible and safe recreation on or near water, and the importance of wearing a life jacket.?

?Through this great family event, we hope to make a difference in how people approach water safety,? said Thomas. ?Having fished professionally for close to 30 years I understand that water safety starts simply by wearing a life jacket.?

Event Specifics

The event will feature a special 30-minute water safety presentation to precede the fishing clinic. The presentation will include an overview of the various types of life jackets and how to determine the proper size and fit. Following the life jacket presentation, Joe Thomas will work with attendees on casting techniques, lure and bait selection and general fishing skills.

There is no pre-registration required for the event. All participants must bring their own life jacket, fishing gear, tackle and lures. Brookfield will provide bait worms, free of charge. The campground is equipped with restrooms. Brookfield encourages people to wear sunscreen and bring cameras.

Event Schedule

8:30-9:00 a.m. ? Life jacket demonstration

9:15-11:15 a.m. ? Joe Thomas fishing clinic

11:30 a.m.-12:00 noon ? Open discussion and photos with Joe Thomas

Noon ? Event concludes

Brookfield and Joe Thomas

Brookfield first collaborated with Joe Thomas in 2012 for its Fish with a Pro sweepstakes, part of the Wear It! Oswego campaign. ?Joe follows many of the same common-sense safety tips Brookfield encourages when he?s fishing or hunting. We believe through this partnership, Joe and Brookfield can maximize our reach to more effectively convey the importance of the Wear It! water safety campaign,? Ames added.

The 2013 season of Thomas? Outdoor Channel series Stihl?s Reel in the Outdoors began in July, and features special public service announcements made possible by Brookfield. The PSAs remind viewers to always wear a life jacket when recreating on and around the water. In addition, Mr. Thomas will also make personal appearances at select Brookfield hydroelectric generating facilities in 2013 and 2014 to promote the Wear It! initiative.

Brookfield Renewable Energy Group operates the renewable generation and power utility portfolios for Brookfield Asset Management, a global alternative asset manager with over $175 billion of assets under management. Brookfield Renewable?s 2,200 employees have responsibility for over 200 generation facilities and 28,000 miles of transmission and distribution in the United States, Canada and Latin America. As a global leader in clean energy, Brookfield?s portfolio totals over 5,900 megawatts of installed capacity, primarily hydroelectric, powering over three million average homes each year in 12 power markets across Canada, the US and Brazil. For more information on our publicly traded entity, Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners, please visit www.brookfieldrenewable.com. In Maine, Brookfield owns and operates 36 hydropower stations on four rivers. Brookfield actively promotes the National Safe Boating Council?s Wear It! Campaign to promote the usage of life jackets.

Stihl?s Reel in the Outdoors with Joe Thomas airs nationally on Outdoor Channel Friday mornings at 10:00 am, Saturday mornings at 7:30 am and Saturday afternoons at 3:00 pm (all times eastern). For more information visit www.reeloutdoorstv.com.

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For more information, please visit www.brookfieldrenewable.com or contact: