Fording Announces Executive Appointments CALGARY, April 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mr. Michael Grandin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fording Canadian Coal Trust (TSX: FDG.UN, NYSE: FDG) is pleased to announce the following executive appointments. Jim Popowich has been appointed President of Fording Canadian Coal Trust. Jim has played a major role in the growth and development of Fording and its predecessors over the past 35 years, most recently as Executive Vice President. He is also President and Chief Executive Officer of Elk Valley Coal. Jim is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. Mark Gowhas been appointed Controller of Fording Canadian Coal Trust. Mark has served in roles of increasing responsibility with Fording and its predecessors over the past seven years, most recently as Director, Investor Relations. He is also Controller of Fording Inc. and Elk Valley Coal. Mark is a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Alberta Institute of Chartered Accountants. Fording Canadian Coal Trust is an open-ended mutual fund trust. Through investments in metallurgical coal and industrial minerals mining and processing operations, the Trust makes quarterly cash distributions to unitholders. The Trust, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Fording Inc., holds a 65% ownership of Elk Valley Coal and is the world's largestproducer of the industrial mineral wollastonite. Elk Valley Coal, comprised of Canada's senior metallurgical coal mining properties, is the world's second largest exporter of metallurgical coal, capable of supplying approximately 25 million tonnes of high-quality coal products annually to the international steel industry. DATASOURCE: Fording Canadian Coal Trust CONTACT: Catherine Hart, Coordinator, Investor Relations, 403-260-9817,

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