PRESS RELEASE


MINT ANNOUNCES FIRST QUARTER 1998 DISTRIBUTION

MINT is pleased to announce that a distribution of $0.22 per trust unit will be payable on April 15, 1998 to unitholders of record on March 31, 1998. This equates to a 10.1% yield based on a current market price of $8.75. It is anticipated that distributions for the remainder of 1998 will continue at this level.

Unitholders of MINT can acquire additional units by participating in the Automatic Distribution Reinvestment Plan. The Plan enables unitholders to reinvest their quarterly distributions in additional units of MINT thereby achieving the benefit of compounding returns. In order to take advantage of the Plan on the upcoming distribution, unitholders should contact their investment advisor or the undersigned prior to April 15, 1998.

MINT trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "MID.UN".

For further information, contact:

W. Garth Jestley
Director
Middlefield Group
(416) 362-0714

March 18, 1998