More than fifty Yukon students spent part of their Rendezvous Friday giving their spelling skills a work-out. They were participating in the eighth annual Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Northwestel Spelling Bee. When the competition ended, nine students from five different schools had won the top positions in three different categories.

“Northwestel is very pleased to support this event, which brings together some of Yukon’s most outstanding students and spellers,” said Jason Bilsky, Northwestel Chief Financial Officer and Vice-President Corporate Services, who presented the trophies and prizes to the winners. “All the competitors did an excellent job and I’d like to thank them for taking part. Northwestel is a communications company, and so for us, good communications, writing and spelling skills are a priority. After seeing the students compete today, I am certain that they are well on their way to developing excellent communications skills. We are very happy to reward the students for their hard work.”

The top place finishers in this year’s spelling bee are:

1^st Place English – Zoe Eckervogt, Grade 4, St. Elias Community School

1^st Place French – Marek Boulerice, Grade 4, École Emilie-Tremblay

1^st Place French Immersion – Matthias Hoenisch, Grade 3, École primaire Whitehorse Elementary School

2^nd Place English – Alexandra Maltais, Grade 5, Hidden Valley Elementary

2^nd Place French – Aislinn McManus, Grade 6, École Emilie-Tremblay

2^nd Place French Immersion – Joe Parker, Grade 4, École primaire Whitehorse Elementary School

3^rd Place English – Quynh Nguyen, Grade 6, Elijah Smith Elementary

3^rd Place French – Daniel Latour, Grade 7, École Emilie-Tremblay

3^rd Place French Immersion – Benjamin Cannings, Grade 4, École primaire Whitehorse Elementary School

A total of 52 students took part in the spelling bee, coming from 15 different schools. Most of them, 27, competed in English, in addition to 9 in French and 16 in French Immersion.

The schools represented in the bee were Robert Service School in Dawson City, St. Elias Community School in Haines Junction, Teslin School, and Golden Horn Elementary and Hidden Valley Elementary just outside Whitehorse, as well as a number of Whitehorse schools: Christ the King Elementary, École Emilie-Tremblay, École primaire Whitehorse Elementary School, Elijah Smith Elementary, F.H. Collins Secondary, Holy Family Elementary, Jack Hulland Elementary, Selkirk Elementary, Takhini Elementary and Vanier Catholic Secondary.

The three 1^st place winners received cash awards of $150.00 each, the three 2^nd place winners $100.00 each and the three 3^rd place winners $75.00 each. All nine winners also received a trophy and a selection of other prizes donated by Northwestel. In addition, all the schools whose students won 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd place will receive a cash award of $200.00 and a larger trophy to display at the school for a year.

“I’d also like to thank the volunteers who worked so hard to make the spelling bee possible,” added Bilsky. “In particular, our coordinator and MC Sandra Journeaux Henderson has spent many hours ensuring the success of this event, so our thanks to her and all the other volunteers.” These include French judges Danielle Bonneau, Wiliam Bellemare and Géraldine Villemont and English judges Peggy Gordon, Robert Austin and Kathryn Millar. In addition, Julie Talbot, Andréanne La Rue & Leah Wittrock assisted with registration and marshal duties.

In 2008, Northwestel contributed more than $670,000 in cash and in-kind donations to many northern community groups, including the 2008 Arctic Winter Games. Throughout its history, Northwestel has played a key role in the economic, social and cultural development of the North. Northwestel is recognised as a key contributor to the well-being of northern communities through its community investment program and the volunteer contributions of its employees.

Northwestel provides complete telecommunications solutions in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon, northern British Columbia and High Level, Alberta. The company’s operations span nearly 4 million square kilometres of the most remote and rugged areas of Canada.