Northwestel will be helping northerners celebrate the journey of the Olympic Torch through the Northwest Territories and Yukon, in the lead-up to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Northwestel is participating in two community Olympic Torch Relay celebrations in the North, one in Yellowknife and one in Whitehorse. Northwestel is involved in the relay as a subsidiary of Bell Canada, which is a Tier II Sponsor of the 2010 Olympics.

“We are very pleased to be part of this pan-Canadian event, which will unite Canadians from all across the country, from north to south, and west to east,” said Paul Flaherty, Northwestel President and Chief Executive Officer. “We hope many northerners will take the time to join in the fun and support our Canadian athletes. The Olympic Torch Relay is a fantastic way for northerners and other Canadians to connect with the excitement of the upcoming 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.”

During the Yellowknife relay celebrations in the late afternoon and evening of November 5^th, Northwestel will have an Internet café set up in a tent at the Sombe K’e Civic Plaza beside Yellowknife City Hall. Inside the tent, computers will be available, equipped with High Speed Internet. Northwestel volunteers will provide demonstrations and assist the public to send messages of support to Olympic athletes and to view the Vancouver Olympics material on the Internet. They will also help people download the virtual Olympic Torch to cell phones.

“We‘re also very happy that some of our employees were chosen to help carry the torch as it passes through Yellowknife,” said Flaherty. “Our congratulations to Donna Latremouille and Aaron Reid, whom I know are very excited to be playing this role in the relay. We also have a large number of our employees helping out on a volunteer basis with the OIympic Torch Relay and we’re very proud of our whole team.”

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 recognized 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 and entertainment services 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.