The annual Northwestel telephone directory recycling program has expanded to include even more schools in British Columbia, as well as most Yukon schools.

A record high number of B.C. schools, in Fort Nelson, Iskut and Dease Lake, are taking part in the program, which rewards schools for collecting old Northwestel directories for recycling. A total of 27 schools are taking part in the 2010 program, including the seven B.C. schools, nine Whitehorse schools and 11 schools in other Yukon communities.

The program is now in its ninth year. Participating schools are rewarded with cash contributions for school activities and programs. This year’s Yukon and northern B.C. program begins this week, in conjunction with the release of the 2010 northern British Columbia and Yukon phone directory. It continues until May 24^th. Students, teachers and support staff may obtain the directories from family, friends, neighbours, businesses and government offices, and bring them to collection boxes at the schools.

“We are so excited to see schools in our northern British Columbia communities join this program,” said Anne Kennedy, Northwestel Director Communications. “Yukon schools have been committed to this program for a number of schools and it is encouraging to see enthusiasm grow in both Yukon and B.C. This is a great opportunity to support school activities and to help build awareness of environmental issues amongst northern students.”

The nine Whitehorse schools that have confirmed their participation in the 2010 program are:

In addition, 11 Yukon community schools are participating:

The seven B.C. schools include:

Last year, 27 Yukon and northern B.C. schools collected more than 8,600 old directories and raised approximately $17,000.00.

Under a partnership arrangement, Northwestel provides the boxes for directory collection at the schools, the City of Whitehorse coordinates the pickup of the directories from all Whitehorse schools, and Northwest Transport, part of the Manitoulin Group, ships them from Whitehorse to the recycling centre in Edmonton. Most participating schools outside of Whitehorse bring their directories to a drop-off point in Whitehorse.

There are three levels of recognition in the 2010 Northwestel Directory Recycling Program. Schools earn $200 for meeting a target of one directory per student, $500 for 1.25 directories per student and $750 for 2 or more directories per student. Northwestel also provides a smaller cash award of $100.00 for participating schools which do not meet the minimum requirements of the program, to encourage schools for their efforts, even when circumstances prevent them from meeting requirements for the main cash awards.

Northwestel publishes 42,000 Yukon and northern British Columbia directories each year, in addition to 38,000 directories in the N.W.T., where the program is also offered.

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.