Twenty-eight schools in Yukon and northern BC are helping Northwestel celebrate the 10^th anniversary year of its Directory Recycling Program. Northwestel initiated the program in 2002 and, since that time, has contributed more than $163,000.00 to northern schools in the NWT, Yukon and northern BC. Those donations were given as awards for collecting more than 108,000 out-dated Northwestel directories for recycling over the past ten years. The total numbers will grow even larger after the 2011 program concludes later this month.

This year, 28 schools in Yukon and northern B.C. are taking part, including eleven in Whitehorse, thirteen Yukon community schools and four schools in northern B.C. Under the program, schools are invited to collect out-dated Northwestel directories for recycling in order to qualify for cash awards from Northwestel for school programs and activities.

“We are excited to have reached the tenth anniversary year of this program,” said Anne Kennedy, Northwestel Director Communications. “The program has been very successful in Yukon, northern B.C. and the Northwest Territories throughout the past decade and we are very pleased to be extending the program to Iqaluit in Nunavut this year as well. It provides a great opportunity for students to have a personal learning experience about the importance of recycling, to raise money for their schools and to divert directories from our landfills. We are grateful to the many students, teachers, parents and other community members who have embraced the program with such enthusiasm.”

Schools have until the end of the month to collect the directories. 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. Community residents may also help out by dropping directories off at participating schools.

 The Whitehorse schools participating in the program this year are: Christ the King Elementary, Elijah Smith Elementary, École Émilie-Tremblay, École Whitehorse Elementary School, Grey Mountain Primary, Hidden Valley Elementary, Holy Family Elementary, Jack Hulland Elementary, Selkirk Elementary, Takhini Elementary and Vanier Catholic Secondary School. The participating Yukon community schools are: Del Van Gorder School in Faro, Ghùch Tlâ Community School in Carcross, Golden Horn Elementary in Mount Lorne, J.V. Clark School in Mayo, Kluane Lake School in Destruction Bay, Nelnah Bessie John School in Beaver Creek, Robert Service School in Dawson City, Ross River School, St. Elias Community School in Haines Junction, Tantalus School in Carmacks, Teslin School, and Johnson Elementary and Watson Lake Secondary, both in Watson Lake. The participating B.C. schools are Fort Nelson Secondary, G.W. Carlson Elementary, J.S. Clark Elementary and R.L. Angus Elementary Schools, all in Fort Nelson.

Schools earn $750.00 for meeting a target of two or more directories collected per student (Emerald Level), $500.00 for 1.25 or more directories per student (Jade Level) and $200.00 for one directory per student (Green Level). Northwestel also provides a smaller cash award of $100.00 for participating schools which do not meet the minimum requirements of the program.

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. Participating schools outside of Whitehorse bring their directories to a drop-off point in Whitehorse.

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.