Northwestel has been selected as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers, an award presented by the editorial team at Canada’s Top 100 Employers. Northwestel was the only company from the territories recognized for this award this year and is one of only four winners with less then 1000 employees.

“This is an incredible honour for Northwestel,” said Paul Flaherty, President and CEO. “We truly believe that our employees should represent the communities where we operate. Ensuring that our company is welcoming to employees of all races, cultures, religions and abilities are not simply a project at Northwestel, it is how we operate and what we strive for in our hiring and operating practices.”

The Canada’s Top 100 Employers project evaluates applications from across the country and determines which employers lead their industries in offering exceptional workplaces for their employees.

As a major employer in the North, Northwestel’s predominant focus with respect to diversity is on Aboriginal Peoples, as customers, employees and partners. Northwestel has integrated diversity into everyday operations in a number of ways, including:

• Created a senior management position (Director of Aboriginal Relations) to focus on Aboriginal Affairs
• Established two distinct working groups, the Aboriginal Relations Committee – a sub committee of our Board of Directors and the Horizons Committee – a working level cross functional group of aboriginal and non-aboriginal employees
• Dedicating five of the 10 Northern Futures Scholarships awarded annually to Aboriginal recipients.
• Operating an Inuktitut speaking contact centre to provide services to employees and customers
• Allocating approximately one third of the annual community investments budget to Aboriginal organizations
• Posting employment opportunities to sites that specialize in diverse groups, such as Aboriginal Link and the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation
• Partnered with All Nations Trust Company and Industry Canada to establish broadband internet and tele-health services in some underserved Aboriginal Communities in Northern BC.

The Aboriginal population in the North is growing and is an important part of the labour force. In recognition of this, Northwestel has developed an apprenticeship program that gives technicians the opportunity to attend technical school. Northwestel also continues to hire Community Service Technicians within remote communities. This provides better service for customers (as opposed to flying in a technician from a major center) and helps grow and develop the local workforce

Northwestel also endeavors to partner with Aboriginal organizations and governments. The first such partnership was Ardicom Digital Communications, which was created in the 1990’s. It is a partnership between Northwestel (as the major shareholder), Arctic Co-operatives Limited and Northern Aboriginal Services Company. It was established to provide digital communications services to businesses in the Northwest Territories. In 2007 this partnership was extended to create Ardicom East, which offers services throughout Nunavut.

In the last four years, Northwestel has successfully established four more partnerships with Aboriginal groups:

• Latitude Wireless – in partnership with the Dakwakada Development Corporation (the development arm of the Champagne Aishiak First Nations)
• Tundra Communications – in partnership with the Inuvialuit Development Corporation (the development arm of the Inuvialuit people)
• Tahltan River Communications – in partnership with the Tahltan First Nations Development Corporation (the development arm of the Tahltan First Nation)
• Waterways Communications – in partnership with the Fort Nelson First Nation

These are all examples of how Northwestel has and continues to promote diversity in all its business practices.