Northwestel Inc. will continue its support of Yukon hospitals over the next five years.

In an announcement this morning inside the atrium of Whitehorse General Hospital, Paul Flaherty, the company’s president and CEO, pledged $450,000 over five years to the Yukon Hospital Foundation.

The contribution will see Northwestel’s contributions over many years reach a total $2 million.

“We believe in healthy, northern families,” Flaherty said.

“ ... For the 300-plus Northwestel employees who live and work in the Yukon, this is an important contribution towards the communities we serve. 

“More than that, it is an investment in the place we call home.  We are so proud to be partnering once again with the Yukon government and the Yukon Hospital Foundation as we work to ensure high-quality health care is available to northern Canadians.”

2017 marks a milestone in the relationship between the telecommunications company and the hospital, he said.

It’s been 15 years since the Northwestel Festival of Trees began, he pointed out.

The festival is a series of fundraising events that Flaherty described as “the kick-off to Christmas.” It features everything from family festivities, like the Breakfast With Santa event, to a gala event, to a seniors’ soirée and more.

Participating businesses and organizations also sponsor trees decorated around a theme that includes a number of items that go to the highest bidder.

The money raised from the festival goes to the hospital foundation and is directed toward major purchases.

Those have included the hospital’s MRI and CT machines.

The next major purchase effort will go toward a Fluoroscopy.

That medical imaging equipment can provide a continuous X-ray image or still images.

As foundation president Karen Forward said in an interview following the announcement, while the hospital has the equipment now, it’s at the end of its life and will soon need to be replaced.

The new equipment, expected to be added in the fall, is digital, and has a lower dose of radiation.

The equipment will cost about $500,000 to purchase.

Having up-to-date equipment at Yukon hospitals not only means providing important health care procedures in the territory, Forward noted, but also helps in attracting skilled hospital staff to the territory.

A number of speakers during the announcement highlighted the role medical equipment purchases through Northwestel’s contributions have played for Yukoners.

“Their contribution makes a big difference,” said Health and Social Services Minister Pauline Frost.

The financial contributions have brought health care to places it wouldn’t have otherwise seen in such a short amount of time, Frost added.

The territory, she said, is committed to providing a quality health care system built on collaboration and partnerships with all, not only those in the health care community.

She went on to thank non-traditional contributers like Northwestel.

Premier Sandy Silver also highlighted the government’s commitment to quality health care throughout the territory.

“Healthy Yukoners mean healthy communities,” he said.

The premier highlighted Frost’s work in speaking with stakeholders across the territory and a recent tour of the Dawson City Community Hospital.

Also speaking at this morning’s announcement was foundation chair Philip Fitzgerald and Brian Gillen, the Yukon Hospital Corp.’s new chair.

“Yukoners and other northern residents have benefited from these generous commitments since Northwestel’s first major gift in 2003,” said Fitzgerald.

“We are excited and grateful that this strong partnership with Northwestel continues allow the Yukon Hospital Corporation to provide world class health care here in the Yukon.”

Gillen praised Northwestel’s continued contributions to the health care of Yukoners.

The support has meant fewer Yukoners having to travel Outside for tests like MRIs and such, he added.

Officials are looking forward to the continued partnership with Northwestel, Gillen said.