SaskaEver wonder who delivers your copy of the SaskTel Phonebook?
In partnership with Directwest, my official search partner, I learned a thing or two about what happens behind the scenes during the annual phonebook distribution this fall and who the folks are that deliver the books.
Did you know that your phonebook was likely delivered by an aspiring speed-skater, young hockey player, or future Rider quarterback? Much to my surprise, the books don’t magically appear without dialogue to the story. Directwest offers the opportunity for local community groups across the province to distribute the phonebooks as a fundraiser. This helps fund numerous youth activities across the province.
Check out my distribution story in my hometown.
The team that I was working with were members from the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club. The money raised through distribution helps them immensely with sign up fees, travel expenses and maintenance of equipment. After a few blocks of delivering, I sat down with Emily and her father and we talked about how the annual SaskTel Phonebook fundraiser and the distribution is important for the speed skating club.
“I actually really enjoy distributing phonebooks because it helps out the community and it’s really fun, sometimes it can get cold, but it’s a fun time!” – Emily, Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club Member
“This is an opportunity that we have as members of the speed skating club, it’s a way to basically make and reduce the fee for the year and essentially we’re getting twenty-seven cents per phonebook we deliver.” – Eric, Emily’s Dad
Distribution is always changing to reflect the shifting needs of the communities Directwest serves. Some businesses and consumers request additional print copies while others prefer to use the digital platform, Mysask411. Directwest tracks these requests as well as population changes, new real estate developments, and growing and changing communities and then they adjust distribution accordingly. Deliveries are tracked via GPS to ensure efficient printing and distribution.
After tagging along and distributing some of the books myself, I learned that there is so much more to the SaskTel Phonebook. Community members are heavily involved in the process and benefit greatly from the cause. Keep an eye out for next year’s deliveries, you never know if the next Olympian or Rider quarterback will be walking up your driveway with a book.
– This blog was written by Kevin Dunn, the 2018 Saskatchewanderer, in partnership with Directwest.
