Tag: Canada’s Connectivity Strategy

The federal government is partnering with the Province of British Columbia to bring high-speed internet access to more than 5,000 rural households.

CityWest is working on seven projects worth $5.2 million. The projects will bring high-speed internet access to more than 1,100 homes on and around Vancouver Island.

$19.5 million in funding will benefit 4,000 households in Mount Waddington, North Coast, Bulkley-Nechako, qathet, Columbia-Shuswap, and Cowichan Valley. Specific project details will be shared at a later date.

The funding for these projects is part of an announcement the two governments made in March 2022 to invest $380 million to connect rural residents with high-speed internet access.

“We all know that internet is no longer a luxury in this day and age — it’s a necessity,” Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, said.

“Access to fast, reliable internet helps communities by levelling the playing field so they can access essential services like health care and education, participate in the digital economy, or simply connect with loved ones.”

The federal government has similar partnerships with other provinces, including Ontario, under Canada’s Connectivity Strategy. The strategy’s goal is to connect 98 percent of the population with high-speed internet access by 2026.

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The federal government and the Province of Ontario have tasked Bell and Cogeco with three projects that will bring high-speed internet access to thousands of rural communities in eastern Ontario.

Cogeco is responsible for one project that will benefit 836 households in Greenhurst-Thurstonia, Omemee, and Pleasant Point. The company will complete the work in March 2024.

Bell is responsible for two projects, targeting more than 15,000 homes. Bell will complete the first project, benefiting various communities, including Burleigh Falls, Curve Lake, and Detlor, in March 2025. Its second, larger project, will be completed in December 2025.

The projects, worth $56 million, are part of a joint venture the two governments, along with the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB), entered in July 2021. The goal was to support large-scale fibre projects for 280,000 homes across the province.

“These projects will expand high-speed internet access to more unserved and underserved communities across eastern Ontario,” Amarjot Sandhu, Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure, said.

The three projects are also a part of the federal government’s connectivity plan, ensuring 98 percent of residents have high-speed internet access by 2026, and 100 percent by 2030. The initiative has led to a host of similar announcements throughout the year, including in Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Image credit: Shutterstock 

Source: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada