Western Canada, Quebec to get Connecting Canadians funding

Following a pledge last week to connect certain Quebec communities, the federal government will once again dip into its Connecting Canadians fund to provide capital to the tune of $10 million for rural and remote households in Western Canada. Minister of Natural Resources Jim Carr made the announcement on behalf of Innovation Canada minister Navdeep Bains during a visit to internet service provider (ISP) Commstream in Winnipeg on Tuesday. The funding will see 3,500 households in 22 rural and remote communities in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba, receive a combined $10 million from the Connected Canadians program, which provides underserved communities with high-speed internet access at speeds of five megabits per second or more, a Tuesday press release said. The funding will be divvied up among four service providers to improve service in their respective areas. Commstream will receive $5 million for service to 1,900 households in Manitoba; Arrow Technology Group will get $2.6 million for 1,000 households in Alberta; CityWest Cable and Telephone Corp. will get $1.7 million for 520 households in northern British Columbia; and Community Wireless Networks will get $425,000 for 120 households in remote British Columbia. Similarly, on Thursday, ISED pledged $5.1 million in Connected Canadians funding for a pair of Indigenous Quebec communities, in a joint announcement with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. The Thursday press release said Opitciwan and Wemotaci, communities in the Atikamekw First Nation, will see about $17.7 million in connectivity, housing and infrastructure projects. “The fibre optic projects will connect the communities and allow them to take advantage of digital technology,” the release said. “The housing and infrastructure projects, once completed, will result in modern facilities for both communities, contributing to the well-being and quality of life of their residents.” According to ISED, the Connecting Canadians funding is going to Société en commandite Opitciwan Télécom (SECOT) to serve 400 households. According to the society’s website, work on the project began in June and expected to be complete in October.

Western Canada, Quebec to get Connecting Canadians funding

Brief | July 11, 2017

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Western Canada, Quebec to get Connecting Canadians funding

Brief | July 11, 2017

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