HALIFAX – Independent cable company EastLink and the Halifax & Region Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) have joined together – with support from the Canadian Forces – to ensure that military personnel from this region are connected to family and friends while serving overseas.
Through this multi-year partnership, EastLink has provided a 10-Mega bit Internet service which will allow the MFRC to provide face-to-face communication between deployed personnel and their loved ones via a new video tele-conferencing service.
A live demonstration of the technology was provided yesterday at the official launch of the VTC service.
“We are thankful to EastLink for providing the support which allows military families to connect with their loved ones deployed. The VTC is a tool which helps to ensure that military members remain part of their families and communities back home, “ said Colleen Calvert, executive director, Halifax & Region MFRC.
This service to Canadian Forces members and their families is a result of a multi-year partnership between EastLink, the Canadian Forces and the MFRC. EastLink provided the installation and monthly service, the VTC equipment was provided by the Canadian Forces and the MFRC supplied the space, logistical support and promotion of the service to military families.
Parents, partners, spouses and extended family are able to use this service to connect with their loved ones in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Bookings to use the VTC are conducted through the Special Events Coordinator in Kandahar. There is no charge to access the VTC service and a similar service is also available at various Canadian Forces bases across Canada.
“The communications services we provide keep families connected and we are thrilled to make it easier for military personnel deployed in Afghanistan to stay in touch with family and friends," said Dan McKeen, EastLink’s co-CEO.
“Speaking as a soldier who has been deployed overseas, I know this service means a great deal to our men and women in Afghanistan,” said Colonel Roch Lacroix, Chief of Staff for Land Force Atlantic Area. “Our people over there face significant challenges daily and I know that being able to re-connect with their families, even if only for a few minutes, provides a huge morale boost for them and their loved ones.”
Almost 300 military members are currently deployed to Afghanistan from the region served by the Halifax MFRC, many of whom are Reservists. In addition, there are hundreds of deployed personnel overseas who are originally from the Maritimes and have extended family in Nova Scotia.
