Bridging the Digital Divide: Rural leaders told to build broadband themselves

NORTH BAY, Ont. – “You ever open a bag of chips and been sadly disappointed by a crunched up bag, a few crumbs inside, and very little to offer?” asked Mitch Thomson, executive director of the Olds Institute, Olds, Alta. “It's sad to say but the Canadian experience in rural areas, when it comes to connectivity, has been just that.” Thomson (pictured, with his disappointing bag of chips), whose community long ago took broadband matters into its own hands, was speaking to about 250 delegates at last week’s Bridging the Digital Divide, Canada's Rural and Remote Broadband conference in North...