OTTAWA – The governments of Canada and British Columbia today announced the first high-speed Internet and mobile projects to be funded through the $830-million partnership they announced in March.
Today’s announcement includes up to $108 million of the previously announced funding, which will bring high-speed Internet to up to 14,000 households as well as mobile connectivity to seven rural B.C. communities, including First Nations communities, a press release explains.
With this announcement, approximately 2,200 Indigenous households will benefit from improved mobile connectivity, said Gudie Hutchings, minister of Rural Economic Development, during a press conference earlier today.
Limited details about the projects have been announced at this point.
“Over the coming months we’ll announce further details of who and when and what and where,” Hutchings said, later noting they are, however, very cognizant of needing to make use of construction season.
For now, a government backgrounder indicates the seven communities to benefit from improved mobile connectivity as part of today’s announcement are:
- Gitwinksihlkw (Nisga’a Village of Gitwinksihlkw)
- Laxgalts’ap (Nisga’a Village of Laxgalts’ap)
- Nass Camp
- New Aiyansh (Nisga’a Village of New Aiyansh)
- Nisga’a Village of Gingolx
- Nooaitch
- Shackan
And the communities to benefit from improved Internet speeds include:
- Appledale
- Baynes Lake
- Blaeberry
- Boothroyd
- Bridge River
- Burton
- Carrolls Landing
- Cayoose Creek
- Cheslatta Carrier Nation
- Chetwynd
- Crawford Bay
- Danskin
- Dease Lake
- Decker Lake
- Dokie Siding
- Donald
- Elko
- Erie
- Fauquier
- Field
- Fort Fraser
- Fort Steele
- Galiano Island
- Gillies Bay
- Gitwinksihlkw (Nisga’a Village of Gitwinksihlkw)
- Grasmere
- Grassy Plains
- Hagwilget (Hagwilget Village)
- Hall
- Harrogate
- Hills
- Holberg
- Iskut
- Kanaka Bar
- Keats Island
- Kootenay Bay
- Kragmont
- Kyuquot (Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k:tles7et’h’ First Nations)
- Laxgalts’ap (Nisga’a Village of Laxgalts’ap)
- Lebahdo
- Lemon Creek
- Lillooet
- Lower Hat Creek 2 (Bonaparte)
- Lytton
- Mapes
- Mahatta River
- Mayook
- Meadowbrook
- Meadows
- McLeod Lake
- Nadleh Whuten
- Nass Camp
- Nee-Tahi-Buhn
- Nelway
- New Aiyansh (Nisga’a Village of New Aiyansh)
- New Brighton
- Nisga’a Village of Gingolx
- New Hazelton
- Nicomen
- Nulki
- Park Siding
- Parson
- Passmore
- Pavilion (Ts’kw’aylaxw First Nation)
- Perrys
- Rosebery
- Round Lake
- Saik’uz First Nation
- Saturna
- Seton Lake
- Seton Portage
- Shalalth (Tsal’alh)
- Silverton
- Siska
- Skin Tyee
- Skookumchuck
- Skuppah
- Slocan Park
- Southbank
- South Shalalth
- Spillimacheen
- Spuzzum
- Stellat’en First Nation
- Summit Lake
- Sweetwater
- Ta Ta Creek
- Tatalrose
- Telegraph Cove
- Tie Lake
- T’it’q’et
- Tobacco Plains
- Ts’kw’aylaxw
- Twidwell Bend
- Upper Hat Creek 1 (Bonaparte)
- Vallican
- Van Anda
- Wabi Hill
- Walkers
- Wardner
- Wet’suwet’en Village (Wet’suwet’en First Nation)
- Winlaw
- Winter Harbour
- Wynndel
- Xaxli’p
- Ymir
