REGINA – SaskTel has brought wireless cellular service to Canoe Lake Cree First Nation, Jans Bay and surrounding area with the turn up of a newly upgraded structure at Canoe Narrows.
This extension of service was made possible because of the partnership and support of numerous contributors, including Canoe Lake Cree First Nation (CLCFN), Primrose Lake Economic Development Corporation and the Meadow Lake Health and Social Development Authority (MLHSDA). This partnership is based on SaskTel’s Community Participation Model, which encourages communities to raise funds to cover the shortfall when it is not economically feasible for the provincial telco to finance a new cellular site alone.
“Extending SaskTel’s wireless network to communities which have never had access to cellular service before is an important initiative,” said Jim Reiter, minister responsible for SaskTel, in the news release. “This service will provide Canoe Lake Cree First Nation, Jans Bay and area with enhanced connectivity to the rest of the province and global world, particularly emergency services, while also further developing the economic opportunities for area residents.”
“SaskTel customers experience a level of connectivity that is rare in other sparsely populated parts of the world. We are committed to connecting our rural and northern communities“, added SaskTel president and CEO Ron Styles. “Our Community Participation Model makes it possible for smaller communities to have access to our world-class wireless network.”
