$38 million promised to fund ‘life-changing’ high-speed internet in remote Manitoba communities

Posted on November 15, 2024 by Peggy

Minister of Northern Affairs Dan Vandal says $38 million has been set aside by the federal government to fund high-speed internet in remote, rural and Indigenous communities in Manitoba.

The money from the universal broadband fund, a $3-billion initiative of the federal government to universalize high-speed internet in Canada by 2030, will bring high-speed internet to over 3,600 homes in 14 communities across the province.

The four connectivity projects, led by Indigenous internet service providers, will help to uplift the economic landscape of isolated First Nations communities across the province, Vandal said.

“High-speed internet can be life-changing,” he said.

Reliable internet connectivity is especially important in rural and remote communities, where Indigenous people are chronically underserved and isolated, Vandal said.

Dan Vandal speaks at the federal government announcement that $38 million from the universal broadband fund will support four high-speed internet projects in remote communities in Manitoba. Around 87 per cent of the homes are Indigenous. (Arturo Chang/CBC)

Connectivity unlocks many opportunities for isolated and northern Indigenous communities, including new jobs, educational support and health care, he said.

Chief Nelson Genaille of Sapotaweyak Cree Nation said connectivity is often taken for granted by Canadians with reliable access.

“Once you’re off the grid of fibre optic, cellphone, you don’t have a way to communicate. So we’re bridging the gap of communication,” Genaille said.

Only 85 per cent of households in Manitoba have access to high-speed internet, the federal government said in a news release Friday.

David Muswaggon, a Pimicikamak Cree Nation council member, said the road to securing high-speed internet in his community has been long.

An Indigenous man smiles at the camera. — David Muswaggon, a Pimicikamak Cree Nation councillor, says high-speed internet will enable community members to stay home while they pursue education. (CBC)

“With perseverance, dedication, commitment and a passion to strive for objective standards for our people across Canada, it’s doable,” Muswaggon said.

“Eighteen years — it’s been a long journey to be where we are today.”

Pimicikamak Communication Corp. is building fibre optic infrastructure for the Cross Lake area, funded by the universal broadband fund.

The project will open doors to business and education opportunities for Pimicikamak Cree Nation community members by enabling access to the digital economy and distance learning, Muswaggon said.

“They don’t even have to leave home. We can go to school at home, where they feel comfortable,” he said.

“Too many times our people have gotten lonely from being forced to leave home.”

In 2021, an auditor general’s report said only 40 per cent of rural Manitobans had access to high speed internet, and only 14 per cent of First Nations reserves had access.