Citizens' Services
Accessing high-speed internet for people in approximately 750 households will soon become a reality as more rural Vancouver Island and Gulf Island communities are connected.
“This investment marks a meaningful step forward in supporting First Nations and Island communities by strengthening access to essential services like health care,” said Diana Gibson, Minister of Citizens’ Services. “By extending reliable digital infrastructure to households, we are helping to create safer, healthier and more resilient communities across the province.”
The communities benefiting from new last-mile fibre and transport infrastructure include 129 households on Piers Island, 125 households in rural areas of Texada Island and 500 households in Jordan River, Port Renfrew and the Pacheedaht First Nations’ communities of Gordon River 2 and Pacheena 1.
“Access to high-speed internet strengthens families, empowers communities and supports the growth of our province,” said Dana Lajeunesse, MLA of Juan de Fuca-Malahat. “We’re committed to levelling the playing field by providing every household in B.C. equal access to high-speed internet to ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive in the digital age.”
The Province is investing $4.2 million through the Connecting Communities BC program, administered by the Ministry of Citizens’ Services. The Government of Canada is investing as much as $3.9 million through the Universal Broadband Fund and CityWest will contribute approximately $476,116 for the projects in Texada and Piers islands. Telus will contribute $655,922 toward the project benefitting Jordan River, Port Renfrew and Pacheedaht First Nation. The First Nation Health Authority will also contribute $664,284 toward the project in Pacheedaht First Nation.
“Improving high-speed internet access is vital for rural First Nations communities to be self-determining in governance, health-and-wellness service delivery and economic development spaces,” said Monica McAlduff, chief executive officer, First Nations Health Authority. “We thank our partners for their collaboration and support in providing this access to the Pacheedaht First Nation communities of Gordon River 2 and Pacheena 1.”
Since 2017, the Province has invested $584 million to expand connectivity in British Columbia. In March 2022, the governments of British Columbia and Canada announced a partnership to invest as much as $830 million to expand high-speed internet services. Currently, 95.8% of households in British Columbia have access to at least 50/10 megabits per second (mbps). It is projected that 97.8% households will have access by 2026. The Government of Canada is on track for 100% of Canadian households to have access to high-speed internet by 2030.
The Connecting British Columbia and Connecting Communities BC funding programs support projects to expand high-speed internet access to rural and remote areas of the province. The plan to provide access to high-speed internet to all households will level the playing field for people in British Columbia, ensuring better access to services and economic opportunities for every community.
Learn More:
To learn more about connectivity in B.C., visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/connectivity-in-bc
To learn more about Connecting Communities BC, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/connectivity-in-bc/20530/20601
A backgrounder follows.
