Summary

• Northern Development Initiative Trust will invest as much as $24 million to install GwaiiTel subsea fibre-optic project
• New link between Haida Gwaii and the mainland northern coast will support health care, emergency response, education, government services and tourism
• Haida Nation’s 50% ownership empowers community leadership and builds resilient, community-focused digital infrastructure

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People and businesses on Haida Gwaii will benefit from more reliable internet access as the Province, through Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT), invests in a new subsea fibre-optic cable to enhance the resiliency of connectivity along the northern coast.

“Reliable connectivity is essential to the economic and social prosperity of communities across Haida Gwaii,” said Diana Gibson, Minister of Citizens’ Services. “Through partnerships with the Council of the Haida Nation, GwaiiTel and NDIT, the Province is advancing resilient, dependable internet services that support community needs now and into the future.”

NDIT is investing as much as $24 million in GwaiiTel to enhance network capacity, improve service stability and ensure residents, First Nations and local businesses have access to high-speed internet.  

Strengthening critical services with a resilient fibre link

The GwaiiTel Haida Gwaii subsea fibre-optic project will deliver a dedicated, high-capacity connection between Haida Gwaii and the mainland northern coast, creating a more reliable network for the region’s digital infrastructure.

The fibre route will strengthen essential online services that communities rely on every day, including:

• remote health-care delivery and telehealth
• emergency response and public safety
• government services
• education and online learning
• tourism and local business operations
• community and social networking

Supporting community needs through timely investment

Construction will begin in spring 2026 on the project. It represents a step toward more reliable, resilient connectivity on Haida Gwaii, where geography and weather create distinct infrastructure challenges.

Jointly owned by the Haida Nation and local government partners, GwaiiTel has decades of experience managing connectivity on Haida Gwaii, ensuring that infrastructure decisions remain rooted in local perspectives and deliver lasting benefits to island communities.

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. The governments of British Columbia and Canada are committed to connecting all remaining under-served households, ensuring better access to services and economic opportunities in every community.

The Connecting British Columbia program supports transport-network projects such as this that create the backbone for expanding high-speed internet to rural and remote areas, levelling the playing field for people in British Columbia.

The project supports Look West, British Columbia’s targeted plan designed to deliver major projects, create good-paying jobs and strengthen British Columbia and Canada’s economic security in the face of economic threats.  

Learn More:

• Connectivity in B.C.: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/connectivity-in-bc
•  StrongerBC: B.C.’s economic plan: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/economic-plan/
• Northern Development Initiative Trust: https://www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca/fundingprograms/partner-programs/connecting-british-columbia/
• Look West: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/look-west-strategy

A backgrounder follows.