Northern Ontario virtually ignored by broadband funding

NEWS RELEASE

TONY MARTIN, MP

***************************** Conservatives ignore almost all of Northern Ontario in broadband money

New Democrats organize support, push funding here

OTTAWA – Sault MP Tony Martin will help area broadband supporters organize after the Conservative government left all of Ontario except two small Kenora reserves on hold in their funding of 52 projects in nine provinces.

“It was odd the industry ministry chose a downtown Toronto coffee shop to make this rural announcement and that Ontario pretty much got stiffed in the funding,” Martin said. “However, the minister, answering New Democrats in Question Period Wednesday, twice referred to the projects totaling $76 million being ‘the first 52’ and there being more news soon. I will remain hopeful and help rally support with area broadband supporters including the Algoma District Municipal Association and the East Algoma leaders I have been working with.”

"Achieving universal broadband connectivity in Canada is the next great infrastructure project for our country. Our residents and businesses must have broadband to be connected and competitive.”

Martin said that while Bell won its court case to invest in broadband, it remains unclear what their area of responsibility is.

Another problem is that the current funding criteria prevents communities from applying, leaving it to already existing providers.

In a House of Commons question Wednesday, New Democrat Digital Affairs Critic Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay) noted Canada under the Conservative government had dropped to 10th from second in OECD countries for broadband penetration.

"Northern Ontario is as big as Western Europe," Angus said to the Minister in the House. "Do you really believe that just two communities deserve Ottawa's help getting connected to the information superhighway?"

Last week, the Liberal Party leader said his party would commit to universal broadband access within three years of being government, a promise that drew faint praise from Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty. 

“The idea of universal access to broadband was first put on the agenda by the national broadband task force which was appointed by Mr. Chretien’s Industry Minister Brian Tobin all the way back in 2001 and was not acted on by the Liberal government.” 

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