Apr 17, 2022 | International
The Honourable Patty Hadju, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, together with the Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure, will make an announcement about improving high-speed Internet access.
April 14, 2022 – Ottawa, Ontario
The Honourable Patty Hadju, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, together with the Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure, will make an announcement about improving high-speed Internet access.
Date: Tuesday, April 19, 2022
Time: 2:00 p.m. (ET)
Location: Virtual
Note to media
Members of the media will be able to participate via teleconference.
For media participation by teleconference:
Media outlets wanting to take part in the teleconference are asked to contact ISED Media Relations (media@ised-isde.gc.ca) to receive the dial-in information.
Luka Vujic
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Rural Economic Development
343-571-9582
luka.vujic@ised-isde.gc.ca
Media Relations
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
media@ised-isde.gc.ca
Hayley Cooper
Office of the Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure
hayley.cooper@ontario.ca
Mar 30, 2022 | International
News release
Today, Irek Kusmierczyk, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, along with Bob Bailey, Member of Provincial Parliament for Sarnia–Lambton, on behalf of the Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure, announced up to $24 million in funding to bring high-speed Internet to up to 1,180 households in rural Ontario. These communities include areas near Brooke-Alvinston, Inwood, Oakdale, Oil City, Oil Springs, Pelee Island, Wheatley Harbour, Elmdale, rural areas near Tilbury, Birr, Clandeboye, Denfield and Lucan.
Rural Ontarians to benefit from increased connectivity to high-speed Internet
March 29, 2022 – Ottawa, Ontario
Today, Irek Kusmierczyk, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, along with Bob Bailey, Member of Provincial Parliament for Sarnia–Lambton, on behalf of the Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure, announced up to $24 million in funding to bring high-speed Internet to up to 1,180 households in rural Ontario. These communities include areas near Brooke-Alvinston, Inwood, Oakdale, Oil City, Oil Springs, Pelee Island, Wheatley Harbour, Elmdale, rural areas near Tilbury, Birr, Clandeboye, Denfield and Lucan.
The governments of Canada and Ontario have partnered to support large-scale, fibre-based projects that will provide high-speed Internet access to 280,000 rural and remote households across the province. This historic agreement, announced on July 29, 2021, is being made possible by a joint federal-provincial investment totalling more than $1.2 billion. The governments of Canada and Ontario are now announcing details of projects selected under that agreement.
Today’s announcement builds on the Government of Canada’s progress toward ensuring that 98% of Canadians have access to high-speed Internet by 2026, and 100% by 2030. The Government of Ontario is committed to bringing reliable high-speed Internet access to every region of the province by the end of 2025. As we work to rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic and grow the economy, the governments of Canada and Ontario will continue to make investments in infrastructure to build strong communities and a more competitive and resilient Ontario and Canada for everyone.
Quotes
“We need to close the connection gap and ensure that every nook and cranny of Ontario has access to reliable high-speed Internet—whether that’s in Oil Springs or Carlsbad Springs, or all the way on the shores of Lake Superior. Today’s announcement of up to $24 million to connect up to 1,180 rural households in the province is a historic milestone for Ontarians. Investments like these help create jobs, improve access to health care and online learning services, and keep us connected to our loved ones. The Government of Canada will continue to make investments like these to help achieve our national target of connecting 98% of Canadians by 2026, and 100% by 2030.”
– The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development
“The government has a comprehensive plan to help connect every Ontarian with access to reliable high-speed Internet by the end of 2025. No one will be left behind. By working together with our federal partners and Internet service providers, we are expanding access to high-speed Internet to more communities across the province — including in Southwestern Ontario — so everyone can access critical health services, learn, work, start a business, and connect with their loved ones—all online.”
– The Honourable Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure for the Province of Ontario
“This is excellent news for rural Ontario as a whole! The pandemic has shown us how essential high-speed Internet access has become. The Government of Canada understands that it is urgent and vital to connect rural and remote regions throughout Canada, including Ontario.”
– Irek Kusmierczyk, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion
“Access to reliable, high-speed Internet is equally as important to rural residents and businesses as it is to those in larger urban centres. I am extremely pleased that this project will bring essential high-speed Internet to up to 1,180 new households in rural Southwestern Ontario.”
– Bob Bailey, Member of Provincial Parliament for Sarnia–Lambton
Quick facts
The projects announced today are receiving up to $24 million in Government of Canada and Government of Ontario funding to bring high-speed Internet to up to 1,180 households in areas near Brooke-Alvinston, Inwood, Oakdale, Oil City, Oil Springs, Pelee Island, Wheatley Harbour, Elmdale, rural areas near Tilbury, Birr, Clandeboye, Denfield and Lucan. The Internet service will be provided by Brooks Bay Cable Corporation, Quadro Communications and Gosfield North Communication.
Canada’s Connectivity Strategy aims to provide all Canadians with access to Internet speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) download / 10 Mbps upload.
The Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) is a $2.75 billion investment by the Government of Canada designed to help connect 98% of Canadians to high-speed Internet by 2026 and achieve the national target of 100% connectivity by 2030. Only the hardest-to-reach households may take until 2030 to connect.
On July 29, 2021, a Canada-Ontario broadband partnership was announced. This agreement will connect 280,000 households across Ontario to broadband with a total investment of $1.2 billion, co-funded equally by both levels of government.
In 2021, Ontario announced projects in regions across the province, including six projects that will serve Northern Ontario and 17 projects led exclusively by the province under the Improving Connectivity for Ontario program.
Another part of Ontario’s plan to achieve 100% connectivity for all regions across the province is a new competitive process led by Infrastructure Ontario to help connect more homes and businesses in unserved and underserved communities.
The governments of Canada and Ontario have each committed up to $71 million through a partnership with the Eastern Ontario Regional Network to help improve cellular service in Eastern Ontario.
The Government of Ontario is investing more than $63 million in the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology project to help bring high-speed Internet access to more than 58,000 homes, farms and businesses across Southwestern Ontario. The province has also invested in high-speed Internet projects to support connectivity in rural and Northern Ontario, including through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation and through the Next Generation Network Program.
Related products
Governments of Canada and Ontario invest to bring high-speed Internet access to more rural households
Associated links
Universal Broadband Fund
Backgrounder: Universal Broadband Fund and Telesat low Earth orbit capacity agreement
Canada Infrastructure Bank announcement
High-Speed Access for All: Canada’s Connectivity Strategy
Ontario connects: making high-speed Internet accessible in every community
Contacts
Government of Canada
Luka Vujic
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Rural Economic Development
343-571-9582
luka.vujic@ised-isde.gc.ca
Media Relations
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
343-291-1777
media@ised-isde.gc.ca
Government of Ontario
Hayley Cooper
Office of the Honourable Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure
hayley.cooper@ontario.ca
Sofia Sousa-Dias
Communications Branch
Ministry of Infrastructure
sofia.sousa-dias@ontario.ca
Stay connected
Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on Twitter: @ISED_CA
Mar 30, 2022 | International
Backgrounder
On March 29, 2022, Irek Kusmierczyk, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, along with Bob Bailey, Member of Provincial Parliament for Sarnia–Lambton, on behalf of the Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure, announced the following Universal Broadband Fund and Improving Connectivity for Ontario projects
On March 29, 2022, Irek Kusmierczyk, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, along with Bob Bailey, Member of Provincial Parliament for Sarnia–Lambton, on behalf of the Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure, announced the following Universal Broadband Fund and Improving Connectivity for Ontario projects:
Universal Broadband Fund and Improving Connectivity for Ontario projects
Internet service provider
Combined provincial and federal funding
Communities to benefit
Estimated number of homes with increased access to high-speed Internet
Brooks Bay Cable Corporation
$4,336,765
Brooke-Alvinston, Inwood, Oakdale, Oil City, Oil Springs
341
Quadro Communications
$836,368
Birr, Clandeboye, Denfield, Lucan
132
Gosfield North Communication
$19,465,000
Pelee Island, Wheatley Harbour, Elmdale, rural areas near Tilbury
707
Mar 20, 2022 | International
Coverage of Government’s support measures for frontline cleansing and security workers
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As regards media reports concerning the support measures for frontline cleansing and security workers under the sixth round of the Anti-epidemic Fund (AEF), a Government spokesman responded today (March 19) as follows:
To support frontline cleansing and security workers who have all along been making contributions towards combatting the pandemic, the Government introduced different measures under the sixth round of the AEF to provide a monthly allowance of $2,000 to them for a period of five months, i.e. a total of $10,000 for each worker, with a view to giving recognition to their dutiful work under the pandemic. These measures include:
(i) the Anti-epidemic Support Scheme for Environmental Hygiene and Security Staff in the Property Management Sector, which provides allowance to frontline property management workers carrying out cleansing and security work in private residential, composite (i.e. commercial cum residential), industrial and commercial building blocks (including shopping malls). The measure is estimated to benefit around 180 000 frontline property management workers; and
(ii) “Support Cleansing and Security Staff Engaged by Government, Hong Kong Housing Authority and Hong Kong Housing Society Service Contractors in Anti-epidemic Efforts”, which provides financial support to frontline cleansing and security workers engaged by the Government and relevant organisations’ service contractors to carry out anti-epidemic work. The measure will also cover cleansing workers in country parks engaged by contractors of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department as mentioned in media reports. The measure is estimated to benefit around 72 000 frontline cleansing and security workers.
Upon further consideration by relevant bureaux and departments regarding the actual situation of frontline cleansing and security workers under their purview, the Government will similarly further provide the monthly allowance of $2,000 to the following frontline workers for a period of five months, including:
(i) Cleansing and security workers engaged by Hospital Authority service contractors. It is estimated that around 6 100 persons could benefit;
(ii) Cleansing and security staff engaged by post-secondary education institutions and their service contractors, as well as service contractors of non-government schools. It is estimated that around 22 000 persons could benefit; and
(iii) Frontline recycling staff. It is estimated that around 7 000 persons could benefit.
Relevant bureaux and departments will separately announce the details of the above measures. The total estimated expenditure for the above measures is over $3 billion.
The Government sincerely thanks those at the forefront of the combat against the pandemic. The Government appeals to private enterprises and other organisations to provide support to cleansing and security workers who have been carrying out their duties with dedication to get through the difficult times together.
Mar 5, 2022 | International
The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, together with the Honourable Lisa Beare, British Columbia Minister of Citizens` Services, will make a historic announcement on improving high-speed Internet in rural and remote British Columbia communities.
March 4, 2022 – Ottawa, Ontario
The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, together with the Honourable Lisa Beare, British Columbia Minister of Citizens` Services, will make a historic announcement on improving high-speed Internet in rural and remote British Columbia communities.
Date: Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m. (PT)
Location:
Mission Library
33247 Second Avenue
Mission, British Columbia
Note to media:
Members of the media will be able to participate on site or via teleconference.
For media participation on site:
Media outlets wanting to take part in the availability are asked to RSVP to ISED Media Relations (media@ised-isde.gc.ca) to confirm their attendance. In-person attendees will be required to wear a face covering at all times and remain at least two metres apart from others.
For media participation by teleconference:
Media outlets wanting to take part in the teleconference are asked to contact ISED Media Relations (media@ised-isde.gc.ca) to receive the dial-in information.
Luka Vujic
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Rural Economic Development
343-571-9582
luka.vujic@ised-isde.gc.ca
Media Relations
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
media@ised-isde.gc.ca
Media Relations
Government Communications and Public Engagement Ministry of Citizens’ Services, Province of British Columbia
250-356-7959
