Northwest regions to get high-speed internet

KENORA/RAINY RIVER - A joint project is bringing high-speed internet access to 4,777 households in northwestern Ontario.

Greg Rickford, along with members of the Provincial Parliament for Kenora-Rainy River, announced a $53.1 million joint Federal and Provincial project to bring high-speed internet access to 4,777 households.  The communities to benefit include unserved and underserved homes and businesses in Rainy River, Barwick, Ignace, and several First Nations communities across the Grand Council Treaty #3 territory, with combined provincial contributions of over $14.4 million.

“For far too long, Northern Ontario has lacked access to high-speed internet with limited connectivity in many remote communities,” said Greg Rickford, Member of Provincial Parliament for Kenora–Rainy River. “Broadband is key for education, job creation and economic growth to keep our Northern communities connected. Our government is proud to support these critical infrastructure projects.”

This project extends from an existing agreement between the Federal and Provincial governments to support large-scale fibre-based projects providing high-speed Internet access to more than 280,000 rural and remote households across the province. A joint federal-provincial investment made this historic agreement possible, totalling more than $1.2 billion in July 2021.

“The Ontario government is ensuring every community across the province has access to reliable high-speed internet by 2025. By working together with our federal partners and internet service providers, we increase access to high-speed internet and build a stronger foundation for Ontario’s economic growth and prosperity,” said the Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure. “We are ensuring that the agriculture sector and all families, workers and businesses have a better and brighter future. No one will be left behind.”

With the announcement, the funding put towards this project ensures by 2026, 98 per cent of Canadians in Ontario will have access to high spend internet, and 100 per cent by 2030. As we work to rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic and grow the economy, the federal and provincial governments will continue to invest in infrastructure to build strong communities and a more competitive and resilient Ontario and Canada for everyone.