Caledon Village to benefit from Federal investment in high-speed internet

By Zachary Roman

People living in the Caledon Village area will see increased access to high-speed internet in the future thanks to Federal government funding.

In a May 3 statement, Canada's Minister of Rural Economic Development Gudie Hutchings announced over $5.3 million will be distributed between Bell Canada, Golden Rural High Speed and HuronTel, so the companies can bring high-speed internet to 1,662 rural Ontario households.

In addition to Caledon Village, other communities benefiting from the funding are the following: Alberton, Bogies Beach, Burnt River, Glen Orchard, Jerseyville, Juddhaven, Kinmount, Minett, Mount Pleasant, Port Carling, Port Sandfield and Tower Manor.

The Government of Canada procured the $5.3 million from its Universal

Broadband Fund's rapid response stream. According to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, “the $2.75 billion Universal Broadband Fund supports high-speed internet projects across the country. These projects will bring internet at speeds of 50/10 megabits per second to rural and remote communities.”

The Government of Canada is looking to connect 98 per cent of Canadians to high-speed internet by 2026, and 100 per cent by 2030.

Helena Jaczek, the Federal Government's Minister Responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario said the May 3 announcement is great news for people living in Southern Ontario and that high-speed internet is an essential tool that's been made more essential by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our government understands that it is critical to connect Canadians, especially in rural and remote regions, and we will continue to make investments that connect Canadians across the country,” said Jaczek.

Hutchings said every nook and cranny of Ontario needs access to high-speed internet and that the “connection gap” needs to be closed. 

“Today's announcement of more than $5.3 million in new funding to connect 1,662 rural households in the province is a 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,” said Hutchings.

The homes in Caledon Village will be getting internet service from Bell Canada.

Bruce Furlong, senior vice-president of access engineering and deployment for Bell, said his company is happy to be partnering with the government to expand service.

“Access to high-speed broadband networks is helping drive Canada's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and will be a key driver of future social and economic prosperity,” said Furlong.