Province meets with Northeast B.C. leaders ahead of connectivity funding announcement

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – The province announced Tuesday that funding will soon be available to ensure everyone in B.C. has “equal and full” access to high-speed internet by 2027.

Minister of Citizens’ Services, Lisa Beare says she met with leaders in Northeast B.C., including Fort St. John Mayor Lori Ackerman, Taylor Mayor Rob Fraser, and Fort Nelson Mayor Gary Foster, to identify and experience challenges residents face in the region.

“In talking with Mayor Foster up in Fort Nelson and the challenges that his community is facing around economic development and ensuring that connectivity is that backbone to expanding and to attracting more people to move to the community, we know how important it is, and I’m really looking forward to doing this work,” Beare said.

The province announced that through an agreement with the federal government, $830 million will be available to rural, remote and Indigenous communities to close the digital divide through the StrongerBC Economic Plan.

“This joint record investment of $830 million between the federal and provincial governments means many First Nations communities will have high-speed internet access for the first time – advancing true, lasting and meaningful reconciliation and self-determination,” the province said in a release.

According to the province, the funding will allow approximately 115,000 households in rural, remote and Indigenous communities that are still underserved to have the same digital economic opportunities as larger urban communities.

Beare says this funding is in addition to other connectivity projects in the region.

“There’s projects that are continuing, and there are announcements still to come from the Connecting British Columbia program as well. There is not going to be a gap in work done here. We’re going to build off the work we’re doing currently and go further to connect all communities by 2027,” Beare said.

She adds that intake for the Stronger BC connectivity program is anticipated to begin this summer.