Minister Gudie Hutchings was in La Ronge on Monday to deliver the announcement. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

improvements

Feds announce $160 million for high-speed Internet, mobility connectivity in Sask.

Jun 3, 2024 | 1:56 PM

The federal government is investing $160 million in Saskatchewan to connect 13,700 homes to high-speed Internet, as well as provide cellular service along 500 kilometers of roads.

The announcement was made on Monday in La Ronge by Gudie Hutchings, the minister of rural economic development. Up to $105 million of the funding is being allocated to SaskTel for projects that will benefit up to 5,700 households in communities across West Central and Northern Saskatchewan, the majority of which are Indigenous.

While a list of affected communities will be released at a later date, Hutchings explained mobile connectivity is coming to Island Lake, Turnor Lake, Birch Narrows, and along the Hansen Lake Road (Highway 106).

She noted some of the upgrades will be completed as early as August.

“We know the Internet is no longer a luxury, we know it’s a necessity and we’re here to build a Canada that’s fair for every generation,” she said.

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“To do that, we got to make sure you have access to affordable, reliable high-speed Internet no matter where you live, and this is especially true for communities in the North, and it is especially true in Indigenous communities that historically have been underserved.”

The federal government has a goal of bringing high-speed Internet to 98 per cent of Canadians by 2026. In Saskatchewan, 81 per cent of households currently have high-speed Internet, but that number is expected to grow to 86 per cent by the end of the year.

Hutchings mentioned connectivity to high-speed Internet is particularly important when it comes to enhancing health care and education. Aside from SaskTel, other funding recipients are Access Communications Co-operative Ltd., Advanced Interactive Canada Inc., BH Telecom Corp., Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation in partnership with Sequorum Inc., and the Meadow Lake Tribal Council.

Several dignataries were on hand to speak at the announcement on Monday. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson was present for the announcement and she said the commitment will bring an evolution of communication to Northern Saskatchewan.

“I am really happy for the communities that are getting this connectivity because I go to some communities where you try to log on and it’s slow,” she said.

“You know how frustrating it is to get something to load up and it’s not loading up, but then when you go the city, it is like ‘bang’ it is right there. I hope that’s what this announcement does for our community members in the North. I know there are a lot of communities listed around Meadow Lake, there’s a lot of communities listed for Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation.”

A list of communities and projects included in the announcement can be found here.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com