Federal government investing in rural connectivity for Central Nova

As Sean Fraser and a staff member drove to Blue Mountain, they talked about the possibility of doing a Facebook live video of Fraser’s pending announcement.

Then they pulled out their phones and realized there was no cell or internet connection.

In a way, it reiterated the need Fraser hopes this announcement will help address.

“This is the first step in what I hope is going to be a long-term plan to connect rural communities,” he said.

He hopes it will have real benefits for people, not only operating businesses or working for home but also just to improve quality of life for those in rural communities.

“There’s no reason that rural communities shouldn’t have these same luxuries in the 21st century that urban communities have.”

Fraser told the crowd gathered at the Blue Mountain Fire Hall late last week the federal government is investing more than $413,000 to install or improve high-speed internet services.

The project will expand DSL broadband to the communities. Bell is also contributing to the project.

Total investment for the Thorburn Fibre Backbone is $400,410 and it will provide service for the communities of MacPherson Mills, Blue Mountain and Eden Lake. The total project cost for the Goshen Fibre Backbone is $152,800. That project will expand DSL broadband to 225 new homes near the communities of North and West Lochaber.

Fraser said the goal is to have this project complete by 2021, but they are confident it will be completed sooner.

The investment is about more than convenience, Fraser said, it’s also about sustaining life in rural communities. It affects everything from businesses that need reliable internet for their debit machines to those trying to work from home.

He said he’d heard of people walking away from real estate deals after discovering there was poor internet service.

Adrian VanBerkel lives in St. Joseph’s Antigonish County and recently sold some property.

“The couple that bought it were concerned about slow internet,” he said. “They were coming here from Ottawa and they run a business out of their home.”

He compares the issue of getting adequate internet service with the previous fight rural areas had to make to get private phone lines instead of party lines. “This is no different.” Pictou County Coun. Randy Palmer, who was present for the announcement, said internet is vital for everything today, from emergency services to basic everyday life tasks.

“Now they’re going to have the opportunity to have the same benefits as everybody else.”

Blue Mountain resident Scott Green was glad to hear that a better internet option is on the way. He said their current service has been spotty at best.

“Our tower’s right there, but it’s down more than it’s up.”

While it wasn’t on their official party platform, Fraser committed to making the issue a priority when he got to Ottawa, after hearing it raised countless times while campaigning in Central Nova. He found he wasn’t alone. Representatives from rural areas across Canada shared similar concerns and together they formed an informal caucus which spent more than a year talking about the issue.

Fraser said he’s happy to see real steps being made to address the problem.