Trudeau taps rookie MP for ‘rural ministry’

A rookie MP from Nova Scotia will be tasked with bringing jobs and broadband internet service to rural communities in Canada as part of a new ministry created by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday.

In the wake of a shuffle brought about by the resignation of former Treasury Board president Scott Brison, Bernadette Jordan will lead a brand new Rural Economic Development department.

Both Trudeau and Jordan emphasized broadband connectivity and, as a federal election in 2019 looms, the government is working toward some lofty goals on rural broadband.

In the fall, the CRTC announced a $750-million fund with the objective of ensuring 90 per cent of Canadians can access speeds of 50 Mbps and unlimited data allowance, as well as employ the “latest mobile wireless technology available ... along major Canadian roads.”

Jordan said the troubles with connectivity are a dayto-day headache for rural residents. “I know I’ve seen in my riding some of the things that have been challenging ... with the lack of strong broadband and internet,” Jordan said. “We want to make sure as a government that Canadians can work and live wherever they want and that includes rural Canada.”

The new ministry received good reviews from municipal organizations, including the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. In a tweet on Monday, the organization said it hoped the new minister would help them work toward “universal broadband” in Canada.

Of all the issues facing the new ministry right now, “rural broadband would certainly be up there,” said Mike Moffatt, an economist and senior director of policy and innovation at the Smart Prosperity Institute.

Farmers have seen an ever-increasing lineup of innovations available, from soil sensors to GPS gadgets, which rely on connectivity.

“You can already connect to the internet from rural areas. But can you get the speeds necessary to use these technologies?” said Moffatt.