Today, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, and George Chahal, Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview, on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, announced over $41 million in funding for 21 projects that will bring high-speed Internet to 2,676 households in rural Alberta.
Residents of rural communities to benefit from increased connectivity
February 9, 2022 – Ottawa, Ontario
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed how we live, work, learn and do business, and now more than ever, Canadians across the country need reliable high-speed Internet to access services, supports and opportunities. Through the Universal Broadband Fund’s (UBF) Rapid Response Stream, the Government of Canada is taking immediate action to get people living in rural and remote communities connected to high-speed Internet.
Today, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, and George Chahal, Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview, on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, announced over $41 million in funding for 21 projects that will bring high-speed Internet to 5,806 households in rural Alberta.
Today’s announcement builds on the Government of Canada’s progress toward making sure that 98% of Canadians have access to high-speed Internet by 2026. As we work to rebuild from the pandemic, the Government of Canada will continue to make investments in infrastructure to build strong communities and a more competitive and resilient Canada for everyone.
“This investment will bring reliable high-speed Internet access to 5,806 households in rural Alberta, helping create jobs, improving access to health care and online learning services, and keeping people connected. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed $7.2 billion to connect rural Canadians to better, faster Internet. We will continue making investments like these in rural and remote communities to help connect every single Canadian to high-speed Internet.”
– The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development
“For rural communities in Alberta, and Indigenous ones specifically, not having access to reliable Internet has made the impact of this pandemic even more difficult than in other areas of the country, which is why the Government of Canada is investing over $41 million to help ensure Albertans get connected to the Internet as soon as possible. We said we would take action and we are delivering on that commitment. In fact, prior to today’s announcement, the government had already approved 48 projects, totalling over $56 million, which will connect more than 36,000 households across the province.”
– The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance
“This is excellent news for Alberta. The pandemic has shown us how essential high-speed Internet access has become. The Government of Canada understands that it is urgent and vital to connect rural and remote regions throughout Canada, including in Alberta.”
– George Chahal, Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview
Jeremy Bellefeuille
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Rural Economic Development
343-551-0898