Rural, remote, and Indigenous communities across the North can now apply for the provincial government’s ‘Connecting BC’ grants.
In May, the Ministry of Citizen Services came to Prince George for the announcement of $16 million available for high-speed internet projects in homes, businesses, and organizations.
Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT) will distribute the money and spokesperson Kim Hayhurst says not many people know how to obtain the much-needed technology.
“What are the exact services that they need, the kind of infrastructure that they have to have in place in order to accomplish the goals that they need as the community and that’s what the funding is really meant to help for those ones that are just on the otherside of that main fiber-line.”
She adds this could be a potential game-changer and keep people in the region.
“This is really opening educational opportunities, from elementary right on through to the University level. All kinds of things that have been really preventing growth or challenging growth for a number of industries and a number of basic services for communities.”
‘Last mile’ projects to get internet in place could see as much as 50% of the costs covered.
Submissions will be assessed on a first-come, first-serve basis and demonstrated projects must have a completion date before March 31st, 2020.
Northern Development is now accepting applications for the Connecting British Columbia program, which looks to bring high-speed internet to rural, remote and Indigenous communities across Northern B.C. https://t.co/jRO9wXC8yf #connectingbc
— Northern Development (@NorthernDevelop) July 3, 2018
Something going on in the Nechako Valley area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
