The provincial government today announced that $1.1 million in grants has been approved for a second wave of nine projects funded through the province-wide Connecting British Columbia program.

The program will benefit more than 80 B.C. communities located in rural and remote areas of the province by improving access to high-speed Internet.

Connecting British Columbia is a $10-million, multi-year grant program administered on behalf of the province by Northern Development Initiative Trust that helps to pay for infrastructure required to deliver high-speed Internet connectivity to homes and businesses in rural locations throughout British Columbia. A total of $5.8 million in

Connecting British Columbia funding for eight projects benefiting 70 communities was provided in the first wave of grants last year.

B.C. is on track to meet its goal of 100% high-speed connectivity before 2021 by providing 94% of British Columbians with access to high-speed Internet. This makes B.C. one of the most connected jurisdictions in the world, notes a Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services press release.

“Government has enabled dozens of rural and remote British Columbia communities with access to the high-speed Internet people need to learn, train, do business, find services and stay connected. This is a direct reflection of our commitment to ensuring 100% high-speed connectivity is available in every area of the province before 2021,” stated Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services Amrik Virk.

Regionally, as previously announced, the Columbia Basin-Boundary Rural & Remote Broadband Connectivity Project, through service provider Columbia Basin Broadband Corp. (working with 12 Internet service providers) is getting a Connecting British Columbia grant of $ 2,287,305 million.

This project will provide the following Kootenays and Boundary communities with improved access to high-speed Internet: Ainsworth Hot Springs, Baynes Lake, Beaver Valley, Blewett, Boswell, Boundary (Bridesville to Christina Lake), Bountiful, Brisco, Canal Flats, Canyon, Crawford Bay, Deer Park, Edgewater, Edgewood, Elk Valley, Elko, Fairmont Hot Springs, Ferguson, Field, Fruitvale, Genelle, Glade, Grasmere, Gray Creek, Harrogate, Harrop, Jaffray, Kingsgate, Kitchener, Lister, Moyie Lake, Northern Kootenay Lake communities, Parson, Renata, Riondel, Ross Spur, rural Rossland, Salmo, Sirdar, Slocan Valley, Spillimacheen, South Slocan, Tarrys, Thrums, Wasa, West Creston, Whatshan Lake and surrounding area, Wilmer, Windermere, Wynndel, Yahk and Ymir.

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