Question Period Note: Connectivity in the North

• The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the connectivity gap in the North and its impacts on the regional economy and access to essential services.
• On May 28, 2021, the Government announced $6.9 million in federal funding for NorthwesTel and SSi Micro to bring high-speed Internet to rural residents of Nunavut. This project will connect households to high-speed Internet in 25 Nunavut communities, including those in the regions of Iqaluit, Cambridge Bay, Rankin Inlet and Arviat Nunavut.

N/A

If pressed
• In April 2021, the Government proposed to invest $2.75 billion through the Universal Broadband Fund to help connect 98% of Canadians by 2026 with the goal of connecting all Canadians by 2030. This builds on the $6.2 billion the federal government and federal agencies have made available for universal broadband since 2015.
• We are committed to securing reliable and affordable Internet and essential communication infrastructure for the North to better serve Northerners and all Canadians.

If pressed on the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework
• The Arctic and Northern Policy Framework gives us a roadmap to achieve a shared vision of the future where Northern and Arctic people can thrive.
• Implementation of the Framework is initially focused on the co-development of national and regional governance approaches and on plans to implement and make progress on the Framework goals and objectives.
• The collaboration established through the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework is supporting our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.