July 29, 2021

Gillies Bay — People living on Texada Island and Haida Gwaii will soon have faster and more reliable internet access, thanks in part to grants from the Connecting British Columbia program.

The Connecting British Columbia program will provide up to $202,556 to the Gillies Bay Internet Society to improve internet speeds and reliability. The society is a non-profit internet service provider established by local volunteers to bring wireless internet access to Gillies Bay and the surrounding area on Texada Island.

“For the last year, rural areas like Texada Island have become more popular with people who are looking to move out of the city,” said Brian Seymour, chairman of the Gillies Bay Internet Society. “However, people only want to move to locations with fast, reliable internet, so that they can work from home or start an online business. The ability to function online is also essential for remote schooling, shopping and for staying connected with family and friends.”

People in Gillies Bay can expect improved internet speeds and reliability this summer as work on the project is expected to be completed by the end of October 2021.

Grants from the Connecting British Columbia program are also helping to fund improvements on Haida Gwaii. CityWest will receive up to $853,435 for two projects to improve internet speeds in the communities of Tow Hill, Tlell, Nadu and Dead Tree Point.

In September 2020, the Province made its largest-ever contribution to the Connecting British Columbia program, with $90 million in new funding under StrongerBC: BC’s Economic Recovery Plan. This investment has provided grant funding to improve broadband services for people in more than 224 rural communities, including 84 Indigenous communities. These grants have also helped fund projects to expand cell service along an additional 429 kilometres of B.C. highways.

“Fast and reliable internet is vital for work, school and the islands’ tourism economy,” said North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice, “Investing in improved community networks for coastal communities like Tow Hill and Tlell on Haida Gwaii is an important step forward on our goal to ensure people in coastal communities have the internet access they need.”

Northern Development Initiative Trust has been the fund administrator for the Connecting British Columbia program since its inception in 2015. Northern Development is a regionally operated economic development funding corporation for central and northern British Columbia and operates independently from government.

This announcement is part of B.C.’s $10-billion COVID-19 response, which includes StrongerBC, a commitment to protect people’s health and livelihoods, while supporting businesses and communities.

Quick Facts:

CityWest will receive up to $519,327 toward the total estimated $617,519 cost of upgrading internet service in Tlell, Nadu and Dead Tree Point.
CityWest will also receive up to $334,108 for the project in Tow Hill, which has a total estimated cost of $395,920.
The Connecting British Columbia program will provide up to $202,556 toward the total estimated cost ($246,416) of upgrading internet service for people in Gillies Bay.
Learn More:

Connectivity in B.C.: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/connectivity-in-bc

StrongerBC Economic Recovery Plan: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/

Northern Development Initiative Trust:
https://www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca/fundingprograms/partner-programs/connecting-british-columbia/