Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, along with Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure, announced over $11.4 million in combined federal and provincial funding for First Nations Cable to bring high-speed internet access to more than 2,600 Indigenous households in Six Nations of the Grand River on Wednesday, March 13, 2024.
“This is a great opportunity for the Six Nations of the Grand River community. Given the increased importance of connectivity in our daily lives, I’m thrilled to know our entire community will have the opportunity to access reliable, high-speed internet via fibre-to-the-home by 2025. I extend my appreciation to the governments of Canada and Ontario for their financial contributions and to everyone who worked so hard to make this happen,” said Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill of Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council
All Canadians need access to reliable high-speed internet, no matter where they live. The governments of Canada and Ontario are taking action to bring high-speed internet access to underserved communities across Ontario.
“Internet is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. Working with First Nations Cable, we will help connect more than 2,600 underserved Indigenous households in Six Nations of the Grand River. Your federal government will continue to work side by side with our partners to achieve our connectivity targets and ensure that every Canadian, no matter where they live, has access to high-speed internet,” said Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
The project is part of an existing partnership between Ontario and Canada. On July 29, 2021, the governments announced a Canada–Ontario broadband partnership to support large‑scale, fibre-based projects that will provide high-speed internet access to nearly 280,000 households across the province. This historic agreement was made possible by a joint federal‑provincial investment, totalling more than $1.2 billion.
“Today’s announcement is another important step toward our government’s goal of ensuring every community across the province has access to high-speed internet by the end of 2025. I am proud to announce that, through our partnerships with the federal government and internet service providers, we are connecting more than 2,600 underserved Indigenous households in Six Nations of the Grand River. By working together, we are building a stronger Ontario and ensuring that no matter where you live, no community will be left behind,” added Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure
The announcement builds on the Government of Canada’s progress toward ensuring that 98 per cent of Canadians have access to high-speed internet by 2026, and 100 per cent by 2030. The announcement also brings the Government of Ontario closer to achieving its goal of bringing reliable high-speed internet access to every community in the province by the end of 2025.
“We are very proud of our community and we are dedicated to providing high-quality service at a fair and competitive rate. Today, we would like all parties to be recognized as we are now prepared to deliver reliable broadband services to all Six Nations territories, now and in the future,” concluded Jeffery Thomas, President of First Nations Cable.
