DARIUS SHAHHEYDARI
PONTIAC June 1, 2020
Connexion Fibre Picanoc (CFP) has announced over 6,700 households will be provided with high-speed internet in Pontiac and the Valleé de Gatineau.
The press release, issued on June 1, said the project will reach 35 municipalities and cost about $57.5 million.
Over 3,000 km of . . .
fibre cables will be installed ensuring a minimum of 50 mb/s download speed and 10 mb/s upload speed to the beneficiaries.
CFP asked for a $40 million aid for the project, $20 million of which was provided by Quebec’s Ministry of Economy and Innovation (MEI) and $20 million provided by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
“The internet in 2020 is like electricity 1950, it brings hope for increasing wealth in our communities,” said Bernard Roy, Director General at MRC Pontiac. “It will help us to attract businesses and families and will also be a huge benefit for families and youth already living in the Pontiac”.
With the recent need for students in the region to study from home, the lack of this service has made it difficult for them to stay connected with their teachers and peers and to receive work.
Gabie Paré, principal at École Sieur de Coulonge (ESSC), said the school has ordered about 100 internet boosters to provide the premises with the high-speed service, which were initially set to come in last week, but since the distributors cannot support the current demand, they will be provided next year.
Since the beginning of March, the school also has a list of the families needing the service and another 100 or so laptops have been given to families who do not have access to computers during the lockdown.
“Some of the families are getting back to me saying ‘Well, doesn’t it come with internet?’,” said Paré. “No it doesn’t come with internet, I’m sorry, there’s nothing we can do for the moment.”
In addition to this, teachers at ESSC sometimes provide photocopies of the work to the students at home or even USB keys with the work which they could take home.
Over at Pontiac High School, Principal Debra Stephens said high speed internet access for her students would be “absolutely amazing”.
“I live 10 minutes outside Shawville and I can’t get good internet,” said Stephens. “I’ve worked at the school almost continuously this entire time because, for me, working from home is really not an option.”
For herself and her students, some of which live even further away, the service they have at the moment is not only limited, but costly as well, according to Stephens.
“I am fortunate enough to be able to pay a high price to access it, but for a lot of families, that’s not something that they’re able to do.”
The school had to find many work-arounds for the homeschooled students, like having them take pictures of their work and sending it to their teachers.
“Teachers have been incredible,” said Stephens. “They’ve been calling students and talking to them about their work. I happen to have an amazing group of staff.”
