These Manitoba communities are about to get faster Internet
High-speed Starlink Internet is on the way for more than 1,100 homes in rural Manitoba communities.
The federal government is spending $1,045,800 to bring high-speed Internet through Starlink to up to 1,162 homes in St. Laurent, Twin Lakes Beach, Laurentia Beach and Oak Point.
“This investment is another important step toward our government's plan to connect 98 per cent of Canadians to high-speed Internet by 2026 and all Canadians to high-speed Internet by 2030,” said Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South. “Today's announcement builds on our efforts to make sure that every Canadian has access to this critical infrastructure.”
The money will be used to help people living in the rural communities within the RM of St. Laurent be reimbursed for the cost of hooking up to the Starlink satellite system of high-speed Internet.
Cheryl Smith, the reeve of the RM, said the addition of high-speed Internet is a “game changer” for the community.
“We have long known that the Internet service in our municipality was nowhere near the calibre of that in larger urban centres,” Smith said. “But it wasn't until we looked into the Universal Broadband Fund, and after viewing the National Broadband Internet Service availability map online that we realize just how inferior our Internet service were, as compared even to municipalities and towns to the north of us and further away from major centres.”
Smith added the new high-speed Internet can also help with younger people choosing to stay in the community.
“We have noticed a trend that our youth, once they finished high school, they had a difficult time coming home and even thinking about starting after university coming home or starting a business or looking at things because the Internet is very, very important to people,” she said. “It's not a luxury anymore, it's something that is life-changing, and they need it for their everyday use.”
Smith said applications for Starlink are ongoing in the RM’s office.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From essential goods to common stocking stuffers, Trudeau offering Canadians temporary tax relief
Canadians will soon receive a temporary tax break on several items, along with a one-time $250 rebate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
She thought her children just had a cough or fever. A mother shares sons' experience with walking pneumonia
A mother shares with CTVNews.ca her family's health scare as medical experts say cases of the disease and other respiratory illnesses have surged, filling up emergency departments nationwide.
Putin says Russia attacked Ukraine with a new missile that he claims the West can't stop
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday that Moscow has tested a new intermediate-range missile in a strike on Ukraine, and he warned that it could use the weapon against countries that have allowed Kyiv to use their missiles to strike Russia.
Service Canada holding back 85K passports amid Canada Post mail strike
Approximately 85,000 new passports are being held back by Service Canada, which stopped mailing them out a week before the nationwide Canada Post strike.
Taylor Swift's motorcade spotted along Toronto's Gardiner Expressway
Taylor Swift is officially back in Toronto for round two. The popstar princess's motorcade was seen driving along the Gardiner Expressway on Thursday afternoon, making its way to the downtown core ahead of night four of ‘The Eras Tour’ at the Rogers Centre.
Manitoba RCMP issue Canada-wide warrant for Ontario semi-driver charged in deadly crash
Manitoba RCMP have issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for the semi-driver involved in a crash that killed an eight-year-old girl and her mother.
Here's a list of items that will be GST/HST-free over the holidays
Canadians won’t have to pay GST on a selection of items this holiday season, the prime minister vowed on Thursday.
Mother charged after infant dies in midtown Toronto: police
The mother of an infant who died after being found at an apartment building in midtown Toronto on Wednesday has been charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life.
B.C. man who sold Porsche to scammers shares cautionary tale
A man from B.C.’s Lower Mainland who was scammed while selling his Porsche Cayenne online is sharing his cautionary tale – while calling for increased protections from the government.