PEI is well ahead of its plan to facilitate access to the Information Highway. Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Labour, on behalf of John Manley, Minister of Industry, and Kevin J. MacAdam, PEI's Minister of Fisheries and Environment, and Minister Responsible for Technology PEI, announced that in addition to the 15 Community Access Program (CAP) sites announced during Minister Manley's visit in May, three additional CAP sites have been funded. This marks the early completion of a commitment to establish 45 Community Access Program locations in the Province by the year 2000.
The new sites were recently awarded in the communities of Cardigan, Abrams-Village and Cornwall, as a result of a federal-provincial Framework for Cooperation, whereby the federal and provincial governments, in partnership with community-based organizations, jointly fund public Internet access centres.
"These initiatives are helping the government reach its goal of making Canada the most connected nation in the world by the year 2000," noted Minister MacAulay. "The launch of these CAP sites will provide these communities with access to the Knowledge-Based Economy. Users will benefit through economic and social development as they connect to the rest of the world via the Information Highway."
"With the addition of these last three sites, our Island-wide network goal of 45 public access points to the Information Highway is well ahead of our year 2000 schedule," added Minister MacAdam. "We can now focus on opening the doors to the opportunities and advantages Island communities have before them by virtue of their electronic connection to the world."
Technology PEI, the agency responsible for CAP in the Province will now direct attention to enhancing project activity and opportunities for business, education, community and economic development, for existing sites.
Through CAP, the federal government aims to connect up to 10,000 remote, rural and urban communities by the year 2000. The program is a key component of the Canadian Strategy for the Information Highway, which helps create jobs, growth and other benefits associated with the development of information technology. Through CAP, the Government of Canada is also helping rural Canadians take advantage of emerging opportunities in the global, knowledge-based economy.