Industry Canada announced Friday that one local proposal to create a business plan for bringing broadband service to Rainy River District was approved.
Four other applications, representing a total of 22 communities, also were accepted in Kenora-Rainy River riding under the federal government’s Broadband for Rural and Northern Development pilot program.
The successful application locally was put forth by Pwi-Di-Goo-Zing Ne-Yaa-Zhing Non Profit Advisory Committee on behalf of seven area First Nations, including Couchiching, Lac La Croix, Naicatchewenin, Rainy River, Seine River , Stanjikoming, and Nicickousemenecaning.
“It’s just the beginning step,” said Jim Leonard. “It’s a pretty good deal. I think definitely it will help the economy.”
Each successful applicant will receive up to $30,000 to prepare a business plan that will determine the approximate cost of bringing broadband service to the areas they represent.
That business plan must be prepared and submitted by March 31, with applicants learning the success of their business plans sometime in June.
“The next thing is to put a plan together, get some numbers down, and decide how it will be run,” Leonard said. “Usually when you get the initial funding, the project will happen. We’re pretty confident.
“We will contact all the municipalities and communities to ask if they want to come on board and add it to the plan,” he added. “That will definitely be a step.”
Leonard noted the timing was tight to get their proposal in by the deadline, which precluded them from investigating the opportunity to work with other groups for the initial proposal.
“We only had three weeks,” he explained. “We made sure that we were able to expand the proposal.”
Leonard feels it only makes sense to work closely with communities and municipalities in the area since the infrastructure to reach the First Nations easily will allow expansion.
The Rainy River Future Development Corp. also had submitted an application on behalf of municipalities west of Fort Frances, including Emo and Rainy River.
“I don’t know what happened,” said Geoff Gillon. “We just got a letter saying it had been denied.
“We’re very disappointed,” he added. “It’s too bad. Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don’t. Of course, we will be applying for the second round.”
The second round of applications for funding are due by March 1.
Time seemed to be a real factor in getting the applications in. The original program announcement came in early September and the first round of applications were due by the end of October.
This didn’t leave a lot of time to prepare.
“I only have my opinion, and I think that we had very little time to prepare,” said Emo Coun. Geoff Pearce. “Understand that people did this on their own time.
“We didn’t have the time to do the kind of research that really should have been done,” he admitted. “Time was everything.
“We have the interest, we have the technological experience, and from Fort Frances to Rainy River the people are there,” Coun. Pearce noted. “Time was what was missing, but we felt it was absolutely critical to get an application in on the first round.
“I wasn’t surprised [we weren’t accepted] and I wasn’t disappointed. I know we get another crack at it.
“Frankly, I felt we needed more time to think it through and make a plan,” he added. “The quality wasn’t there, but the heart was there.”
Coun. Pearce is confident that another chance is inevitable, though he admitted that chance may be on the coattails of the already-accepted First Nation’s application.
“Will the second application be in conjunction with the First Nations? Maybe,” he said. “I would certainly be interested in chatting with them. I see it as an option.
“I think if that would work out, it would be pretty darn good,” he concluded. “That way no one is excluded. The objective is to get something into this district.”
Industry Canada was to announce the successful applications a month ago, but it was postponed due to the number and detail of each application. It is unclear whether the other deadlines will be adjusted due to this initial delay.
Other groups in Kenora-Rainy River riding which were awarded funding in this first round were the Lake of the Woods Business Incentive Corp., Anishinaabeg of Kabapikoawangag Resource, Matawa First Nations Management, and Windigo First Nations Council.
Fort Frances Times
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