NOTICE OF MOTION BY MAYOR ROCHEFORT
WHEREAS, we the Nipissing communities of the Nipissing-Temiskaming riding, Antoine First Nations, Mattawa/North Bay Nipissing First Nation, Bonfield (Bonfield/Rutherglen), Callander, Calvin, Chisholm, East Ferris (Astorville/ Corbeil), Mattawa, Mattawan, Nipissing, North Bay, Papineau-Cameron, Powassan (Powassan/South Himsworth/Trout Creek) and Redbridge, seek fast, reliable and affordable internet and e-connectivity for our citizens, our businesses, our non-profit organizations and our visitors;
AND WHEREAS, we form part of Blue Sky Net where internet speed in our communities has been confirmed as substantially lacking as reported in the recently published report entitled “The Speed of Northern Ontario Broadband” ;
AND WHEREAS, our companies find it difficult to operate in a business environment that is becoming increasingly digitalized;
AND WHEREAS, our citizens are frustrated as the school season resumes and their children require internet for their education program;
AND WHEREAS, we are concerned that applications for the Improving Connectivity for Ontario (ICON) was severely over-subscribed;
AND WHEREAS, we are equally concerned there has yet to be Federal Government funding announced in support of the ICON fund;
AND WHEREAS, we are more so concerned that our voice will be lost in the sea of funding demands for improved internet and e-connectivity currently being made by communities across our region, our province and our country;
THEREFORE BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that the Municipality of East Ferris encourages the citizens of our area to raise their voice in support of their municipalities and Blue Sky Economic Growth Corporation (Blue Sky Net) as they look to secure funding for internet for our Nipissing communities;
AND FURTHER that we encourage our MP Anthony Rota and our MPP Victor Fedeli to examine the opportunity to re-instate the role played by our northern economic development agencies (FedNor and NOHFC) in the delivery of internet funding in Northern Ontario as they are best positioned to understand the needs of our region;
AND FURTHER MORE that we encourage our Federal Government to release funding for a National Broadband Initiative that encompasses the critical needs of communities and citizens that fall under the Blue Sky Net (Nipissing) umbrella; and that communities in the Blue Sky Net (Nipissing) area are committed to supporting the anticipated deployment and adoption of this infrastructure in our communities.