Richard Froese
South Peace News
A grant of more than $180,000 has been awarded to Big Lakes County to spearhead a study to develop broadband services in the region.

“We have received notice that we were successful in getting approved for $180,850 for the Inter-municipal Broadband Discovery Project,” reported Jordan Panasiuk, director of community services, at the council meeting April 12.

The funding was granted from the Alberta Community Partnership program.

The county has taken the lead in the project in partnership with the Town of High Prairie, and the Town of Swan Hills, with $5,000 from each.
The total budget is $200,850.

Partners also include the Tri Council which includes the Town of Slave Lake, the M.D. of Lesser Slave River and Sawridge First Nations.

“We hope to get the project done in one year,” Panasiuk says.
“We need to hire a project manager and come up with a plan with options of best ways to enhance broadband in the region.”

Panasiuk hopes to create a committee of people with technical experience in broadband to work with the manager.

“This infrastructure is needed to not only expand our region’s economic development, but to further our education, health and day-to-day needs,” Panasiuk states.

He plans to host stakeholder meetings from June to September, according to a report he presented to council at its meeting Dec. 14.

Big Lakes also plans to connect its project with the Northern Alberta Development Council, and the Northern Alberta Broadband Preparedness Project in local partnership with the Lesser Slave Lake Economic Alliance.

“We want to use the NADC project to build a more-specific business case for our region,” Panasiuk says.

“Through the Alberta Community Partnership program, the Government of Alberta encourages strengthened relationships between municipalities and co-operative approaches to service delivery,” Anderson says.