Renfrew County council recently approved the establishment of a community broadband co-ordinator position and with funding through the Community Futures Development Corporation, the county will proceed with hiring a person to co-ordinate high-speed, broadband Internet infrastrucuture programming in the region.
The position could be filled by the end of November. The CFDC approved a request from the county to help with funding the position and Executive Director Diane McKinnon informed council last month a non-repayable contribution of $14,760 for the co-ordinator position was in place. The co-ordinator will be directly responsible for overseeing broadband funding applications throughout the county, ensuring there is little duplication and seeing the greatest area is covered by available funding.
To help with funding the position, the Director of Development and Property for the county, Jim Hutton, said the county will be responsible to inject an additional $6,000, bringing the total financing for the position to just under $21,000.
Once the person is in place, a series of monthly status reports will be required as council hopes to keep close tabs on the progress.
The county has been divided into four areas to proceed with getting funding from the Building Canada Fund to expand high speed Internet.
Bonnechere Valley Township has teamed up with North Algona Wilberforce, Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards, Madawaska Valley and Brudenell, Lyndoch and Raglan Townships, as well as the Algonquin Band Council at Pikwakanagan to submit a co-operative application to the Building Canada Fund.
"As soon as we start moving forward there is going to be an awful lot of door to door work involved." Councillor Cairine Cybulski told council recently. "For the purpose of the business case we have to also identify, not just the census data that identifies permanent residents, but for the money available for this we also have to identify the number of seasonal residents and any cottage industry and or buinesses that run perhaps in an isolated spot."
Coun. Cybulski said as the application moves forward, the group will be looking for help from lake associations and volunteers.
Mid-February is the deadline to have the business plan application ready for submission for funding. The federal and provincial governments will each contribute one-third toward the cost of providing high speed services to all areas, including rural areas. The municipalities will be responsible for coming up with one third, either through taxation or partnering with a private corporation.
Coun. Cybulski said if the local group of municipalities is not ready for Februrary's deadline, it will wait for the next intake of applications.
"There are going to be three phases supposedly." she said.
Mayor Zig Mintha said getting the service is not as easy as it sounds.
"We have to come up with the other one third." he said. "We're depending on Bell Canada or Rogers, so it is a long way off. But at least we are starting."
Coun. Cybulski said there are many advantages to expanding high speed services to all areas. She said school children in rural areas are at a great disadvantage.
"They are just so penalized," she said. "Any any home-based business can't move forward." | 
