NCRD & CityWest Announce Joint-Partnership Agreement
NCRD & CityWest Announce Joint-Partnership Agreement
The North Coast Regional District (NCRD) Board has entered into a joint-partnership agreement with CityWest to improve broadband connectivity across the region in unserved and underserved communities. The partnership is now finalized after the NCRD board resolved to enter into the partnership agreement at its meeting held on August 19, 2022.
The partnership will see CityWest services brought to unserved and underserved communities in the NCRD with a portion of the profits going back into the NCRD for community projects. CityWest has already committed to bringing their services to communities within the NCRD, which will now have a partnership agreement in place. To date, CityWest and the NCRD have plans to deliver services to Daajing Giids, Masset, Tlell, Tow Hill, Dodge Cove, and Oona River.
As part of the partnership agreement, the NCRD has levied a portion of the capital build costs through a gas tax transfer.
CityWest has already created partnership agreements with many First Nations groups within the NCRD to bring better connectivity to their communities. These active partnerships will not be included in the new NCRD agreement.
Quotes
“This partnership with the NCRD will help us bring better connectivity to even more unserved and underserved communities in our backyard. As a company that was founded in Prince Rupert, it’s exciting for us to serve more communities in the area. We are grateful for this partnership with the NCRD and look forward to working with them for years to come” – Stefan Woloszyn, CEO of CityWest
“Access to reliable Internet has been an issue for many residents in the NCRD. Our partnership with CityWest paves the way for better connectivity and future economic growth in our region.” - Des Nobels, NCRD Vice Chair, Electoral Area A
“Isolated communities will benefit greatly from the urban-class connectivity Citywest is bringing. This partnership will improve the lives of our residents, while allowing them to learn online, work remotely, and access health services in today’s digital world.” – Barry Pages, NCRD Chair, Village of Masset
About the Connected Coast project
The Connected Coast project is a joint venture between CityWest and the Strathcona Regional District. The $45.4 million project received funding from the government of Canada’s Connected to Innovate program ($22 million), Indigenous Services Canada ($12 million), and the Province of B.C. through the Connected British Columbia program ($11.4 million). When complete, the Connected Coast project will provide backbone communication services to 139 rural and remote communities, including 48 Indigenous communities – representing 44 First Nations – along the BC Coast from Prince Rupert, to Haida Gwaii, south to Vancouver, and around Vancouver Island.
When complete, the project will touch approximately 90,000 households in rural and remote communities around B.C., stretching 3,400 kilometres – about the distance from Vancouver to Ottawa. Laid in an environmentally-friendly manner on the ocean floor, it will be one of the longest coastal subsea networks in the world.
For more information on this news release contact Daniel Fish, Chief Administrative Officer for the North Coast Regional District at 250.624.2002, extension 8 or email cao@ncrdbc.com.
