Minister Beare, CAO Leitch, Deputy CAO Warren, Minister Osborne and Director Arbour re: Support for Connected Coast
· Denman Island · News & Advocacy · 2021
Original Trust document
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5,584 characters of machine-extracted text. Extraction is automatic and can be wrong; the original governs.
Topics: First Nations & reconciliation · Governance & budget · Housing & affordability — our classification, not the Trust's.
Extracted text (beginning)
Bowen Denman Hornby Gabriola Galiano Gambier Lasqueti Mayne North Pender Salt Spring Saturna South Pender Thetis 700 North Road, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X3 Telephone 250-247-2063 Fax 250-247-7514 Toll Free via Enquiry BC in Vancouver 604.660.2421 Elsewhere in BC 1.800.663.7867 Email northinfo@islandstrust.bc.ca Web www.islandstrust.bc.ca March 31, 2021 File No.: 5590-30; 6410-03 Via email: CITZ.Minister@gov.bc.ca The Honourable Lisa Beare Minister of Citizens’ Services Via email: dleitch@srd.ca David Leitch, Chief Administrative Officer Strathcona Regional District Via email: josie.osborne.MLA@leg.bc.ca Hon. Josie Osborne Minister of Municipal Affairs & MLA, Mid Island-Pacific Rim Via email: jwarren@comoxvalleyrd.ca James Warren, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Comox Valley Regional District Via email: reachme@danielarbour.ca Daniel Arbour Director, Electoral Area A Re: Support for Connected Coast by Denman Island LTC Dear Minister Beare, CAO Leitch, Deputy CAO Warren, Minister Osborne and Director Arbour, On behalf of the Denman Island Local Trust Committee, I am writing to support the application by the Connected Coast fibre internet project (https://connectedcoast.ca/) to install landing sites and last mile service on Hornby and Denman Islands. Currently, Internet service on both islands is unavailable in some areas and unreliable in many others. Plentiful evidence of this, and of its numerous adverse effects, is available at www.hornbydenmaninternet.com. This site contains the results of in-depth research and analysis by the Hornby Island Community Economic Enhancement Corporation and the Denman Island Internet Committee (a committee of the Denman Island Ratepayers’ Association). Inadequate Internet service has severe negative impacts on the economy and on community resilience and diversity. Income-generating opportunities on the Islands are limited by geography, and adequate internet services are essential to address this. The need to improve economic sustainability on Denman is acute. The average tax-filer income on Denman Island in 2015 was $62,025, which is 23.6% lower than the Comox Valley Regional District average income, and 43.6% lower than BC (Statistics Canada 2017a, quoted in the Denman Island Housing Needs Assessment). This grim economic picture feeds into numerous social and health challenges, which ultimately cost the taxpayer money to address. As well as supporting a stronger local economy, improved Internet is essential for access to medical care, education, family, community, social contacts, political engagement, and more. Trust Council, the regional governing body for the Islands Trust, has been advocating for several years for the inclusion of Denman and Hornby Islands Trust (as well as several other islands in the Trust Area) in the Connected Coast In
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