Planning Workshops for a High-speed Future

In advance of provincewide broadband Internet access by year-end, the province is offering workshops to help communities jump-start planning for their high-speed future.

Residents are invited to participate in workshops in their own communities, whether they are awaiting connections through the Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia initiative, or already have high-speed. By working together, business operators, cultural organizations and others will be able to take fuller advantage of high-speed Internet services.

To help communities ensure they are ready to take full advantage of the opportunity, the Department of Economic and Rural Development is encouraging groups to host a workshop in their area.

"To support healthy and sustainable communities, we've developed a workshop called Planning for a High-speed Future," said Nancy Flam, project director, Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia. "The purpose of the workshop is to help Nova Scotia's communities think strategically about how the Internet can help them connect to compete."

Chambers of commerce, boards of trade, library boards, community access program (C@P) sites, regional development authorities, municipalities, community and cultural groups are invited to partner with the rural broadband team to host a four-hour workshop on the benefits of high-speed Internet. These sessions will help participants understand how broadband applications can be harnessed to strengthen job creation, support innovation, skills and learning, tourism and culture, community and municipal services.

More than 80 people have already participated in recent workshops, which have proven to be a great success.

"The response of the members that participated in our workshop was very enthusiastic. They just jumped right in," said Darlene Cameron, community access program co-ordinator, Inverness County C@P Network Society. "They really see the importance of broadband in their communities and all the opportunities that are within reach for them."

"Everybody got so excited thinking about what broadband can do for our community, tourism, immigration, housing and jobs," said Debbie Innes, community access program co-ordinator, Kings/West Hants C@P Region Society, who hosted a workshop. "I just see it as our whole community growing educationally and becoming a much better, cohesive unit with broadband access."

Opportunities to host a workshop are available from now until March. Economic and Rural Development will provide a trained, regionally based facilitator and the tools and resources for the session. The hosting organization will supply a suitable location and ensure about 20 people participate.

Groups interested in hosting a workshop in their community, should contact Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia at 902-424-8822, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.gov.ns.ca/econ/broadband/ .