Ottawa puts up nearly $1.2 million for high-speed internet in rural Cape Breton

More than 1,600 households in remote communities across Cape Breton will soon have access to high-speed internet, after years of slow connectivity for some areas of the island.

The federal government announced nearly $1.2 million in funding on Tuesday for Rogers to bring faster internet to 16 rural communities, including more than 440 Indigenous households.

Gudie Hutchings, the minister of rural economic development, says the cash will be used to install fibre-optic internet across parts of Cape Breton, with a completion date in the spring of 2025.

"We all know that access to affordable, reliable high speed internet is not a luxury anymore, it's a necessity," Hutchings said. "[Internet access] is important, yes, to do your homework and to work from home and all that, but it's an equalizer, it enables us to grow these communities."

The communities and areas include:

• Baddeck.
• Barra Head.
• Big Baddeck.
• Chapel Island (Potlotek First Nation).
• Grande Greve.
• Lynche River.
• Middle River.
• Nyanza.
• River Bourgeois.
• River Tillard.
• Sampsonville.
• Soldiers Cove.
• South Side of Baddeck River.
• St. Patricks Channel.
• St. Peter's.
• Wagmatcook.

The funding is part of Ottawa's plan to ensure all Canadians have access to high-speed internet by 2030.

The announcement follows natural disasters, like post-tropical storm Fiona and wildfires on mainland Nova Scotia, that highlighted the need for more widespread access to internet services for some of the more isolated areas of the province.

Jaime Battiste, MP for Sydney-Victoria, said those concerns bring the need for high-speed internet across the province and the county into focus.

"We know it's important. We know it's an essential service. We know in the era of climate crisis and with what we just had with Fiona, as well as the pandemic, that broadband is almost an essential service. Now our government has treated it with that priority," Battiste said.

Lack of internet, cell service a concern in rural N.S.

While some in attendance were happy with the announcement about reliable internet, others were hoping for more.

Osborne Burke, manager of Victoria Cooperative fisheries in Neils Harbour, said connectivity is critical to his business and better connection will help both business and residents.

"Now we hope we'll hear something on cell coverage. That's our next big battle," Burke said.  "We're facing terrible coverage across the county and beyond in Nova Scotia in general."

"In the case of emergencies, and there's been a number of emergencies in Nova Scotia, how are we going to receive a notice if we don't have cell coverage?" Burke added.

Lack of cell service has long been a concern for smaller Nova Scotian communities. Following Fiona, some Eastern Shore residents went 30 days without phone or cellphone service. 

More recently, during historic flooding across the province in July, officials said there was inadequate cell reception. This contributed to a nearly two-hour delay in sending out an emergency alert to the public, according to Mark Phillips, chief administrative officer of the Municipality of West Hants.