[WSIS CS-Plenary] Canadian Community Access Program back from premature death?

[Gurstein, Michael]

There seems to be a bit of confusion, but it looks now that the Canadian
Government has, as a result of popular pressure (thanks all who sent the
Minister emails! and to those local Members of Parliament who recognized
the value of the program and insisted on its retention) reversed the
decision to end funding of the Canadian Community Access Program.  

(As a side note, the cuts were part of a general "political
housecleaning" by the new Conservative government of a range of
community focussed programs developed under the previous Liberal
governments.  They were not budgetary as the Canadian government at the
same time it was announcing the cuts also announced a budget for last
year of $13 Billion which they were intending to apply to pay down the
Canadian national debt.)

The article pointed to below mentions the possibility of a longer-term
program. This is an excellent development as CAP has been operating on
short term extensions for several years and it also opens the
possibility of revision to the program (hopefully with some involvement
from those with direct knowledge and experience of the CAP on the
ground). 

Among the areas to be hoped for in a revised program would be
integration with the currently parallel Federal initiatives in the
extension of broadband connectivity to rural and remote areas, much
closer linkages with programs providing support for effective use of
CAP's by local residents as for example the CAP Youth Intern program,
and the overall integration of the variety of community based technology
and local development programs.  

One of the conclusions that seems to be emerging out of the 3 year
Canadian Research Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking
(www.cracin.ca) research project in Community Informatics
implementations in Canada is the need for some type of institutional
integration within government to include the variety of agencies and
programs involved in community ICT initiatives as for example through a
Department of the Information Society or Department for ICTs as several
other countries have instituted.

Michael Gurstein, Ph.D.
CRACIN Co-Principal Investigator
Centre for Community Informatics Research, Development and Training
Vancouver, BC
http://www.communityinformatics.net

http://www.gov.pe.ca/index.php3?number=news&lang=E&newsnumber=4828

> NEWS RELEASE
> -----------------------------
>
> October  3, 2006
>
> PREMIER PRAISES NEW CAP DEAL
>
> CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI -- Premier Pat Binns today announced that
> negotiations between the Government of PEI, and the Government of 
> Canada, as represented by the Ministers of ACOA and Industry have 
> resulted in an extension in federal funding for the popular Community 
> Access Program (CAP).
>     Federal CAP funding was scheduled to end on September 30th and 
> would have resulted in the closure of 41 Island CAP sites. The CAP 
> program ensures that Islanders have access to the Internet and new 
> technologies, as well as broadband access, in their own community. 
> More than 120,000 Islanders used Island CAP sites last year.
>     "I am very pleased that a productive dialogue with our federal 
> colleagues has  averted the closure of this very popular and important

> program for Islanders," said Premier Binns. "I want to thank the CAP 
> administrative staff in the Department of Development and Technology, 
> as well as Minister Peter MacKay for recognizing the benefits of this 
> program and working the political corners in Ottawa to get a deal
done."
>     Industry Canada will extend funding for the CAP program until the 
> end of March 2007. In addition, negotiations will begin immediately 
> toward a long term agreement.
>     The Premier said funding for the CAP program has been on shaky 
> ground for the past couple of years, as the previous Federal 
> Government continuously cut the program funding and refused to enter 
> into negotiations for a long term agreement.
>     Since last year, two six month contract extensions had been in 
> place. He said he is pleased with the current extension, and is also 
> encouraged that the Government of Canada wants to secure a long term 
> agreement for CAP on PEI.
>
>
>

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Randy Stoecker

Associate Professor 

e-mail:  rstoecker at wisc.edu

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