Building the Manitoba First Nations Network of the Future

Backgrounder

Manitoba has some of the poorest Internet connectivity in the country south of 60. Of Manitoba’s 63 First Nations, less than a third of communities have sufficient Internet capability for email, texting, or online applications.

In 2014-15, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC), the Manitoba First Nations Technology Council (MFNTC), and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) completed a feasibility study on bringing Internet connectivity to communities. INAC provided $800,000 through the First Nation Infrastructure Fund to support preparation of the feasibility study.

On July 28, 2016, INAC committed $4.2 million for the next phase of this project, which will involve design and planning for construction of the network. This phase of the project is expected to be completed in the 2016-17 fiscal year.

A high speed Internet network would create a long-term revenue stream and job opportunities for the communities it serves. The network would have the potential to be an important and influential infrastructure investment for Manitoba First Nation communities and other supported communities, and would be of particular benefit to youth—providing access to educational, health, social, and community development resources.

The AMC established the MFNTC in 2012, and the eHealth Unit that provides Secretariat support is primarily funded by Health Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Health Branch. The organization began with the goal of developing eHealth service delivery through a partnership between the Province of Manitoba, Health Canada, and the AMC. All former AMC health and social programs have been transferred to the newly formed Nanaandawewigamig (July 2015), First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba.

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Hon. Carolyn Bennett Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada Society and Culture