Thanks to a $62.8-million joint investment made as part of Canada–Quebec Operation High Speed, 15,350 households in the Laurentides region will have access to Cogeco high-speed Internet services by September 2022.

“This is excellent news for the Laurentides region and for rural Quebec as a whole. The pandemic has shown us how essential high-speed Internet access has become for our communities, not only for bringing people together virtually but also for working, studying and doing business. Our government understands that it is urgent and vital to connect communities in Quebec and Canada. We are proud to participate in this important project and will continue to invest and partner with the Government of Quebec to ensure each household and business has access to high-speed Internet.”
- Stéphane Lauzon, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors and Member of Parliament for Argenteuil–La Petite-Nation

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that connecting all Quebecers to high-speed Internet has never been more important. That’s why our government is investing to connect households and businesses in the Laurentides region by fall 2022. With this historic announcement, and thanks to our good collaboration with the Government of Quebec, we’re increasing the potential for economic growth and helping improve the quality of life of Quebecers in rural communities.”
- Will Amos, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry (Science) and Member of Parliament for Pontiac

“In 2021, access to high-speed Internet is essential, no matter where we live. In the era of telework and new technologies, and especially in the midst of a pandemic, Quebecers need fast, efficient and reliable service. With this announcement, we reiterate that our government is living up to its commitment to connect all homes in the Laurentides region during its first mandate. This is great news for our region."
- Nadine Girault, Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie, Minister of Immigration, Francization and Integration, Minister Responsible for the Laurentides Region and Member of the National Assembly for Bertrand

“This contribution is proving to be a crucial economic lever for the development of the region while responding to an important concern of citizens. To date, the Government of Quebec alone has invested more than $1 billion to accelerate high-speed Internet connectivity for all Quebecers by September 2022. This is unprecedented.”
- Marguerite Blais, Minister Responsible for Seniors and Informal Caregivers and Member of the National Assembly for Prévost 

“It is with great pleasure that I join my colleagues in the Laurentides region to participate in this important announcement. Thanks to the partnership agreement with Cogeco, it will be possible to deploy state-of-the-art infrastructure that will guarantee access to effective high-speed Internet services. We are investing heavily to make Quebec a leader in connectivity."
- Gilles Bélanger, Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier of Quebec (high-speed Internet) and Member of the National Assembly for Orford

“Today’s announcement brings me great joy because it demonstrates that our government is delivering on its commitments. The willingness to take action and to collaborate is what’s making it possible to resolve the issues, and that’s why I commend all the players involved in this unprecedented operation. And finally, my thoughts turn to the residents in my county who, as a result of this announcement, will be able to say, after so many years of waiting: ‘I will finally have access to high-speed Internet!’”
- Chantale Jeanotte, Member of the National Assembly for Labelle

“Every investment in making access to high-speed Internet service possible is one more step toward victory in  the riding of Argenteuil. This is a major issue in my county, and we are working tirelessly to ensure that all homes and businesses in the area, even the most isolated, can be connected as quickly as possible. This is our commitment!”
- Agnès Grondin, Member of the National Assembly for Argenteuil

“Cogeco has always been committed to serving its communities and contributing to their economic and social vitality. We are delighted and privileged to participate in this major project serving Laurentides and Pays-d’en-Haut residents. We are determined to accelerate the expansion of our robust network to come in on schedule and achieve the goal of this major operation across Quebec: connecting all homes by September 2022.”
- Johanne Hinse, General Manager, Quebec and Vice-President, Programming and Community Relations, Cogeco

• Operation High Speed is a joint initiative of the governments of Canada and Quebec that aims to connect 150,000 households, mainly through unprecedented agreements with six of the biggest telecommunications companies.

• The Government of Canada has allocated billions of dollars to Internet infrastructure in rural and remote regions, including $2.75 billion as part of the Universal Broadband Fund, of which $1 billion comes from Budget 2021.

Marie-Pier Baril
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development
613-295-8123
marie-pier.baril@cfc-swc.gc.ca

Media Relations
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
343-291-1777
ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic@canada.ca

Antoine Tousignant
Media Relations Lead
Ministère du Conseil exécutif du Québec
418-999-3029

Alexandra Roy
Political Attaché
Office of the Premier of Quebec
819-212-0459 (cell)

Anastasia Unterner
Director, Communications and Public Relations
Cogeco Connexion
514-241-7262
anastasia.unterner@cogeco.com

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Annex

Canada–Quebec Operation High Speed—List of municipalities targeted by Cogeco’s project in the Laurentides region

La Rivière-du-Nord RCM:

• Prévost
• Saint-Hippolyte

Les Laurentides RCM:

• Amherst
• Arundel
• Barkmere
• Brébeuf
• Huberdeau
• Ivry-sur-le-Lac
• La Conception
• Labelle
• Lac-Supérieur
• Lac-Tremblant-Nord
• Lantier
• Montcalm
• Mont-Tremblant
• Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts
• Sainte-Lucie-des-Laurentides
• Saint-Faustin–Lac-Carré
• Val-David
• Val-des-Lacs
• Val-Morin

Les Pays-d’en-Haut RCM: 

• Estérel
• Lac-des-Seize-Îles
• Morin-Heights
• Piedmont
• Saint-Adolphe-d’Howard
• Sainte-Adèle
• Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs
• Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson
• Saint-Sauveur
• Wentworth-Nord