MANITOULIN – The Manitoulin health and municipal leadership committee is adding its name to those of municipalities and groups who are calling for continued lobbying of the CRTC to try improve broadband access on Manitoulin Island.
“One of the topics we discussed at our meeting (held last week) is to lobby the CRTC and the government to improve broadband in areas especially rural, remote areas like ours. The question came out at our meeting that should be something we look at supporting,” said Dr. Maurianne Reade. She pointed out committee member Michael Addison is part of the Blue Sky Network board, “and he said they have already made an application for improved services on behalf of the MMA (Manitoulin Municipal Association).”
Dr. Reade explained, “from a health perspective so much more health care is being delivered over the telephone and video-conferencing, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic. But the service is patchy in areas which creates more inequity for provision of health care.”
“We are glad Blue Sky is working on this and we (the committee) agreed to provide a letter in support of the lobbying efforts on behalf of the local health perspective,” said Dr. Reade.
