Several Northern Ontario communities are receiving over one million dollars in funding to develop Internet Web portals.
The Ontario Ministry of Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation announced the Connect Ontario: Partnering for Smart Communities program is investing in community Internet portals that are “one-window access to the region’s municipal services, activities and business.”
The program is the first phase of Connect Ontario, a government initiative to improve community-based information and services and promote local communities through the Internet.
Each community will receive up to $1.1 million to develop a community Web portal. Recipients include SmartSudbury.com, NEONET Virtual Town Square (Cochrane), Northern Genesis (Thunder Bay District), Greenstone Connected, Connecting the Rainy River District to Global Ontario and Kenora’s Faster Lake of the Woods.
“The city of Thunder Bay is keenly aware of the vital role that Connect Ontario plays in increasing the technical capabilities of communities throughout Ontario,” Ken Boshcoff, mayor of Thunder Bay says. “The Northern Genesis Connect Ontario project is an opportunity for our region to co-operate and use telecommunications and information technology to develop a diverse, healthy and smart regional community.”