The problem of equitable access to high-speed Internet in Canada entered the election campaign on Wednesday, August 26, when Stephen Harper promised that a re-elected Conservative government would spend an additional $200 million to promote high-speed access in rural and remote communities. Although the promise is short on detail (what counts as high-speed Internet? Will the connection be affordable?), the recognition that digital access is central to the everyday lives of Canadians is welcome. But as I suggested in a previous post, digital access is about more than speed; it is also about a vision for digital inclusion that includes digital citizenship rights. One of the ways in which Canadians exercise these rights is through interaction with government agencies and services, and, according to Harper, this will increasingly be accomplished online.
Read more: CA: Beyond speed: Who is talking about access to e-government this election?
Almost 10,000 scheduled medevacs annually, for total population of under 20,000
Despite new telehealth services that allow Cree patients to undergo certain medical procedures in their home clinics, more Cree are travelling south for medical treatment every year.
"The work goes up 10% every year" for the department dealing with medical travel, said Cree Health Board Chairperson Bella Petawabano this week at the Cree Nation Government's annual general assembly in Ouje-Bougoumou, northern Québec.
Read more: CA: Despite new health services, medevacs continue to climb in Cree communities
The City of North Bay will be launching their eServices Portal on Tuesday, June 30th, 2015.
The Portal will allow citizens to register and then have access to their water meter consumption information and a water bill estimator. It is important to note that by registering online, every citizen has the opportunity to view and monitor their daily water consumption and to check for any unknown leaks.
Read more: CA: Ontario: North Bay: City to launch eServices Portal
A $400-million effort to consolidate 63 federal government email systems into one is not only running at least 18 months late, but was plagued by early confusion over what was to be included and questions about how the winner was selected.
The “Email Transformation Initiative” run by Shared Services Canada was meant to showcase the Conservative government’s ability to manage complex projects and help it streamline the bureaucracy. Instead, it quickly ran into problems.
Read more: CA: Snail mail: Federal email upgrade ran into wall of confusion
Edmonton's open data plans and policies can set an example for other cities looking to bring more citizens into the "civic rink."
Edmonton, Alberta, is proudly referred to by its residents and admirers as the “City of Champions,” likely due to the Oilers’ hockey dominance between 1984 and 1990, when that storied team raised the Stanley Cup five times.
Read more: CA: Alberta: Edmonton: City of Open Data Champions (Contributed)