Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the course of this Assembly, myself along with a number of my colleagues have expressed our concerns over the lack of Internet service for the important knowledge that is not available within a number of our smaller communities. Today we live in an age where, if located south of the border or in Yellowknife, a person can sit on a beach, take a walk around town or be in a car. You can still be contacted by the outside world. With today's technology you can even be on-line with the Internet doing the task I mentioned; but still in the communities a person does not have the pleasure of cellular phones. I have a cellular phone to ensure that I keep in contact with my constituents. However, as soon as I go outside the 35-kilometre radius of Yellowknife, I lose my signal and I cannot communicate until I am back in this area. In Rae-Edzo, the largest Dene community of the Northwest Territories, we cannot communicate by cellular phones. The reason for this, I understand, is because NorthwesTel does not feel it necessary to install the needed equipment. We are no different than any other community. We all want the ability to communicate with our neighbours and the world, just like the rest of the world can. The worst of it is a safety factor. It has been proven countless times that people with a cellular phone can react to emergency calls faster than the people without. Every year we have a number of accidents on our highway. If you are outside the 35 kilometre range of Yellowknife, it takes at least 30 or 40 minutes of life saving time to get in touch with the RCMP or ambulance services. I hope by bringing this forward, NorthwesTel can see the need to move towards the 21st century. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
James Rabesca on Member's Statement 86-13(5): Internet Service In Smaller Communities
In the Legislative Assembly on January 26th, 1998. See this statement in context.
Member's Statement 86-13(5): Internet Service In Smaller Communities
Item 3: Members' Statements
January 25th, 1998
Page 303
James Rabesca North Slave
See context to find out what was said next.