$21M fibre optic internet upgrade project to boost speed, connectivity in rural Wood Buffalo

Construction workers broke ground this week in Janvier, Alta., as part of a $21-million internet upgrade project in six communities in Wood Buffalo. 

For years, residents in rural Wood Buffalo have struggled with limited internet access, but the project by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and Telus aims to change that. 

The project will see fibre optic lines installed in six communities in the Fort McMurray region: Anzac, Janvier, Conklin, Gregoire Lake Estates, Fort McKay and Draper. The project also includes several Métis and First Nation communities, including Chipewyan Prairie First Nation, Fort McKay First Nation and Fort McMurray 468 First Nation.

Matthew Michetti, project manager for the Chipewyan Prairie First Nation, said the installation started in Janvier on Friday.

"Most of the places on the reserve … have no service or intermittent service," said Michetti. 

"Quite frankly it's an archaic system." 

He said the change will help people stay in touch with friends, relatives and the outside world in general. 

The installation in Janvier is scheduled to be finished by Dec. 31. 

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Shane Janvier, Chipewyan Prairie First Nation councillor, said the internet in the community is "slow and spotty." 

"We've been making do with what we have," said Janvier. 

The internet will be accessible to the public at the school and the youth centre. Janvier said he thinks that will be a big boost for the community.

"Even just my ability to send things out, sometimes will take time and [is] delayed and doesn't get sent out. Sometimes we have outages at the band office," said Janvier. 

"If we can have the best of the best … then that's a win." 

According to Telus, the network being installed is the TELUS PureFibre network, which is high-speed, fibre optic internet.

Blair Lemaigre, employment and training co-ordinator for the Chipewyan Prairie First Nation, said the change will help people looking to do virtual learning.

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Lemaigre is hoping the upgraded internet will encourage more students to take online classes and courses in Janvier, rather than leave the community for their education.

He said it is also expensive to get the equipment installed to access satellite internet, which means some in the community don't have internet access in their homes. 

 "We have to pay somebody $250 to come in and install a machine," said Lemaigre.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time."

He said this kind of technology means they won't have to live "as if you're in the Stone Ages." 

He's also planning on helping elders learn how to use services like Google Meet so they can stay in contact with family and friends.

AnnMarie Hintz, senior manager of IT for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, said the cost of the upgraded internet service for rural residents will be the same as it will be for urban residents.  

Each hamlet is at a different stage of construction. The aim is to finish the construction and remediation by the end of 2024, said Hintz. 

Brian Bettis, general manager at Telus, said community members will have access to "the most reliable network capability in Canada."

"Bringing fibre to a community like this… is a Herculean effort," he said.

He said the difference will be noticeable. 

"This is a very reliable network," said Bettis. "Thinking about outages as a thing of the past." 

Some of the improved internet connections are already live in Fort McKay, and other communities are expected to have their upgrades online shortly.