Overcoming Digital Divides: Indigenous, Rural and Remote Communities
While the urban-rural divide has been long explored, Indigenous, rural and remote communities are still disproportionately less likely to have internet at sufficient speeds. Indigenous voices have often been left out of conversations on expanding internet connectivity.
Are recent public investments and policies sufficient to achieve digital inclusion of Indigenous, rural and remote communities? What Indigenous-specific needs must be addressed to secure digital inclusion?
We heard from representatives from Indigenous communities to discuss how Canada can pave and accelerate a clearer path toward meaningful digital inclusion.
The discussion focused on workshopping policy solutions with all participants to improve internet access and speed across Canada.
Online event
About the Overcoming Digital Divides workshop series
The digital divide is about more than the lack of internet infrastructure in rural parts of Canada. It includes gaps in every corner of Canada in internet and device affordability, quality and digital literacy. These divides are tied to socioeconomic factors leaving some communities in Canada more disconnected than others.
How can federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and Indigenous governments advance policy solutions for full digital inclusion? What community and industry programs and policies can help to close these divides?
We explored these challenges and looked to advance concrete solutions in the Overcoming Digital Divides workshop series with the Ryerson Leadership Lab, Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship, and the First Nations Technology Council.
Read a short framing paper put together by our partners that lays out the context, evidence and importance of these discussions.
Part of Towards Equity
The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified inequities and exposed the deficiencies of our institutions. It has confirmed we must enact change and signaled that transformation is possible. What must we understand—and do—to recover equitably and reimagine our systems to confront the intersecting crises of inequality, systemic racism and climate change?
Towards Equity, SFU Public Square’s 2021 Community Summit Series, takes place online throughout the year and brings the university into conversation with local and global communities. Join us to learn and take action together towards a more just, equitable and sustainable future.
Jennifer Manitowabi
Jennifer Manitowabi is a mother of three and lives in Lac Seul First Nation in Northern Ontario, Treaty 3 an Ojibway Nation. She holds a Masters of Education in Indigenous Studies and aspires to return to university to pursue doctoral studies. Jennifer has worked as a teacher, a principal, an education director and an executive director for Northern Nishnawbe Education Council that assists 21 northern Ontario First Nations to reach post secondary achievements. Jennifer is a lifelong learner and misses travelling the most during the current season.
Shazia Sobani
VP Customer Network Implementation, TELUS
Shazia is a strategic and collaborative leader, passionate about transforming the business and challenging the status quo, who consistently takes the time to mentor and guide those around her. In her 15 years with TELUS, she has held a variety of roles and accountabilities including churn management, pricing strategy and proactive sustainment of wireline network assets. In her current role as Vice President Customer Network Implementation, she is focused on accelerating fast and high quality broadband connectivity to boost community based economic and social outcomes with an intention to minimize the digital divide.
Susan Stanford
Assistant Deputy Minister, Technology, Connectivity and Distributed Growth, Government of British Columbia
With a passion for community digital empowerment, Susan leads a talented team at the centre of connectivity expansion to more rural and Indigenous communities throughout the province. In addition to connectivity, she has led strategic deal management of a $1-billion telecommunications deal, technology and innovation programs and strategic initiatives with Health Authorities, Provincial Crowns and other levels of government. Prior to taking on this role, Susan provided business leadership on the development and launch of the BCTech Strategy that promotes economic development through commercialization and the growth of BC’s high tech sector.
Denise Wiliams
CEO, First Nations Technology Council
Denise leads a theory of change that aims to ensure Indigenous peoples are leading in Canada’s technology and innovation sector and in building new connected economies. With a passion for contributing to initiatives that influence real change and the advancement of Truth and Reconciliation, she proudly serves as a governor with the Urban Native Youth Association, MakeWay, Vancouver Foundation, Hollyhock Learning Institute, Innovate BC and Simon Fraser University as the Chair of university relations, and where she earned her MBA in 2015.
Indigenous and remote communities can’t wait any longer for high-speed internet
By Nour Abdelaal and Sam Andrey, Ryerson Leadership Lab
Investments from telecommunication companies and governments over the past decade have sought to connect more rural and Indigenous communities to high-speed internet, but there is little progress to show for it in too many of Canada’s remote communities. Amid a global pandemic that has required a shift to online work, education and social connections, quality internet connection is an essential service that communities can no longer forgo. This discussion was the first in the Overcoming Digital Divides workshop series, a six-part public series to explore how Canada can pave a clearer path toward meaningful digital inclusion.
Overcoming Digital Divides: What We Heard and Recommendations
This final report on the Overcoming Digital Divides workshop series summarizes the main themes shared at the workshops and offers five main policy recommendations to address Canada's digital divides moving forward.
Sponsor
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Overcoming Digital Divides: Youth and Digital Skills
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Overcoming Digital Divides: Public Internet Access
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Overcoming Digital Divides: People with Disabilities and Accessibility
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Overcoming Digital Divides: Older Adults and Digital Literacy
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Overcoming Digital Divides: Low-Income Communities
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Overcoming Digital Divides: Indigenous, Rural and Remote Communities
Are recent public investments and policies sufficient to achieve digital inclusion of Indigenous, rural and remote communities? What Indigenous-specific needs must be addressed to secure digital inclusion?
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Property, Home and Precarity: From Street Sweeps to Housing Justice
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Hope in Resistance: Stories of Climate Justice
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Mapping Equity: Using GIS and Maps to Make Invisible Realities Visible
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Equity in Practice: More Stories of Community Capacity Building
SFU’s Community Capacity Building Certificate supports learners as they engage community by sharing lived experiences and adopting new tools for building projects and movements. Learners deepen their relationships with themselves, their communities and the land to create a project and move forward a change they’d like to see in the world.
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Should a Just Recovery Include a Basic Income for B.C.?
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Overcoming Digital Divides: Youth and Digital Skills
Join us to discuss how Canada can better support our public internet infrastructure for the marginalized communities who rely on them and for everyone.
Read More →
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Equity in Practice: Community Capacity Building
Join us to hear inspiring stories from the most recent cohort of SFU’s Community Capacity Building Certificate learners and their growth as emerging leaders working towards equity in their communities.
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Overcoming Digital Divides: Public Internet Access
Join us to discuss how Canada can better support our public internet infrastructure for the marginalized communities who rely on them and for everyone.
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Researching for Climate Justice
Activists, researchers, policy-makers and solution-seekers come together to surface the challenges and opportunities of taking equity-informed approaches to climate research, solutions and policy development.
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Overcoming Digital Divides: People with Disabilities and Accessibility
The federal and provincial governments have taken some steps to improve internet accessibility and adoption among Canadians with disabilities, but there still remain substantial gaps with many facing barriers in accessing digital services.
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Rosemary Brown Memorial Symposium
Every year, to honour the important legacy of the late Rosemary Brown, SFU's Department of Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies (GSWS) brings together distinguished scholars, students, service providers, and the broader community together to speak on current issues of diversity, ongoing inequalities, and ways to create positive change.
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Overcoming Digital Divides: Older Adults and Digital Literacy
Older adults are less likely to use the internet than younger people in Canada, and many report that information technologies do not improve their quality of life or save time. The issue is more pertinent than ever under the pandemic.
Read More →
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The 2021 Spry Memorial Lecture
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Decolonizing Scottish Studies
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Innovations in Research
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Overcoming Digital Divides: Low-Income Communities
Low-income communities continue to experience lower internet access, affordability, and quality. Canadians are at an all-time need for increased access to internet, computer, and tablet devices for e-learning and remote work.
Read More →
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Zooming In: Education in 2021
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Overcoming Digital Divides: Indigenous, Rural and Remote Communities
Are recent public investments and policies sufficient to achieve digital inclusion of Indigenous, rural and remote communities? What Indigenous-specific needs must be addressed to secure digital inclusion?
Read More →