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In our last News!etter, we announced that funding for the Community Access Program in Newfoundland and Labrador would be available for 2004-2005. We want to advise that discussions are currently underway to negotiate a new agreement that will provide support to eligible sites.
On a national level there was a 45% decrease in CAP funding, however, in Atlantic Canada that decrease is only 15%. These lower funding levels have resulted in new strategic directions for the program and will result in changes to the way funding is distributed. Rather than supporting general public access to the Internet, CAP will focus on supporting sites that serve communities of greatest need. The following release from Industry Canada explains this in further detail.
Eligibility of Sites for Funding 2004/05
The Community Access Program (CAP) was established by Industry Canada in 1994 with the goal of providing Canadians with affordable public access to the Internet. Canadians have used CAP sites to develop skills needed to thrive in a knowledge economy, learning to communicate and navigate the World Wide Web, to launch online businesses, to take advantage of distance learning for skills upgrading, and to access government services.
Fiscal year 2004/2005 marks a change for the Community Access Program. With the completion of the establishment phase of the program, funding will be directed to sites on a selective basis.
In 2004/2005, decisions to fund CAP projects will be based on a competitive process. Funding will be directed only towards the support of CAP sites that provide:
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Effective support for the delivery of public access. |
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Success in reaching Canadians that face the Digital Divide. |
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Support for other service delivery objectives of the federal government. |
Funding will be directed to sites and networks that can demonstrate that they provide access to Digital Divide populations, namely Canadians who do not have access to the Internet because of economic, social or geographic barriers. Statistics Canada’s General Social Survey, conducted in 2000, identified low income Canadians, residents of rural areas, older Canadians, francophones, and Canadians with limited education as being less likely to use the Internet than the general population. Recent immigrants to Canada, aboriginal Canadians, the unemployed and people with disabilities are other groups that also may be affected by the Digital Divide.
Each census area in Canada has been ranked according the proportion of Canadians most affected by the digital divide, to determine “high or highest need” areas. Priority for funding will go to CAP sites located in these areas. Exceptions could be, for example, where a site is located in a low need area, but draws most of its clients from a nearby highest need area.
Funding will also be directed toward CAP sites that support the federal government’s online service delivery objectives for initiatives such as Government on Line (GOL). CAP sites and networks have supported GOL through partnerships with government departments or by providing training and assistance to the public.
Wherever possible, the number of multiple sites serving a one small geographic area will be reduced.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, CAP is jointly funded with the Provincial Government. Selection of sites for funding in 2004/2005 will be jointly agreed upon by Industry Canada and the Province.
The Department of Education is working with Industry Canada to introduce a new funding model for CAP Sites in our Province based on the above guidelines. A model reflecting the varying levels of service is being designed and new funding applications will be made available as soon as they are finalized. Look for our next News!etter to contain more detailed information on this year's funding.
Further background information can be obtained at:
http://ihab-transition-dgaai.ic.gc.ca/pub/index.html?iin.lang=en.
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