The Minister of Service Alberta says internet access seems to be one of the biggest issue residents are facing in towns across the Peace Region.
Minister Nate Glubish was in Wembley on Thursday to meet with officials from surrounding municipalities where the topic of conversation centred around internet access in places like Wembley, Beaverlodge and Hythe.
“A lot of our conversations have been talking about how we make sure we know what internet assets are in the ground, what fibre exists, what technology companies have the technology to tackle this problem… so that we can figure out the most cost-effective ways to get better connectivity out to rural and remote Alberta.”
Wembley was another stop on the minister’s 37 community tour which Glubish says has not been done in at least five years. He adds that it’s important to tailor an action plan to each community, not take a one size fits all approach.
“It needs to be something where we have come and listened to the local challenges in those communities and then working with the local communities to figure out what makes the most sense here.”
Another topic he plans to bring up is how to bring the province into the 21st century when it comes to registering for things like licences online.
“If you can do banking on your phone or on your computer, why can’t you do registry services in a similar way? I’ve given the example of I’d like for Albertans to have the choice to conduct these services on their couch at midnight at home and not have to go wait in line during bankers hours.”
Glubish plans to continue his tour with a meeting in Clairmont on Thursday afternoon.