The following aired this morning on CBC Radio in Nunavut:

2nd:       Industry Canada cuts funding for community internet access
programs

It's going to get harder for Nunavummiut to access the internet for
free. Industry Canada has cut funding for its community access program
or CAP. CAP provides funds for public internet portals, like those in
Nunavut's public libraries and youth centres. Darlene Thompson (sp) runs
NCAP, a non profit organization that administers CAP funds in Nunavut.
She says the program provided $98,000 for internet portals in 16
communities. And although there are other funding programs available,
CAP cuts will have an impact across Nunavut.

"We will probably be looking at some CAP site closures. But for the
majority it will be a reduction in services. We won't be able to hire as
many youth interns that we have been. And the money that went towards
maintaining the sites and maintaining the computers won't be there
either. So there'll be reductions in time and quality of service and the
amount of projects we're able to take on."

Industry Canada is providing transitional funds until the end of March
for CAP sites to scale back and wind down their programs. A spokesperson
said the department is looking at the program and has yet to make a
final decision on its future. Meanwhile, Thompson has joined other CAP
sites in a Canada-wide letter writing campaign to the federal
government. Thompson says the program is especially important up here
because many Nunavummiut can't afford a home computer. 

Darlene A. Thompson
Community Access Program Administrator
Nunavut Department of Education/N-CAP
P.O. Box 429
Pond Inlet, NU  X0A 0S0
Phone:  (867) 899-7363
Fax:  (867) 899-7334
dthompson@gov.nu.ca