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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, M ar ch 28 ,2 01 9 | 26 A new cemetery for the general public is taking shape for residents in Halton Hills and their families. Devereaux Cemetery is located in a quiet country setting on the 17th Side Road, just west of Trafalgar Road. It's adjacent to the Holy Redeemer Cemetery and open to people of all religious faiths. Contact us for information about available interment options, either at time of need or in advance. 905-877-8500 l www.devereauxcemetery.ca Owned and operated by The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of the Diocese of Hamilton LIFE'S MOMENTS Open year round Endless possibilities CELEBRATING view our newly renovated clubhouse! BRIdAL ShOwERS | REhEARSAL dINNERS wEddINGS For more information contact Bill dhaliwal | 905-877-8468 ext 2223 | bdhaliwal@clublink.ca EAGLE RIdGE GOLF CLUB | RR #4, 11742 TENTh LINE, GEORGETOwN, ON eagleridge.clublink.ca problem that is unique to rural areas attached to large urban areas." But Halton Hills Coun- cillor Clark Somerville, who's also Halton's ap- pointed member on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) board of directors, thinks the budget plan could de- liver some real results for local high-speed-starved households. He pointed to the tax policies for Internet com- panies and $1 billion in funding slated to come from the Canada Infra- structure Bank - an invest- ment that's designed to le- verage at least $2 billion in private capital to increase broadband access across the country. "I honestly believe it will make a difference," he said. Somerville and the FCM have long been advocating for better access to broad- band and mobile Internet - an issue the organization says has become a national imperative as communi- ties across the country face connectivity challenges. "When I was the FCM president, the number one issue I got asked about was rural internet," said Som- erville. "We do have areas in Halton Hills and north Milton where people still can't get high-speed Inter- net. This isn't about Netflix - it's about quality of life." Regional Chair Gary Carr added that Halton has been calling on both the provincial and federal gov- ernments for universal ac- cess to broadband Internet to ensure small businesses are able to effectively com- pete in a digital world. "I am pleased to see FCM also making this a priority issue in their own advocacy initiatives," he said. Current FCM president Vicki-May Hamm deemed the federal budget's nation- al broadband strategy "a strong response to FCM's call to prioritize universal Internet access for two mil- lion Canadians who still can't access a reliable con- nection." Further details of the federal government's plan to deliver high-speed for all include: . $1.7 billion in new in- vestments in the existing Connect to Innovate pro- gram . The launch of a new Universal Broadband Fund that will focus on ex- tending 'backbone' infra- structure to underserved communities. For the most difficult-to-reach commu- nities, funding may also support 'last-mile' connec- tions to individual homes and businesses. . A look to secure ad- vanced, low earth orbit sat- ellite capacity to bring reli- able high-speed Internet access to the most chal- lenging-to-reach rural and remote homes and commu- nities in Canada. . Greater co-ordination with provinces, territories and federal arm's-length institutions, such as the CRTC and its $750-million rural and remote broad- band fund. In addition to the high cost of extending broad- band Internet to the rural areas, Lunau said the issue is compounded by the need for Internet service provid- ers to share the available spectrum - the crucial fre- quency used in all wireless communications, such as wireless Internet service. With spectrum in high demand, Industry Canada auctions it off to compa- nies, which are then grant- ed exclusive licences to use it. The major Canadian service providers have li- censed wide swaths of ar- eas for cell service around the GTA in order to protect their ability to grow, how- ever this creates difficulty for smaller competitors to provide service in the pe- riphery of the licensed ar- eas, like in Milton and Hal- ton Hills. "It's like having a six- lane highway and closing all but one lane to general traffic," said Lunau. "They have purchased the high- speed capacity and aren't using it, but won't share it with the providers who are more than willing to serve the rural area." Local officials have pre- viously called on the CRTC to implement a "use it or lose it" policy to rectify the licensing issue. NEWS Continued from page 3 NEW FUNDING WILL EXTEND 'BACKBONE' INFRASTRUCTURE TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES STORY BEHIND THE STORY The federal government's budget spending for rural Internet is designed to encourage private companies to invest in broadband infrastructure as well. The federal government is pledging universal high-speed Internet access for Canadians by 2030. Metroland file photo