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12- PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, February 24, 1998 "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" Business, school board team u By Chris Hall Port Perry Star The Durham District School Board is the leading partner in a project that will see high-speed com- munications and internet access come to the northern end of the region. A $1.5 million provincial grant will allow the school board, along with public and private sector part- ners, to establish a com- munications infrastructure in Durham under the Telecommunications Access Partnerships (TAP) vel, tain FRIAS 0 3 - --n program. This is the second year the government has offered the program. Barbara Oram, co- ordinator of the proposed Durham Community Network, said the goal of the program is to bring all parties together to save money and offer excellent services to all. "The Ontario govern- ment is encouraging the private and public sectors to work together; the money they are giving us 1s an incentive to avoid duplication," she said. . a1 ly 7 FEATURES Air Conditioning AW ) & TE 8 Ribbon icitod STN "98 Escort SE, Sedan or Wagon Provincial grant helps make it happen "Instead of various busi- nesses and sectors setting up their own lines of com- munication we're trying to get them to share." While the school board already has a top-notch communications network in use in the Oshawa- Pickering corridor, Ms Oram said that the next step is to head north. Compton Cable, the local communications provider for Scugog Township and the sur- rounding areas, will be a vital partner in the con- FORD ESCORT SE 4213 {eli CAVALIER No Charg TOYOTA [qe] {el V- WY]: struction of the new net- work, she added. "They will help build the telecommunications infrastructure. They have already laid fibre optics between the Port Perry- Uxbridge corridor and will be used to supply the net- work. They will help us extend the existing south- ern backbone to North Durham." Compton has already agreed to extend a line from Port Perry to Sunderland and Beaverton, and plans are ou . EEE HONDA CIVIC LX-G Includ Wagon YES NO NO NO Dual Outside Power Mirrors Standard Optional Optional Optional Save o Remote Driver Door Keyless Entry YES Optional Not Available Not Available up 60/40 Rear Seat YES Not Available Optional YES gi $7.000 Engine Displacement 20lite 4Cyl. 22lime 4Cyl. 18Lie 4Cyl. 1.6LiedCyl. | aormosar purchase ofa new ronsmission 5-Spd. Manual 5-Spd. Manual 5-Spd. Manual 5 Spd. Manual $750 or Lincoln vehicle! SAVE UP TO GRADUATE -- ot choose'98 Escort ZX? at Now for a Limited Time at Your Ontario Ford & Mercury Dealers Or visit our web site at: www.ford.ca/offers/ CASHBACK * ® 24 Hour Roadside Assistance pi - . Said 2 os * 2.0 Litre 16 Valve Zetec Engine * Tachometer * 60/40 Rear Seats ® Power Mirrors * Solar Tinted Glass ® Rear Heat Ducts ® AM/FM Stereo with Four Premium Speakers * Remote Driver Door Keyless Entry » Depowered Air Bogs No Extra Charge Air being made to possibly lay fibre to Cannington. In return, Ms Oram says, Compton Cable will offer users a competitive rate for accessing the net- work. "This network will have various advantages to users; it will allow for high- speed reliable access to the internet, and will bring both of the sectors togeth- er," said Ms Oram. Already included on the list of public sector part- ners are the Corporations of the Townships of Scugog p on internet project and Brock; the libraries of Scugog, Pickering, Uxbridge and Brock; the Durham Regional Police Service; Durham College; and the Durham Catholic District School Board. Other private sector partners besides Compton Communications Ltd. include the Durham Region Federation of Agriculture; Gamma Dynacare Health Care, IBM and Lotus Corporation and AT&T Canada. The project is due to be completed in just over a year from now, and Ms Oram says she hopes peo- ple will support the large initiative. "Because of the grant structure we need to have the network finished by Dec. 31, 1999 so we're going to be working in stages and there will be a flurry of activity over the next 22 months. It will be an effort we will be concentrating on. "But, once it is built, we hope it will be self-sustain- ing. There is a strong busi- ness-development plan in place and we hope we get - enough users and partners to support it." OMAFRA can help put farms on Web Having your own Web page on the World Wide eb provides the oppor- tunity for tremendous 'exposure to new clients - for your farm business. 'The Durham Region Agricultural Training Needs Committee is offering a course in Web Page Creation this win- ter. ~The course will be held at Durham College, Uxbridge Campus. There are spaces still available for people interested in finding out how to develop a Web age that will keep ringing them back. Registration fee includes instruction, 'handouts and the oppor- tunity, for hands-on use of a computer. The cours- es are partially spon- sored by the Ontario Agricultural Training Institute along with 'assistance from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The fee for a one day course is $60. Deadline for pre- registration is Friday, Feb, 27. To pre-register con- tact the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs office, Port Perry at 905- 985-2003 or 1-800-263- 8023 or Karen eliowlees at 905-986.