www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, July 28, 2016 | 10 T Internet essential for scal growth -- and mental health That's Life Andy Juniper Guest Contributor he Ontario Chamber of Commerce has called on the province to make high-speed Internet available to remote and rural areas, saying "broadband is no longer recognized as a luxury," and is indeed "essential" to economic growth. I know that high-speed Internet is indeed essential to my mental health. And I know that truly remote and rural areas are not the only areas suffering from crummy connections. Oh, and I know that what the OCC is demanding of the province is precisely what my kids have been demanding ever since we transplanted them to the country 12 years ago: boffo broadband, acceptable internet, wi that works. Although I always jest that we're located ` ve kilometers north of the middle-of-no- Enjoy our nEw FEaturE MEnu S SEaFood Mix Grill Buy One entree Dish anD receive a 2nD entree Dish Not valid with any other offer. Expires July 31, 2016 $6.00 OFF Patio now oPEn 376 Iroquois Shore Rd. Oakville · 905.845.7937 Weekdays 11am-3am · Weekends 11am-4am · www.montfortrestaurants.com halF price OFF Not valid with any other offer. Expires July 31, 2016 Buy One pita anD receive a 2nD pita where', that's a huge exaggeration (imagine, me exaggerating). While we're on a country property in Moffat, we're only a short drive from assorted cities, and only a one-minute walk from a subdivision. No, we're not exactly in a remote area, or an area anyone would deem to be rural beyond redemption. And yet... We have the world's worst Internet. Seriously, our eldest travelled to remote areas of Tanzania and reported that bush tribes have better hookups in their huts than we have in our home. When we rst moved up here our only Internet option was dial-up. We'd try to log on, squirrels would run our request up the telephone pole and then, if planets and stars aligned and the wind was blowing in the right direction but not blowing too hard, of course we'd gain access to the almighty Internet. Dial-up Internet is like a bad rst date. It's an experience you never forget, and one you bail on as soon as possible. We ditched dialup the second we heard that a new service provider had erected a tower nearby and was promising fast, ef cient, steady and reliable internet. Ah, they had us at `fast'. So, we hitched our hopes for fast Internet to the faulty tower. Only it wasn't fast. It was slower than snails sauntering through molasses. It was around that point in time that I launched a sports humour website that was a raging success, with one minor glitch: I'd write timely stories and they'd take a week to upload. Okay, I may be exaggerating again, but only slightly. Honestly, there were days when I'd be lucky if my emails loaded. Most days, as the connection struggled to coax in those emails, a message would pop up on my computer screen advising: "Something Is Not Right." Ah, no kidding. Recently another new service provider arrived on the landscape, luring us with promises that have been understandably downgraded, right along with our expectations. Where once we sought, fast, ef cient, steady and reliable internet, we're now tickled with assurances of "internet that doesn't totally suck." Although it kind of does still suck. I mean, it's faster than our old service not Tanzanian/hut fast, but not-bad fast but once or twice a week for no inexplicable reason it dies for an hour, or two, or 10, usually when we need it the most. Yeah, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce is right. Broadband is essential to economic growth in Ontario. And, you may have gathered from this missive, to mental health in Moffat. -- Andy Juniper can be contacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com, found on Facebook.com, or followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/thesportjesters. Rediscover SOBEYS GLEN ABBEY FREE First 500 customers get a CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST! FREE $10 GIFT CARD FREE $10 GIFT CARD when you spend $100 or more* 1500 Upper M th 8:00 a.m. 9 Friday, July 2 kville dle Rd. W. Oa GRAND G N I N E P O REid *Offer is valid at Sobeys Glen Abbey at 1500 Upper Middle Rd W, Oakville, ON only until Thursday August 4, 2016. Offer excludes taxes and discounts, purchase of beer, tobacco, lottery, gift cards, pharmacy, Canada Post products or Western Union products or services. Offer is only valid in single transaction and cannot be combined with any other offer. 3110