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Michael Binder, Industry Canada's Assistant Deputy Minister for Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunication and Lillian Beaudoin, Partnerships Program Officer with First Nations SchoolNet visited the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Sioux Lookout office today.

Geordi Kakepetum and the several members of his team provided our guests with a tour of the facilities and telecom infrastructure that has been put in place over the past 10 years in partnership with Industry Canada.

As a follow up to this brief meeting the following message was forwarded to Mr. Binder on Friday, September 17 ...

Good morning Michael … I want to thank you and Lillian for taking the time to visit Keewaytinook Okimakanak in Sioux Lookout yesterday. I believe it is very important for as many people as possible to get to see the type of strategic investment, the innovations and the opportunities that have been created through the development of broadband infrastructure.  Over the years, Industry Canada programs (FedNor, CAP, SchoolNet, Smart, Brand, NSI, etc) have supported the development of all the applications you got to see during your brief trip to our community. I hope you are able to accept our sincere thanks on behalf of your team for making these types of strategic developments possible for the rural and remote communities in this region of Canada.

There is still so much more work to be done to ensure all the communities in Canada are able to experience and develop similar applications that address their local and regional requirements. As discussed, the K-Net team is ready and willing to work with your team to help make these developments possible. We look forward to having more people from your team visiting Geordi Kakepetum and the Keewaytinook Okimakanak offices in Balmertown / Red Lake to learn more about these applications. Our technical team in Sioux Lookout also welcomes all visitors and potential partners.

Dan and I realized afterwards that in our rushed agenda that you did not get a chance to visit our server and satellite operations centre in the building in the rear of the K-Net office. This building was recently renovated with the support of FedNor to accommodate Dan and Adi Linden’s office along with the servers and NOC/NMS for the satellite served communities. This omission is an example of why you need to plan another trip to the north when you are able to visit some of the First Nations that are benefiting these strategic broadband infrastructure development investments by Industry Canada working in partnership with the communities.

I hope that you will be able to bring more people with you the next time you visit, including the Minister of Industry and hopefully the Prime Minister. Sending other key decision makers to visit the organizations and communities is an important professional development requirement for everyone working in this field. I believe they too need to see the type of health care and educational applications you witnessed yesterday, being managed and operated in these communities by local resource people. The socio-economic opportunities created by these strategic broadband developments complement all the other infrastructure requirements of all communities. Without the broadband infrastructure, the other infrastructure priorities discussed (water, sewer, roads, etc) really have very little local influence within today’s information society.

Other important items discussed that require further follow up and development include:

• The need for adequate satellite transponder space so satellite served communities can access equitable services for applications such as the telehealth service being provided by the local nursing stations.  In our January 21, 2004 submission to the National Satellite Initiative we indicated that we would require a second transponder to accommodate the dedicated video connections required for the delivery of telehealth from each of the 10 First Nations participating in the KO Telehealth program. Nine of these communities now are ready to begin receiving these services but the single transponder that is being shared by K-Net, KRG and the communities in Northern Manitoba will only accommodate up to two video sessions at a time. A second transponder would support an expanded telehealth application that can support other communities to access these health services as required.
• There is a need to address the long term connectivity requirements for these small rural and remote communities so they have the opportunity to develop their local applications and capacity to provide and sustain services and the infrastructure. The First Nations SchoolNet (FNS) program is introducing these tools and infrastructure in the communities but if this program is allowed to sunset as presently scheduled in March 2006, then there is a good chance that all this work will be wasted. These types of small remote communities require support to develop local and regional champions and applications that will sustain both the local loops and the regional networks. The present FNS support system involving the six Regional Management Organizations is a good first step. But these community based, First Nation owned support systems need to expanded to include other organizations and regional groups to ensure all the communities are connected. Then the work of ensuring that other departments then support and sustain these applications becomes possible as all the communities gain equitable and affordable access. In the end, everyone becomes a winner with such a development.
• The other five Regional Management Organizations are working and building infrastructure and capacity in First Nation communities across Canada. They too need to be visited and supported to be able to continue the growth and development of local broadband infrastructure and applications. It was unfortunate that we were not able to meet with them via video conferencing during your visit. Each of these organizations are also part of the Kuhkenah IP Video Conferencing Network and therefore it is possible to meet with all of us from your offices in Ottawa. The FNS team in Ottawa organizes monthly meetings with this team and I know everyone would welcome an opportunity to share and discuss their work with yourself and other members of your team.
• The BC Regional Management Organization (the First Nations Education Steering Committee of BC) is hosting the next bi-annual gathering of the RMOs in Cranbrook at the new Delta Resort on the St. Mary’s First Nation. This would be a great opportunity for yourself, Mary Carmen, Deborah Davis and the Minister of Industry or whoever you think should be there from your team to come and meet with all these First Nation organizations and map out a successful strategy for ensuring broadband infrastructure reaches EVERY First Nation across Canada and is sustained.  This meeting is scheduled for October 12-14, 2004.

Cal is busy going through all the video footage that he gathered yesterday during your visit. I am sure that he will be taking you up on your challenge to produce a four minute video clip that you will be able to show to the world. Maybe this message that I am copying to all the RMOs might be the challenge for everyone to be producing such a clip about all the great work in developing broadband infrastructure and applications that is happening in the First Nations across Canada.

I also want to acknowledge Dr. Dermot McLoughlin who provided us with a great presentation about his use of the teleradiology services. Carol Wood, Menoyawin Telehealth Coordinator, demonstrated and explained how the telehealth equipment is making a difference for all the communities with these resources in place. Then the staff and students of the North Caribou Lake First Nation Internet High School shared how these ICTs are making a difference for their community. Brian Walmark of the Keewaytinook Research Institute shared some of the work he is doing in documenting these success stories and First Nation case studies about the use of ICTs in local schools and communities. Of course, the great feast prepared by Jeannie Carpenter and her team helped all us continue through this crazy meeting pace.

I hope you get the chance to return to this region in the near future. I do look forward to working with yourself and your team in support all rural and remote communities to access equitable, affordable and sustainable broadband infrastructure and applications. I am sure these developments and this important work will make a huge difference for every community across Canada.

Brian