Newfoundland and Labrador Premier John Hogan, right, and Xplore CEO Brent Johnston, are seen pulling fibre optic cable as part of a demonstration Thursday. The province and Xplore announced a partnership to help nearly 300 Newfoundland communities gain better access to an Internet connection. (Mark Cumby/CBC)
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier John Hogan continued on the campaign trail for an election he has yet to call, announcing a plan to get nearly 300 Newfoundland communities access to high-speed Internet.
Hogan announced a partnership with Internet provider Xplore to expand fibre optic connectivity across the island on Thursday. The project is the result of $94 million of combined federal and provincial funding — including $20 million from the province.
The work will connect 280 communities across Newfoundland, Hogan said, connecting about 36,000 homes.
“It’s needed in every home and every business, and we have some work to do to make sure that all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have that access,” he said Thursday.
“We’re very pleased that we’re not doing it on our own, we’re doing it with private companies like Xplore.”
He said the province needs Internet connectivity to be economically competitive.
“I look forward to getting that connectivity here as soon as possible.”
Brent Johnston, CEO of Xplore, told reporters builds are expected to be completed in late 2026 or early 2027, but said there will be earlier opportunities to get people connected as the process unfolds.
He said government support was necessary given challenges like the geography of rural Newfoundland.
“It costs, you know, many thousands of dollars per kilometre to deliver fibre to these communities. And there’s lots of kilometres in these rural areas, and it becomes very hard to make the numbers work,” Johnston said.
The work to lay cables and get residents online is expected to finish in late 2026 or early 2027. (Mark Cumby/CBC)
“With the very gracious and generous support of government, it sort of tilts the business into something that’s now economic for partners like ourselves, businesses like ourselves, to make it work financially. But more importantly, it’s that support that then creates the connectivity.”
The cost of the project — $94 million for 36,000 homes — translates to a cost of around $2,600 per home.
While Hogan noted there are cheaper alternatives — like Starlink, for example — he added the government is happy to work with the New Brunswick-based Xplore.
NDP promise $22 minimum wage, restoring tuition freeze if elected
The Liberal government also made three other funding announcements on Thursday.
A total of $110,100 is being handed out to support the East Coast Trail Association’s trail enhancement project, while Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities Bernard Davis announced a combined $350,000 going to 14 applicants of the Accessible Vehicle Grants program.
The government also announced financial support for Braya Renewables, owners of the Come By Chance renewable fuels refinery, in the form of a $25 million repayable loan.
The refinery, which was temporarily shut down from January to June citing market conditions, can repay the loan over a five-year term with terms similar to support already provided by the province in 2021.
The Newfoundland and Labrador NDP, led by Jim Dinn, also made campaign announcements on Thursday. (Patrick Butler/Radio-Canada)
Meanwhile, the Newfoundland and Labrador NDP have also made announcements this week.
On Thursday, the party announced, if elected, it would gradually raise the minimum wage to reach $22 per hour over the next four years, while also cutting the corporate income tax for small businesses.
NDP Leader Jim Dinn also announced on Wednesday that his government would reverse tuition hikes at Memorial University, reverting tuition rates back to when a tuition freeze was in place in 2022.
It would require a $49 million investment in year one of the plan, according to a news release from the NDP on Wednesday.
The Progressive Conservatives didn’t make a campaign-related announcement on Wednesday or Thursday.
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