More households on Vancouver Island and on nearby Gulf Islands will have access to high-speed internet, according to the B.C. government.

Three new projects will bring high-speed internet to 750 households on southern Vancouver Island, Piers Island and Texada Island, with funding coming from the provincial and federal governments, as well as other partners.

A total of 500 households on southern Vancouver Island – in the Jordan River, Port Renfrew and Pacheedaht First Nations areas – will be getting the high-speed internet, as well as 129 households on Piers Island and 125 households on Texada Island.

The three projects will cost millions of dollars to complete, with the province contributing $4.2 million and the federal government providing $3.9 million.

Internet provider CityWest is also pitching in $476,116 for the two projects on Texada and Piers islands – while Telus is contributing $655,922 for the project on Vancouver Island – and the First Nation Health authority is contributing $664,284 for the project in the Pacheedaht First Nation.

Canada’s high-speed internet expansion

The trio of projects are part of the federal government’s goal of having high-speed internet available to 100 per cent of Canadian households by 2030.

As of Friday, roughly 95.8 per cent of all households in B.C. have access to high-speed internet speeds of 50 megabits per second (Mbps), and the province estimates that number to grow to 97.8 per cent by 2026.

“This investment marks a meaningful step forward in supporting First Nations and Island communities by strengthening access to essential services like health care,” said Diana Gibson, B.C. minister of citizens’ services and MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head, in a statement Friday.

“By extending reliable digital infrastructure to households, we are helping to create safer, healthier and more resilient communities across the province,” she said.

The province says access to high-speed internet also levels the playing field for businesses and students pursuing digital education.

Earlier this week, the province announced more than 100 households on Northern Vancouver Island would also be getting high-speed internet through the same initiatives.

“For rural communities, access to high-speed internet is about more than just getting online — it’s about being able to study, see a doctor virtually, run a business or connect with loved ones,” said Buckley Belanger, Canada’s secretary of state for rural development in a statement Friday.

“These projects are going to make a real difference for people in rural communities, and that’s why the federal government has committed to making sure every household in Canada, no matter where it’s located, has the reliable connection it needs,” he said.

The province did not provide a timeline on when the high-speed internet would come online in its announcement Friday.

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