Bridging the
Digital
D I V I D E
AsaresultoftheCityofPickering’sadvocacyonbroadband investmentandBellCanada’srecentexpansionofpurefibre InternetinPickering’shamletsandruralareas,Grammy award-winningproducer,Boi1da,cannowcollaboratewithtop musicartistslikeDrake,Eminem,Rihanna,Jay-Z,KanyeWest, KendrickLamar,andJackHarlowdirectlyfromhishomestudio innorthPickering.
Boi1daisjustoneofthousandsofresidentslocatedinSeaton, Kinsale,Whitevale,andbeyondwhoarenowenjoyingthe benefitsofbroadband. In fact, GlobalNewsrecently caught up with some of the happy Pickeringresidentsandoneinparticularnoted:“It’slikea Christmas gift to me…it was like a whole new world opened up to me,becauseIhadnoideawhatpeople’senjoymentofNetflixwas.” Twoandahalfyearsago,globalhip-hopandentertainmenticon, Drake,tooktosocialmediatocallonthe‘MayorofPickering’to fixtheInternetissueswherehisregularproducer,Boi1da,lives andworks.Inturn,theCityofPickeringissuedaclever,tonguein-cheekresponsereferencingDrake’ssongtitlesandlyricsto addresstheconnectivityissue,whilealsocommunicatingsome oftheCity’skeyaccomplishmentsandpriorities. Pickeringattractedtheundividedattentionoftheentire broadband industry. Consequently,manyInternetServiceProviders(ISP)reachedout to the City to discuss broadband enhancement and expansion in itshamletsandruralareas.Ultimately,BellCanadawasthefirst ISPtodeployasignificantfibreInternetprojectinPickering’s underservicedareas. Overthenext3years,therewillbeover21,0newlocations connectedinbothruralandurbanareasacrossPickering. ThisincludesGreenRiver,Claremont,Pickering’sFilming Backlot,Amberlea,Woodlands,BrockRidge,VillageEast, Dunbarton,andLiverpool. TheCityhasenteredintoaserviceagreementwithBellCanada, andwillbehiringtwofull-timestawhowillbededicatedto theBellhigh-speedfibreproject.Bellwillbefullyfundingthe salaries of these two positions. WehavealsoestablishedanExecutiveWorkingGroupandan OperationsWorkingGrouptoprovideoversight,governance, and enhance communications. Lookingforward,accesstoreliablehigh-speedInternetiscritical if we are to attract the best and brightest residents and businesses toPickering. Your City Magazine - Issue 3 | 13
