Fibre line construction begins
Internet cable to connect communities from Fort Simpson to Inuvik
Elaine Anselmi
Northern News Services
Published Monday, January 19, 2015
INUVIK
A massive rotor blade grinds its way through a stretch of land just 20 minutes outside of Inuvik, off the Dempster Highway, as politicians, aboriginal leaders and dignitaries celebrate the start of construction on the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Line.
A massive rotor blade cuts a path for the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Line during a groundbreaking ceremony in Inuvik Jan. 14. - Elaine Anselmi/NNSL photo |
"It's a piece of infrastructure as thick as my thumb, with 48 strands of glass as thick as hairs," said Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger. "And, it is going to change the way we do business in the territory."
The project is expected to cost more than $80 million and will extend broadband Internet access from Fort Simpson to Inuvik, through an underground fibre-optic line. Stretching more than 1,000 kilometres, the line will connect Wrigley, Tulita, Norman Wells and Fort Good Hope along its route.
The project is slated for completion in 2016. Miltenberger called the project "territorially significant," and said it will allow for improvement to health care and education in communities.
Among the crowd at the groundbreaking ceremony Jan. 14 were representatives from Ledcor, the contractor responsible for building the line, as well as Northwestel.
"Here in the North, we are very excited about modernization," Paul Flaherty, president and CEO of Northwestel said, adding other major investments have been made in recent years to expand communications services in the North.
"This fibre-optic cable allows these services to do even more in the future."
Northwestel has been contracted to operate the fibre-optic line for 20 years following its completion. Once the extension of the Dempster Highway to Tuktoyaktuk is complete, more cable will be laid to connect that community to faster Internet speeds as well.
Scott Lyons, chief operating officer for Ledcor, handed out small sections of the black cable at a dinner concluding a full day of celebrations for the project.
As the projects construction is starting on Gwich'in land, elder Winston Moses offered a blessing before the ceremonial ribbon cutting and dinner.
Also speaking to the significance of the project, Nellie Cournoyea, chair and CEO of the Inuvialuit Regional corporation offered a history of communications in the region, from rustic trapper radios to modern-day technology.
"We have come a long way and what we have now is tremendous," said Cournoyea.
"We're there now and thank you to the Government of the Northwest Territories as a whole because without their backing and support, we wouldn't be here today."
