Construction is underway to bring high speed internet to Stoney Point.
The Governments of Canada and Ontario are each contributing over $850,000 to the $3.7-million project to connect over 945 homes, farms and businesses to high-speed internet services starting in May 2022.
The contracts to expand broadband services in Stoney Point were awarded by Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) Inc., a not-for-profit corporation, initiated by local municipalities to address connectivity in unserved and underserved areas of Southwestern Ontario.
Gary McNamara, County of Essex Warden and SWIFT Board Chair, says access to high-speed internet is critical.
"For small rural communities in Southwestern Ontario, it's also very important for any type of economic development opportunities for smaller communities, it's a foundational piece. You need to have access to high speed," he says.
McNamara says when you look at that part of Essex County, it was the community with the least amount of connections.
He believes the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that internet access is becoming an essential service to function.
"When we had a lot of school closures and kids learning from home, so you had multiple household members who had to have access to the internet," says McNamara.