CRICOS #00212K

Citizen engagement & community participation online:

The Canadian Experience

Michael de Percy

CRICOS #00212K

Samuel McGowan, a Canadian, brought the telegraph to Australia in 1853

Since the telegraph, Australia and Canada have been (mostly) on par in adopting communications technologies - until the broadband era…

The two countries are most-similar in many ways… I have been comparing broadband outcomes in

Canada and Australia since 2005 This presentation provides some of my recent

experiences with Canada’s use of broadband

Overview

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Keewaytinook Okimakanak, which means Northern Chiefs in Oji-Cree, is a non-political Chiefs Council serving First Nations in the Northern Ontario region. The organization provides services in: Health Education Economic development Employment assistance Legal assistance Public works Finance and administration Computer communications (K-Net Services)

First Nations (first things first!)

CRICOS #00212K

Canada is (comparatively) a very open society and for many years has adopted a world-leader approach to broadband and New Media. Some examples:

Office of the Privacy Commissioner Academic uses of the Net: Professor Michael

Geist CRTC on Internet Traffic Management (now closed)

Ontario GovernmentCanadians have been accessing online policy

consultations for many years…

Models of Engagement

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The not-for-profit/municipal sector in Canada provides access to free Net services:

National Capital FreeNet Fred eZone (Fredericton) BC Wireless Network Society Wireless TorontoSome of the effects have been: Attracting businesses to municipalities Addressing the digital divide Introducing competition by ‘signalling’ demand

Community Broadband

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Broadband used to disseminate travel information Supports innovative travel information by Ottawa

public transport provider ‘OC Transpo‘ The ‘travel planner’ enables people to plan their

travel through information readily available on the Net, often accessible through free Wi-Fi

Sample of the Travel Planner And Canadians help

improve the service…

Broadband & Travel