Our goal is to connect every rural community with more than 400 people by the year 2000 - that's 5,000 sites. And we will be adding another 5,000 sites in urban centres. The Community Access Program links these communities into a competitive global economy. The Program also improves the quality of life in these communities. Children have access to sophisticated education facilities through tele-learning.
Medical facilities link up to the most sophisticated hospitals in the country using tele-health.
We've already seen cases where some of Canada's foremost specialists have performed on-line diagnosis of patients in communities thousands of miles away. I've recently seen an excellent application of the Program on the Southeast Shore of Nova Scotia, in Sandy Cove and the Western Valley in Lawrencetown. Many people in those communities left school early to follow the trade of their fathers and grandfathers in the off-shore fishery. But with the dramatic decline of the Atlantic fishery in recent years, many were left without a trade, and did not have enough education to pursue new opportunities. So they've turned to the Community Access Internet sites, where they are obtaining their high-school diplomas and upgrading their skills through distance education.