These centres make a real difference for Canadians from all walks of life. Our goal is to link up to 10,000 voluntary organizations to the Internet by the end of fiscal year 2000. It is a partnership of some 120 private and public sector organizations collaborating to develop the next generation Canadian Internet technologies and applications. Nearly one million times faster than five years ago. The second part of our plan is Smart Communities .
Smart communities provide for connectivity at the community level.
They represent a new approach to local economic and social development for the 21st century. Smart Communities will use information and communications technology to link people and organizations, sharing ideas and information, to maximize opportunities for individuals, businesses and communities. They are bringing together a wide array of partners to provide online information and services. But here again, we have only scratched the surface of the potential. Last June, the Prime Minister appointed a Blue Ribbon Panel of experts to advise on how Canada can take a leading role in developing Smart Communities.