Again, Industry Canada, together with the departments of International Trade and Agriculture, have taken the lead in developing this resource to provide on-line information about exporting. The Canada-British Columbia Business Service Centre web site. These initiatives show great progress, but we are not at critical mass. We are working towards a coordinated federal Internet strategy with links to other governments. The fifth 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 21 st century. They will use information and communications technologies to link people and organizations together, 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. We have brought together a Blue Ribbon Panel headed by David Johnston to further develop the concept and criteria that will help Canada become a leader in developing the communities of the future.