Canadian Library Association dismayed at cancellation of Community Access Program

The Canadian Library Association believes that all Canadians, regardless of economic status or location, should have the ability to access information and services through broadband connection to the Internet, and should be able to access the assistance they need to become digitally literate. For many Canadians, especially those in remote and rural locations, this access has been provided since 1994 by the Community Access Program (CAP) funded by Industry Canada. CLA is dismayed at the cancellation of this program announced by the federal government on April 5, 2012. According to Industry Canada, the program has "outlived its usefulness" because 94% of Canadians now live in a community where broadband is available for purchase. Industry Canada is consequently planning on relying more on private‐sector household access than government‐funded public access. But with only 79% of Canadian households having an Internet connection, and 54% of households in the lowest income quartile, it is clear that community‐based Internet access is needed to supplement home access