Watch Videos:

Part 1: Premier Ed Stelmach & Mayor Kevin Edwards

Part 2: Andrew Davison, Three Hills Librarian

Part 3: Susan Freisen, Three Hills Library Board Chair

PolicyChannel (www.policychannel.com) was recently in the town of Three Hills for the announcement $1.5million Rural Alberta Development Fund (RADF) grant for a new Virtual Learning and Business Centre and a rural oriented web-based portal known as ClicSite.ca which stands for Cooperation, Learning, Innovation and Community. It will use SuperNet connectivity to better serve the needs of rural Albertans. The ClicSite.ca project is also the physical facility, programs, technology and other related resources that will offer new opportunities for economic growth, expanded learning and skills development, increased capacity and quality of life and potential for enhanced health delivery in rural Alberta . ClicSite.ca also includes an enabling internet platform for establishing and strengthening local, provincial, national and international communications.

Premier Ed Stelmach praised the project as helping “Alberta towards a knowledge-based economy.” He added that “rural Alberta will be even more a part of Alberta’s overall growth.” Kevin Edwards, Mayor of Three Hills agrees, saying “This is about using Alberta’s Supernet to bring new learning opportunities, access to primary healthcare, business incubations . . . building community capacity in rural Alberta .” To capitalize on the new internet infrastructure, the Town of Three Hills, the Three Hills Library Board and the Hanna Learning Centre have joined forces to collaborate on this new project. This joint initiative is one of the first investments of the $100 million RADF. The RADF was created to fulfill the Government of Alberta’s goal of supporting the growth and prosperity of rural communities.

Mayor Edwards explains that “the centre will give people access to services, programs . . . that they could not do without it [SuperNet].” Edwards adds that “the principle intent of the centre is to erase time and distance.” Three Hills’ librarian, Andrew Davison says the project will bring “urban resources to the rural communities.” “Young people will not have to leave their home for education courses,” says Premier Stelmach, and businesspeople will no longer have to spend hours traveling for out-of-town meetings and can reach markets anywhere in the world.  

Projects like this, using the power of the SuperNet, will add capacity and change rural Alberta in terms of connectivity, communications, education, healthcare, business and other community services. Premier Stelmach says he believes projects like this using SuperNet connectivity “will revolutionize libraries across the province,” and Three Hills Library Board Chair Susan Friesen agrees and thinks it’s about time. “I think libraries haven’t kept up,” she says. However, after being introduced to the SuperNet and aiding in the formation of this project, Friesen is optimistic about what virtual centres incorporated into the libraries throughout Alberta could offer. “It’s going to cost money, but they (libraries) are going to be extremely valuable,” she states.

Links :

Hanna Learning Centre

http://www.hannalearning.com

Rural Alberta’s Development Fund

http://www.ruralalbertasfund.com/

Town of Three Hills

http://www.threehills.ca/