In June 2009, Industry Canada announced plans to develop a digital economy strategy (Government of Canada, 2010). The creation of the plan is supported by the recommendations in a recent report by the Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications called Plan for a Digital Canada. The report recommended a strategy for an inclusive digital society, along with a new Minister of Digital Policy, and the deployment of a national broadband network that could deliver essential digital services to all citizens.
Shortly after announcing its plans to develop a digital economy strategy, Industry Canada opened for “feedback from all interested parties on priorities and targets” (Industry Canada, 2010a, para 8). One of the consultation’s five discussion mentioned rural and remote communities (Industry Canada, 2010b, p. 2). However, nowhere does this initial consultation paper refer to the unique needs of First Nations and Inuit communities, in terms of broadband infrastructure and connectivity services (Industry Canada, 2010c). This oversight fails to consider the conclusions of evaluations of programs such as the Aboriginal Canada Portal, which closed down early in 2013. Furthermore it fails to showcase the long history of successful First Nations and Inuit community-based communications infrastructure and services development, which stretches at least as far as the 1974 efforts to establish a community radio system (O’Donnell et al, 2010; see also Alia, 2010; Roth, 2005).