MANITOULIN—The groundwork has started on Manitoulin Island as part of the major Northern Ontario Gigabit Fibre Project, spearheaded by Pomegran Group and ROCK Networks.
“The groundwork has started and will be carried out in the next few weeks, if the ground doesn’t freeze,” said Georges Bilodeau, chairperson/president of H&M Cofi, last week. “This will include all municipalities and First Nations including Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory (WUT) on Manitoulin.”
As was reported this fall, ROCK Networks, a part of the Pomegran Group, has been awarded $97 million in funding the project to enhance high-speed internet access across 18,600 homes and 60 communities between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie and Manitoulin Island. This project is part of the ongoing commitment to improving broadband services in Northern Ontario, bringing increased connectivity to underserved areas.
This initiative aims to deploy fibre infrastructure to ensure reliable and high-speed internet service. The work involves installing fibre-optic cables, upgrading network equipment and putting in vaults and coordinating with community leaders to ensure minimal disruption.
“We have been meeting with the municipalities and First Nations to discuss the locations that have been looked at by engineers as the best locations, on streets in the communities for the equipment/vaults and to provide the best service,” said Mr. Bilodeau. He explained the outdoor optical line terminal will include underground fibre pipes hooked up into a vault on top of a steel cabinet with switches to connect all the homes to fibre in each community.
Vallard is the main company that will be drilling underground and pushing the cable through.
“We figure that everything should be in place in the communities on the Island by April-June and the fibre will then be hooked up to the homes. From there an announcement will made that the services are in place and ready to be used,” said Mr. Bilodeau.
“Four internet service providers are in negotiations with Pomegran and ROCK Networks as to the territories and sections to provide the service,” said Mr. Bilodeau. “I don’t have all the details yet, but I am told that the fibre will be cheaper than other broadband services being provided to the communities.”
“We have waited long enough for good high-speed internet service. It’s a reality—it’s going to take place,” stated Mr. Bilodeau.
At a recent Assiginack township council meeting, council had concerns with the location selected for the underground vault as it is on a municipal road allowance. They want to see a hold harmless agreement signed and have requested a meeting take place with the project proponents prior to this going forward.
ROCK Networks’ requests have also appeared at the Northeast Town council table as of late, with council approving the installation of vaults and directional boring at locations on Gaida’s Sideroad in Honora Bay, Green Bush Road, Columbus Mountain Road, the intersection of Indian Mountain and Pike Lake roads and at Hayward and Vankoughnet streets in Little Current.
The locations were approved with specific conditions for the sake of liability, which ROCK Networks had agreed to before the motion was passed.
Councillor Patty Aelick asked whether having stipulations involving municipal staff present while work is taking place could be a liability, pointing to a recent case where the City of Greater Sudbury was found liable with a job due to having a municipal supervisor on-site while the contracted work was taking place. CAO Dave Williamson commended Councillor Aelick on her salient point but said the supervisory role would be minimal.
Councillor Laurie Cook asked what would happen if the company were to go “belly up” and the municipality left with the equipment on its properties. Mr. Williamson admitted that no vetting had been done by the municipality itself, but that since the contract was awarded by both the provincial and federal governments, they were trusting the two levels of government to have undertaken that work.
Mayor Al MacNevin said he doubted this would be the last request to come before council from ROCK Networks.
With the project, over 18,000 homes between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie are expected to have the high-speed access they need to succeed. The project is expected to reach about 20,000 homes in total by December 2025. The network will provide fibre-to-the-home connections with download speeds of up to 1.5 gigabits per second.
by Tom Sasvari with files from Alicia McCutcheon
