My perspective- Connecting Canadians
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- Published on Friday, January 6, 2017
Kate Jackman-Atkinson
The Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
Rural Canadians got some good news just before Christmas– better broadband coverage is coming. On Dec. 21, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced that broadband internet is now considered a basic service. The move puts high speed internet into the same category as landline telephones.
The change came following a year and half of public consultations and resulted in new targets for service under sub-section 46.5(1) of the Telecommunications Act. The new targets apply to both fixed and mobile broadband services. For fixed broadband services, the target is access to an unlimited data option as well as minimum speeds of 50 megabits per second for download and 10 megabits per second for upload. For mobile broadband services, the target is access to the latest mobile wireless technology not only in homes and businesses, but also along major Canadian transportation corridors.
Right in the centre- NDP in the wilderness
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- Published on Thursday, January 5, 2017
Ken Waddell
The Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
The once mighty New Democratic Party of Manitoba is floundering. In power from 1999 to 2016, the party once was a powerhouse that neither the Progressive Conservatives nor the Liberals could even challenge, let alone beat. The NDP came to power in 1999, for the third time in history, by way of a coalition of labour, social activist groups and public service unions. Gary Doer, who worked briefly in the provincial civil service and then became president of the Manitoba Government Employees Union (MGEU), rode that gig into the leadership of the NDP. What many people don’t know is that Doer waffled for a while, as he considered if he would go NDP or PC. He obviously decided to go NDP, but it wasn’t always a done deal. Doer was a coalition builder who surrounded himself with tough guys, who were his enforcers. Women didn’t play a big part in his coalition, a number of vigorous women politicians left the Doer fold over his tenure.
My perspective - The big squeeze
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- Published on Friday, December 30, 2016
By Kate Jackman-Atkinson
The Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
It’s not a great time to be a charity in search of predictable funding. Independent decisions made by corporations and governments are cutting local charities out of money they used to rely upon.
Right in the centre - The great divide
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- Published on Thursday, December 29, 2016
By Ken Waddell
The Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
There seems to be an ever widening gap between style and substance. In recent weeks, we have had a never ending media diet of how despicable Donald Trump is supposed to be. Trump is a bit weird, that is fairly obvious, but to listen to his detractors one would think Trump can single-handedly ride the States into the ditch. He can’t, as he has to get approval from Congress and the Senate for legislation.
My perspective - Revolution of relevance
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- Published on Friday, December 23, 2016
By Kate Jackman-Atkinson
The Neepawa Banner
Almost every girl who grew up in North America in the last 60 years has, at one time or another, played with a Barbie doll. Launched by Ruth Handler in 1959, the young woman with her Malibu house, pretty clothes, perfect hair and pink car have filled many young girls’ play time and imaginations.
