Hon. Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., M.P., Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities: Thank you for the question, and thank you for your comments about the recreational centre project in Riverview. It was a big priority for my colleague and your friend Ginette Petitpas Taylor. I am glad that was announced a couple of weeks ago.

Your concern around rural access to high-speed internet is absolutely an important one, and it is one that the government shares. You are right; in our province, 20 minutes from Riverview, in Albert County, or even if you head north into Kent County in a different direction from your hometown, there are challenges.

We have invested, as a government, billions of dollars in this space. It’s never enough, and it’s never fast enough. I think we’ve made very considerable improvements, but we have a lot of work to do.

The Canada Infrastructure Bank is also looking at potential investments in that space as well. It may help some of the telcos obtain the financing that might make these projects more expeditious or faster. I share your view, senator, that it is not only about the economic development or the ability of small- and medium-sized businesses in some of these more rural communities to properly operate. There is a public safety component, which COVID showed all of us. I learned more about these challenges in the context of intimate partner violence and vulnerabilities because of COVID, and access to these services has to be part of that. We’ll continue to do all the work that we can and to incent other partners as well. I’m encouraged as well by provinces and territories wanting to occupy this space with us.