[Advisors] Fwd: FW: CAP - a historical recap?

[Thompson, Darlene]

THANK YOU for forwarding this!  This will be extremely useful for proposal =
writing - even if its not to Industry Canada.

D

Darlene A. Thompson
CAP Administrator
N-CAP/Department of Education
P.O. Box 1000, Station 910
Iqaluit, NU  X0A 0H0
Phone:  (867) 975-5631
Fax:  (867) 975-5610
dthompson@gov.nu.ca
________________________________________
From: advisors-admin@tc.ca [advisors-admin@tc.ca] on behalf of Marita Moll =
[mmoll@ca.inter.net]
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2012 11:56 AM
To: TC Advisors
Subject: [Advisors] Fwd: FW: CAP -  a historical recap?

Hello All,

A friend in Industry Canada has forwarded this article.  The highlighting w=
as added.

Marita

Published | Publi=C3=A9: 2012-08-25
Received | Re=C3=A7u: 2012-08-25 4:39 AM
        Internal Article / Article interne

Community Access Program (CAP)

VoicesVoix.ca

Voices-Voix

August 24, 2012

voices-voix.ca/en/facts/profile/community-access-program-cap<http://www.goo=
gle.com/url?sa=3DX&q=3Dhttp://voices-voix.ca/en/facts/profile/community-acc=
ess-program-cap&ct=3Dga&cad=3DCAcQARgBIAEoBDAAOABAw5_fgQVIAVgAYgVlbi1DQQ&cd=
=3DIBBe3NKq_rY&usg=3DAFQjCNHdyX1tEpPIw-p2xfxNFVR8CIQhQA>

Role or Position

The Community Access Program (CAP), was created by Industry Canada in 1995 =
to provide free or low-cost access to Internet in rural regions of Canada. =
CAP operated in over 3,000 sites across Canada, offering computer literacy =
trainings and Internet-user skills in public libraries and community center=
s. It has provided access to Internet for youth, seniors, members of low-in=
come communities and residents of rural and remote regions.

What Happened

On April 5, 2012, Industry Canada sent a letter announcing that funding for=
 the Community Access Program (CAP), amounting to about $15 million, was sc=
heduled to end on March 31, 2012 and would not be renewed. Industry Canada =
stated that in the context of "challenging fiscal times," funding for CAP w=
as terminated because the program had "successfully achieved its objective.=
" However, the digital divide in Canada has been proven to persist and libr=
ary associations and community centers that operated CAP have decried the f=
unding cuts.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----

In 2010, CAP operated in 3,785 sites across Canada and received about $15 m=
illion from the federal government. CAP provided Internet access in 149 loc=
ations in Newfoundland and Labrador; 540 in Ontario; 209 in Nova Scotia; 34=
 in Prince-Edward Island; over 400 in Manitoba; approximately 400 in Saskat=
chewan; 287 in Alberta; 135 in British Columbia; and 20 in Nunavut.

On April 5, 2012, Industry Canada sent a letter declaring that funding for =
CAP was terminated as of March 31.

Eric Stackhouse, Chairman of the Nova Scotia CAP Association, told the CBC =
he "had hoped that we would have some discussion before they made that deci=
sion, but as they've done in the past, they simply sent out letters."

Besides "challenging fiscal times," the justification provided in the lette=
r was that, according to Industry Canada, CAP "has successfully achieved it=
s objectives."

Stackhouse added that "they say it's achieved its purpose, but they never s=
ay what that purpose was."

Several site will have to close while others, such as Nova Scotia's CAP, wi=
ll remain open thanks to large financial contributions from the provincial =
government, municipalities and libraries.

Industry Canada indicated that the CAP YI (Youth Initiative) program would =
continue to receive funding. Industry Canada explains that it will continue=
 to support 1,500 Youth Employment Strategy (YES) internships at Internet a=
ccess sites, in an effort to help youth transitioning into the workforce.

Digital divide persists

In explaining the 2012 funding cuts, the Director of Communications for Ind=
ustry Canada, Margaux Stastny, reportedly said that "the vast majority of C=
anadians are now connected to the internet at home, while many more have ac=
cess through their mobile devices."

However, according to a June 2011 report from the Organisation for Economic=
 Cooperation and Development (OECD), 20% of Canadian households do not have=
 access to the Internet.

In addition, the 2010 Internet Use Survey by Statistics Canada provides mor=
e detailed information on the digital divide. It found that 97% of Canadian=
s in top income quartile ($87,000 or more) had access to Internet at home, =
while only 54% of Canadians in the lowest income quartile ($30,000 or less)=
 had access to Internet in their household.

For 24% of those in the lowest income quartile, the cost of equipment or se=
rvice was the main reason for not having an Internet connection at home.

Moreover, Industry Canada itself, in its 2010 Final Evaluation of the Commu=
nity Access Program noted that while access to and use of Internet had incr=
eased with CAP, "the digital divide continues to persist in Canada among a =
number of demographic groups including Canadians in rural and remote commun=
ities, low income earners, those with low levels of literacy and education,=
 francophones over 50 years of age, seniors and others."

For people who cannot afford connectivity to Internet and computer equipmen=
t, who do not have the skills to use such technology, or who live in rural =
or remote areas, CAP sites were their only point of access to the digital w=
orld.

"Objective achieved" ?

With increased digitization of government services and the multiplication o=
f services and forms delivered online, CAP was providing the necessary acce=
ss and assistance for Canadians to use such services.

Filing taxes, for instance, is now done online and governmental departments=
 often refer citizens to websites for more information. Stackhouse told the=
 CBC that CAP sometimes helped Revenue Canada volunteers to complete tax fo=
rms for members of low-income communities, for example at the New Glasgow l=
ibrary. He commented "so we're helping Revenue Canada get its job done. To =
say it's achieved its goal, to me it's just mind-boggling."

Karen Adams, President of the Canadian Library Association, decried the cut=
s and explained that not only does the digital divide persist, but "CAP pro=
grams provide much more than connected computers." According to Adams, with=
out the computer literacy that CAP provides as well as the access to Intern=
et, "disadvantaged groups would not be able to benefit from the ability to =
connect with information and services essential to their well

being, including online banking, tax compliance and benefits, connecting wi=
th their families, and remote health services."

Reactions from the public

In April 2012, the Nova Scotia CAP Association launched the website SaveCAP=
.ca to centralize letters to Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Leg=
islative Assembly (MLAs), and to gather news articles and press releases re=
lating to the CAP funding cuts.

Several provincial library associations have decried the cuts to the CAP, w=
ith press releases available on the Save CAP website.

Relevant Dates:

1995: The Community Access Program (CAP) is launched.

1997: CAP YI (Youth Initiative), supported by the Youth Employment Strategy=
 (YES) is launched. May 15, 2010: Industry Canada publishes its Final Evalu=
ation of the Community Access Program. May 25, 2011: Statistics Canada publ=
ishes its 2010 Internet Use Survey report, finding that while 97% of Canadi=
ans in top income quartile have access to Internet at home, this is true of=
 only 54% of Canadians in the lowest income quartile. March 31, 2012: Fundi=
ng for CAP is terminated. April 5, 2012: Industry Canada sends a letter ann=
ouncing that funding for CAP is not renewed, taking effect as of March 31, =
2012. April 2012: The Nova Scotia CAP Association launches the website Save=
CAP.ca to coordinate letters to MPs and collect open letters decrying the f=
unding cuts.

Implications and Consequences

Democracy: Access to information and an informed citizenry are two essentia=
l aspects of a healthy democracy. With CAP points of access closing, senior=
s, youth and members of low-income communities will be marginalized from Ca=
nada's online life and their ability to access information will be dramatic=
ally reduced. The closure of CAP sites is also the loss of opportunity to s=
earch for jobs, learn new digital skills, stay connected to family and frie=
nds, and take part in their local communities.

Equality: Canada's governmental departments and services are increasingly d=
igitalized. A program such as CAP seems to be a necessary complement to thi=
s direction the government has taken, in order to ensure fairness and equal=
ity in access to online services for all Canadians.

Equality: As an alternative to CAP sites that would be closing in certain c=
ommunities, Industry Canada suggests to users that many local public librar=
ies may offer Internet access. However, because of the large cuts to Librar=
y and Archives Canada announced in the Budget 2012, many smaller community =
libraries and archives centers across the country must reduce opening hours=
 and face serious budget challenges, making it difficult for them to provid=
e access to Internet as CAP did.

Equality: The fact that the government announced termination of CAP taking =
effect immediately leaves CAP sites without an alternative for funding. Whi=
le some CAP sites were supported by other partners and may be able to remai=
n open, many other sites will have to close as they relied almost entirely =
on federal funding for the program and are for the most part run by volunte=
ers.

Date published: 16 August 2012

Sources

"Final Evaluation of the Community Access Program: Executive Summary," Audi=
ts and Evaluations, Industry Canada, 15 May 2010

"Canadian Internet Use Survey 2010," Statistics Canada, 25 May 2011

"The Future of the Internet Economy: A Statistical Profile," OECD, June 201=
1

"2010-11 Annual Report," Manitoba E-Association, August 2011

Community Access Program (CAP) Termination Letter by Industry Canada, Scrib=
d, 5 April 2012

"Ottawa cuts CAP public web access funding," CBC News, 6 April 2012

"Nova Scotia CAP Association launches SaveCAP.ca website and asks for help =
from MPs and MLAs," SAVE CAP, 10 April 2012

Open Letter to Industry Canada from Karen McGrath, President of the Communi=
ty Access Program, Ontario Library Association, 11 April 2012

"Community Access Program (CAP) in Saskatchewan Building Stronger Communiti=
es through Technology," Open Letter by Saskatchewan CAP Program, 11 April 2=
012

"Canadian Library Association Dismayed at Cancellation of Community Access =
Program," SaveCAP, 12 April 2012

"Frequently Asked Questions," Youth Internships, Industry Canada, 16 April =
2012

"Budget Cuts a Blow to Internet Access in Libraries," Press Release by the =
British Columbia Library Association, 16 April 2012

"Feds' Quiet Cut to Community Web Access Program," by Michael Geist, The Ty=
ee, 17 April 2012

"Funding for Community Internet Access Centres Cut," by CBC News, 19 April =
2012

"LAA Open Letter on CAP Funding Cut," Library Association of Alberta, 22 Ap=
ril 2012

"Province continues CAP public web access funding," by CBC News, 27 June 20=
12

Home. SAVE CAP, 9 August 2012

"Press Releases," SAVE CAP, 9 August 2012

"Online Forms and Services by A to Z," Government of Canada, 9 August 2012

"About CAP," Community Access Program Newfoundland and Labrador, 16 August =
2012

"CAP Google Map," Ontario Youth Internships (YI) at Community Access Sites =
2012-2013, 16 August 2012

"Our Locations," Prince Edward Island's Community Access Program, 16 August=
 2012