[Sican] draft note to SICAN

[Gareth Shearman]

subject: CAP 2004/05 update


The arrangements for CAP for this fiscal are now starting to become clear.

There has been approximately a 45% cut in the overall funding.

The actual percentage of that funding allotted to BC has risen slightly.

To deal with this, Industry Canada has decided that they will fund 
sites that best address digital divide issues.  They have identified 
several criteria that they are using to evaluate this, as follows:

Low Income
Low Education
Rural
Seniors
Aboriginal
Francophones

They are using Stats Can 2000 figures and basing their decisions on 
the percentage of the above groups in the various Census divisions.

What does this mean specifically for SICAN?  It means that 
approximately 50 of our 95 sites will be funded this year.

By the end of May we will have worked out with Industry Canada just 
which sites will be funded and which will not.  All sites will be 
contacted individually either by us or by Industry Canada.

As far as SICAN is concerned, the fact that your site will not 
receive Industry Canada funding this year does *not* mean that we 
will stop considering your site  part of SICAN.

Unless you specifically inform us that you do not wish to be part of 
our group we will continue to keep you informed and support you in 
any way we can.

Regards,
Gareth Shearman