[ What is CAP? | Area CAP Centres | Who can use the centres?]

The Community Access Program (CAP) is an Industry Canada initiative that began in 1995. The idea was adopted from Canada’s SchoolNet program which is aimed at bringing the Internet into the educational community, the private sector and linking all Canadian schools and public libraries. CAP was developed to provide rural communities with affordable access to the Internet, and the skills necessary to use it effectively. It has also been designed to assist residents and businesses in small and rural communities obtain the same access to opportunities offered by the Information Highway as those in larger urban centres.

The Community Access Program was developed with specific goals and objectives in mind:

• to enhance the quality of business activity using computer-linked products and services
• to exchange information and ideas
• to learn and improve employment skills and experience in information management
• to access government services electronically.

In March 2000, the province of Manitoba and the Government of Canada entered into a new agreement to improve Internet access to Manitobans. This new initiative called Community Connections built on the established 146 access sites to install an additional 440 access points in both urban and rural settings.

In Manitoba, CAP has several partners. These partners include federal government departments, provincial government departments and the private sector. Along with Industry Canada, the Manitoba CAP partners include:

• Junior Achievement of Manitoba
• Community Connections
• Industry Canada
• Human Resources Development Canada
• Manitoba Rural Development
• Manitoba Education and Training
• Community Futures Development Corporations
• Manitoba Cooperative, Career and Work Education Association
• Junior Achievement of Manitoba Incorporated

Use of the Beausejour Public Internet Access Centre is open to all members of the community who live in the Town of Beausejour or Rural Municipality of Brokenhead.

Use of the Business Access Centre in Beausejour is open to all business people, along with those wanting to start a business, who live in the Town of Beausejour, the Rural Municipality of Brokenhead or the Rural Municipality of Whitemouth.

Use of the Public Access Centre at the Whitemouth Library is open to all community members residing in the Rural Municipality of Whitemouth.

Eastman Regional Development Inc. houses the Business Internet Access Site for the Community Connections Program in Beausejour, Manitoba. Free Internet access is available to area businesses at the Community Connections site.