Monthly Archives: June 2006

HotSquare (Yonge-Dundas)

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Don’t have airconditioning? Hate being cooped up at home, tied down by your need for a reliable internet connection, while the city and outdoors beckon?

Well, quit your whining, grab your laptop, and get outside!  As many of you know, you can alreay enjoy free wi-fi at Dufferin Grove Park and St. Lawrence Market. 

There’s now another (somewhat more central) location to choose from – Yonge-Dundas Square!  The “official” launch of the hotspot is in July, but the wireless network is up and running (for testing, but it seems fine), as of today. 

Cool down at one of the tables by the water fountains,  watch the tourists bustle around the Eaton Centre, or bring your laptop to Google factoids about The Blob or The Birds while you take in the Square’s (Tuesday) City Cinema nights.

Wireless in Winnipeg

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An interesting article in today’s G+M, talking about a project in Winnipeg that levers the (relatively) low-cost of wireless internet access and the experience and reach of some local community groups.

Closing the digital divide in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG — One of Winnipeg’s poorest neighbourhoods is poised to become the city’s only high-tech wireless Internet corridor, offering free access to low-income people.Currently, there are hot spots associated with businesses throughout the city, but no neighbourhoods have joined the trend towards wireless Internet access.Point Douglas is on its way to becoming the first.

“The Point Douglas area is one of the lowest-income areas in the city,” said Rhonda McCorriston, Neeginan Institute of Applied Technology education director.

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The Aboriginal Centre of Winnipeg has already installed a wireless antenna on its building with the help of Smart Partners of Manitoba and the Computer Lending Library.

Smart Partners of Manitoba, a non-profit group that focuses on giving low-income people access to computer and Internet technology, plans to loan out 1,000 computers.

It’s really refreshing to see a partnership that seems to understand that narrowing the digital divide (nobody’s favorite phrase, but what can you do…) entails more than just “getting online”. That is, it’s also about providing access to hardware, support for online learning and use, and ensuring that programs are shaped to anticipate and address the specific needs of the community it serves.

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