Beginning Monday, November 2nd, the Municipality of North Grenville will welcome students into the North Grenville Municipal Centre (South arena entrance) to access free internet for school related activities. The North Grenville Municipal Centre is located at 285 County Road 44.
“Council has heard from so many families who do not have access to reliable, rural broadband, especially during this time of the pandemic where there is so much pressure on the system,” said Mayor Peckford.
“With more people working and learning from home, high speed internet access has been a real challenge for many people in the community.”
There will be space for four students during each hour block from 8:30 am – 11:30 am, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Students must reserve timeslots in advance, on a first-come, first-served basis by emailing thurlbert@northgrenville.on.ca or calling 613-258-9569 ext. 123. Where demand is low, students may request back to back timeslots.
Students will be asked to follow the safety protocols:
- Masks must be worn at all times and physical distancing respected
- Students are to enter at the South arena entrance and will be screened upon arrival and must provide contact tracing information.
- Students will be allowed access to the facility only during their reserved time slot and must efficiently exit the facility at the end of their reservation.
- Students are asked to work independently at assigned workstations and be respectful of the shared space (headphones recommended).
- Students must bring their own devices and supplies.
The North Grenville Public Library and the Kemptville Youth Centre also provide opportunities for students to access internet for schoolwork.
The Municipality launched a rural broadband online survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/92JLPWX) in August to better understand the challenges many residents face and help gather information about where to make improvements.
Residents and businesses are also asked to take a quick internet performance test (https://performance.cira.ca/northgrenville) to gather information about broadband speeds in real time.
For More Information Contact:
Tammy Hurlbert, Recreation Coordinator
thurlbert@northgrenville.on.ca
613-258-9569 ext. 123
Jill Sturdy, Corporate Media Relations Officer
jsturdy@northgrenville.on.ca
613-258-9569 ext. 168
