Saskatchewan's annual Speech from the Throne was delivered in Regina on Oct. 23 and several of the government's pledges could have an impact here in Humboldt.
The government announced it would be partnering with SaskTel to invest $5 million over four years to increase speed through CommunityNet, the shared network used by schools, hospitals and other public institutions.
Based on interviews with principals at schools in Humboldt the problem of Internet speed is a real one here, especially given how much learning is done online in a modern classroom.
"It just hasn't suited our needs perfectly," said Humboldt Public School principal Dave Hill. "It can be frustrating."
"We have 60 computers at our school but we can't have everyone on at the same time," added St. Dominic principal Dennis Spence.
Recently the students at St. Dominic were required to fill out the Tell Them From Me survey, designed to give school boards student feedback on a wide variety of issues. It's submitted online but, in an ironic twist, there were network problems and completing the survey took longer than it should have. That's but one example of how limited bandwidth can restrict access and opportunities for local students.
"We're just used to kids not being able to log on or access the Internet," said St. Augustine principal Carol McLaren. "Because there's more reliance on technology now it's becoming a bigger issue."
Many schools are implementing online-based programs for almost all subjects. They are powerful educational tools but their usefulness is compromised when students can't access the network.
"The sooner we can get it fixed up the better it will be for everyone," Spence said.
Also announced was a program to implement house calls by doctors and nurses.
"In the months ahead, we will announce details of a program that will enable some seniors with complex issues to receive house calls from physicians, nurse practitioners and other health care providers," said Lieutenant Governor Vaughn Solomon Schofield, who delivered the speech.
Humboldt mayor Malcolm Eaton said home care services are currently available in the city but are already stretched thin.
"My understanding is that it's used a lot here," Eaton said. "Any attention on these matters is useful."
The details of the home care expansion are unknown but the hope is to ease pressure on a health care system that is being pushed to the limit by record population growth and chronic use by a small group of people - one per cent of patients account for a third of all health care expenditures in Saskatchewan.
Also announced under the umbrella of health care was an amendment to The Personal Care Homes Act that will make public inspection reports of personal care homes. Currently those reports are private, but the details could be important for both current and future residents.
Eaton identified two issues in the throne speech as being particularly important for Humboldt: infrastructure and housing. The two issues are intertwined and will both be critical as a population boom expected to hit Humboldt sets in over the next few years.
"Anything to do with housing or labour issues were the kinds of things I was looking for," Eaton said. "I was pleased to hear reference to those things in the throne speech."
