The village of Kispiox in Northern British Columbia is so remote it doesn't have cell coverage.

That can cause a problem when emergencies happen such as the recent unexpected bridge closure, extreme weather, or a COVID-19 outbreak — all of which happened this year. The most recent emergency was a COVID-19 outbreak in the school which caused a closure for two weeks. Northern BC has been one of the worst areas for outbreaks, according to Northern Health, and school closures cab be an inconvenience at best and or a serious health concerns at worst.

In response to the remote nature and "unconnected" nature of the village, the Kispiox Band Council started a program to deliver an iPad for every house hold in the village. That's about 200 iPads, and the band asks for an email address for each house hold in exchange.

The villagers have been very happy, seeing this as an opportunity to be able to see relatives who live elsewhere, as before this, trying to use data to video call was spotty.

These devices will also help students who will need to do at-home learning, but these devices also allow the band to contact each house hold in the case of an emergency.

CICK spoke with band manager Blanka Jecminkova, and you can listen to the interview below: