The Pontiac Conservative candidate for the next federal election Michel Gauthier made a statement supporting the Connexion Fibre Picanoc (CFP), a project that aims to implement high-speed Internet throughout the region of the rural MRCs of Pontiac and of Vallée-de-la-Gatineau.

“The operation must be entrusted as a priority to the Connexion Fibre Picanoc project. First of all, because CFP belongs to us as citizens. It is a non-profit corporation created by the two MRCs and two school boards," said Gauthier, who's also the spokesperson for the Conservative Party in the Outaouais.

Gauthier also criticized Bell over the news that Radio-Canada broke revealing that company CEO Mirko Bibic owns a residence in the Vallée-de-la-Gatineau and was connected to high-speed internet, while other homes were not. For the Conservative candidate, Bell’s decisions are insults to the rural population of the Outaouais.

"Bell drove through the village of Lac-Sainte-Marie, without stopping, to go hook up their CEO’s cottage at Lake Pemichangan. A connection made possible as part of a federally subsidized program. This is a blatant case of abuse. If this Liberal government has any respect for the citizens of the Outaouais, it should now impose the obligation on Bell to connect the entire village of Lac-Sainte-Marie at its own expense. It would be a way to put our tax dollars back in the right place,” said Gauthier.

Gauthier reiterated his support of the project in the statement.

“Bell could have been a privileged partner in connecting all Canadians to high speed internet. But its corporate behavior, an example in the region would be the exaggerated slowness of allowing other high-speed suppliers access to its poles, has rather hampered development. This is why, not only do I firmly support the Connexion Fibre Picanoc project, but I also insist on making it the priority project for all of rural Outaouais, ”continued Michel Gauthier.

Previously, Liberal MP William Amos also gave his support to Connexion Fibre Picanoc. The CFP project is valued at nearly $60 million and plans to deploy approximately 3,000 km of fiber-optic cable to connect 6,788 residences, including 5,369 subsidized residences, located in more than 35 municipalities which may include the Indigenous community of Kitigan Zibi.

The project is awaiting a response from the federal government to secure funding for the operation.