Tourist WiFi connections proposed for Pincher Creek

At their meeting on January 10, Pincher Creek's Town Council voted to support the "Country Connections" project under the Regional Collaboration Component of the Regional Collaboration Program through Alberta SouthWest.

Alberta SouthWest and Nerds on site proposes to install two wireless radios that would providing internet coverage to downtown area of Pincher Creek.  The Country Connection project is aimed at tourists visiting this and other member communities.  Funding would cover the first year of the project, after which advertising revenue is intended to cover the ongoing costs.  Persons logging in to the internet using this portal would first encounter an "enter" window that would include sponsored advertising.  The host community, in this case Pincher Creek, would also have an ad on this entrance page.  The Town's new Economic Development Officer, Wendy Kalkan, would be expected to find the advertising partners.

Councillor Roy Smyth was the lone dissenter when the matter came to a vote.