Charlevoix businesses eager to get high-speed internet, at last, thanks to G7 Summit

People living in Quebec's picturesque Charlevoix region northeast of Quebec Citywill see at least one lasting benefit of the G7 Summit the region's hosting in June:the arrival ofreliable high-speed internet service.

"It will probably be the most important legacy of the G7," saidJohanne Ct,the executive director of Charlevoix's Chamber of Commerce.

The installation of broadbandinternetcan no longer be avoided, with media outlets from around the world arriving atthe Manoir de Charlevoixon June 8 and 9toreport on the annual meeting of representatives ofthe world's seven largest advanced economies.

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PatriceBergeronworks inLaMaisondu Bootlegger, one of LaMalbaie'smany restaurants and bars which expect tobe flooded by visitors in June.

He said he welcomes the improvement, but he questions why the needs of locals weren't deemed importantenough to warrant this type of investment before now.

"The only thing I deplore is that it took a big event like this, which will only last two days,to get things moving," he said.

Bergeronsaid he doessee the silver lining, however.

"We're going to jump on the bandwagon while we can," he said.

'We seem archaic'

For business owners in the region, the lack ofaccess tovideo-conferencingand frequentservice interruptions aredaily obstacles to doing business.

RobertGagnonisthe engineering manager at Fibrotek, a company that manufactureshigh-speed machining and aerospace tooling in Clermont, a town a few kilometres northwest of La Malbaie.

Gagnon said at times it can take several hoursto send large files.

"I have the impression that sometimes it makes us lookbad," he said.

Gagnonsaid he hopes the installation offibre optic cables won't stop short ofClermont'sindustrial park.

The company's owner, Luc Tremblay, said he's been pressuring officials to provide higher quality internet service to Clermontfor years, and he hopes the time has come.

"We shipto the United States and to Mexico, and we seem archaic in comparison," he said.

The Chamber of Commerce, which is helping to organize the summit, couldn't say exactly which areas will be covered.

Telecommunications giant Bell told CBCit cannot disclose any details on its contracts with its clients.

A Bellspokesperson wrote in an e-mailthat the company is still in the planning phase oftheregion's network upgrade being planned for the summit.

Cellular reception gets boost, too

Ottawa hasalready announced a $15-million investment in January to install cellphone towers across the Charlevoix region.

Ctsaid this will bridge some of the gaps in service in the region. Not only are these black-out zones a security issue for travellers, she said, they are also problematic for business owners.

"This will bring us into 2018," she said.

Ctsaid with anageingpopulation, it is important for the region to havereliabletelecommunications services, toattract young families and new businesses.

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Ctsaid summit will put Charlevoix in the international spotlight, just as the 2017 G7 Summit in Taormina, Sicily did for that city.

She said the beauty of Charlevoix's natural landscapes will also surely attract visitors to the region.

"It will allow us to open a door to the world," she said.