TOGETHER WITH

Welcome to this week’s Sunday Briefing. In this issue:

Now on to today’s briefing.

-Emily, [email protected]

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A $10 million infrastructure project by Rogers Communications is bringing high-speed internet to approximately 3,000 homes and businesses on Pender, Mayne, and Galiano Islands — marking a significant step forward for digital connectivity in coastal communities near Victoria.

Through the deployment of a new undersea fibre-optic cable linking the Southern Gulf Islands to the B.C. mainland, residents and small business owners can now access download speeds of up to 2 Gbps, a substantial upgrade from the previous limit of 25 Mbps.

While not traditionally seen as tech hubs, the Southern Gulf Islands are home to a growing number of remote workers, creative professionals, and small business operators who rely on dependable internet access to participate in the digital economy. The new fibre infrastructure is expected to improve productivity, enable remote collaboration, and provide better access to cloud-based tools and services.

The complex installation required the coordination of five vessels, a 40-person team, and over 12,000 hours of work to lay nearly eight kilometres of submersible cable across the ocean floor. Rogers says the project was designed to minimize environmental impact while improving service resiliency in a region often affected by harsh weather conditions.

This infrastructure expansion may also have indirect benefits for the broader innovation ecosystem around Victoria and Vancouver Island. As more communities gain access to reliable broadband, opportunities grow for distributed startups, remote-first teams, and regional economic development efforts that rely on strong digital foundations.

The Southern Gulf Islands project is part of a larger push by Rogers to extend multi-gig internet speeds to more homes across Canada. The company reports it has invested nearly $70 billion in its networks over the past two decades.

For Victoria’s tech community — where access to talent and quality of life are selling points—investments in rural and island connectivity help strengthen the region’s position as a viable base for founders, freelancers, and startup teams beyond the downtown core.

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⛵️ Sail away with me: A hydrofoil, carbon-fibre ferry was sailing through Victoria waters last week thanks to a collaboration between local companies Greenline Ferries and FRS Clipper and Artemis Technologies from Northern Island.

💸 Money, money, money: The board of directors at Vancouver Island University has approved cuts to undergraduate and graduate programs as it looks to reduce the post-secondary’s deficit.

🦺 We didn’t start the fire: Victoria city council is working on a Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, which it says will be “solutions focused” and “encompass an intentional, balanced, practical re-imagination of community safety and well-being.”

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June 25 | Unlock Generative AI: From Beginner to Confident Creator in a Day

Are you just starting out with generative AI or dabbling but unsure if you're really doing it right? This hands-on, full-day workshop will fast-track your skills from beginner to intermediate using practical, proven techniques that work.

July 10 | Black Holes and Beyond: Peering Into the Universe’s Most Extreme Phenomena

What lurks at the heart of galaxies? How do we study what we can’t see? Join Dr. Chelsea Spengler for a journey into the cosmos, exploring a career in astronomy and astonishing objects like supermassive black holes.

Have something or someone we should know about?

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