July 15, 2025 - Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and the Canada Infrastructure Bank must determine whether the proposed project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this determination, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and the Canada Infrastructure Bank are inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. All comments received will be considered public and may be posted online.

Written comments must be submitted by August 14, 2025 to contact identified on the project page

The Proposed Project

RFNow Inc., plans to install underground fiber optic cabling, for Internet purposes, to all residential homes of Wahpeton Dakota Nation, Little Red River No.106C (Lac La Ronge), One Arrow No. 95-1A (One Arrow First Nation), Ahtahkakoop, Big River, and Muskeg Lake (Muskeg Lake Cree Nation #102).

The project involves the installation of approximately 5,604 km of underground fiber optic cable from southeastern region of the province of Saskatchewan (in the North of Yarbo near Highway 80) to the communities of Cowan and Philips Grove, passing through the communities of Arran, Hudson bay, and Pike Lake.

The cable will be buried by directional drilling, trenching, or using existing conduits, or a combination of these methods in existing roadway alignments, but will be suspended on support structures to connect to residential homes and businesses.