Nov. 30/99
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Getting "Smart" in the Land O'Lakes
David Brison
B (LCN), was the guest speaker at the Land O'Lakes Communications Network (LOLCN) meeting held in Sharbot Lake on November 26, 1999. The Lanark group, in a joint proposal with Kanata and West Carleton, has just been short listed for a ob Leitch, Executive Director of the Lanark Communications Network"Smart" Communities federal grant which would result in $5 million for high tech applications for their regions. Mr. Leitch's organization has been in operation in Lanark County since 1994 and is considered to be a leader in the field of computer applications in rural areas. In his talk to the Land O'Lakes organization, which has just been formed and is in the process of incorporation, Mr. Leitch reviewed the history of the Lanark group. Jim MacPherson, the Coordinator of the LOLCN, said while introducing Mr. Leitch, that the Lanark people had already been very helpful in getting them started. Mr. MacPherson said, "I am very pleased that Bob has agreed to share his experiences with us. His reflections on the reasons for their successes (and failures) should be of assistance in the beginning phases of our work." Mr. Leitch pointed out that it was necessary to demystify the language used to describe what is meant by becoming a "smart" community. Too often the process of becoming "smart" is presented in computer language that is unintelligible to people in the community. He emphasized that support from all sectors in the community (health, agriculture, education, business, municipal) is a necessity. Most importantly, that support won't be forthcoming if people in those sectors don't see how they can do things more effectively through technological applications -- applications that wouldn't be possible without developing access to shared computer networks. One of the early applications developed by the LCN was in the field of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In simple terms, GIS is a system which ties in a variety of different information to points on a map, and provides a means of organizing this information so that it can be viewed and analysed. For instance, as I sit here in my office writing, I can see a gravel road leading by the house, a barn, several outbuildings (including an outhouse), three fields, the Bolton Creek, two steep hills, and numerous fence lines. Further, I know that there is a septic tank and field, a drilled well, three bedrooms upstairs in the house, a B & B unit downstairs, and that the old K & P railway line runs across the property. A conventional map could, depending on the level of detail, show the buildings, roads, the creek, the railway, and perhaps the fields. Topographical maps would add elevations. What GIS technology adds is a method of compiling all of the information I've mentioned, along with similar data from my immediate neighbours (or from everybody in the municipality, county, or for that matter, the country), and then presenting it through specialized maps, tables and graphs in a way that people can readily understand. The applications of this system are endless. In some cases they appear to be relatively trivial, such as a map, showing through shading, the percentage of Canadians in various regions of the country who would rather stay home than go out to a social event in the community. On the other hand, it would be possible to locate all of the B&Bs within easy walking distance of the railway trail, or the cleared fields bordering on maintained roads (and their precise location). This information, along with a host of others kinds of analyses, might help people to answer issues of some significance, for instance, the introduction of new crops (legal ones) to the area, or promotion of tourism. Lanark County's GIS capabilities were developed by Jim Peden, a Perth high school teacher. He taught GIS technology in his high school computer classes. GIS facilities were set up in the community with the assistance of the Lanark Communications Network. The facilities are now run by Jim Peden, who retired from teaching this year. Outstanding students are identified through the GIS classes and then have a semester long Cooperative Educational placement. The GIS group contracts with private and governmental agencies. Presently, the municipalities of North and Central Frontenac are contracting with the Perth GIS group to do work on their 911 implementation. Other applications noted by Bob Leitch are:- all of the 10 municipal governments in Lanark county have agreed to a common e-mail, high speed Internet access, and a system for scheduling meetings in the county;
- significant progress, at the municipal government level, has been made on starting a GIS system on-line and a common core financial system;
- hospitals in the county have been linked with each other, and with Ottawa and Kingston hospitals, in order to offer on-line diagnostic services and to share laboratory facilities;
- the Perth campus of Algonquin College has been linked with the main Ottawa site. Specialized Perth courses in areas like heritage carpentry can be offered in Ottawa and Perth students can draw on Ottawa facilities. The technological infrastructure (a fancy term for things like the cables linking computers, networks of computers, computers themselves, high tech personnel who can plan, operate, and maintain the applications) is important. However, people have to be convinced that all of this sophisticated equipment and personnel can help them do their job better. Leitch told the Land O'Lakes group that the networks of potential users that they organized in the early days were responsible for their success. "We had representation from all the sectors in the community: education, business (3M was very active), agriculture, health, government. They could clearly see that working together was going to benefit them individually and collectively", he stated. "Further", he said, "in a rural , relatively sparsely populated area you have to ban together to get access to the technology -- if you don't, you will be bypassed and resources will go to those more populated areas where the applications are more obvious and cost effective." Bob Leitch told the story of how a local operator of a medium sized lumber mill approached him after one of his presentations. "He asked if I would stop in to see him the next day. When I did, he had prepared a check for $5,000 which he offered in support of the LCN group. I thanked him and asked him why he had decided to do it. He said that he thought it was necessary to continue the work we had started. Although it might help him to sell more lumber, his main concern was that we in the county have access to technology and applications that would be important in the future and could help us all function more effectively." One indication of the success of the Lanark Communications Network is the amount of money brought into the county for their work. Since 1994, there has been approximately $12 million in funding for the telecommunication infrastructure organized by the LCN. At the conclusion of the meeting, Jim MacPherson outlined plans to have two Sharbot Lake students and two teachers work with the Perth GIS group on a pilot project on the new railway trails. They will map (using GIS technology), tourist sites and facilities, areas of environmental interest, historical features and relate these to the trails. The purpose is to develop expertise in the GIS field at the same time that they are producing material that will be of interest to groups in the area who are planning for the use of the trails.
