Internet, cellphone upgrades coming to several southwest Sask. communities

By Medicine Hat News on April 19, 2023.

Several communities in southwest Saskatchewan are in store for faster internet service and cellphone coverage upgrades in the latest round of announcements from Sasktel.

A further phase to the Crown Corporations include Eatonia, Cabri, Eastend, Kyle and Pontiex as Phase 6 of the $200-million Rural Fibre Initiative. That could be completed by March 2025, according to a SaskTel release in March.

That follows a late 2022 announcement of Phase 5 of the upgrades comprising Eston, Herbert, Leader and Kerrobert.

Previous phases timed for 2023 and 2024 include Assiniboia, Foam Lake and Gull Lake, among other locations. Shaunavon is schedule for completion this year.

The same release notes construction has begun in Maple Creek, and is almost complete in early phase locations including Kindersley.

SaskTel announced in February that fibre upgrades in Swift Current were complete, enabling 5G service.

Chappice Lake online

A solar energy facility northeast of Medicine Hat and the first battery storage facility in the region will be added to the Alberta grid operations today, according to the Alberta Electricity Operator.

Construction on the Chappice Lake Solar farm, a 14-megawatt facility that includes battery storage capacity, was begun on the spring of 2022 by owner Elemental Energy.

It includes a vandium-flow battery installed by Invinity Energy Systems, able to store and release one third of peak production.

The entire production will be reflected on the AESO trading board as of April 19, though the physical operation and final commissioning may take place at a later date.

Elemental Energy also owns the Brooks Solar facility and two subsequent expansions at that site near the Trans-Canada Highway at that city.

Fire advisory

Drying conditions led Cypress County to institute a fire advisory on April 6, halting burn permits and barring open fires, while Forty Mile officials may issue permits on a case-specific basis.

The Special Areas Board issued a statement to use extreme caution as pasture and native grass dries out after the spring thaw.