I live just north of Toronto and can't get reliable internet
CBC
This First Person article is the experience of Sarah Jestin, who lives in Caledon, Ont. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
"Mom, this is taking forever to load."
"Mom, FaceTime isn't working. Again."
"Mom, the internet's soooooo slow."
"Mom, like, why did we have to move to the middle of nowhere?"
Actually, we're not in a remote area. Far from it. We're in Caledon, Ont., a town in the Greater Toronto Area — the most populous region in Canada and just 45 minutes from Pearson International Airport.
But this is the reality of internet and phone coverage in Canada.
We decided to move in 2013 because we wanted more nature than we could get in the Toronto suburb of Brampton. We found our dream property in the next town over: a cosy open-concept house large enough to accommodate our non-minimalist tastes, and a yard that came with mature trees and a pond. The commute from our rural property to work in Mississauga was 45 minutes and we were five minutes away from the town centre. The proximity to Brampton also meant we could still access our shopping haunts without having to mount an expedition every time we needed to go to Canadian Tire or Home Depot.
We knew some things would change: Our water now comes from a well, and we have a septic tank. The hydro lines aren't buried, so during ice storms or high winds, we're more likely to have power outages, but nothing a power generator can't fix the rare times it happens.
What we didn't expect was the lack of reliable internet access.
We were shocked to learn that the only internet option was satellite and that it had only been made available recently. "Two years ago, we had no internet at all," the previous owner told me during our visit just prior to taking possession of the place.
Huh?
A mere five-minute drive to Caledon East, where both Rogers and Bell are available, how can that be possible? We checked with both companies, because, of course, that nice lady had to be mistaken.
She was not.
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
The federal and Yukon governments are putting more money toward reducing wildfire risk in the territory.
The Canadian Army is investigating members who allegedly shared what the country's top soldier called "abhorrent" content within a private Facebook group.
The Alberta Prosperity Project's new draft fiscal plan is projecting Alberta's economy could double within 20 years of separation.
Repairs to the seawall around the Charlottetown Yacht Club are almost complete, much to the relief of Island sailors, visitors and business owners in the area.
Two coal companies that sued Alberta over its decision to change the rules around coal mining have reached a settlement with the provincial government.
Sparks from an RCMP trailer are responsible for a wildfire burning near Lytton, B.C., police say.
The Inuvik Youth Centre will remain closed until late August due to financial constraints. The centre closed its doors in March and stopped its programming.
Now that Bill C-5 is the law of the land, Prime Minister Mark Carney says "the real work begins" to fast-track major projects. Here's what comes next — and what experts say needs to happen.
The Calgary Stampede is saddling up for 10 days of action, kicking off Friday as the 113th annual Stampede Parade winds its way through downtown Calgary.
The mother of a toddler who was missing for more than three days last month is facing a second charge in connection with the disappearance of her daughter.
A well-known Toronto television personality says she's reached a settlement with Bell Media in response to a human rights complaint, in which she alleged "a systemic pattern" of racism, sexism and discrimination.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Middlesex County say Highway 402 westbound near Strathroy remained closed Thursday after a serious crash between a tractor-trailer and a passenger vehicle led to a chemical spill.
Durham police say they are investigating a violent swarming caught on security video that one prominent Muslim advocacy group says may have been motivated by hate.