Mr. Jo Surich
Chief Information Officer
Information & Technology Access Office
1st Floor, 716 Yates Street
Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X4

28 November 1995

Dear Mr. Surich:

The B.C. Coalition for Information Access held a meeting on November 15 to discuss progress in the implementation of the B.C. Electronic Highway Accord. Representatives of the organizations listed below attended the meeting and unanimously agreed to send this letter of concern.

It is apparent that extensive negotiations have taken place between the Information & Technology Access Office and BC TEL, as well as discussions with the B.C. Internet Association. We are concerned that these negotiations are going on without any public overview and in the absence of any similar discussions with community organizations and libraries.

It is urgent that the Advisory Council be activated immediately. The intention of this Council was to provide a broad overview and public monitoring of the implementation of the B.C. Electronic Highway Accord. Negotiations with the various sectors, especially the commercial sectors, should not advance any further until there is a mechanism in place for public overview.

The Coalition also expressed concern that no meetings or consultations have been held with the B.C. Coalition for Information Access or its constituent organizations. When the original public participation process directed by Tanner Elton was underway, the Accord document only listed three relevant sectors: Industry, Government, and Labour. It took some effort by the Coalition and other organizations to get "Community" included as an equal sector. The fact that the Information & Technology Access Office is consulting with Industry and Government is reflective of the initial prejudices of the consultation process. We urge you to immediately begin discussions with the Community Sector.

A commitment made at the time of the June 21st Accord meeting, and expressed in the Accord document is to open up the public participation process. To date, little has been done to inform the public of the implications of the Accord and to begin the process of holding public meetings, to inform the public of the issues and to seek their involvement.

Concern was also expressed that B.C. was not represented at the recent CRTC hearings, which resulted in BCTEL receiving permission to increase telephone rates by $2.00 per month.

We look forward to your response and movement on behalf of the community organizations through the Information & Technology Access Office.

Sincerely,

Brian Campbell
for the B.C. Coalition on Information Access

Association of B.C. Public Library Directors
B.C. Library Association
B.C. Teachers Federation
Confederation of University Faculty Associations of B.C.
Legal Resource Centre
Nechako Access Network Organization
Telecommunications Workers Union
Vancouver Regional FreeNet Association
Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance
Voice of the Cerebral Palsied

This page last updated 31 January 1996.

Copyright © 1995 BCLA Information Policy Committee

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