Wifi in the woods? Canada says yes (and oui)

April 30, 2014
MONTREAL (AFP) - For those who cannot face social media exile when they head to the cottage, lake or woods, Parks Canada says it will offer wi-fi in some of its spectacular outposts.

The federal agency that runs 44 national parks and 160 historic sites -- from the Bay of Fundy on the Atlantic to the Rockies to Baffin island in the Arctic -- wants to appeal to those who may not be able to embrace old-school quiet solace without posting about their trip in real time.

For now, Parks Canada will outfit 15-20 of its sites, in a sort of trial phase, to see how it goes, said Francois Duclos.

The goal is to bring 75 of its sites online with wifi in the next three years, he added.

"Canada is a very big country, and it has become very urban. And for young people from cities, things are different," Duclos said

He noted that some people were also required to stay in constant contact with their workplaces, even while whale-watching or on a break from hiking.