The Honourable David L. Emerson
Minister of Industry
C.D. Howe Building, 5th Floor, West Tower
235 Queen Street, Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0H5
E-mail: Minister.Industry@ic.gc.ca

Garth Graham
Telecommunities Canada
25-118 Aldersmith Place
Victoria, British Columbia, V9A 7M9

March 18, 2005

Dear Mr. Emerson

         Re:  Review of telecommunications policy

Telecommunities Canada notes with interest the recent announcement about a 
policy review of Canada's Telecommunications sector.  In a previous letter 
to you anticipating this subject, dated July 21, 2004 (copy attached), we 
had recommended,  "that any such review include access to a growing body 
of Canadian experience about the nature of community online."

It remains our conviction that community-based perspectives on the role of 
the Internet in Canada's transition to an Information Society can provide 
a rich and still untapped source of direct experience about the uses of 
information and communications technologies and their impacts on 
development and daily life.  In effect, the "market" for communications 
services is now deeply informed in a fundamentally different way, and any 
review of policy should seek to understand and share what that market is 
learning.  We again encourage you to include those perspectives in the 
planned policy review.

Yours truly,
Garth Graham
garth.graham@telus.net
For Telecommunities Canada Board of Directors

cc:  Bill Graham
       International Telecommunications Policy and Coordination,
       Telecommunications Policy Branch,
       Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunications