St Lewis Web Page (NF)

This CAP Web site is produced and maintained by grade 10-12 students of the St. Lewis Academy. (St Lewis is a small town of 350 people on the southern shores of Labrador). The Site provides an interesting mix of information on the history, culture, geography (including pictures), business economy and leisure pursuits of this community. Its strength derives from the human-interest stories featured throughout this Site. The Site also links to an interesting group of Labrador sites, but not to other provincial and national Web sites of importance to community-economic development.

The organization of the information featured on this Site could be improved upon to help the user quickly find related subject matter. E.g. the Site contains two sets of business information in two different places.

The only association to CAP is the link to the National CAP Site.

Trinity Bight Community Access Web site (NF)

This is an attractively designed Web site containing a lot of information of interest to tourists. A detailed geographic map of the Trinity Bight area would be very helpful for visitors planning a trip to this Region of Newfoundland. The information menu featured on the side bar needs better definition; for instance, the menu items businesses and services cover very much the same kind of information. The menu item resources features a wide array of useful links on Web Design, Search Engines, Job Sites, Y2K, etc; however, one has to scroll down to discover this.

This Site explains its association with CAP very well. It also does a fair job of explaining what the Trinity Bight Web site is all about. Under the contacts menu item the community partners are identified. Their respective roles and contributions are not elaborated upon.

Yarmouth Community Network Site (NS)

This site is very well developed and maintained. It contains a wealth of community, business, and tourism information. Of particular interest is the extensive information provided on community health, maintained by a local health partnership. Career development and learning information is less well addressed, although links are provided to organizations and institutions, which provide these services.

While the philosophy / purpose of the Yarmouth Network is briefly set out, its connection with the larger CAP networks across Nova Scotia and Canada is not. It is obvious from perusing this Site -- which is administered and maintained by the Western Counties Regional Library -- that it is supported by committed information partners. Information on the operation of this partnership would help the user get a fuller appreciation of the Network as a community development resource. The search function enables the user to explore the full information potential of the Site.

Bathurst Community Access Centre Web site (NB)

This Web site provides information on the management, administration and operation of the Community Access Centre and serves as an access point to the Bathurst Community College and City of Bathurst Web sites. Prominent links are also made directly off the menu page to "Connect New Brunswick" and Industry Canada's "Access" Sites. The Bathurst Community College Web site contains a rich array of career and labour market information links and provides information on web-based learning.

It would be very helpful to the user were the main Site's purpose and its design and function clearly explained on the menu page. The language outlining the rules and regulations to CAC members is very bureaucratic and legalistic and not very conducive to drawing people as members and users.

Télécommunauté insulaire francophone (Wellington PEI)

This site is not focused on a geographic community. Its purpose is to be a community- economic development and educational resource for the Acadian people scattered across five regional areas on Prince Edward Island. It is a fully bilingual site. The site links to various Acadian cultural, tourist, health and economic enterprises on the Island. As reflected in Table II (Appendix I) the Wellington Site itself does not contain learning and career development information. However, it is clear from the description of the services offered by La Société éducative -- which is co-located with Le Centre accès communautaires -- that these are primary objectives of the sponsors of the Site.

The strength of the site is its articulation of the vision and action plan for developing a knowledge-based culture and economy for Acadians on the Island. See information under Introduction menu item on the home page. An explanation of the CAP program can be found on the pages of La Société éducative.

Ville d'Amos Site web (Québec)

The Town of Amos owns this Site. It is attractive and well organized. It provides information on facilities, services and activities that fall within its jurisdiction to support and maintain: culture, sport, economic development, tourism, etc. The history section of the Site provides a good introduction (with lots of photographs) to the Abitibi region and its people, past and present. The strongest section of the Site is the part related to Tourism. An English version of this section is being developed.

Given that this is a municipal government site, one would have expected more in-depth industrial and economic profile information. Also, no links are provided to other government agencies such as policing and educational institutions, and provincial and federal programs and services. There is no reference to the CAP program, nor is the purpose of the Site explained.

Accès Communautaire Internet Saint-Clément (Québec)

This CAC Site operates off the site des Basques. This latter Site hosts a network of municipality, regional economic development, employment, CAC and other interconnected sites that together address the information and development needs of the Basques Region, situated on the south shore of the mouth of the St Lawrence River.

Accès Communautaire Internet Saint-Clément provides information on its own operations (location, contacts, fees, and opening hours), and it provides links to neighbouring CAC Sites, the Basques Regional Development Site, CAP, Strategis, Schoolnet and a range of Search Engines. Regional and local information of a community, business, tourism and career nature is accessed on the site des Basques, which acts as home for all associated sites. Given that this group of sites is not supported by a search engine, particular information is often found by trial and error. A good site map would improve the utility of these sites.

Ville de Shawinigan Site Web (Québec)

This is an attractive, low-maintenance, French - English bilingual Site with the French language version being slightly richer in content than the English version. The content featured on the Site is generic community and tourist information with no perishable content. For instance, the dates at which annual festivals and events are held, such as the 10-day long Classique Internationale de canots, are not provided.

The Site does not provide links to other data and information sources. It does not reference CAP, nor does it outline a purpose for the Site and what it aims to do for the people and community of Shawinigan.

Lanark County Community Access Program (ON)

The Lanark CAP Site provides Lanark County residents with a rich source of CAP- related program and services to help them develop Internet skills and applications, including free training sessions, an on-line Internet tutorial, information on free email providers, access to search engines and a wide variety of popular Links.

A companion site, the Lanark Community Network (LCN), sets out a vision and action plan for developing the technological infrastructure and skills resource base that is essential for communities to participate fully in the information economy of the future. Initiatives in the planning and initiation stages are: A telecom Access Partnership, an Electronic Commerce Pilot project, Y2K readiness and an integrated network of Lanark County Web sites.

The Lanark Web site is a participant in Industry Canada's "Community Storefronts" pilot project aimed at developing experience with on-line shopping with the safe use of credit cards.

Lion's Head Branch Library (ON)

This is a bare-bones Site that provides the user with information on the history and operations of the Library. The Library operates as a Community Access Centre. The Site acknowledges the support the Library has received from CAP; it does not explain the Library's ongoing involvement with the Program.

Niagara on the Net (ON)

As stated at the top of the homepage this site is very much focused on business and tourism in the Niagara area. It consists mainly of links to pages that too frequently contain only an address and telephone number, which could have been provided on the main subject page. Surprisingly, there is hardly any information neither on the history, culture, geography of the Niagara region, nor on government or matters pertaining to community economic and social development. The events and attractions section on the community page had not been updated for three months at the time the site was reviewed.

Information on CAP and the Niagara Public Library's involvement in this program can be accessed off the Library's Web site from the community page.

Village of Ethelbert and District Web site (MB)

This Site is a project of the Ethelbert and District Development Board. Its community- economic development vision and its achievements to date are featured on the Site. The relationship of the Board and the Community Access Centre, which provides computer and internet training as well as advanced web-page design, is not explained. The Site provides a link to the National CAP Site and lists the objectives of the national program under the CAP Site menu item of the homepage.

Graphically the Site is very attractive and easy to read and view. The Business section of the Site is still under construction; other parts are several months out of date. Also, the information contained under a long list of menu items, in the main, is very sparse. Surprisingly, no links are provided to well-known Sites that feature economic development information, e.g. Strategis.

Virden-Wallace Web site (MB)

This site serves a community of about 5000 in Western Manitoba. It contains a rich community profile data base, including demographics, income statistics, business community profiles, institutional services, etc. Information is provided on the CAP Program and the site is linked to both Industry Canada's and Manitoba's CAP Web sites. The link to the latter site opens the door to a wealth of Manitoba related business information; the presence of this information was not readily apparent. A good site map would help the user in discovering the Site's full potential.

The purpose of the Virden-Wallace Site as a community resource is not as well articulated as it could be. There is no reference to the Site's sponsors, partners and managers. The obvious focus of the site is on business and community information. It is weak with regard to information on personal development related to careers, skills and other learning opportunities.

Estevan Community Access Project (SK)

This CAP Site hosts and maintains a number of Web sites focused on the Estevan area. Taken together these sites contain a wealth of information on the history, culture and economic profile of Estevan and surrounding communities. The City of Estevan Site is particularly a rich information resource on the community. This collection of interlinked sites provides tourists with information on walking and sight-seeing tours, events, geography, climate, accommodation, etc. Also of interest are various publications of an historic or archival nature, including a database of burials in area cemeteries. A database of business web pages is under construction.

The purposes of this Cap Site are well explained. Some information is provided on the partner organizations associated with the management and operation of the CAP Site. Other than mentioning Industry Canada's initial funding support, no reference is made to the larger national CAP objectives.

The background colour scheme of many of the pages presents serious problems for the visually disadvantaged. Navigation among the various sites could be made more user- friendly. Given the community-economic development focus of CAP, a set of links to major federal and provincial government sites regarding business and career development, health and social services would be beneficial to users.

Community of Marsden Web site (SK)

This is an attractive small Site that provides users a basic core of information on the Village of Marsden and surrounding area (population 881 in 1996). In addition to an historic overview of the village, the Site contains information on local businesses and what they provide (more than an index of names and addresses), local services and organizations as well as a calendar of events. Although it can be obtained by email, the Site does not provide information on local government, the school district or the library board.

The Site provides links to CAP, Strategis, National Graduate Register, Saskatchewan Tourism, Yahoo Canada and the Star Phoenix Newspaper. Given the rural farm and oil exploration base of the area, one would have expected links to Sites providing weather, marketing and trade information. The Site acknowledges its strong affiliation with the CAP program. It does not in any way explain its own operations and activities.

Provost CTS Centre Web site (AB)

Provost (pop. 2000) is a town close to the Saskatchewan border, 177 km South of Loydminster. It is served by two Web sites, featuring much of the same information. The one under review here appears to be hosted by the Career and Technologies Studies Centre (CTS) which operates the local CAP program. The Provost News operates the second.

The CTS Site is very basic. Main features are an alphabetical index of local business enterprises and lists of community attractions, organizations and events. The Site's most interesting asset is a very detailed listing of adult education offered by the East Park Educational Opportunities Council (EEOC). While the Site features a menu item schools, this list was found under the menu item EEOC Brochure. Some rethinking of the menu structure would be beneficial to visitors to this Site.

The rationale and purpose of the Site is not expounded upon, nor is there an explanation how it is managed and maintained. Bringing the resources of the two Web sites together in some kind of partnership would serve both the owners and users of these sites.

Tofield Web site (AB)

Given Tofield's population of less than 2000, this is a well developed and maintained Site supported by an active group of information partners, including the Town of Tofield, the Tofield Municipal Library, the Tofield Chamber of Commerce and the Tofield Community Network Access Project (TCNAP). The Site is a rich source of community information. Its link with the Tofield Municipal Library Site adds a lot of content value. The latter Site links to many information sources in the Province and elsewhere that are of importance for individual development, community well-being and business decision-making. The list of businesses featured in the business section of the Site would likely be of more utility to users were it developed by trade or professional categories rather than alphabetically by business names.

The role of the Tofield Community Network Access Project, including its ISP role in the community, is explained in a very user friendly and business-like fashion; as is the link to the national CAP program.

Hazelton Web site (BC)

The Hazelton Site has a wealth of community-related information covering the region's history, culture, economic profile, business establishments and major attractions and events. The information is often not readily found. This site also would benefit immensely from a site map to enable the user, e.g. a person planning a trip to the Hazeltons, to quickly zero in on items of interest.

The Site does not feature information on CAP. The raison d'être given for the Site is your one-stop access to information, events, and services offered in the Hazeltons'. Other than the authorship of the pages, there is no information provided on the Site's sponsors, partners and managers.

Lumby CAP Web site (BC)

This is a fully developed, attractive site. It has a strong business section; information required by the business community to carry out their trades and professions is not readily available. The purposes of CAP and the Who and What of the Site are well-explained under the Nuts and Bolts (Practical Resources for CAP Sites) icon; however one needs to really search to find it. A lot of volunteers are associated with the management and maintenance of the Site. There is no information on community partners.

The community information section is strong, particularly given the small size of the population served by this site. Career and learning information needs a lot of work if it is to be useful to users. While there are links to US-based and Vancouver Island career sites, there is no direct link to the Okanagan HRCC site, which serves Vernon and region. The site has no search, site map or other user-help features.

Dawson City Web site (YK)

This is a modest Site that provides a basic core of information on the City of Dawson organized under the headings: Accommodations, Community Information, Events, Location and Pictures. The strength of the Site is that it links to the YukonWeb providing users with quick access to a vast array of Web-based information products and services of importance to residents of and visitors to the Yukon. The latter site has a strong section on Learning information under the Education button.

The Dawson City Web site makes no reference to the CAP program; nor does it provide the user with a vision as to what the Site aims to do for the community.

Igalaaq, Rankin Inlet Community Access Centre (NWT)

This Site operates off the Leo Ussak Elementary School (LUS) homepage. The Igalaaq CAC is located at this K - 6 school; its students operate and maintain the LUS Site and provide much of the information content. This Site reflects a deep understanding of the potential and the impact of Internet technology as a community and personal development tool. As indicated by its name Igalaaq -- which means window --, the Site's interactivity dimension not only brings the world into this Inuit community, but also projects this community to the world in a very creative way.

The Site strongly identifies itself with the purposes and objectives of the national CAP program. The CAC operates and is viewed as an essential community and school resource, and, as such, is supported by a business and community-based education partnership. The site contains a wealth of historic, cultural and community information on the Inuit, Rankin Inlet and life in the Arctic North. Its education and learning Links are particularly strong.

The overall impression of this Site is its exciting journey of discovery dimension, which in no small part is the result of the committed involvement of every segment of the community in this enterprise. A Site Map would help the user who needs to zero-in quickly on particular information areas.