Prime Minister Jean Chrétien Marks Delivery of 50,000th Computer Through Computers for Schools Program

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today marked the delivery of the 50,000th computer through the Computers for Schools program in a ceremony at Grant Park High School, Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Prime Minister was joined by Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy, Ron Duhamel, Secretary of State (Science, Research and Development and Western Economic Diversification) and Manitoba Education and Training Minister, Linda McIntosh.

"Computers are vital to a young person's learning," said the Prime Minister. "By putting more of the right tools in the hands of young people, Computers for Schools is enhancing computer literacy and making it easier to connect young Canadians to the wealth of opportunities offered by the Information Highway."

Computers, software and accessories are donated by governments, companies and organizations that are upgrading their equipment. Donated equipment is collected, tested, repaired, upgraded, packaged and then delivered to the classrooms and public libraries where they are needed most. The computers donated so far have an estimated value of approximately $25 million. The Government has challenged partners to place more than 250,000 computers in Canada's schools and public libraries by the year 2000.

"This is a wonderful example of governments, volunteers and business communities working together to ensure that Manitobans will have the technology and the skills to compete in a knowledge economy," said the Prime Minister.

Industry Canada's Computers for Schools program is a Government of Canada initiative. It works in partnership with the Telephone Pioneers, a volunteer organization composed of employees and retired people of the Stentor alliance of telecommunications companies, Nortel [Northern Telecom], provincial governments and the private sector.

PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555


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