The First Mile Approach to Community Services in Fort Severn First Nation

Fort Severn Washaho Cree Nation is a small, remote northern community on the Severn River near Hudson Bay in Ontario. The community services delivered in Fort Severn are managed and controlled by the local leadership, working in collaboration with their regional tribal council Keewaytinook Okimakanak and other strategic partners. The First Mile is both an emerging policy approach and a framework that supports holistic and community-centred broadband development and use by First Nations. First Mile focuses on community management and control of local broadband infrastructure and services. The paper discusses how Fort Severn First Nation is putting First Mile concepts into action.