In accordance with the opinion formulated by the Panel, in its 1999 budget the Government of Canada allocated $60 million over three years to finance 12 smart communities demonstration projects throughout the country, one in each province, one in the Northwest Territories and one in a First Nations community.

Industry Minister John Manley officially launched the Smart Communities Program in June 1999. The three-year program was established to help Canada become a world leader in setting up and operating ICT for economic, social and cultural development.

It�s in this context that the Concertation rurale Centre P�ninsule (CRCP) embarked in a process to propose a Smart Communities project for the entire Acadian Peninsula. The CRCP presented a letter of intention to the Smart Communities Program in August 1999. Afterwards, the National evaluating committee retained the Acadian Peninsula�s proposition for the 2nd phase, which was the submission of a business plan in January 2000. 

Industry Canada announced in May 2000 that the proposed project was chosen as the Smart Communities project for the province of New-Brunswick. In that context a new corporation called Collectivit� ing�nieuse de la P�ninsule acadienne (CIPA) inc. was created in autumn of 2000. The CIPA then took charge and proceeded to the elaboration of a work plan which was submitted in Winter of 2001. It became official by the signing of a contractual agreement between Industry Canada and CIPA on September 1st, 2001, followed by the start of the project on October 1st, 2001. To find out more, consult the Smart Communities section on the Government of Canada�s Industry Canada Internet site at the address:  http://smartcommunities.ic.gc.ca.