Zero to hero: The story of fibre’s arrival in Atlin, BC
This story is part of our ‘Voices along the line’ content series. Explore more articles – and watch our video looking back at the Every Community Project – right here.
In this piece, Northwestel’s Corporate Communications Manager Matthew Bossons shares his summertime visit to Atlin, just days after the community’s connectivity revolution.
It’s 8 a.m. in late June, and the sun is already high over the Yukon’s Southern Lakes region. Passing Little Atlin Lake – a popular fishing spot just north of its larger, glacier–fed sibling, Atlin Lake – the water lies calm, broken only by a handful of boats drifting on the horizon. I’m bound for Atlin, British Columbia, a town whose very name is drawn from the lake beside it.
I don’t often find myself on two–hour drives to scenic lakeside communities during working hours, but today is different. Just days before my journey from Whitehorse to Atlin, the latter community experienced a connectivity revolution: the arrival of Northwestel’s northern fibre network. And while ‘revolution’ may sound dramatic, it fits. The shift to fibre–powered internet has vaulted the town from limited service to gigabit speeds and modern offerings like Northwestel TV Plus – a leap that redefines what’s possible in this once–isolated corner of BC.
My visit to Atlin in the wake of this historic connectivity milestone had two purposes. First, I wanted to sit with residents and hear, in their own words, how fibre was transforming daily life in the community. Second, I was there to help capture those voices in a video that documents one of the most important telecommunications shifts in Northern Canada. With Atlin’s fibre launch being a central part of the short film, I felt it was important to visit the community to learn more about the people behind the project and the profound impact of connection on people’s lives.
Sternwheeler‑slow to power‑boat pace
The name ‘Atlin’ comes from the Tlingit word Áa Tlein, meaning ‘big body of water.’ This region is the traditional territory of the Taku River Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN), whose deep connection to the land and water long predates colonial settlement.
The modern community of Atlin got its start at the turn of the 20th century, when gold was discovered in nearby creeks, and the town was hastily slapped together to accommodate the tidal wave of incoming miners and prospectors, estimated to number as many as 10,000 during the peak of the gold rush. Remnants of that era – weathered buildings and historic cabins – still dot the settlement, which boasts somewhere between 400 and 500 full-time residents.
Today, TRTFN plays a vital role in shaping Atlin’s future through stewardship, cultural leadership, and partnerships that reflect both resilience and renewal. The First Nation’s fierce advocacy to improve life in the community has seen them team up with Northwestel to vastly improve connectivity for Atlin residents.
Before 2023, Atlin lived with what could only be called ‘limited connectivity’ – no modern terrestrial internet connections and absolutely zero cellular service. That began to change in the summer of 2023, when the CRTC hosted a week‑long public hearing on northern connectivity. Atlin residents voiced their frustration with the digital gap separating their community from others in the North. Their testimony helped spark a pivotal shift: responsibility for local service moved from a southern carrier to Northwestel, opening the door to fast fibre and mobile connections.
Our team set to work right away to close the digital divide in Atlin, with the installation of a fibre line into the community promptly announced, with funding from Northwestel, the Province of British Columbia, and the CRTC’s Broadband Fund. Ground broke on fibre installation to the community in September 2024.
In December of 2024, Northwestel completed the fibre transport to Atlin, which enabled Bell Mobility cellular service in the community – just in time for the holiday season. And in June of this year, fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) internet services became available to Atlinites, providing the option of world-class internet services, fibre phone services, and Northwestel TV Plus.
With the launch of FTTH services, Atlin became the first community in Northern Canada to enjoy gigabit internet speeds. To put this leap in connectivity into perspective — in terms that resonate with Atlin residents — it was like moving from cruising the lake in a slow sternwheeler to skimming across its icy waters in a sleek, new KingFisher fishing boat.
Nathan Pullar, Northwestel’s Vice President of Network Technology, hailed the speed at which the fibre rollout had been undertaken. He also acknowledged the crucial role that the TRTFN played in the project.
“We’d like to extend our congratulations and appreciation to the Taku River Tlingit First Nation, who were fierce advocates for enhancing their community’s connectivity. We’re honoured to be your chosen partner in providing best-in-class connectivity for the community,” Nathan said at the time of the fibre services launch.
An Indigenous-driven development
When I arrive in Atlin, the film crew is already set up and waiting. Moments later, Charmaine Thom, Spokesperson for the TRTFN, joins us, eager to participate in the video and share Atlin’s zero‑to‑hero connectivity journey. The crew has several shots in mind, but the first, and perhaps most important, is Charmaine walking along the lakefront. She suggests filming on a parcel of TRTFN land beside Atlin Lake, where a postcard‑perfect beach of smooth, water‑worn pebbles meets sweeping views of snow‑capped Atlin Mountain across the water.
If you’ve ever been involved in filming a scripted video, you’ll know that it’s exceedingly rare to get the shot you’re hoping for on the first take. Luckily, we capture our desired footage with Charmaine in a few takes. The pauses in filming, as the film crew reviewed the shots, allow time for me to chat with Charmaine about Atlin’s improved connectivity.
She shares that the road to improved connectivity was a long one, and that community residents are thrilled about the new opportunities that fibre will provide.
“Connectivity goes beyond just access to entertainment; for us in Atlin, it is about safety and empowerment. High-speed internet is now a lifeline, ensuring that our community has access to essential services like healthcare and education. We are thankful for this important technology and the opportunities it brings,” Charmaine tells me as we sit on large boulders on the beach.
After filming wraps, Charmaine and I head to a local restaurant for lunch. As we wait for our burgers, she speaks proudly about her community in the way a mother might boast about a gifted child. She describes Atlin’s famed warm springs and the surrounding lands that have long served as traditional hunting grounds for TRTFN citizens. Then she returns to the story of connectivity, recalling how the First Nation lobbied hard for change.
“Fibre internet and cellular services were something our First Nation really pushed for, and we’re happy to have found a partner in Northwestel,” Charmaine says. “But there are so many people to thank.”
She lists the government departments, organizations, and individuals who played key roles in bringing fibre to Atlin: Indigenous Services Canada, BC Citizens’ Services, TRTFN Chief Administrative Officer Charles Pugh, Operations and Maintenance Coordinator Andy Carlick, BC’s former Minister of Citizens’ Services George Chow, the CRTC’s Broadband Fund, and Northwestel President Curtis Shaw.
After naming them all, Charmaine pauses. “There was one person in our community who played an outsized role in making fibre a reality,” she adds. “I particularly want to thank Cherish Clarke, a Wolf Clan Director and the Founder and CEO of Digital Engine Technology. She really led the charge to bring fibre to Atlin. This project wouldn’t have been possible without her efforts.”
We’re just getting started!
Atlin may have been the first community in Canada’s rugged and beautiful North to experience gigabit speeds – but it certainly won’t be the last. Since that milestone, we’ve extended lightning‑fast fibre internet to communities like Whitehorse’s Golden Horn neighbourhood – and we’re only just getting started.
In the weeks and months ahead, more communities in the Yukon and Northwest Territories will witness the arrival of gigabit speeds. Stay tuned to Northwestel’s community blog for the latest updates on how gigabit connectivity is transforming the North.
