Peace Region Internet Society – Dawson Creek
The Peace Region Internet Society (PRIS) is a non-profit Internet services provider serving the rural communities of Dawson Creek, Tumbler Ridge, Fort St. John, Hudson’s Hope, Chetwynd and in-between rural areas. PRIS offers high-speed wireless Internet, ADSL and fiber Internet options. The society is driven by over 4,000 community members with a passion for providing their communities with the same level of Internet services as larger urban centres. Since it was founded in 1994, PRIS has continued to expand and improve its ability to connect both families and businesses to quality Internet and, thus, the rest of the world. The Peace Region Internet Society’s main office is located in Dawson Creek.
PRIS is a member of the Chambers of Commerce of Dawson Creek, Fort St. John and Chetwynd. It is also a member of the BC Broad Band Association and the Canadian Association of Internet Providers.
Meet Staff & Members of the Peace Region Internet Society
Meet Staff & Members of the Peace Region Internet Society
The Peace Region Internet Society was formed in 1994 in response to the need for quality, accessible Internet services in small rural towns across northern BC. It was a grassroots, community effort lead by northern BC residents with a vision and a passion for meeting a very real community need. Since its inception, the Peace Region Internet Society (PRIS) has expanded and now provides services to five different small towns, with plans to continue expanding and improving the scope and quality of its services.
PRIS is based out of Dawson Creek and is operated with the help of several full and part-time staff members, under the leadership of System Administrator Brad Melanson. Brad is proud to be a part of such a community-oriented society, one which provides a very important service that would not otherwise be available to most rural northern customers. The society, its members and its board of directors are all about community, Brad notes. "Together, we come up with solutions that benefit the businesses and families in the communities we serve." That means that people and their needs are always a higher priority than the bottom line which has kept big Internet providers from investing in BC's rural communities.
The fact that the society is made up of regular, dedicated residents is simply reflective of the fact that small towns like Dawson Creek are simply more community-minded than big cities. Brad himself came to Dawson Creek from the lower mainland, and he noticed immediately that Dawson Creek had an authentic sense of community spirit and pride that large communities lack. People here says Brad, want to work together to solve the problems that are unique to small towns like Dawson Creek. He has seen this collaborative spirit play out many times over his years here. More recently, Brad has seen a greater desire for businesses in Dawson Creek to work together to make community improvements and help boost the local economy. It is something that excites him and makes him and his staff look forward with anticipation to the future here in the Peace Region.
