Healing Wings with support of Ice Wireless & Huawei Canada provide Internet-connected Mobile Devices to Emergency Shelters in Canada's North

IQALUIT, NU, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - In an effort to continue providing support and connectivity to those most at risk during the pandemic, the Healing Wings Foundation is delighted to make a donation of Huawei tablets and laptops – powered by free and unlimited internet access from Ice Wireless – to clients at four emergency shelters.

The 25 tablets and laptops will be divided up for communal use at Kaushee's Place, a women's transition home in Whitehorse; Side Door, an emergency shelter in Yellowknife; YWCA Agvik Nunavut Society in Iqaluit; and Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre in Kuujjuaq, Northern Quebec.

"Many residents in these communities do not have access to the technology that many of us take for granted," says Healing Wings President Mireille Dahab. "Equipment such as computers, mobile devices and tablets are needed to help facilitate connections with family and friends and enable access to important information for housing, job search, research and education."

The Healing Wings Foundation has focused heavily on the so-called "digital divide" between Canada's North and South. This very real disparity translates into fewer employment opportunities as well as challenges to learning, especially during this pandemic.

On top of that, a lack of connectivity and access to technology can also have more dire ramifications.

"Often women do not have access to a phone, or it is shared with their abusers," says Healing Wings Vice-President Samer Bishay, who is also President and CEO of Ice Wireless. "Communications is important for their safety and security, as well as their ability to search for long-term accommodation, social services and support for their children."

Dr. Ashraf Salib, also a Healing Wings Vice-President, points out that technology is vital for the youth at these shelters who are either there on their own or with their mothers.

"These laptops and tablets from Huawei – with connectivity from Ice Wireless – enable homework and research for these at-risk youths who are supposed to keep up with studies during such troubling times," Dr. Salib says. "And with schools open only half days or not at all, the laptops and tablets help reduce the sense of isolation and helplessness."

All the Huawei devices will be delivered in the near future to the four shelters in Iqaluit, Yellowknife, Whitehorse and Kuujjuaq, where they will be connected to Ice Wireless internet service.

"We at Huawei Canada, together with Healing Wings and Ice Wireless, believe in the power of connectivity. We also believe that every Canadian deserves access to a fast and reliable network, no matter which part or where in Canada they call home," says Tom Wang, President of Huawei Canada.  "We are proud to help our partners connect those living in rural and remote communities, bringing people together from coast to coast to coast."

About Healing Wings Foundation

Founded in 2020 during the pandemic, the Healing Wings Foundation has four main goals: provide connectivity and access to infrastructure to those living in remote arctic communities; provide subsidized accommodation for Armed Forces, Police Officers, Fire Fighters and Veterans and/or their families as they receive medical treatment within the Greater Toronto Area; provide a variety of subsidized or donated social services to those of needs; and collaborate with other local charities and not-for-profit organizations to support their objectives by aiding and providing supplementary programs.

For more information or to make a donation, visit https://www.healingwings.org/

About Iristel

Iristel is Canada's fastest-growing Competitive Local Exchange Carrier providing innovative communication services that are changing how consumers and businesses communicate. Founded in 1999, Markham-based Iristel operates Canada's largest facilities-based local voice network extending Coast-to-Coast-to-Coast. It also owns Ice Wireless, an LTE-A carrier with operations in Canada's northern territories and Quebec. Iristel also owns brands such as Sugar Mobile, an Over-the-Top (OTT) app where phone calls and text messages can be transmitted through data, and Télécommunications de l'Est (TDE), a company that operates a Nomad mobile network, a unique two-way radio digital trunking network built to meet the specific needs of Canada's rural regions.

About Huawei Canada

Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. With integrated solutions across four key domains – telecom networks, IT, smart devices, and cloud services – we are committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world.
Huawei's end-to-end portfolio of products, solutions and services are both competitive and secure. Through open collaboration with ecosystem partners, we create lasting value for our customers, working to empower people, enrich home life, and inspire innovation in organizations of all shapes and sizes.

At Huawei, innovation focuses on customer needs. We invest heavily in basic research, concentrating on technological breakthroughs that drive the world forward. We have more than 194,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company wholly owned by its employees.

Established in 2008, Huawei Canada ranks amongst the top corporate R&D investors in the country and is committed to connecting Canadians for a better, brighter future.

SOURCE Huawei Canada

Media contact: Norry Satov, [email protected]; For more information, please contact: Peter Akman, [email protected]