FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Future of the Internet: Access, Openness, and Inclusion
A Town Hall Discussion

Until now, Canada's Internet has been an open network -- and a level playing field for free speech, innovation, and free market competition. All that is now under threat.

A handful of companies are threatening to change the way Canada's Internet works. They want to replace the open network Canadians enjoy today with a discriminatory or "gatekeeper network" -- where they decide which content and services get the fastest access to our homes.

These companies have been caught:

- throttling or slowing Internet traffic to businesses and consumers;
- blocking access to web sites that criticized them;
- crippling consumer devices and applications.

This threatens Canada's free speech and economic competitiveness.

SaveOurNet.ca is launching a series of Open Internet Town Halls across the country to engage citizens in discussions about the future of the Internet:


***Open Internet Town Hall Meeting (TORONTO)
Monday June 8, 2009, 7:00pm – The Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St. West)

Speakers include:
Mark Surman – Executive Director, Mozilla Foundation
Steve Anderson – Co-founder, SaveOurNet.ca
Rocky Gaudrault – CEO, Teksavvy Solutions Inc.
Derek Blackadder – National Representative with CUPE
Olivia Chow (Member of Parliament (NDP))

Special Guests:
*Jesse Brown - host of Search Engine on TVO (previously CBC)
* David Skinner – Prof, York U
* Kim Elliot – Rabble.ca
* Mark Kuznicki – remarkk consultant

REGISTER TO RESERVE A SEAT: http://saveournet.ca/toronto

***Open Internet Town Hall Meeting (Ottawa)
Wednesday June 10, 2009, 7:00pm – Ottawa Public Library Main Branch (120 Metcalfe St)

Speakers include:
Michael Geist – law professor at the University of Ottawa where he is Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law, blogger
Charlie Angus – NDP MP, Heritage and Culture
Rocky Gaudrault – CEO, Teksavvy Solutions Inc.
Bill St. Arnaud – Chief Research Officer for CANARIE Inc.

Introduction by Steve Anderson – Co-founder, SaveOurNet.ca
Discussion Facilitator: Marita Moll – TeleCommunities Canada

REGISTER TO RESERVE A SEAT: http://saveournet.ca/ottawa

***Open Internet Town Hall Meeting (Vancouver)
Saturday June 20, 2009, tbd – Session at Vancouver ChangeCamp, BCIT Downtown Campus (555 Seymour St)

Speakers include:
Rocky Gaudrault – CEO, Teksavvy Solutions Inc.
Steve Anderson – Co-founder, SaveOurNet.ca
**More to come…

REGISTER TO RESERVE A SEAT: http://vanchangecamp.eventbrite.com/

****SaveOurNet.ca Internet Dance Party (Vancouver)
Saturday June 20, 2009, 6:00pm – 2:00am – Location to be revealed soon.

Canada's FIRST live Internet Dance Party will hit Vancouver on Saturday June 20, 2009!

SaveOurNet.ca is hosting an Internet Dance Party as both a fundraiser for SaveOurNet.ca and the official after party for VanChangeCamp http://vanchangecamp.eventbrite.com/

6:00pm - 8:00pm - Social & Film Screening
8:00pm - 2:00am - Internet Dance Party

Special Guests:
Quest Poetics feat: Mello Black, Mario Vaira, & DJ Hayze
More guests to be announced soon!

ONLINE REGISTRATION: http://internetdanceparty.eventbrite.com/

Share on Facebook

Join the Facebook group your local Town Hall:
http://saveournet.ca/content/town-hall-facebook-groups

For more information contact:

Steve Anderson
Co-founder
SaveOurNet.ca
(604) 837-5730
steve@democraticmedia.ca

Jacqueline Cusack McDonald
Director
SaveOurNet.ca
(778) 840-3749
jacqueline.democraticmedia@gmail.com