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Canada is connecting more than 150 Northwest Territories households to high-speed Internet and bringing mobile connectivity to remote areas

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$2.3 million investment from the federal government will bring high-speed Internet to Whatì and mobile coverage to traditional hunting and fishing areas

HAY RIVER, NT, March 1, 2024 /CNW/ – Everyone needs reliable and affordable connectivity, no matter where they live in Canada. That is why the Government of Canada is bringing high-speed Internet access and mobile connectivity to underserved communities across the country.

Today, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, together with Michael McLeod, Member of Parliament for Northwest Territories, announced over $1.9 million in federal funding for a Northwestel project that will bring high-speed Internet access to 152 Indigenous households in Whatì. They also announced $480,000 in federal funding for a project by SSi Micro Ltd. to provide cellular access to a repositionable communications shelter, located in hunting and fishing grounds near Fort Providence, that will allow communities to stay connected, no matter where they are on the land.

This funding is provided through the Universal Broadband Fund, a program designed to ensure that Canadians in rural, remote and Indigenous communities have access to reliable Internet and mobile connectivity.

These projects are helping the Government of Canada exceed its commitment to ensure that 98% of Canadians have access to high-speed Internet by 2026, and 100% by 2030. Ensuring access to secure and reliable mobile connectivity for Indigenous communities is also a top priority for the government, particularly in an increasingly digital world. The Government of Canada will continue to make investments in infrastructure to build strong communities and a more competitive and resilient Canada for everyone.

Quotes

“Connectivity is an essential tool to access education and health care and to grow a business. It also improves safety and provides peace of mind. Your government is on track to exceed its historic commitment to connect 98% of Canadians to high-speed Internet by 2026. This investment will bring access to 152 Indigenous households in Whatì and secure important mobile coverage in hunting and fishing grounds near Fort Providence.”
– The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

“Today’s announcement that we are investing over $2.3 million is a significant milestone in bridging the digital gap. These projects will mean faster and more reliable Internet service for Whatì and increased safety for hunters and fishers near Fort Providence. Connecting Indigenous communities to high-speed Internet and mobile coverage is a top priority. These projects bring us closer to our goal and honour our commitment to ensure that Indigenous communities are not left behind.”
Michael McLeod, Member of Parliament for Northwest Territories

“Connecting Whatì with fibre-to-the-home Internet is a testament to the power of partnership in the North. We’re grateful for the support from the Tłı̨chǫ Government and the Government of Canada that enabled us to bring 500 Mbps unlimited Internet service to the community. We’re proud to bring the very best technology available in Canada to connect communities across the North.”
Paul Gillard, Vice President of Business Markets, Northwestel

“The Land Life Link (L3) provides state-of-the-art telecommunications and monitoring systems, with safety equipment and supplies, that are packaged in an autonomous portable shelter for rapid deployment. In consultation with the Chief and Council of the Deh Gáh Got’îê First Nation of Fort Providence, we will be deploying this L3 down the river from the community, providing on-the-land safety for hunters and trappers as well as visitors to the area. Other applications for the L3 rapid deploy include providing critical mobile communications and situational awareness for front-line workers responding to forest fires and natural disasters in areas where coverage never existed or has been knocked out. I am very pleased that this project is being led by my home community of Fort Providence, with the support of the Chief and Council of Deh Gáh Got’îê First Nation. The L3 will improve the safety of residents and tourists. Along with SSi’s design and investments, the investments from the Government of Canada’s Universal Broadband Fund are allowing the benefits of the Land Life Link to become a reality.”
Jeff Philipp, CEO and Founder, SSi Canada

Quick facts

Canada’s Connectivity Strategy aims to provide all Canadians with access to Internet speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) download / 10 Mbps upload.
The Universal Broadband Fund is a $3.225 billion investment by the Government of Canada designed to help provide high-speed Internet access to 98% of Canadians by 2026 and achieve the national target of 100% access by 2030.
Today, 93.5% of Canadian households have access to high-speed Internet, compared to just 79% in 2014.
Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested $80 million in connectivity projects in the Northwest Territories.

Associated links

Universal Broadband Fund
High-Speed Access for All: Canada’s Connectivity Strategy
High-Speed Internet Access Dashboard
National Broadband Internet Service Availability Map
High-speed Internet for all Canadians
Rural economic development

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BrightParent Introduces Personalized Parenting App for Parents of Kids Ages 5 to 17

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BrightParent gives parents personalized support, in-the-moment guidance, and 7-day programs for everyday challenges like bedtime battles, homework conflict, big emotions, and sibling tension.

MONTREAL, April 19, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — BrightParent, a new parenting app for iPhone and iPad, is now available on the App Store.

“BrightParent was created as a parenting tool that can not only help in the moment, but also support families as they work through patterns that come up again and again.”

Designed for parents of children ages 5 to 17, BrightParent was created to address a gap many families run into every day: parenting advice often sounds good in theory but can feel too generic, too idealized, or too hard to use when real situations are unfolding at home.

“Parents are often trying to respond well in moments that are messy, emotional, and moving fast,” said Claire Bennett, media contact for BrightParent. “What is missing in a lot of existing advice is something that feels calm, practical, and specific enough to help with the child and situation right in front of you.”

BrightParent focuses on common parenting situations such as bedtime resistance, homework struggles, emotional outbursts, sibling conflict, screen time transitions, difficult mornings, and everyday boundary issues.

The app begins with a detailed onboarding process that helps parents build a fuller picture of their child and family context. That information helps shape the support BrightParent provides, so the guidance reflects the child’s age, the situation the parent describes, and the broader family context.

Parents can type in what is happening and receive practical guidance along with simple, natural scripts they can use with their child. For families working through recurring challenges, BrightParent also offers structured 7-day programs, including custom programs parents can create around the specific issues they want help addressing over time.

“The goal was not to build another general-purpose chatbot,” Bennett said. “BrightParent was created as a parenting tool that can not only help in the moment, but also support families as they work through patterns that come up again and again.”

BrightParent is built specifically for everyday parenting support. It is not a general purpose chatbot and does not provide medical, clinical, therapeutic, diagnostic, or crisis services.

BrightParent is available now on the App Store for iPhone and iPad.

Website: https://www.brightparent.app/

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6759067566

Media page: https://www.brightparent.app/media/

About BrightParent

BrightParent is a parenting app for iPhone and iPad designed for parents of children ages 5 to 17. It offers age-appropriate guidance, practical scripts, and structured support for everyday parenting situations, with personalization informed by the child and family context shared during setup.

Media Contact

Claire Bennett, BrightParent, 1 514-558-4664, media@brightparent.app, https://www.brightparent.app/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/brightparent-introduces-personalized-parenting-app-for-parents-of-kids-ages-5-to-17-302746332.html

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Cloverleaf Analytics Unveils 2026 Insurance Decision Intelligence Platform

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Pearl Holding Group Goes Live, and Company and CEO Earn Industry Accolades

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., April 19, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Cloverleaf Analytics, a leader in insurance intelligence decisioning, today proudly announces the launch of its 2026 Insurance Decision Intelligence Platform. This purpose-built solution is designed to optimize data processing and analytics operations for the insurance industry, delivering an end-to-end automated data pipeline from source ingestion to Snowflake, powered by advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.

“Its implementation will free up our team to focus on strategic initiatives and better customer interactions rather than antiquated technology and business operations,” said Mike Mobley, VP of Operations at Pearl Holding Group.

This product announcement represents a significant advancement in insurance technology, transforming processes that previously took days to generate meaningful insights into mere minutes.

In addition to the platform launch, Cloverleaf Analytics has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Insurtech Providers by Everest Group, solidifying its position as an industry leader. Furthermore, Cloverleaf’s Founder and CEO, Robert Clark, has been named a finalist for Thought Leader of the Year in the PropertyCasualty360 Insurance Luminaries awards in the vendor category, highlighting his contributions to advancing the insurance industry.

“Cloverleaf Analytics has been listed in Everest Group’s Top 50™ Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Technology Providers 2026 research. This recognition is attributed to its coverage across major P&C lines of business and key value-chain functions, along with its continued growth in North America,” says Aurindum Mukherjee, Practice Director at Everest Group. “Its strategic investments in GenBI, conversational analytics, and AI-driven data integration within its Intelligent Insurance Platform, supported by an expanding partner ecosystem, underscore its focus on AI-led decision intelligence for P&C insurers.”

After recently announcing Oklahoma Farm Bureau Insurance as its newest customer, Cloverleaf continues to build momentum with Pearl Holding Group now live on Cloverleaf Analytics for Guidewire InsuranceNow claims. Cloverleaf is also supporting Pearl’s transition from legacy systems, with Policy operations currently being implemented.

This phased approach enables Pearl Holding Group to modernize its data infrastructure while laying the foundation for broader adoption of Cloverleaf’s Insurance Decision Intelligence capabilities.

“We are excited to benefit from the streamlined claims operations and enhanced data integrity that Cloverleaf Analytics provides,” said Mike Mobley, VP of Operations at Pearl Holding Group. “Its implementation will free up our team to focus on strategic initiatives and better customer interactions rather than antiquated technology and business operations.”

More About the 2026 Platform Launch

The Cloverleaf Analytics Insurance Decision Intelligence Platform is designed to transform how insurance organizations handle data and decision-making processes. With built-in features such as intelligent field matching, a visual rule builder, and automated ETL script generation, the platform allows companies to reduce mapping time from hours to minutes, reducing human error and standardizing transformation logic across operations.

Benefits for Customers:

Reduced Time and Resources: Transforms data processing tasks that previously took days into minutes.Enhanced Data Quality: Built-in business rules and validation mechanisms protect data integrity from the start.Increased Autonomy: Business users can manage validation logic without relying solely on IT.

Additional Key Features of the Cloverleaf Analytics Platform:

AI-Powered Transformation Suggestions: Automatically generates SQL expressions for improved data manipulation.Visual Canvas for Multi-Source Joins: Intuitive drag-and-drop interface for merging various data sources.Automated Glue Script Generation: Seamlessly create production-ready ETL scripts, removing the burden from data engineers.

“The 2026 edition of our Insurance Decision Intelligence Platform isn’t just an upgrade, it’s a paradigm shift for how the insurance industry leverages data,” said Michael Schwabrow, EVP of Sales and Marketing of Cloverleaf Analytics. “We’re moving beyond basic analytics to empower carriers with real-time, actionable intelligence that transforms decision-making, significantly reduces operational burden, and ultimately builds greater trust and efficiency across the ecosystem. This is about delivering unprecedented clarity and agility to our customers.”

Cloverleaf Analytics is proud to be a Gold and Wi-Fi sponsor at the AAIS Main Event conference taking place from April 19-21 at the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort. Insurers interested in seeing how they can make better, faster decisions using Cloverleaf’s Insurance Decision Intelligence platform can sign up for a 10-minute demo in advance of the event here. Cloverleaf Founder and CEO Robert Clark will also speak on April 21 in a session titled “Advancing the Industry Through Data Contribution and openIDS,” alongside Josh Hershman of the Connecticut Insurance Department and Michael Payne of AAIS.

About Cloverleaf Analytics

Cloverleaf Analytics is a leader in Insurance Decision Intelligence for P&C insurers, helping mid-to-large carriers turn complex insurance data into faster, better underwriting, claims, and operational decisions. The Cloverleaf Insurance Decision Intelligence platform is purpose-built to help carriers easily migrate disparate data from legacy, multi-core, Guidewire and other sources into an Insurance Decisioning Intelligence data lake, regardless of where the data lives. All insurance data in Cloverleaf supports the openIDS standard format. Learn more at www.cloverleafanalytics.com.

Media Contact

Michael Schwabrow, Cloverleaf Analytics, 1 (512) 361-7173 2121, mschwabrow@cloverleafanalytics.com, www.cloverleafanalytics.com

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/cloverleaf-analytics-unveils-2026-insurance-decision-intelligence-platform-302740205.html

SOURCE Cloverleaf Analytics

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SIRUI Wins “Best of Show”, Unveils New Cine Lenses at NAB Show 2026

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LAS VEGAS, April 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SIRUI today received a “Best of Show” award for its Vision Prime T1.4 Full-Frame Cine Lens Series, while also introducing new focal lengths for both the Vision Prime and IronStar lens families at the 2026 NAB Show. The expanded lineups give filmmakers a more complete range of creative options, from ultra-wide to telephoto, backed by flexible mount systems.

“Winning the ‘Best of Show’ award is a strong recognition of our commitment to optical innovation,” said Lijie, CEO of SIRUI. The Vision Prime Series is SIRUI’s first cine lens lineup featuring an interchangeable mount system. This design delivers outstanding compatibility, allowing users to effortlessly switch between different camera mounts as needed and seamlessly adapt to various systems.

Enhancing cost-effectiveness and shooting flexibility

Vision Prime Series – 15mm, 75mm, and 150mm

The Vision Prime Series is a full-frame, large-aperture, compact cine lens lineup. Following the existing 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm focal lengths, the series now adds a 15mm wide-angle, along with 75mm and 150mm medium-telephoto lenses, delivering a more complete focal range. With exceptional bokeh, outstanding low-light performance, and superior optical quality, the Vision Prime Series is ideal for both content creation and professional cinematography.

The Vision Prime Series come with a variety of interchangeable mount modules, allowing one lens to work across multiple camera systems — significantly enhancing cost-effectiveness and operational flexibility.

15mm – Optimized for wide-angle imaging, perfect for landscape photography.75mm – Delivers natural compression and pleasing subject‑background separation, perfect for portraits and medium telephoto shots.150mm – Designed for close-up and telephoto shooting, ideal for detailed and macro-style photography.

Cinematic widescreen, made simple.

IronStar Series – 75mm, 100mm, and 135mm

The IronStar series delivers widescreen imagery with vintage characters and modern optical performance. With a constant 1.5X squeeze ratio, it offers filmmakers consistent, high-value tools for films, ads, documentaries, and more.

The initial set includes three lenses—35mm, 45mm, and 60mm—covering wide-angle to medium focal lengths to meet essential framing needs. The introduction of 75mm, 100mm, and 135mm lenses completes the system, forming a fully expanded ecosystem that provides comprehensive support for both commercial and artistic cinematography.

75mm – Suitable for dialogue scenes and storytelling shots, offering a natural and balanced perspective. Ideal for portraits and close-ups with pleasing compression100mm – Ideal for macro and close-up shots, capturing fine details, textures, and product features with strong subject isolation. Suited for food, jewelry and product commercials, combining close-focus capability with a cinematic perspective.135mm – Ideal for tight portraits and close-ups, delivering strong compression and excellent subject separation. Suited for isolating details and subjects from busy backgrounds in narrative films.

The new Vision Prime and IronStar focal length lenses are expected to be officially available in the second half of 2026. For further details, please stay tuned to SIRUI’s official store.

Capture Your Imagination

The NAB Show runs through April 22. SIRUI will host a series of speeches and live social media streams with filmmaking experts and talented content creators at booth C4539. The new Vision Prime and IronStar focal lengths empower filmmakers with greater creative freedom — and SIRUI continues to drive professional lens innovation for creators worldwide.

About SIRUI

SIRUI, the world’s leading anamorphic lens, lighting equipment, and camera support brand, has long been dedicated to providing filmmakers with the ultimate shooting experience. SIRUI products, known for their high performance at an affordable price, have been widely recognized and highly commended by budding filmmakers and professionals worldwide. So far, SIRUI has established an impressive customer service network around the world, as well as over 300 sales outlets and terminal showrooms.

For more information, please visit:
Official Website: store.sirui.com 
Instagram:  @siruiimaging
YouTube: @SIRUIImaging
TikTok: @sirui.optical
Facebook: SIRUIImaging

Contacts:
marketing@sirui.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sirui-wins-best-of-show-unveils-new-cine-lenses-at-nab-show-2026-302745623.html

SOURCE SIRUI

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