Telecom - Secretary General Letter addressed to Benjamin LaHaise (Community Fibre Company Inc.) and Philippe Gauvin (Bell Canada)
Gatineau, 5 November 2025
BY EMAIL
Benjamin LaHaise
President
Community Fibre Company Inc.
1167 Sixth Concession A Dalhousie
Lanark, ON K0G 1K0
ben@communityfibre.ca
Philippe Gauvin
Assistant General Counsel
Bell Canada
Floor 19
160 Elgin St.
Ottawa, ON K2P 2C4
bell.regulatory@bell.ca
Subject: Community Fibre Company letter requesting orders for interim and targeted final relief on an expedited basis regarding disconnection of its telecommunication facilities
Dear Benjamin LaHaise and Philippe Gauvin,
On 31 October 2025, the Commission and Bell Canada (Bell) received a joint letter from Community Fibre Company, Inc. (CFC) regarding the termination of CFC’s Support Structure Agreement and pending disconnection of CFC’s telecommunications facilities.
In its letter, CFC notes that it will bring an urgent Part 1 application to the Commission seeking expedited interim relief to prevent the imminent disconnection by Bell of CFC facilities installed on Bell-owned support structures. Specifically, CFC requested an interim order directing Bell to refrain from suspending its services to CFC until the Commission has decided on CFC’s request for final relief, also set out in the 31 October 2025 letter. In support of its request, CFC detailed its position regarding the test for interim relief laid out in RJR–MacDonald Inc. v. Canada (Attorney General), [1994] 1 S.C.R. 311 (the RJR MacDonald test), noting that it satisfied all the requirements of that test.
On 1 November 2025, Bell filed a response to CFC’s 31 October 2025 letter. In its response, Bell noted that it has provided CFC many opportunities over several years to avoid disconnection. Further, Bell stated that it would proceed with disconnection on 3 November 2025, following a 30-day notice issued to CFC on 3 October 2025, in the absence of a Commission order to the contrary. Bell did not comment on CFC’s position in respect of the RJR MacDonald test in its response.
According to CFC, disconnection by Bell would cause roughly 480 Canadians, primarily residing in rural areas, to lose access to Internet services where no viable alternatives exist. To ensure any potentially affected CFC customers continue to have access to Internet services while the Commission fully considers the request for interim relief, the Commission orders Bell to:
- file a response to CFC’s position concerning the RJR MacDonald test within 15 days of this decision; and
- cease all work resulting in the disconnection or degradation of telecommunications facilities operated by CFC and referenced in Bell’s 3 October 2025 disconnection notice to CFC.
This order is to remain in place until the Commission rules on CFC’s request for interim relief. The Commission also expects CFC to file its Part 1 application in a timely manner.
Procedures for Filing Documents
The CRTC requires that you submit your documents electronically by using the secured service “My CRTC Account” (Partner Log In or GC Key) and filling in the Telecom Cover Page. Please note that the link to access the system can be found at the very bottom of that web page. That web page also contains additional information on submitting applications and other documents to the CRTC using My CRTC Account.
Filing of Confidential Information
Please note that in order to allow each party to provide fulsome comments on each other’s responses, information which is provided by one company but known by the other should not be shielded from that company.
As set out in section 39 of the Telecommunications Act and in Procedures for filing confidential information and requesting its disclosure in Commission proceedings, Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-961, persons may designate certain information as confidential, but must provide a detailed explanation of why the designated information is confidential and why its disclosure would not be in the public interest, including why the specific direct harm that would be likely to result from the disclosure would outweigh the public interest in disclosure.
Should you designate any information in your response as confidential, pursuant to section 39(5) of the Telecommunications Act, an abridged version of the response must be provided. Note that, in accordance with its normal practices, the Commission may disclose or require the disclosure of information designated as confidential if its disclosure is in the public interest, i.e., where the specific direct harm does not outweigh the public interest in disclosure.
If you have any questions regarding this letter or the associated process, please do not hesitate to contact Suneil Kanjeekal at Suneil.Kanjeekal@crtc.gc.ca.
Sincerely,
Marc Morin
Secretary General and Executive Vice-President
c.c.:
Leila Wright, Vice-President, Telecommunications, CRTC, Leila.Wright@crtc.gc.ca
Noah Moser, Acting Director General, Telecommunications, CRTC, Noah.Moser@crtc.gc.ca
Suneil Kanjeekal, Director, Telecommunications, CRTC, Suneil.Kanjeekal@crtc.gc.ca
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