April 2, 2026
With IT needs constantly evolving, at Atlantic First Nation Tech Services (AFNTS), we feel it’s important that we adapt when needed in an effort to serve Atlantic Health and Treatment Centres as best we can. ISC/FNIHB has two IT-related service contracts for the Atlantic First Nation Health & Treatment Centres: one with AFNTS and one with Membertou Data Centre (MDC). Although we work in close collaboration, we are two separate entities. Essentially, AFNTS brings the connectivity into health sites and manages the wired internet and various network security components, and MDC distributes/manages the wifi and is responsible for desktop support services. Collectively, the intent is for the vast majority of IT support services to be available through either AFNTS or MDC.
Below is a more detailed list of what is available through AFNTS and MDC:
Some communities employ dedicated IT personnel to either support the health/treatment centre IT needs or to support IT Band wide. In addition, there are communities that purchase IT support and/or services from IT companies. Regardless of the scenario, we do our best to work in collaboration with anyone else supporting IT at First Nation health sites. There are some situations where health/treatment centres are purchasing IT services from a local IT company when they could otherwise be receiving these services from AFNTS at no cost. Regardless, if a site requires assistance, has questions about services, or is being approached by a local IT company offering services, they can contact us for support/guidance.
In an effort to minimize this type of scenario, I thought it would be helpful to elaborate a bit on each of our service offerings listed in the above table:
Connectivity & Network Security
Internet connectivity - the fibre circuit that is provided by Bell and managed by AFNTS with speeds of +750Mbps (up and down) into 32 communities.
Network security - various measures we have in place to keep the network safe and secure for all 88 sites that use it daily. The most important pieces of the network security puzzle are: firewall protection, secure browsing, network segregation, and annual penetration testing.
Content filtering - a cloud-based security service that uses sophisticated filtering to control internet access by blocking unwanted or malicious websites. Prevents access to unsafe/inappropriate sites (adult content, gambling, etc.)
Assistance with VoIP Setup - although we do not have the capacity to manage voice over IP (VoIP) phone systems at this time, we are willing to work with health centres/schools/bands to assist in setting up VoIP (ie. recommend a reliable provider). In addition, we are willing to carry VoIP over our network so that a separate internet connection (other than our network)
Secure VPN access - a technology that creates a private, encrypted connection between a user's device and a specific network over the public internet. This is required by some health centres to access data on site when off site, or to remotely control something like an HVAC system when not on site.
Network expansion - any Band-operated site can request to join our network. This has been the case since our network was established (2010), but we are currently offering a fully funded expansion to any Bands that are interested. All Atlantic First Nation communities will be offered expansion over the course of this three-year project 2025-2028).
Cybersecurity awareness training - an online self-paced training platform focused on educating health staff on cybersecurity best practices. Research has proven that human behaviour is the most common cause of cyber attacks. This is why educating users is so important.
Other IT Services
Videoconferencing - hardware and software that connects to our network to meet your clinical, education, and administrative needs. Most sites that express interest are provided with current-generation Poly X series equipment and access to Zoom for Healthcare and Zoom Rooms. This equipment is also compatible with Microsoft Teams.
Email migration - the process of transferring email data—including messages, folders, contacts, and calendars—from one provider or server to another. Upon request, we migrate health centre emails from existing platforms to Google Workspace (at no cost).
Atlantic First Nation Health Hub - Intranet (secure web service) for staff at Atlantic First Nation Health Centres. The main purpose of the Health Hub is to provide a knowledge exchange of health-related information. For more info, go to: afnts.ca/health/health-hub
Let's Talk Series & other telehealth sessions - sessions are hosted through our Zoom for Health platform and can be accessed from health centre videoconferencing units or any device with Zoom capability.
About Us
AFNTS is the IT Department of Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey (MK). There are a few reasons we bear a different name (AFNTS). MK is a Mi'kmaw education organization that serves 12 of the 13 Nova Scotia First Nation communities. AFNTS serves all MK communities in education, but also provides IT services to education sites in an additional 16 First Nation communities across Atlantic Canada. The other distinct difference is that AFNTS also provides IT services to health and treatment centers across Atlantic Canada. We proudly serve all 33 Mi’kmaw, Wolastoqey, and Innu Nations across the 4 Atlantic provinces.
My team consists of 16 full-time staff. Some serve just education sites, others just health sites, but many serve a combination of both education and health. Of the 16 staff, there are 9 (listed below) who serve health sites in varying capacities. I'm very fortunate to have such a devoted and technically skilled team! For more info on my team, including staff bios, go to afnts.ca/about-us.
Network Team - the best way to report network issues is to email support@afnts.ca
JR Isadore - IT Manager/Network Lead
Jeff McNeill - Network Administrator
Alex Dugandzic - Systems Administrator
Sean Carroll - Network Project Coordinator/Cybersecurity Awareness Lead
Virtual Care
Sarah Doucette - Operations Manager
Atlantic First Nation Health Hub
Nerissa Doucette, Health Hub Coordinator
Alisha Julien Reid, Health Hub Educator
Administration
Allan MacKenzie - Director
Natalie MacMillan - Admin Assistant
To discuss your IT services/needs, feel free to reach out to Allan or anyone at AFNTS. Contact information can be found at: https://www.afnts.ca/about-us
Have a request or need some support?
Submit a ticket request to our team and we'll get back to you ASAP.
