Lake Country man seeks district support for internet safety initiative

Published 4:00 pm Thursday, March 5, 2026

A Lake Country man is taking initiative to attempt to limit the negative impact of internet use in his community.

Colin Calnan, a cyber-security expert and Lake Country resident, went before his community’s municipal council on Tuesday, March 2 seeking their backing of his community-wide internet safety plan.

His proposal to council comes in the wake of the Feb. 10 Tumbler Ridge shooting, the aftermath of which left many families asking how they can keep their children safe on the internet, Calnan said.

He presented a four-part plan that would inform parents of online threats and clearly outline what tools are available to mitigate them.

Calnan said a key part of his plan would be to teach families how to put limits on their children’s devices and to configure their home internet router to block negative actions.

“Home protections are then the core of the initiative,” Calnan said. “Most families have a router sitting in the corner of their living room that’s never been configured. And it’s the front door to the internet and everything your kids access online, and in most cases it’s wide open.”

He said that by configuring a router, all digital devices connected to it are protected automatically and can be adjusted as necessary.

For device controls, Calnan suggested setting screen time controls, restrictions on which apps can be opened and having only approved contacts in a child’s phone.

Importantly, Calnan said families have to talk to their children.

“No technology works long-term without kids understanding the risks, and how and why they need to be safe. I’ll give parents a simple framework for having that talk. Not a lecture, just a conversation that builds trust instead of resentment,” he said.

As a fourth step, Calnan called for participating families to install a window decal on their home in order to create a culture around internet safety in Lake Country.

“When families see that these decals are in windows across Lake Country, it becomes normal to have the conversation about the internet in your home,” he said.

Currently, the project will look to run on a volunteer basis, with Calnan taking his own time to teach families how to set these systems up. Calnan aims to have 100 families participate in his project by the end of the year, but added that if there’s further demand for the project and available experts, his goal might increase.

Calcan’s concern over digital use extends from issues such as sexual exploitation, psychological distress from social media use, increasing problematic social media behaviour as well as increasing use of AI within youth.

He and others during the meeting mentioned the Tumbler Ridge shooting, as the tragedy has raised concerns about youth using AI. The shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar had used AI tool ChatGPT in a manner that was in “violation” of the company’s usage policy, eventually getting Van Rootselaar’s account banned.

ChatGPT’s parent company, OpenAI, did not notify police about Van Rootselaar’s online activity.

Calnan asked the District to formally endorse his project, use of a district facility to host information sessions and to use its website and social media to promote the project.

His proposal would not take resources from the district’s budget.

After his proposition, many council members expressed their support for the project.

Councillor Tricia Brett said she would bring a notice of motion forward at the next Lake Country council meeting on March 17 for staff to look at how the district can support Calnan’s project.

Mayor Blair Ireland voiced support for the project as well, mentioning that he spoke to Calnan about it sometime before the Tumbler Ridge incident. The mayor added that the Feb. 10 shooting in Northern B.C. highlights the need for internet safety for youth, and that “if we can save just one kid, it will all be worth it.”

Calnan also mentioned that Lake Country residents are already coming to him, asking for assistance.

He added that he has not yet worked with School District 23 on the matter but wants to have discussions with the district as well.