B.C. and Alberta have the highest proportion of Internet users in the country, according to a study by Statistics Canada.
About 85% of residents in B.C. and Alberta use the Internet for personal reasons, up from 78% in B.C. and 77% in Alberta in 2007. Provincially, Ontario ranks third in Internet usage (81%), followed by Saskatchewan (79%), Quebec (77%), Manitoba (77%) and Prince Edward Island (77%).
Newfoundland and Labrador had the lowest proportion of Internet users (69%) followed by New Brunswick (73%) and Nova Scotia (76%).
Nationally, about three-quarters of users are online everyday, up from 68% in 2007, and 55% were online for five hours or more during a typical week, up from 49% in 2007.
While checking e-mail and browsing online remained the predominant activity online, the survey found people were expanding the reasons for online usage.
About 70% of Canadians went online to research medical or health-related information, up from 59% in 2007. And about 31% said they download or watch TV or movie over the Internet, up from 20%.
More Canadians also used the Internet to research community events (50% from 44%) and order personal goods or services (50% from 45%).