A second pitch has been made to qathet Regional District (qRD) to establish a Telus phone and internet tower in the Lund region.
At the qRD planning committee meeting on December 8, regional directors heard a delegation from Chad Marlatt, director of government affairs for Cypress Land Services, on behalf of Telus, to erect a 60-metre tower on regional district land in the Finn Bay Road area.
Marlatt said last year, there had been a proposal to erect a Telus cell tower in the Lund village and it “got a little controversial.”
“Telus went back to the drawing board and is now back with a new tower location, based on the feedback we heard from the community at the time, and some further analysis from Telus,” said Marlatt.
He outlined wireless trends for the planning committee.
“Wireless is an important part of any community’s safety, social or business network,” said Marlatt. “More than 70 per cent of 911 calls come from mobile devices. Most folks now look at wireless as a basic utility and Telus is trying to improve that. It’s an important component for people doing business and staying connected, especially in this day and age.”
Marlatt provided statistics that indicate more Canadians own a cell phone than have landlines.
He said the latest proposal is for a 60-metre tower at 9810 and 9840 Finn Bay Road. The location is about 750 metres north of the original proposed location, according to Marlatt.
“Most folks would agree that this is a better location from a community perspective in that it is less impactful to the immediate community than the original proposal was,” said Marlatt.
The nearest home is probably 250 to 300 metres away from the proposed tower location and no homes face the direction of the tower, over the ocean, said Marlatt. The new location will have minimal impact on view in the area, he said.
Marlatt outlined the service coverage area that is going to be improved by the tower. He said most people would agree that current coverage is “quite spotty.” The new tower will probably improve cellular service four kilometres to the south and roughly four kilometres to the north. It will also expand coverage on Savary Island, according to Marlatt. However, service to Okeover Inlet will not be improved by the new tower location, he added.
In terms of internet service, the footprint is a bit smaller than the cellular coverage but it does cover most of the populated areas of Lund and surrounding communities, said Marlatt.
The tower at the Finn Bay Road site would be built on the highest ground on the property. Marlatt said the original tower proposed was 40 to 45 metres in height but the new proposal for a 60-metre tower is to compensate for tree cover cluttering the area Telus is trying to service.
“This proposal is obviously further away from the targeted area that it really wants to service so we’ve increased the height of the tower a bit to compensate for that,” said Marlatt. “We’ll find this tower will have a comparable coverage to the original location.”
In terms of health and safety, the tower will be in full compliance with health and safety regulations established by Health Canada.
“The tower isn’t close to anyone so we don’t feel there are many health and safety impacts from the tower,” said Marlatt.
He said Cypress Land Services is now in the consultation phase. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada has a process that must be followed.
“We have notified everyone within a few hundred metres of the proposed tower and put an ad in the Powell River Peak newspaper,” said Marlatt. “To date, we have received six comments from the public. They have all been positive. So far, it has been a positive experience and we are looking forward to the regional district’s support.”
Electoral Area A director and board chair Patrick Brabazon welcomed Marlatt and Telus representative Doug Anastos back to Lund.
“I’m glad to have you back,” said Brabazon.
Brabazon said he had a minor disappointment in that he was hoping for more coverage in Okeover Inlet. He asked if the signal would be able to be picked up on the far side of Okeover.
Anastos said when Telus is looking at the network in this area, it is quite challenging, given the tree height and topography. He said Telus would need another tower site on that other side to serve that area and that’s something the company is looking into.
Later in the planning committee meeting, directors passed a motion that the committee recommend the regional board advise Telus that qRD concurs with the proposal for a telecommunications facility to be located on the Finn Bay Road properties in Lund, subject to the following conditions: completion of a successful public consultation process; and negotiation of a lease agreement acceptable to qRD.
Brabazon said both of the conditions that the recommendation includes are absolutely required.
“We are looking forward to some progress,” he added.
