Two islands in a divide

Prospective placement of a 911 communications tower has the two Powell River Regional District island directors at odds.

North Island 911 Corporation has identified Mount Davies on Texada Island as a potential site for a 911 tower to serve Lasqueti Island. Merrick Anderson, the regional director from Lasqueti, Electoral Area E, supports the idea. Sandy McCormick, the regional director for Texada Island, Electoral Area D, does not.

At a recent regional district committee of the whole meeting, Anderson said he had read in the 911 corporation minutes that McCormick had “championed the naysayers” and recommended the corporation hold off on the Mount Davies site.

The implication of establishing a tower there is that it would line up with Lasqueti Island, Anderson said. Other potential locations would not serve the island as effectively, he added. Also, the tower would have a small footprint.

“I contend that anyone hiking on Mount Davies would have to be pretty sensitive to be offended by a public service like 911,” he said.

McCormick said she had asked for a deferral of the 911 corporation’s motion regarding situating a 911 tower on Lasqueti Island so there could be consultation. She said she thought the regional board should have consultations before public money is spent on work that may or may not need to occur on Texada.

McCormick indicated she believes the regional board wants to talk to Lasqueti residents during a public engagement process on the island in late August and make a decision following that process.

According to the North Island 911 Corporation meeting minutes from June 26, McCormick advised the 911 board that the residents of Texada Island have voiced objection to locating communication equipment anywhere near Mount Davies. She further expressed objection to proceeding with a land use application for the proposed site, given the opposition from the Texada Island community. She requested that 911 staff consider alternate sites at existing tower locations. The minutes indicate staff had considered other locations and determined that existing sites were not suitable.

McCormick was successful in the passage of a motion that the matter of establishing a radio communications site on Texada Island be deferred until the October meeting of the 911 board, pending further direction in writing from the regional district.

“I believe my deferral motion was appropriate and was supported by the board,” she said.

McCormick added that the regional and 911 boards had received correspondence from a community group called Texada Action Now that was negative regarding the use of Mount Davies for potential 911 service.

“Their concern is that it is a very popular hiking and recreation area,” McCormick said. “They want to see those values maintained. Surely, somewhere else, there is an appropriate site to serve Lasqueti without violating the wishes of another island.”

Patrick Brabazon, Electoral Area A director and regional board chair, said when he was apprised that McCormick’s motion to defer had been made at the 911 committee, he and Al Radke, the chief administrative officer, met with McCormick.

“[The motion to defer] was inappropriate because this board has never made a decision, this committee has not considered it,” Brabazon said. “And to make a motion of that sort, in our view, was to deny the committee the chance to make a statement.”

He said Anderson wants to go full speed ahead at the Mount Davies site, but that is a separate issue.

Efforts are being made to improve emergency dispatch for the Lasqueti Island volunteer fire department and it has snowballed into a huge matter, Anderson said.

“It was for trying to make it safer and more efficient and more economical to dispatch the Lasqueti Island fire department,” he added. “We seem to be losing track of that.”

McCormick said after public consultation on Lasqueti, recommendations about what to do with the 911 service might be the proper decision, but to make the decision prior to the conclusion of the process is two-faced.

Anderson’s motion that the committee recommends the regional board send a letter to North Island 911, urging them to move forward with the land use application process for establishing a communication site on Mount Davies, was defeated.