Telus is putting together a plan to put towers along Highways 3 and 6, which would increase cell phone coverage from the Castlegar/Nelson junction to Fauquier and all the way to Vernon.
At this point, the project is in the planning stages only, although the RDCK board passed a motion at their most recent meeting to invite Telus to an upcoming meeting to discuss the project plans.
Telus rep Shawn Hall said at this stage, the company is searching out owners in the area that would be amenable to having a tower on their property. Hall said the plan was to have as close to uninterrupted phone and data coverage over the entire distance.
At the moment, cell phone coverage lasts to the lookout to the south of Nakusp, and somewhere around Box Lake along Highway 6. If cell phone coverage were complete, it could mean a lot in terms of cutting down emergency response time when accidents occur.
“In my opinion I think that it is great for the traveling public and especially for emergency first responders,” said Nakusp Fire Chief Terry Warren. “It will also be an advantage to the Wildfire Management crews in wildfire seasons.”
Some individuals are concerned that the towers and the possible ill effects of increased signals in the air outweigh any emergency concerns.
“From my perspective, this is first and foremost a public health issue,” Art Joyce, a member of Citizens for Safe Technology, a group “demanding reduced exposure to unsafe technology,” according to their website.
Transmission isn’t the only possible harm, Joyce noted.
“From a social perspective, cell phones are destructive,”he commented. “Here in the Kootenays with our extreme winter weather we have a long-standing culture of helping out anyone stranded on the side of the road. It’s simple: you see a car broken down by the side of the road, you stop and offer help. We have used this community honour system for generations and it has always worked. With cell phones, the idea is that no one has to stop to help anyone because, after all, they probably have a cell phone anyway.”
Shawn Hall said the project is still in the early stages, but community consultation will be part of the process and individuals and groups will have a chance to ask questions and voice any concerns.
