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Lund residents oppose location of Telus tower

Neighbours have concerns about impacts from planned structure
lund tower
NO TOWER: On Saturday, November 2, a group of protesters took to the neighbourhood where a planned cellular and internet tower is planned to be installed in Lund. While the protesters are not opposed to a tower, they say this is not the neighbourhood for it. Contributed photo

A concerned citizens group has been formed in Lund to oppose the positioning of a planned Telus tower in the community designed to enhance internet and cell phone reception.

While the citizens are not opposed to the placement of a tower in the Lund area, the chosen location for the tower is not appropriate, according to Jason Lennox, chair of the concerned citizens committee.

“In a nutshell, it’s about a small community, a village, having to basically gather, get organized and advocate for a reasonable solution because a large telecom, through their contractor, just won’t be bothered,” said Lennox.

The tower is planned to be situated on Larson Road, just off Boars Nest Road, right above the community centre in Lund, said Lennox.

Telus, through its contactor, is attempting to install a 125-foot telecommunications tower in the middle of the small neighbourhood in Lund, according to Lennox. He said because qathet Regional District does not have a policy on towers, it defaults to a federal process, which is “very minimal.”

“They just have to notify people within three times the length of the tower, ask for comment, and there is no requirement to take action on the comments,” said Lennox. “Unfortunately, the contractor involved did not do a meaningful public consultation, and we’ve had to form a concerned citizens of Lund group to inform the citizens and also to advocate that the proposed site is not appropriate.

“It’s smack-dab in the middle of our subdivided neighbourhood and will have huge impacts for a variety of different perspectives, all the way from unknown health hazards, because they are unknown at this point, to impact on property values, noise and lighting.”

Lennox said once the tower is installed in the community, the community must be considered for all future telecommunications installations, so therefore, this tower could become the hub for more telecommunications infrastructure, he added.

The concerned citizens group was formed two weeks ago. A couple of meetings have been held, plus a photoshoot and information session at the proposed site. Approximately 20 people attended with signs.

“We wanted to show it’s not just one or two neighbouring landowners who are affected,” said Lennox. “The lack of information to the community is quite startling, and therefore it has come to us to do the work that should have been done by Telus through the contractor to get proper public consultation.”

The federal approver is the department of innovation, science and economic development, said Lennox. The concerned citizens have contacted the department, as well as the Telus contractor and Telus itself, plus North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney, expressing opposition to the site.

Additionally, the group is going to make a delegation to the qathet Regional District planning committee on November 12 to ask its members to offer an opinion on the matter, and consider whether they need to create a tower policy.

“We are not the first area of the province that has come up against this type of large corporation trying to install something in the cheapest and most minimalist way, and it won’t be the last,” said Lennox. “The technology is supposedly for high-speed internet and improved cellular coverage for the Lund and Savary Island area. The technology is only good for up to five kilometres, therefore, towers will need to be installed in other areas, and if they follow the same procedure, there is just no public consultation and no cooperative effort.”

Lennox said he was approached to have the tower installed on his property and said the carrot that was dangled was a 20-year lease payment.

“We told them this was not appropriate for our neighbourhood and so they went to the next person and basically played one against the other,” he added.

Lennox said there are other alternative sites in the Lund area that could serve as the base for the planned tower installation. These sites are removed from the impacts that would be occurring in his neighbourhood, he added.

Opposition to the proposed location is widespread, according to Lennox.

“We are not opposed to a tower; it’s just the wrong spot,” said Lennox. “They [Telus] just have to meet with the community and find a spot that would work for everybody and none of this would have to happen.”

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