WESTVILLE, N.S.
Eastlink’s plan to erect a cell tower in the Town of Westville is not sitting well with some residents.
Clarrie MacKinnon said a petition is being circulated by residents opposed to the placement of a tower on town land or near residential sites.
“We don’t think there should be a tower like this on any site close to residents,” he said. “Place it outside of town limits.”
Eastlink has confirmed it is speaking with the town about a potential site near Cowan Street.
“As part of our expansion efforts, we work very hard to find tower site locations that provide excellent coverage while minimizing impacts to the communities we serve,” which includes minimizing the number of locations required to serve a community, said EastLink communications spokeswoman Jill Laing. “Eastlink is proposing a cellular site in the Town of Westville and we are working closely with the town through the process to ensure we capture feedback from the community on this proposed location, before any final decisions are made.”
She said the proposed tower is 140.1 feet high and, as per federal regulations, all providers are required to share infrastructure. This means if Eastlink receives requests from third parties to install equipment on the tower, they would be permitted to do so.
A public meeting was held Sept. 4 on the issue and no others are currently planned. Laing said new meetings would be held at the town’s request.
MacKinnon said he and other residents are concerned about several issues regarding placement of the tower, including subsidence in the town, health concerns and a decrease in property values.
“A lot of people with children don’t want them exposed to electro-magnetic waves every day of the year,” he said. “If a person decides to sell their property, it could have a negative impact on values.”
MacKinnon said he and others who are circulating the petition plan to attend Westville’s Sept. 24 council meeting to let their concerns be known.
Westville CAO Kelly Rice she expects it will be discussed at council’s September meeting.
“We are trying to work with (Eastlink) to find an inconspicuous spot,” she said, adding sites have been identified but nothing has come to council as of yet.
Towers fall under federal guidelines
Cellular towers fall under federal regulations which state proponents must consult with the local land-use authority on any proposed antenna system prior to construction.
Industry Canada says if there are no existing structures that can be shared or used, a company can begin the process of building a tower.
Companies are required to:
- clearly notify and consult residents when a commercial tower of any height is planned and address their concerns;
- meet the reasonable and relevant requirements of the local land-use authority (usually the municipality);
- adhere to the Government of Canada's technical and safety requirements for towers;
- build any new tower within three years of consulting with residents.
It also clearly states on Industry Canada’s website that the federal government does not get involved in the specifics of tower installation, but it does set the law under the Radiocomunication Act. Wireless providers and municipalities determine power locations. If all technical requirements are met, the federal government only gets involved when there is an impasse between a municipality and the company.
