ctvbc.ca Date: Friday Jun. 18, 2010 2:52 PM PT CTV British Columbia's Kent Molgat
More than 60 people near Vernon, B.C., have signed a petition urging Telus to reconsider plans to build a new 60-metre cell phone tower in their neighbourood.
The company is planning to invest $750,000 on a new tower to improve cell phone service. But while many customers may be happy, people living in the rural neighbourhood aren't impressed. Valerie Harrison says the tower will ruin the natural beauty around her home. "That's why we moved here," she told CTV News. "[But] this monstrosity is just going to be in the way." Cindy Jarvis is one of people who signed the petition. "Sitting on our deck or in our living room we'll be able to see this 60-metre-tall tower with a red strobing beacon that will illuminate the night for us, when we're in a beautiful pristine area that's lit by stars," she said. Some worry that the long-term health effects of living near these towers remain unknown. "We don't know what it's going to do to our children, or our children's children...or even ourselves," said Mike Jobke.
Shawn Hall of Telus says the intensity of the signal is minuscule and won't hurt anyone. "This is sophisticated equipment," he said. "Emissions typically lower than AM FM radio, lower than you would pick up from TV or microwave in your own home." Hundreds of people spoke out against a recent cell phone tower in Kelowna, but wondered what good it did once construction began. "Then they left and didn't do anything for a year and then all of a sudden, boom, they were working on it," said Wulf Gerhardt. "Telus is such a great big company and we're a handful of citizens and I think it's a going through the motions process," said Valerie Harrison. But Telus insists there's a silent majority that expects good cell phone service, and those towers have to go up somewhere."Typically speaking, people want these sites," Hall said. "We get dozens of requests a year from people to improve coverage in their area."
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