SRD objects to TELUS' limited consultation on Quadra Island
Cortes Currents
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Roy L Hales/ CKTZ News - The Strathcona Regional District is informing Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) that it objects to the limited consultation process TELUS is carrying out for a proposed Cell phone tower on Quadra Island.
The proposed 63 metre tower at 657 Industrial Way would serve the Quathiaski Cove area and along West Road up to Heriot Bay.
On June 4th, TELUS sent out notification packages wrote letters to property owners living within 189 meters of the site. This is accordance with a regulation that they inform property owners within a radius of three times the proposed tower height, measured from the tower base or the outside perimeter of the supporting structure.
They also ran notices in the Birds Eye, Quadra’s weekly Newspaper, on June 9th and 16th.
Brian Gregg of SitePath Consulting promised, “I will acknowledge receipt of comments and questions received within 14 days and address all relevant and reasonable concerns within 60 days. The commenting member of the public will then have 21 days to reply to the response. A summary of all comments received and our responses will then be submitted to ISED.”
This is not the public hearing process used within the SRD.
At last week’s meeting, Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch told the SRD Board, “This is very similar to a resolution and a report that the Board entertained for Cortes Island probably a month ago. TELUS is proposing to install cell towers, as well, on Quadra Island and refusing to really engage with consultation.”
“Myself and the Director have met with Innovation, Science and Economic Development and been informed that, in fact, the community has to provide concurrence in the setting of the cell tower and so we want to, once again, provide our opposition to the cell towers unless proper consultation is conducted throughout the area.”
The Strathcona Regional District Board approved a motion that Chair Brad Unger “write a letter to ISED stating that the SRD objects to the limited consultation process being conducted by Telus and does not support its application for the construction of any cell tower on Quadra Island without first conducting a public consultation process that is supported by the SRD.”
Photo: picture of the site taken from the information package on the SRD website