With an abundance of information to navigate, council took care and responsibility to protect and reflect the interests of the local people and environment.
Thank you to council as a whole for your time, effort, and thoughtfulness in considering the varied perspectives and desires of ALL residents and cottagers in the MNBP.
Thank you for hearing us and representing us. Thank you for taking the time to listen carefully to the different needs of residents in the Dyers Bay area and the surrounding communities, and to genuinely seek solutions to satisfy the distinctly different wired and wireless broadband needs as identified in each of the MNBP sub-communities.
Thank you for your thorough review of the many factors and issues surrounding the tower proposal, and all of your hard work.
Councillor Golden remained steadfast in her commitment to uphold the importance of a meaningful and complete public consultation, and highlight the importance of honesty and transparency in Shared Tower Inc. providing accurate and complete information about who they can and cannot service.
Deputy Mayor Anderson recognized the deficiencies in the process and suggested a restart following proper protocols with a more suitable relocation of the site to somewhere those who want it can actually benefit. Thank you for considering solutions that work for everyone – those who want more connectivity and those opposed, and those unable to tolerate or who are satisfied with their level of service.
Councillor Dowd highlighted the importance of a public meeting and more communication and transparency with council and public involvement. He suggested a site investigation meeting to find alternative sites or colocation that can be of benefit, while identifying discouraged sites (such as environmentally protected areas, or our sub-community, where 28/32 residents are unable to tolerate or opposed to additional radiofrequency infrastructure)
Fibre-optic to the premises could be a solution for all – both meeting the needs of those who want wired and/or wireless technology. I am informed fibre optics are already deployed at the Dyers Bay Eastlink station and set to roll out this year.
Sheena Symington, MSC who previously delegated to MNBP council, has offered council her extensive history, success, and expertise in helping councils set up locally focused siting protocols and wired and wireless solutions including Fibre to the premises to serve the entire community accessibly. Will council consider this? Is there an opportunity for council to have input regarding adding the necessity of public meeting, setbacks from residences, schools, Community Sensitive Locations, environmentally sensitive and protected areas and a distance from those with EMF-related disability etc.
Overall, the vote of non-concurrence during the May 13, 2024 council meeting to the STC0335 application has allowed the process to be restarted with transparency, involving council and the public, so a more suitable site or alternative solution can be identified in the future, and protocols can be followed completely.
Laura Vanderaa
