Two new cell towers may soon be approved in the Cowichan Valley Regional District.
The CVRD’s electoral area services committee decided at its meeting on Oct. 1 to recommend to the board that they support a proposal from Rogers Communications for a 62-metre-tall self-supporting cell tower at 1655 Koksilah Rd. in Cowichan Bay.
The committee also decided to recommend to the board at its meeting on Sept. 7 that an application from SLI Towers Inc. to construct a 45-metre-tall cell tower at 2095 Dickson Rd. in Mill Bay, be supported.
However, at the EASC meeting on Sept. 7, it was recommended that Rogers' application not be supported after Hilary Abbott, the CVRD’s director for Cowichan Bay, spoke against it.
At the time, Abbott said Rogers' proposal does not satisfactorily fit the current CVRD telecommunications antenna structural policy that dictates where they should be placed.
He pointed out the proposal doesn’t meet the 500-metre distance requirement from a designated residential area, and a staff report confirms that residential-designated parcels of land are located approximately 280 metres to the north of the proposed cell tower.
As well, Abbott said the tower is proposed to be built on property that’s in the province’s agricultural land reserve, and the CVRD’s siting policy for towers states that placing one on ALR land is not highly encouraged.
But Abbott had a change of mind since that meeting and asked that Rogers' application should be reconsidered at the EASC meeting on Oct. 1 and the committee should recommend that the board support it.
"I do so because my previous concern about the tower being sited on ALR land is not a defensible objection," he said.
"In fact, it is the middle of the road option and I feel, if it proceeds, that [the cell tower] would be the best for most of my residents who want a [better] service level because at present they find service levels inadequate. They want safe, reliable coverage as they travel our roads and waterways."
Abbott added that the demand for a vast array of cellular features has expanded in the last 10 years.
"This demand is the result of more users demanding more bandwidth that is attributable to the sheer uptake in population growth in the built up area of Cowichan Bay," he said.
"It’s not just a resolution for Rogers customers, but can benefit Bell, Telus and Freedom Mobile customers as well."
Saltair/Gulf Island director Jesse McClinton agreed with Abbott.
"I think that, moving forward, there should be very few of these that we should be denying," he said.
"We’re in a severe deficit [with cell towers] so I’m really happy to see this move forward because it’s good not just for the electoral area (Cowichan Bay), but the region as a whole."
Attempts by Rogers to place a cell tower in Cowichan Bay were rejected by the CVRD in 2022 and 2024 due to public opposition and the fact they were proposed closer to residential zones than 500 metres.
As well, at its meeting on Sept. 7, the committee unanimously voted to recommend that the board support the application from SLI Towers Inc. for its tower in Mill Bay.
Staff said most criteria in the CVRD’s siting policy have been met in the proposal, and reasonable rationale has been provided by SLI Towers for those not met.
Kate Segall, the director for Mill Bay, said a cell tower in the Mill Bay area is required for safety and other reasons.
“I see it as really important from an emergency management point of view to have a tower within Mill Bay,” she said. “Also, when I’m driving on the Malahat, I certainly have lots of real life experience of trying to play the song I want, but I can’t play it because the service just isn’t there.”
The committee is recommending to the board that letters of concurrence be provided to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada in regards to both proposals.
The Radiocommunication Act authorizes the ISEDC to give approval for the installation of cell towers and antenna systems, and regional governments do not have authority to override ISEDC’s decisions.
But ISEDC has its own guidelines that service providers must follow as part of its application process to place towers, including consultations with local residents and encouraging local governments to get involved early in the siting process and provide either letters of concurrence or non-concurrence for projects proposed for their jurisdictions.
