Stopping a Cell Tower

Stopping a Cell Tower

You may be reading this because you are wanting to stop a cell tower or you may be, rightly, concerned about Industry and Government plans to place future towers that may fall in your neighborhood and/or line of sight. It is best to be writing about your concerns beforea tower is proposed.

You are not a “NIMBY” (not in my backyard) if you stop a cell tower being built close to yourhome.
A Nimby is not concerned if a cell tower is built by someone else’s home.
Cell towers don’t belong near anybody’s home.

Immediate Tasks (2012):

1.Write your MP to inform them you are concerned about this issue and that you are interested in more rights for residents in having clear set back distances assigned for future installations of towers, a credentialed and unbiased Ombudsman on the issue, meaningful community consultation, and open analysis of effects on home values and alternative design of towers/antennae.

2. Write your community’s Representative to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to say the same thing. There is a conference of FCM reps in June, 2012 in Saskatoon.

Know the Facts:

• read the facts page and any information you can find.
• study your municipal cell tower policy.
• demand to see engineer’s drawings of the tower, do not rely on “artist’s renderings.”

Follow the Money:

The owner of the land a cell tower is built on is making money by leasing the land. Telecommunication companies cannot expropriate land to build their towers.

The most direct way to stop a tower is to approach the land owner.

Understand the Solutions:

• involve communities to find less objectionable sites.
• opt for existing technologies that can make cell towers unnecessary.
• use available design options to make towers more attractive.
• make cell phone service a utility; one provider and only one set of antennae required.
• reduce personal use of high bandwidth wireless devices; use a cable connection for these.

Inform others:

• talk to neighbours and friends, correct misinformation they may have.
• petition your neighbourhood.
• informational flyers delivered to homes are very effective.
• write letters to the editor, get involved in online discussions, tweet etc.

Contact your city councillor:

• register a complaint, ask advice, and explain policy CPC-2-0-03.
• ask for a resolution at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
• ensure that your city cell tower policy is effective and enforceable.

Phone Industry Canada:

• if you were not properly notified.
• if you were the victim of any other policy infraction.
• it you want to know what RF radiation testing has, or will be done.

Write to the Federal Government:

• Minister of Industry, Honorable Christian Paradis & Minister of Health, Honorable Leona Aglukkaq
• Review June 3, 2011 Press Release
• Find your Member of Parliament and write asking that the Federal government adhere to municipal guidelines and authority
• no stamp is needed for regular mail

Dissuade land owner:

• A cell tower can be stopped by dissuading the property owner from allowing it on his land.
• Some Churches will stop when they recognize that their action violates Christian Principles.

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