Hedley residents voted Saturday in favour of a cellular tower in the middle of their community.
The question, “Do you support a 20-meter monopole for cellular phone and data service at 796 Scott Avenue? yes or no, was the ballot question on Saturday, August 10. There was a good turnout to the polls, which were open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. At the end of the day, 165 people cast a vote, with a number of letters brought to the polling station by former regional director Elef Christensen as well.
The yes votes totalled 143, while the no votes totalled 22.
“The majority of people who took the opportunity to vote on August 10 support the monopole at 796 Scott Avenue. This is the first time in Hedley’s history that renters and First Nations were allowed to vote on an issue which concerned them, since as an improvement district it is usually only landowners who may have a say in what happens within the community.
Thank you to all those who took the time today to exercise their democratic right,” said Area “G” Director Angelique Wood, following Saturday’s ballot.
“I will be meeting with Telus representatives as soon as possible to discuss the monopole. The highway cell service should be in place by the end of 2014, as planned and currently underway.”
“The vote mirrors what we’ve been hearing from Hedley residents,” said Shawn Hall, Telus Media Relations Officer.
“Unfortunately, there isn’t enough time to move forward with the project this year,” Hall added, stating that Telus has always been interested in bringing cell service to Hedley. He said the company would look at proceeding with the project next year, once the regional board had issued its letter of concurrance.