To the Editor:
I just received a letter from Ms. Wood, Area “G” Director regarding cell service for Hedley, dated May 27. She has suggested alternative sites which are being considered and investigated by Telus.
According to Telus Media Relations representative Shawn Hall, an alternative site would be too prohibitive to make another location viable. It was also confirmed by Eric Sieto of CHBC news that Telus is not looking at other site locations.
Director Wood stated in the Review May 30 that she has been working with Telus general manager for some time to consider other options, and in the next few weeks engineers will be out in the field (would that be corn or grass fields) looking at the possibilities of co-locating their hardware on existing sites that already service Hedley. According to Ms. Wood’s “magic wand” and self centred agenda, residents will be receiving cell service without the erection of a monopole in the downtown core.
According to her RDOS bio, Ms. Wood supports Similkameen wide sustainable business, cultural and tourism strategies. Try selling a house when the buyer will not have smart phone or I phone coverage.
The last three buyers to purchase a home in Hedley have signed the petition for cell phone service.
I would also like to point out that the “nay” petition had mostly post office box numbers without their area locations as well as children that were also on this list of 49 against cell phone service.
Malcolm McNaughton, RDOS Planner, scrutinized only the “yes” petition and not the “nay” petition that Ms. Wood presented to the board of directors in March.
Could it possibly be that Mr. McNaughton had “negative” guidance in response to the “yes” petition that was presented at the May 16 directors meeting.
One last item in Ms. Woods RDOS bio is “ promoting even better and more innovative use of yard waste and recycling, which was closed down last year as it became a fire hazard; so now, with no contingency plan, there will be no yard waste pick up in all of Area “G” until September 20.
Neil MacLeod, Hedley