Proposal to build cellular poles creates a buzz on Beach Avenue
Telus wants units, which include electric vehicle charge stations, to amplify cellphone signals in the West End
Telus wants permission from the Vancouver park board to build three cellular poles along Beach Avenue, but not everybody is thrilled by the idea.
“Health- wise, I don’t think it’s good to live that close,” said Beach Avenue resident Marie Coleridge. “Having a cellphone tower so close to where I live, I’m not so keen on. Having three of them so close? I’m really not keen on it.”
Coleridge, who lives near the Bute location, called the pole- and- station design “a clever strategy” but maintained her opposition to the project.
The nine- metre- tall structures, called “monopoles,” are intended to amplify cellphone signals in the West End, and each unit will be installed with an electric vehicle charging station. The three proposed sites are Beach and Bute, Beach and Broughton, and Beach and Bidwell.
Telus spokesman Shawn Hall said health worries are not an issue. The signal levels emitted by the poles will be “very, very low” and will follow Canadian regulations limiting human exposure to radio frequencies.
“There’s a lot of very scary information out there on the Internet,” Hall said in a phone interview. “But the reality is Canada is home to Safety Code 6, which is one of the most stringent in the world.”
A 2011 report by Vancouver Coastal Health on cellphone antennae and base stations also concluded that radiation from such installations is too low to cause adverse health effects.
Esthetic concerns were also prominent among some Beach Avenue locals, who worry that the proposed poles will sully the landscape.
“I think it’s really ugly,” said Vilupti Barvineau, who was out jogging on the beachfront.
“I don’t think it should be here. I think there are better places in the city other than our gorgeous waterfront. It’s not very attractive.”
Telus remains open to suggestions and comments about the design. The current pole- and- station model came about as a result of a joint effort between Telus, the park board and a design firm, coupled with feedback from the general public. Hall said a series of ads were run in local media inviting public participation in the process and that the design was well received.
The locals who spoke to The Vancouver Sun were either opposed to the proposal or had mixed feelings about the plan, though most expressed their support for the recharging station. None interviewed were in favour of both the tower and the charging station as a complete unit.
The bottom line is, without increasing our capacity in this area, we’re going to run out of wireless capacity and people will see more dropped calls.
SHAWN HALL
TELUS SPOKESMAN
Hall said the new, ground- based stations are necessary because the poles will provide greater signal coverage than rooftop antennae. Telus network cellphone users almost doubled this past March, according to the telecom giant, and the English Bay area has gaps in service that the company hopes to cover with the new cellular poles.
“The bottom line is, without increasing our capacity in this area, we’re going to run out of wireless capacity and people will see more dropped calls,” Hall said. “These three sites will give us the capacity we need to meet growing demand for wireless services.”