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Telus has applied to the government for the use of Crown land to put up two cell phone towers in the Boundary area.
The application is part of a Telus plan for cellular expansion through the province. Telus has entered into a partnership with the B.C. government to expand wireless services along 1,700 kilometres of underserviced highway corridors throughout the province under the Connecting British Columbia Agreement.
The two towers will help address coverage gaps in providing wireless data and voice communication services in the Midway area.
Section A is located approximately eight km. west of Midway, near Ingram Creek just off Highway 3. The applicant has applied to construct a power line and communications site tower.
The site is located on private land; the application is for the utility line only where it crosses Crown Land, the Trans Canada Trail. The applicant is also applying to construct a road to the proposed communications site.
For the associated tower on private land, the applicant submitted an application for non-farm use in the agricultural land reserve (ALR), which currently is being processed by the ALC.
While the parcel under application (trail) is in the ALR, simply extending a utility line over the trail, without any associated construction or road building, right-of-way widening or management or other activity, does not appear to require specific ALR approval.
Section B is located near Grand Forks and regards an application to construct a power line and communications tower in the vicinity of Wilgress Lake in Area E. There is also an application to construct a road to the communication site.
Electoral Area E has no Official Community Plan or zoning bylaws in place, which might provide policies and objectives on the application.
Even if there were policies, however, they may not be applicable, as the licensing authority rests with Industry Canada. Local government and landowner notice and consultation requirements are part of the licensing process.
The applicant has begun the consultation process for the communications site application.
The Area E planning committee did not have concerns with the application.