TELUS started construction Monday, May 29, exactly two weeks after they notified Cortes Currents that Tla’amin First Nation had given them the go ahead to build a cell tower on their land.
It has been two and half years since the communication giant informed the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) that they planned to construct three cell towers on Cortes Island and two more on Quadra.
The SRD refused to give their approval unless TELUS held public meetings. So TELUS approached First Nations, who are not under SRD authority. They built a cell tower on We Wai Kai land in Drew Harbour, Quadra Island, in February 2022. TELUS also approached the Tla’amin First Nation, about building on the parcel of land they own in Mansons Landing.
Cortes Currents visited the site on Thursday June 1. A security guard escorted me up the newly constructed dirt road to the edge of the property, where a sign warned that “Trespassers will be prosecuted under Tla’amin Law.” An excavator was working up ahead and the whine of a chainsaw announced they were still cutting trees. Dozens of logs were piled beside the road.
Samantha Statton later supplied some images of fairly substantial second growth trees that had been felled, but did not wish to comment.
The security guard did not wish to comment either. However when I pointed out the white truck with the logo ‘Belconn Construction’ on the side he admitted there was no point denying the obvious. They were the subcontractors.
Cortes Currents approached half a dozen people in Mansons Landing for comment. No one expressed support for the project. A couple of people vented their frustration off the record. Only one agreed to a short interview.
“I live on Sutil Point Road, pretty close to where the new cell tower is going up. I feel that there should have been more real community consultation about the tower and its location. I am all for more connectivity. I think that’s a good thing for emergency services, but I’m disappointed that the location chosen is so close to a residential area,” she said.
CC: “It is on First Nation land, meaning different government.”
“It is,” she acknowledged.
Top image credit: the excavator – Photo by Roy L Hales
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Nothing else needs to be said about Telus and their disregard for what locals think. To simply do a run around the proper process what they’re really doing is shooting all Cortes islanders the finger .
Bill: Telus is following the exact process they are required to follow, under federal regulations. If locals on Cortes Island wish for a more tailored Telecommunications Siting Protocol, then the SRD needs to develop that, for their land use authority area. The lack of a tailored process is entirely the responsibility of SRD, although the ‘influencers’ on Cortes, or however they self-describe, have been very successful in their misinformation campaign directed at Telus.
Dec 7, 2021 letter from Regional Director Noba Anderson to SRD Board: “I would like the Board to know that Telus is taking another stab at erecting a tower on Cortes Island, this time on Tla’amin Treaty Land. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STILL MAINTAINS ITS COMMITMENT TO THE SRD TO NOT ERECT TELUS TOWERS WITHOUT OUR SUPPORT IF THEY ARE ERECTED ON FIRST NATION TREATY OR RESERVE LANDS. (emphasis mine) Or, if given the change in land‐use authority governance, would this render this commitment null. I would like to know if the SRD Board wants to take a position on this new development.”
https://agenda.strathconard.ca/SRDAttachments/SRDBoard/Open/BRD/08-Dec-21/20211207-Anderson-re-Telus-Tower-_COMBINED_.pdf
CAO David Leitch’s response at the Dec 8, 2021 SRD Board meeting: “There are many, many communities throughout British Columbia and Canada, that Telus is locating telecom’s towers on First Nations land.”
“Basically, THERE’S TWO RULES OF AUTHORITY AND GOVERNANCE. IF IT IS ON NON-FIRST NATION LAND, THEN THE TELECO HAS TO CONSULT AND GET THE SUPPORT ENDORSEMENT. IF IT IS ON FIRST NATION’S LAND, YOU HAVE NO AUTHORITY.”
“Their guidelines for consultation are extremely minimal, and you have basically no say in it. So that’s why you see the telecos locate so many of their towers on First Nations lands because they have to respect the governance of First Nations and their requirement to consult.”
“Just to give you a little bit of idea, their consultation radius is either two or three towers high. If you lean those towers over two or three high, let’s say they’re 80 meters, 120 meters, their consultation radius is about 300 meters, which wouldn’t even leave the First Nations land.”
“SO THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO REQUIREMENT FOR THEM TO CONSULT LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR GET THEIR SUPPORT FOR TOWERS ON FIRST NATIONS LAND, AND QUITE THE OPPOSITE ON NON-FIRST NATIONS LAND, again, they must receive local government support.” https://youtu.be/cTGDUICjlvI?t=7900
You can see another reference to the fact First Nations have a different government structure in the podcast picture, where it says “Private Property, No Trespassing, Trespassers will be prosecuted under Tla’amin Law.”