'It's terribly ugly': East Gwillimbury residents upset with 96-foot internet tower

Jan. 16, 2020
Yorkregion.com
Simon Martin

When a new neighbour moves across the road, you don’t expect them to immediately build a 96-foot high communications tower in their front yard without any permits or public consultations. But that’s what happened to Fairbairn Gate residents last summer.

New resident Brian Smith moved to the estate subdivision off Warden Avenue in May of 2019, and by July, he had proceeded with building the structure on his property. “It was not put up maliciously,” Smith said. “It’s the only way I can possibly get internet service to my home.”

That didn’t square well with neighbours like Ed Starr and Andre Paquette who were left stunned by their new neighbour’s actions.

“He skipped all these procedures and basically put it up,” Paquette said. “It’s terribly ugly.”

Starr said the federal government has regulations about proper procedure for building a tower, which includes submitting an application to Industry Canada before building, and having a public consultation. “I’m very concerned that the process has not been followed,” Starr said.

Starr, who happens to be a professional planner, said the tower is not compatible with the area and the number of homes in the immediate vicinity. He also said it is not a CSA-approved structure, there has been no engineering report done or soils test completed.

“The safety issues is quite important. There is not a lot of evidence that this a safe structure,” he said.

At a Dec. 17 council meeting, Smith said he received bad advice from the town and didn’t think he was doing anything wrong.

Members of council also voiced their displeasure with where the tower had been located. “We have to find a better place for it,” Ward 2 Coun. Tara Roy-DiClemente said. “This is not compatible.”

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“I have to agree with that tower doesn’t belong in a residential area,” Ward 3 Coun. Cathy Morton said. “Something has to be done about it.”

Ward 2 Coun. Joe Persechini was a former resident of Fairbairn Gate and certainly doesn’t believe the structure belongs on the road.

Smith, who calls the structure a glorified TV tower, said there is reason to be worried about safety. “It’s structurally sound,” he said. “I didn’t want to have any risks.”   

When people can’t even build a back deck without a permit, it remains a mystery to Starr how a 96-foot tower can be erected without any of the required approval. “The required application was never even submitted,” he said.

Council will be hearing a report on the matter at its next meeting on Jan. 21.   

Following a numerous complaints from local residents, a public meeting was held Jan. 13, in which a majority of residents of the road voiced their opposition to the structure. There were some who were in favour of it. Internet service remains an issue for many in rural East Gwillimbury. Starr said most people in the area use Xplornet. While it meets the needs of some in the area Smith said he needed something faster.

Council instructed staff to ensure the required application was submitted by Dec. 23, 2019, even though this was after the fact. They also wanted to ensure the required public consultation meeting was held as soon as possible and provide a report and recommendations to council Jan. 21.

Starr said the importance of this case to the community can’t be understated. “If this tower is permitted to remain in place despite being in breach of the town’s protocol, it would set a precedent that would enable such towers to be erected in any residential area without taking into account the impact on the local neighbourhood,” he said.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Concerned neighbours reached out to Reporter Simon Martin about the issue and he followed up to see what was happening on Fairbairn Gate.