Public meeting about controversial internet tower set for Jan. 21 in East Gwillimbury

Issue will be deliberated at 7 p.m. council meeting

Yorkregion.com
January 22, 2020
Simon Martin

It might be cold outside, but things could get heated at East Gwillimbury's council meeting Jan. 21.

A controversial 96-foot internet tower that was erected on Fairbairn Gate without formal approval will be up for discussion.

The controversy dates back to when new resident Brian Smith moved to the estate subdivision off Warden Avenue in May 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."

When Starr contacted the town to find out what was happening, he was told the town had no power to stop it because telecommunications towers were regulated by Industry Canada.

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.

"The safety issue is quite important. There is not a lot of evidence that this a safe structure," he said.

Smith, who calls the structure a glorified TV tower, said there is no reason to be worried about safety.

"It’s structurally sound," he said. "I didn’t want to have any risks." 

Following numerous complaints from local residents, a public meeting was held Jan. 13, in which many 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.

He wasn't the only one interested in faster internet. Area resident Jamie Morphy has been desperate for better internet service for several years.

When FiberSpeed starting offering service using Smith's tower, Morphy said things finally changed.

"It's been a godsend," he said. "It has been a huge upgrade. To not have to worry about data limits every month is huge."

Morphy is the founder of the East Gwillimbury Coalition for Better Internet. Running two businesses from his home, Morphy said his need for better internet service is great. Not only does the new arrangement provide him faster internet, but Morphy said their is also a reasonable priced unlimited data option.