Milt Bowling, left, the executive director of the Electro Magnetic Radiation Task Force of Canada, chats with MTS representative Reg Parkin prior to the start of Sunday's public forum. (Colin Corneau/Brandon Sun)

Brandon, MANITOBA Opponents of MTS tower speak out By: Robson Fletcher http://www.brandonsun.com/story.php?story_id=7257 Monday, October 17th, 2005 Concerned residents met with representatives from Manitoba Telecom Services yesterday to discuss a proposed cellphone tower in the city's west end. The telephone company tried to reduce worries that the tower will be an eyesore and allay fears about its safety. Jeff Nelson, a wireless planning manager with MTS, said the tower's maximum output of 48 watts is far too small to pose a health risk to humans, especially since the transmitter will be at a height of 36 metres. "If you go below the tower or near the vicinity of the tower, there's very little energy coming down," he said.Unlike larger cellphone transmitters that emit microwaves, the proposed t ower would emit lower-energy radio waves, Nelson added. Even those emissions would be in much smaller volumes than most radio station transmitters, which can emit up to 100,000 watts.

The proposed tower's emissions would be one one-millionth of the level deemed safe by Health Canada, Nelson added.Still, an opponent of the presence of such towers wasn't convinced. Milt Bowling, executive director of the Electro Magnetic Radiation Task Force of Canada, travelled from Vancouver to attend the meeting. He said the Health Canada safety guidelines are based on an assumption that the only way for low-frequency electromagnetic waves to harm human beings is through an increase in tissue temperature. There may be other ways in which people could be affected by the constant presence of an emission tower, Bowling said. "The generalization by many that the guidelines protect human beings from harm by any and all mechanisms is not justified," he said, citing a letter written by Norbert Hankin of the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States. West end resident Jim McCrae said regardless of whether there is an actual risk, people are worried. "They're genuinely concerned about health issues," he said. McCrae moderated yesterday's meeting but has also publicly expressed his opposition to the tower. "I live in that neighbourhood," he said yesterday. "I don't want a tower like that at the entrance to my community." MTS is considering putting the tower at the intersection of Cherry Crescent and 34th Street, but project manager Reg Parkin said nothing is set in stone. "We have made no decision on the actual location other than just the general area," he said. As more and more people in Brandon buy and use cellphones, the company needs a tower somewhere in the vicinity to improve its cellular coverage in the west end, according to Nelson. "We have to increase the capacity of our network," he said. "Each tower can only provide so much capacity for conversations, and the cell sites that are surrounding this area are quite overloaded right now."

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA
http://www.winnipeg.ca/
MTS, Rogers and Telus over 3 years - PDF file

Manitoba Clean Environment Commission
Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMFs) Health and EMF Experts' Consensus Statement.
Winnipeg, Manitoba.

CLANDEBOYE, MANITOBA
http://www.rmofstandrews.com/minutes/may23.pdf

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF COUNCIL OF
THE R.M. OF ST. ANDREWS

HELD TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2002,
9:00 A.M. AT CLANDEBOYE, MANITOBA

Meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Chairperson Reeve Forfar.
All members of Council present except Councillor Keryluk.
Opening prayer was read by Councillor Krasnesky

DELEGATIONS

M.T.S. - re: Cell Tower

- Peter Klym present to do presentation.
- Proposal from M.T.S. Communications to locate a tower on the property of St. Andrews Fire Hall.
- Tower will be 200 ft. self supporting tower.
- Made of "knock-down" steel lattice.
- There will be scheduled inspections/maintenance .
- Extensive grounding/lightning.
- Is to improve cellular coverage in St. Andrews/Lockport areas.
- Estimated expenditure approx. $275,000.00.
- Compensation to landlord approx. range of $4,000.00 per annum, based on a 5 yr. lease, with 3 options to renew.
- Councillor Krasnesky questioned "range of $4,000.00"?
- Councillor Kolach questioned if it would interfere with existing tower of Shaw Cable?
- Answer was No.
- Councillor Krasnesky suggested there be a signing bonus re: asphalting of parking

Indian Head to the Manitoba border

The strength of cellular signals between your phone and the tower ...
or seat of your vehicle with the antenna retracted ... ...

http://www.sasktelmobility.com/about/pdf/march02.pdf 

Hamiota, Manitoba
http://www.fcpp.org/publication_detail.php?PubID=138

May 05, 2002  (RRP 022)

Hamiota is now working on acquiring an ATT cell phone tower and is exploring the possibility of wireless high speed Internet. Brethour and his fellows know that business expansion requires modern communication and data management. But he cautions that these tools will be expensive and are being held back by a lack of information on the direction that the Province of Manitoba is taking to promote rural technology.
Hamiota is an impressive community with a bright future, not the model of decline the doomsayers might predict. We can learn from its success.

FRONTIER CENTRE FOR PUBLIC POLICY
201-63 Albert Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA R3B 1G4
Tel: (204) 957-1567 Fax: (204) 957-1570, E-mail: newideas@fcpp.org

Moosehorn, Manitoba

http://www.grahamdale.ca/comm.htm
     
Communications

Newspapers/Newsletters
The Around Town is a weekly newsletter that is circulated for free in everyones mailbox. This newspaper contains the weekly events and written articles about the happenings in the R. M. of Grahamdale and the surrounding area.The Interlake Spectator, a weekly paper, serves the R. M. of Grahamdale area. The Winnipeg Free Press and The Winnipeg Sun are delivered daily also.

Radio
Most major AM Winnipeg radio stations are available. NCI, 96.9 FM is available in the northern part of the municipality.

Television
CBC, CKY, CKND and MTN can be received in the R. M.

Cell Service
Cell Service is accessible in the southern part of the municipality. However, the R. M. of Grahamdale CDC and Chamber of Commerce are working hard to get cell phone service to the northern part of the municipality.

Please sign our petition for a cell phone tower servicing the north
so we may have the same services and technology as the rest of the Province of Manitoba.

http://www.cfpm.mb.ca/pdf/magnetic2.htm