Allumette Island mayor Corey Spence is hopeful that three new cell towers being constructed in Ontario, across the river from the Upper Pontiac, will provide some cellular service to a stretch of Highway 148 that is currently without connection.
The towers, according to Spence, are being built in La Passe, across from Fort Coulonge, on the Nangor Trail, across from Waltham, and in Westmeath, across from the southeastern corner of Allumette Island.
The three new towers will be operated by Rogers Media and are being built as part of the Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN) Cell Gap Project.
According to a statement from Rogers Media, the project is “intended to provide and improve coverage for residents, businesses and emergency responders in Eastern Ontario through the construction of 300 new tower sites.”
Rogers Media also stated that the towers are expected to be operational by the end of 2024 and will cover a range of about four to seven kilometres. Other service providers are able to make a colocation request that will be considered by Rogers if they would also like to provide service to the area using a Rogers tower.
According to the statement by Rogers Media, the new towers are “primarily designed to provide coverage to demand areas within the Eastern Ontario region, focusing on Ontario and its residents. Due to the nature of cellular signals, customers near the provincial border may also experience improved coverage.”
Mayor Spence is hopeful the signals will reach the residents of the Upper Pontiac.
“From Mansfield along Highway 148 all the way into the Pembroke region does not have cell service,” Spence said, explaining any hint of service comes either from the cell tower in Mansfield or from the Ontario side.
Chapeau is about 17 kilometres from the nearest of the three towers as the crow flies, so will not likely receive their service, but other places between Mansfield and Sheenboro may.
Waltham is about five kilometres from the Nangor Trail tower, and Davidson just over six kilometres from the tower planned for La Passe.
Spence hopes that the new cell towers will make the area safer for drivers and boaters.
“If you notice where those cell towers are, they will add coverage to the waterways to help people who are boating along that area,” said Spence. “And provide safety along the 148.”
He said that there’s concerns about safety on the highway, especially in the case of emergencies.
“If something happens along the highway, your car breaks down, people are waiting for a car to come by and they can’t get ahold of somebody to help,” Spence said.
“People are accustomed to having their cell phones with them at all times,” said Spence. “We need to have means of communication now. Having cell service really helps those living in the area.”
