Telus has plans to visit site and discuss sound-baffling options with neighbours
Living in peaceful College Heights puts some residents a mere stone’s throw from the wilderness surrounding Mt. Benson and Westwood Lake, but along Camosun Drive, that serenity is marred by the presence of a small industrial communications tower and facility.
Joan Newsome lives along the 300-block of Camosun Drive – only 30 metres from the tower property owned by Telus.
While she said she is not overly concerned with the frequencies being emitted from the tower, she does have a problem with the noise emanating from one of the small buildings in the yard.
During summertime, a machine hum permeates the surrounding area as heavy fans cool off equipment. The noise is enough to drive her and neighbours crazy, she said.
According to Telus, their policy is to be “a good neighbour” when their infrastructure is placed in urban settings. According to a Telus spokesman, there may be a problem with the fan itself that is causing the excess noise.
“I don’t really care about noises like traffic, but this is ridiculous,” Newsome said.
“It’s machines humming, constantly, day and night. We don’t get a break from it, that’s the problem.”
The vents from the fan building face directly toward Newsome’s home. She said she wonders why the vents weren’t directed toward the forest away from homes or why there isn’t some sort of sound barrier.
She’s not concerned about the tower itself, she and her neighbours just want an end to the noise.
“I’m not too worried about those frequencies. We carry our cellphones in our pockets, we have these high-definition TVs glaring in our faces all the time. What’s the difference?”
Telus plans to install more towers throughout the city and area, and some residents are concerned about those frequencies, but Newsome said she hasn’t felt any of the effects of living near a communications tower.
After the Daily News contacted Telus, a spokesman said that they would have a look at the situation immediately and contact Newsome and discuss some noise-control options.
“We certainly apologize to the customer for any noise,” said Telus media spokesman Shawn Hall.
“We’re going to make sure that (the fan) is operating properly. We want to be a good neighbour.”
Hall said that Telus would consider placing sound baffling between the facility and the neighbourhood to deaden the sounds.
[email protected] 250-729-4228
