Telecommunications Towers || 2 Locations

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Consultation has concluded

Demand for wireless services is growing and is expected to continue as more and more Canadians use smartphones and other mobile devices. To accommodate this demand, more towers will be needed.

The Town will be hosting 1 public open house for each of the proposed towers:

2548 Salem Road North, Ajax, ON

Shared Network Canada has proposed the building of a 50m tall steel self-support telecommunications tower at 2548 Salem Road North, Ajax, ON. The site will provide improved wireless voice and data services for the surrounding area.

The build will also include a proposed 15m x 15m fenced compound area with equipment cabinets.

475 Westney Road North, Ajax, ON

The proposed wireless communication structure will be located in the central-east area of the property, adjacent to the rear service area of the plaza at 475 Westney Road North, Ajax, ON. The antenna is proposed to be located approximately 80 metres from Magill Drive and 161 metres from Westney Road North. The nearest residence is approximately 72 metres north of the proposed installation.

The proposed installation for this site is a 30-metre monopole communications structure with associated walk-in radio equipment cabinet on a cast in place reinforced concrete slab. The installation will be located within a fenced, locked, secured and electronically monitored compound.

Get Involved

  • Public Open House 2548 Salem Road North, Ajax, ON - Have your say: Thursday, December 5, 2019, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Audley Recreation Centre – Community Room, 1955 Audley Road North, Ajax.
  • Public Open House 475 Westney Road North, Ajax, ON - Have your say: Thursday, November 28, 2019, at the Town of Ajax Town Hall, Council Chambers 65 Harwood Ave. S. from 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Questions or comments about this project?

Contact any of the project managers listed in the Who's Listening (right sidebar).

Information will be collected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. With the exception of personal information, all comments will become part of the public record.

Demand for wireless services is growing and is expected to continue as more and more Canadians use smartphones and other mobile devices. To accommodate this demand, more towers will be needed.

The Town will be hosting 1 public open house for each of the proposed towers:

2548 Salem Road North, Ajax, ON

Shared Network Canada has proposed the building of a 50m tall steel self-support telecommunications tower at 2548 Salem Road North, Ajax, ON. The site will provide improved wireless voice and data services for the surrounding area.

The build will also include a proposed 15m x 15m fenced compound area with equipment cabinets.

475 Westney Road North, Ajax, ON

The proposed wireless communication structure will be located in the central-east area of the property, adjacent to the rear service area of the plaza at 475 Westney Road North, Ajax, ON. The antenna is proposed to be located approximately 80 metres from Magill Drive and 161 metres from Westney Road North. The nearest residence is approximately 72 metres north of the proposed installation.

The proposed installation for this site is a 30-metre monopole communications structure with associated walk-in radio equipment cabinet on a cast in place reinforced concrete slab. The installation will be located within a fenced, locked, secured and electronically monitored compound.

Get Involved

  • Public Open House 2548 Salem Road North, Ajax, ON - Have your say: Thursday, December 5, 2019, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Audley Recreation Centre – Community Room, 1955 Audley Road North, Ajax.
  • Public Open House 475 Westney Road North, Ajax, ON - Have your say: Thursday, November 28, 2019, at the Town of Ajax Town Hall, Council Chambers 65 Harwood Ave. S. from 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Questions or comments about this project?

Contact any of the project managers listed in the Who's Listening (right sidebar).

Information will be collected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. With the exception of personal information, all comments will become part of the public record.

CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

Please add your questions about the proposed Telecommunications Towers at 2548 Salem Road North, Ajax, ON and 475 Westney Road North, Ajax, ON. 

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    Hello, We reside right beside where this tower is proposed, hence highly condemn this project going forth! Although the notice states that this is safe according to the the code but who are we kidding? These are EM waves we are talking about and we all know us folks living beside this will be effected the most. As it is, we are exposing ourselves and our kids to a lot of it already in this time of age and we certainly DO NOT want another pole or source of any sort being built in our back yards to harm our family’s wellbeing. If there’s a dire need for this so called tower, it should be built in a non-residential area where it can be beneficial rather than being harmful in nature. Hope this can be put forth at the upcoming open house meeting. Please and thank you! B. Zaru.

    Zara asked 11 months ago

    Thank you for your email and for voicing your concerns. Your email will form part of the public record for this file; however, I encourage you to attend the public information meeting as well. 

    I understand your concerns regarding the EM waves and potential health risk, but I have to stress that all towers must comply with Health Canada’s Safety Code 6 Guidelines for exposure to radio frequency fields. These Guidelines are the approved federal standard to ensure public health and safety and are beyond the jurisdiction of the Town. The applicant will be able to provide further details on this matter via email or at the public information meeting. 

    To provide you with some background information and knowledge about the telecommunication tower process, I offer the following comments:

    The Town of Ajax is not the approval authority for telecommunication tower and antenna facilities. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISEDC) is the federal government body responsible for radio and telecommunication carriers under the Radiocommunication Act. ISEDC approves the installation of telecommunication towers and antenna facilities. ISEDC encourages municipalities to develop their own consultation policies in order to manage the process of identifying Town and resident concerns relating to such installations. As the Town has created a policy for these matters, any telecommunication proposals must follow the Town’s consultation process.

    The Town’s policy provides guidance on the Town’s preferences for the location and design of telecommunication facilities. Under the Town’s policy, the subject lands (475 Westney Road North) are considered to be a “discouraged” location for a tower. This is because the lands are zoned and designated for mixed-use development. The Town’s preferred locations are within Employment Areas. Since the applicant (Rogers and their consultant LandSquared) is proposing a tower within one of the Town’s discouraged locations, the applicant is required to justify why the proposed location is the only feasible solution. Through the submission of a site selection report (which is available on the Town’s website), the applicant has indicated that this location is a strategic location to help fill a gap in the network and enhance services. The report also indicates that there are no existing structures in the area of sufficient height to accommodate the antennas (this can often be used as an approach to avoid having a new tower installation).

    Due to the proposed location, the applicant is also required to provide a notice (via mail) of the proposal and hold a public information meeting in conjunction with the Town (whereas if the proposal was in one of the Town’s preferred locations, it would be exempt from consultation and automatically receive support). As you are aware, the public information meeting has been scheduled for November 28th. The whole intent of this meeting is to hear the concerns and feedback of the public. Some concerns raised at the meeting can be addressed by providing an explanation (for certain matters); however, other concerns involve further consideration and may involve making changes to the proposal to address such concerns. No decisions have been made.

    Following the public information meeting and continued review of the proposal, staff will issue a concurrence (support) or non-concurrence (non-support) letter to the applicant. This is supported by a staff recommendation report which is heard at a public meeting by the Town’s Community Affairs and Planning Committee (Council). The Committee will then take a position on the proposed tower based on the recommendation report and public concerns and make a resolution for concurrence or non-concurrence.

    Where non-concurrence is recommended by staff and supported by the Committee, this does not necessarily mean that that the installation of the proposed tower will not proceed. After all, the Town is not the approval authority. ISEDC will consider the Town’s position and whether the proposed installation meets their requirements before issuing a decision.

    Please let me know if you have any questions.