An Aboriginal leader in northern BC is praising the installation of new cell towers along a notorious stretch of Highway 16 in northern BC, also known as the Highway of Tears.
The 720 kilometer stretch of Highway 16, from Prince George, about 500 kilometers north of Vancouver, to Prince Rupert, earned its name because of more than 40 women and girls, most of them Aboriginal, who were killed or disappeared. this.
In 2006 a symposium organized by families of missing and murdered Aboriginal women as well as advocacy groups led to a report. 33 Recommendations Outline – One of which was installing more emergency phone booths and increasing cellphone coverage to eliminate 911 dead spots and make it safer for vulnerable women.
Now, Rogers Communications says nine of the 11 cell towers scheduled to be built along the highway are in service. The company says that when the last two are erected, the new wireless coverage will “ensure continuous coverage” along the entire 720km stretch of highway.
Mary Tighe, executive director of Career Sekani Family Services, praised the installation of cellphone towers. Her organization provides support to many career and career people in north-central BC
“It's very exciting that now we have this, cell coverage,” she told CBC News. “And really, that cell coverage is literally … like a matter of life and death.”
Tiggy said the recommendation to increase cellular coverage in the area came after requests from families of murdered and missing indigenous women, which would help vulnerable people while being able to call emergency responders.
“I think communication is a human right, really, at the end of the day,” she said.
Activists are calling for more of the 2006 report's recommendations to be implemented, particularly when it comes to increasing accessible intercity public transit in northern BC.
“We have to address this issue not only in terms of, well, you need cell coverage, but you need a broader system of transportation and communication,” she said.
“And so it needs to be for all of northern B.C., not just for Aboriginal people, but for the benefit of all people.”
Tiggy hailed the cell tower installation as reconciliation in action.
$4.5 million came after the installation of cellphone infrastructure Provincial and federal funding It was announced in 2021.
At the time, the federal government said the total cost of the project was $11.6 million.
Rogers Communications said the towers will provide 911 access for all passengers and 5G wireless coverage to its customers, and that the new wireless coverage will “ensure continuous coverage” along the highway's entire 720-kilometre stretch from Prince George to Prince Rupert.
