GUYSBOROUGH — Nine new or upgraded cell towers will significantly improve connectivity for residents and first responders in underserved communities of Guysborough and St. Mary’s municipalities by 2026, according to the provincial departments of Public Works and Service Nova Scotia, and Build Nova Scotia (BNS).
The move – announced last week and described in a release as part of the “largest ever investment in cellular infrastructure” by the provincial government – will see in the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s, Rogers Communications convert the tower at East Loon Lake to its 5G network next summer, and two, new “provincially owned telecommunications towers” in Indian Harbour Lake and West Liscomb built by the end of the following year.
In the Municipality of the District of Guysborough, six new provincial towers are planned for the communities of Erinville, Giants Lake, Larry’s River, New Harbour West, Port Felix and St. Francis Harbour; each scheduled for completion in 2026.
The expansions are part of an $18.6 million enhancement of the Cellular for Nova Scotia Program – launched in 2023 with an initial investment of $47.3 million – that will add 27 new towers and upgrade another 27, through Rogers, across the province.
Said Kim Masland, Minister of Public Works and Minister responsible for Build Nova Scotia, in the announcement release: “Nova Scotians need reliable cell service. It’s no longer a luxury; it’s a matter of safety and everyone deserves access. This important investment will enhance coverage in rural and remote communities across our province.”
Last week’s news was received warmly by senior elected officials in St. Mary’s and MODG, who have long argued that the Eastern Shore – supported by only a handful of cell towers, owned and operated by Bell Canada, from Sheet Harbour to Canso – is woefully underserved.
“I am encouraged by these first steps by the province,” St. Mary’s Deputy Warden James Fuller told The Journal in an email. “Important emergency telephone coverage will be welcomed in these areas.”
Added MODG Warden Vernon Pitts in an email: “The announcement of this funding will further enhance the services we have to offer – to current and future residents and businesses – [enable connection] to emergency services from virtually everywhere, and fill a gap that [has been] a frustration for all of us. Cellular service in our municipality has been deficient for many, many years with vast parts of the area completely underserved.”
Last October, Fuller and Pitts urged the provincial government to take action following the release of a BNS-commissioned consultant’s report showing that 2,500 households in Guysborough County – with a population of roughly 7,300 – lived in cellular dead zones.
“The lack of stable, reliable cell service presents a grave public safety issue,” Fuller told The Journal at the time. “Residents, as well motorists traveling within dead zones, are unable to call for assistance in the event of an accident or medical emergency.”
Pitts also worried about the impact of poor local cell coverage on public safety, telling The Journal: “Our council [routinely] hears from staff and residents to the tune of, ‘We used to have service here, but now there is none’ or ‘I have to get to a [particular] area before I can make a call.’ Hopefully, it’s not a 911 call they have to make. We are currently [lobbying] service providers – specifically Bell – and senior levels of government.”
According to BNS’s site map, the East Loon Lake tower upgrade will cover the communities of Governor Lake, Cameron Settlement, College Lake, West Loon Lake, East Loon Lake Village, Ten Mile Lake, Eastville, Caledonia, Kirkmount, Glengarry Station, Trafalgar and Pleasant Valley.
Meanwhile, BNS reports, the new towers in St. Mary’s and MODG are being built by “the Government of Nova Scotia... as part of the Cellular for Nova Scotia Program. The exact location may change. Once built, the tower[s] may be connected to a service provider’s network later. [They] may also be used for other public safety and government communications. Once [a] site location is confirmed, the communities receiving improved service will be updated.”
Said Pitts: “I think it shows our persistence and constant communications to the province and [the cell] providers finally has paid off.”
While pleased, Fuller said, “There is still about two-thirds of our municipality that remains without any service, even on highly trafficked roads... We look forward to further improvements in the near future.”
