MP Cheryl Gallant Congratulates Cell phone success!

June 06, 2008

Golden Lake, Ontario - Cheryl Gallant, MP (Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke) is pleased to congratulate the Golden Lake Property Owners Association with the news that their hard work has been successful in extending cell phone coverage to the Golden Lake area.

“I am pleased to congratulate Association President David Lemkay, who, along with directors Cairine Cybulski and Kevin O’Connor have been developing the business case to extend cell phone coverage to unserved areas; in this case the area around Golden Lake,” remarked Cheryl Gallant, MP.

Bell Mobility has made significant progress that will extend its cell phone signal coverage in the area with three new 100 meter towers. The three sites include Stuart Road in Douglas, Green Lake Road in Rankin and along Highway 41 near Wilbur Lake. It is expected that this trio of towers will be constructed and activated by the end of August. Two other towers near Golden Lake and in the Wilno Hills will likely come on line in 2009 that will extend the signal along the Highway 60 corridor to meet up with the robust service already in Barry's Bay and Algonquin Park provided from Bell's Toronto region.

“As the Chair of the Broadband Renfrew Access Valley Ontario (BRAVO) task force that was established by my office to bring high-speed internet to the unserved areas of Renfrew County, Dave Lemkay has done an outstanding job. The fact that Dave and his Committee all serve as volunteers needs to be recognized. If our Task Force had the resources of the County to support it, our dream of 100% coverage for cell phones and high speed internet in Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke would go from being a dream to reality,” stated Cheryl Gallant, MP.

Since 2006, there was a concerted effort by the newly formed Golden Lake Property Owners Association to try to remedy the lack of cell phone service in the Golden Lake, Round Lake, Eganville and Killaloe vicinities. Responding to concerns of the membership, directors Cairine Cybulski, Kevin O'Connor and Dave Lemkay became involved in developing a business case and conducting an extensive survey across the region which was the basis for talks over the past two years with Bell Mobility.

By spring of 2007, Bell's engineering team had completed site selection in the area and initiated lease agreements with the respective land owners. By year end, all the required building permits and federal government approvals were obtained and construction began in early spring of 2008.

Golden Lake Property Owners Association President Dave Lemkay presented this outstanding news in Killaloe at the Annual General Meeting held on Saturday June 7th.