Only In Charlottetown You Say.... "beam me up"

I was heading home tonight listening to CBC and I heard them interviewing a lady from Rogers and when she was asked about how many of these towers their company has installed she indicated that it would be hundreds if not thousands and then the reporter asked if this kind of protest-blockade had ever happened before and she said "No"... only in Charlottetown…. Now from a commercial prospective I can see where Rogers is coming from as a few years ago our business signed up with them Nationally and although they are a great Company we were having serious problems with "dropped calls" in the Charlottetown market to the point that about a year ago we had to switch to Telus who use the "Aliant" towers... and it wouldn't surprise me that others have done the same... the other thing I don't understand is "Aliant" has had a significant tower at their Belvedere Ave location for years and I've never heard of any radiation issues there and probably no evidence of any... so is this really the issue or are the neighbours concerned about property values... on the lighter side I went to the Star Trek movie on Sunday night and when they beamed Scottie and Captain Kirk up at warp speed I was thinking “I hope they don't miss the theatre and end up in one of the neighbouring homes”....
Protest shuts down cell tower construction
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
CBC News
Protesters managed to shut down work on a Rogers cell tower in Charlottetown Wednesday by blocking an access road to the construction site.
Construction on the tower, approved by Industry Canada over the wishes of city council, began earlier this week. It's in a field behind houses along Mount Edward Road, and local residents are concerned about the possible health effects of having a cell tower nearby. Among the protesters were nuns from a convent that is in the area.
"All the cancer it's caused," said protestor Joan McNeill.
"It's in the middle of the city, and I don't think a cell tower should be in the middle of the city."
Health Canada does not share the protesters' view that radiation from cellphone towers causes cancer, and Industry Canada ruled there was no reason for construction not to proceed.
The protest started in the morning. Demonstrators tied chains through a line of chairs across the access road, and waved work trucks away. The blockade was removed at the request of police, but the trucks did not return.
Charlottetown city council voted against the project in 2007. On Tuesday, the city issued a stop-work order because there was no permit to start construction.
Rogers says it intends to proceed with construction, and is working with City of Charlottetown lawyers to get the necessary permit.
Protesters said when work trucks return to the site, they will be there waiting for them.