The petition calling on the federal government to intervene in the Point Roberts radio towers proposal has made its way to Ottawa.
Two members of the Cross Border Coalition to Stop the Radio Towers presented the 3,500-plus-signature petition to Delta-Richmond East MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay at her Ladner constituency office last Friday.
Findlay said she's committed to tabling the petition in Parliament pending its certification by the clerk of petitions.
The petition calls on the ministers of industry and foreign affairs to file an informal objection with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opposing renewal of KRPI's broadcasting licence and to initiate an inquiry into Industry Canada's lack of objection to the FCC's decision to grant a construction permit for the towers.
"This issue has caused serious concern among residents of our community and it is important that those voices be heard," Findlay said.
The coalition is fighting BBC Broadcasting Inc.'s proposal to build five 45-metre (150-foot) steel towers at an undeveloped lot on McKenzie Way, about 330 metres from the Tsawwassen border. The towers are to transmit South Asian radio station KRPI, AM 1550.
Residents on both sides of the border have concerns over blanketing interference and the havoc it could cause with household electronic devices.
Also known as Sher-E-Punjab, the company currently broadcasts using antenna in Ferndale, Wash., but wants to move them closer and have a stronger 50,000-watt, all-day signal.
"If the proposed towers site was just north, on the Canadian side, Industry Canada would never approve its application because of the immediate high population density," said Nancy Beaton, a Tsawwassen resident and member of the coalition. "If the border did not exist, the FCC would not approve the application because of the immediate high population density.
"This repeated message is not being heard by Industry Canada and therefore, by way of this petition, we are requesting the House of Commons to investigate further - time is of the essence. We would like to thank Minister Findlay for her continued efforts and willingness to deliver this message and the petition to Ottawa."
Findlay said once the petition has been certified and tabled in the House of Commons, the government has 45 days to issue a formal response. Findlay returned to Ottawa on Sunday and said she planned on submitting the petition for vetting on Monday.
With the FCC already issuing a construction permit for the proposed towers, one final hurdle remains with a conditional use permit required from Whatcom County.
The coalition is planning to attend a Whatcom County hearing on the issue. With the hearing just over a month away, the group held a meeting last week in Tsawwassen to help spread the word and rally the troops.
