Editor:
This letter summarizes and updates the efforts of the Canadian part of the Cross Border Coalition to have the Industry Canada petition the Federal Communications Commission in the U.S. to review and revoke its approval for radio station KRPI to construct a 50KW transmitter in Point Roberts. This project will likely cause so-called blanketing interference across Tsawwassen.
Last December several coalition members met with MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay and gave a petition to her to deliver to federal Industry Minister James Moore asking Industry Canada to request the FCC to review its approval. Findlay told the coalition she hand-delivered it to Moore. Moore has neither acknowledged its receipt to the coalition nor responded to it.
The coalition and many members of the public have sent numerous emails and letters to Moore. To our knowledge, he has not acted on them, nor met with anybody.
This spring a representative of the local Conservative Party met with coalition members and suggested sending another letter to Moore. A letter was prepared and delivered on May 18. To date, Moore has not acknowledged, nor responded to this second letter.
Findlay asked three coalition members to meet with her on May 20. She started the meeting by stating she had been told the FCC has told Industry Canada that Tsawwassen had been considered when the FCC decision was made, and thus the FCC would not reconsider it.
Hence she has decided to focus the efforts of the federal government on the Whatcom County hearings and does not intend to request Moore to have Industry Canada to petition the FCC to review the approval.
This statement left us astonished and speechless, as it contradicts all other information we have on the matter.
We requested Findlay's staff to provide some documentation of this information; to date no response has been received.
If Findlay's statement were true, then it implies that Industry Canada decided to throw Tsawwassen under the bus in order to placate KRPI's audience, as Industry Canada was certainly consulted by the FCC. If Findlay's statement were false, as we surmise, then the consequent strategy decision (to focus on Whatcom County) is wrong.
How to tell? Since Findlay will not corroborate her own statement, we must look at another line of evidence. In its submissions to the FCC, KRPI clearly states it did not consider Canadians. ["Moreover, BBC's omission of Canadian populations from its FCC application was consistent with standard engineering practices, as the Canadian populations were not relevant to the Commission's consideration of BBC's application."] KRPI also states that Industry Canada reviewed and approved the application on behalf of Canadians. ["Furthermore, Industry Canada has the authority to reject applications that they find to violate the terms of the Agreement. Industry Canada reviewed and approved (sic) the KRPI application."] Whom do you believe? Why did Industry Canada not consult with the population of Tsawwassen before deciding not to object to KRPI's application to the Federal Communications Commission to relocate its transmitter? Did Findlay concur with the Industry Canada decision, insofar as it would likely contact the local (Conservative) MP in course of its review? In summary, it appears that Industry Canada either dropped the ball or it decided to throw Tsawwassen's 23,000 people under the bus in the course of reviewing the KRPI application.
The most useful assistance the federal government can provide in this issue is to have Industry Canada petition the FCC to review and revoke its approval on the basis that KRPI's application omitted and misrepresented potential adverse effects to proximate Canadian residents and businesses.
What can you do? Call or email Findlay's office and tell her you are concerned about this issue. She may respond if, for no other reason, she realizes the towers are scheduled to be operational by May 2015 and there is a federal election in October 2015.
If the predicted blanketing interference does occur, Findlay may find votes in Tsawwassen hard to come by.
Steve Graham
