Follow Us:
Bell and Milton church plan on building a cellphone tower disguised as a cross
Bell is certainly finding creative ways to make cellphone towers look a bit better. Earlier this week it was revealed that they are planning to construct 20 towers disguised as trees in cottage country.
Bell is now looking to improve coverage and wireless service in the Milton, Ontario area. A proposed 29.9-metre tower will be possibly placed on the 17-acre property of the New Life Church – this height doesn’t need approval from Industry Canada as it just falls under the 30-meter mark. Local residents are a bit upset at its design. As you can see in the simulation, Bell has created the steel cellphone tower to look like a cross. The design came from a church in Mississauga that already has the the steel cross cellphone tower erected.
New Life Pastor Dan Rogge stated that there has been some negativity towards the proposal, but “I grew up really respecting other people’s religious symbols… I certainly do not desire to cause any offence to anyone by suggesting to them that I don’t appreciate their symbol, because to them, that symbol reminds them of their devotion. Would Jesus be proud of us for embracing a symbol of his love? I believe he would. It’s not Disney north. We’re trying to do this reverently.”
Apparently there’s a meeting to discuss this proposal on April 12th at the Milton Leisure Centre from 7 to 9 p.m. In addition, there’s no word on how much revenue the tower will generate for the church.
Source: The Star
Discussion
34 comments for “Bell and Milton church plan on building a cellphone tower disguised as a cross”
Post a comment
- CES 2013
- Contests
- Mobile News
- Airtel Wireless
- Bell Mobility News
- Chatr
- Clearnet
- Eastlink
- Fido News
- Globalive News
- Koodo Mobile News
- Mobilicity
- MTS
- NorthernTel
- PC Mobile News
- Petro-Canada Mobility
- Public Mobile
- Rogers Wireless News
- SaskTel News
- Shaw
- Solo Mobile News
- Speak Out Wireless News
- tbaytel
- Telus Mobility News
- Vidéotron News
- Virgin Mobile News
- WIND Mobile
- Reviews – Carrier
- Reviews – Manufacturer
- Various News
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Like or Dislike:
29 
45
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Like or Dislike:
8 
18
A couple things….
1. Industry Canada isn’t involved in approving or disapproving ANY proposed structure, regardless of height, as long as it meets Safety Code 6. Industry Canada does however stipulate that any structure built higher than 15m must be done so with consultation with the local municipal government (unless the local government has its own rules which states consultation must take place regardless of structures’ height).
2. A monopole built to look like a cross has been done many, many times before. So why this is news is beyond me. I’ve seen other proposed or built structures at churches that integrate crosses, such as tri-poles with shrouding on top, that displays a cross, which hides the antennas behind (you might find similar structures at auto malls or shopping centres).
Like or Dislike:
12 
2
This happens all the time and has been going on for as long as cell phones have existed.
Why not work together and hide a cell tower from view? Just keeps the horizon cleaner.
Like or Dislike:
33 
5
lol now kids wont get bored during sunday service, they will be playing angry birds space all day.
Like or Dislike:
50 
5
You don’t need data service to play Angry Birds. Try Facebook or messaging clients.
Like or Dislike:
5 
0
I don’t see anything wrong with it. Nicer looking than a regular tower. Bell customers get their better service, which means Bell can attract more customers in the area. The church probably gets some extra income and isn’t losing anything – it’s not like it’s weird to see a cross on church property. So who loses?
Like or Dislike:
49 
1
How is this news? Telus built one in my neighbourhood in Edmonton almost 10 years ago! Its quite commonplace now.
Like or Dislike:
16 
3
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Like or Dislike:
12 
29
Well they ARE very creative… at taking our money. Who would’ve thought incoming text was a great thing to charge for.
Like or Dislike:
9 
7
Base Stations of the cross. Awesome.
Like or Dislike:
10 
0
This raises a bunch of potential issues regarding the tax exempt status of the church, and what they can and can’t do. Revenue Canada aside, I can also see this ticking off local municipalities if the church is taking away revenue that would have otherwise gone to the municipality directly or indirectly.
Like or Dislike:
10 
8
Doesn’t raise any questions that haven’t been answered before. This is far from the first cell tower on church property. In addition to places where they’ve already done something the same as this, they’ve also hidden them inside church steeples before.
Like or Dislike:
3 
2
I was thinking the same thing. If churches engage in commercial activities like this, will they still be fully exempt from property and other taxes?
Like or Dislike:
4 
3
They need to make a cell tower in the shape of the lamp from “A Christmas Story”. Now that’s classy!
Like or Dislike:
7 
2
Celphone providers have been doing this for many years.Going back to Micro Cell built one in Calgary mid 1990s.
Like or Dislike:
3 
1
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Like or Dislike:
3 
14
I thought going to church was supposed to get you further away from BHell?
Like or Dislike:
8 
3
I was at Fido over 10 years ago and we’ve built tons of those, this is not something new
Like or Dislike:
8 
0
Meh, more towers the better (as long as it doesn’t affect one’s health). People demand better service and if we don’t build them, then we’ll never get better service.
This sounds like a good idea and I pretty much support it.
Like or Dislike:
7 
0
What if it gets hits by lightening and becomes a burning cross? Can the insurance company not claim its an act of god?
Like or Dislike:
4 
1
In the 50’s tobacco companies gave out free cigarettes to patients in hospitals even though hospital knew it caused emphysema … obviously we now know better!
20 years ago you would not think twice on lighting up a cigarette at work or use asbestos in construction … again, we now know better!
Pastor Dan Rogge, in the coming years if it is found that these cell towers have some degree of a negative effect on people, especially on young children, is a couple thousand dollars a month worth it?
I would have assumed a man of God would put the health of over 200 children who spend 8 hours a day next to this tower ahead of a pay cheque.
Ask yourself, what would you say to the parents?
Like or Dislike:
9 
15
I couldn’t agree with you more Kristen…the priority issue here is potential health risks….especially for children. There ARE studies, but somehow Bell and Health Canada do not acknowledge these studies. It is pathetic that money is more important than health.
I hope at some point the world stops becoming so obsessed with their cell phones!! If the Cancer rates keep going up because these towers are being placed in residential areas then there won’t be anyone left to use them anyways.
Like or Dislike:
0 
1
wouldnt this go against some sort of religious morals or something
Like or Dislike:
2 
3
Should look like a giant p***s. We’re not all Christians but half of us have penises and the other half enjoy them.
Vote for p***s cell towers!
Like or Dislike:
5 
6
well i live at jarvis…guess this explains the huge flippin dildo outside my door!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Thats the wind tower.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Yah, it’s all nice until someone puts up something that the majority doesn’t like. There’s a reason we have to work at having a society that respects all and not just the majority. The skyline is common space. Why all the criticism of big wind generators looking so bad. People would rather have radiation pollution than something they’re not used to seeing, even though hydro lines are just as ugly and much more obtrusive. Bottom line, don’t allow anyone to mess up the common space unless it has to for the public good. On your property, disguise a tower anyway you want. In public spaces, stay away from disguises that are icons for certain groups.
Like or Dislike:
2 
0
GOD BLESS RIM, the BEST COMPANY EVER
Like or Dislike:
1 
3
Hold on, before you decide to go on your knees and pray to that cross, remember you need to sign up for a three year voice and data praying plan for $60 a month, with a $4 Recovery Fee, $7 Access Fee, with the possibility of dropped prayed and praying overage fees.
Like or Dislike:
0 
2
Sheer stupidity in some of these comments.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Does anyone not see that it is wrong to have any kind of commercial venture inside a cross? Jesus went into the temple and tossed out the money-changers and such. Churches should not be into making money via putting cell phone technology inside the crosses. Granted, churches have to make money to stay alive but this is wrong on so many levels.
Like or Dislike:
2 
1
I think we are all going the wrong way here, we shouldn’t be concerned about how it looks, there are tons of credible studies that show cell towers are dangerous to health due to radio signals specially for young children and elderly, these frequencies increase the risk of cancer.
and the funny thing is that Pastor Dan Rogge has a day care running where he has 200 children, what about the health of those kids…..Think about it seriously
Like or Dislike:
4 
1
I don’t see the difference between cell tower and cochlear implanted. Support cochlear but against cell tower. Nonsense! Both are same radiation problem! My friend died by brain cancer through cochlear. What else? First against cochlear then have a good reason against cell tower.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0