St. Clair Township is once again calling on Bell Canada to improve its cell phone coverage in the Corunna area, but some extra pressure is being applied on the mobility company this time.
The municipality has suspended Bell's license to solicit until a company representative agrees to speak to council members at their next meeting on August 12.
Council made the decision at its recent meeting, after discussing concerns from a resident about poor cell service during emergencies.
"With the recent power outages in Corunna this week, it seems to highlight the issues with Bell’s apparent neglect of our area with not repairing/maintaining the cell tower and equipment," read the letter from Nathan Burger. "This no longer is simply an issue of convenience with poor cell coverage. With no cell service, how are we supposed to make emergency calls to 911?"
Council first sent a letter to the telecommunications company in December of 2023, and another letter will be sent this week.
A cause for the disruptions remains unclear, and Clerk/Deputy CAO Jeff Baranek told Sarnia News Today they've received contradictory statements from Bell.
"We have been told both that there has been damage, but also that 'they are not aware of any damage,' which is unacceptable," Baranek said in an email. "All of our cell phones and emergency services utilize the Bell Mobility network and the current weak to non-existent signal has resulted in the inability to connect regular phone calls, creating an unsafe environment for our residents."
Council previously approved Bell's $1,000 license to solicit within the community until May 25, 2025.
However, Baranek wasn't aware if Bell had started canvassing yet.
"Well, if they're not going to be graceful with us and try to help our citizens, I think that should stop," Mayor Jeff Agar said during the July 15 meeting. "Bell [doesn't] want to play with us, I for one don't want to play too much with Bell anymore, so they can find a new way to sell."
Councillor Brad Langstaff said Bell needs to take their request seriously.
"Let's get them here and talk to them. We're pro-industry in St. Clair but we're also pro-partnership too," Langstaff said.
Baranek said the suspension will not result in a refund at this time.