The Crystal Falls Generating Station in West Nipissing will soon have a new addition—a 222-foot telecommunications tower. The tower will be installed by Spectrum Telecom Group, and the “tower and its associated equipment shelter is required to support a microwave radio link that will connect the generating station to the wide-area telecommunications network.”
So clarified Wayne Lynch, project administrator with Spectrum Telecom Group in a recent report to West Nipissing council.
The new tower will link to the generating station with improved high-speed internet and “will be the support of various surveillance, control, and data acquisitions systems” at the generating station, Lynch outlined in his report.
“The tower can also support cell signal booster equipment,” he added. “These applications provide for the safe and efficient operation of this important facility.”
Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) prime telecom service provider is Bell Canada, Lynch clarified, and this microwave radio link will connect with the Bell tower located on Highway 575 in Verner.
Crystal Falls is about a 15-minute drive north of Sturgeon Falls along Highway 64. From the highway, take Crystal Falls Road—pass the Bison ranch—and carry on to Hydro Dam Road. The Crystal Falls Generating Station stands at the road’s end.
The tower will be located about 100 meters to the south of the powerhouse, and about 160 meters east of the main entrance. The fence will be expanded slightly to accommodate the new tower within the station compound.
Five locations were considered within the compound, but this one was deemed best as it does not interfere with any of the station’s operations, is clear from traffic and overhead lines, and is easily fenced in.
Standing 67.7 meters (222 feet), the tower will be self-supporting, and the radio equipment will be housed in a small portable shelter located at the tower’s base. Underground fibre optic cable will link the tower to the powerhouse and the office building on site. Overall, the installation will have “minimal environmental impact,” as the site requires no grading and not much brush needs to be removed.
“This installation is also consistent with OPG’s permitted land-use operations on the property,” Lynch’s report emphasized. Plans are underway to notify Transport Canada to “ensure the tower complies with any aeronautical safety requirements.”
Spectrum Telecom Group was looking for a letter of concurrence from the municipality so the project can move forward, and council members agreed that was a fine idea.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.