"I am writing this letter to inform you of my activities to date with regard to the placement of cellular towers in Oakville.

"This issue is important because there are six cellular suppliers who want to establish a high grade of service in the GTA which will require many more cellular towers. These suppliers claim it's all about providing cellular telephone service in Oakville. It is really about building a much more comprehensive network so that consumers can watch TV shows on hand held devices, which will require broadcasting stronger radio frequency everywhere, reaching even the basements of our homes . . .

Re: Andrea Collins, the Citizens for Safe Technology Society and British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
- Complaint under Section 47 of the Utilities Commission Act

"On behalf of Andrea Collins and the Citizens for Safe Technology Society ("the Complainants"), the following is submitted in reply to BC Hydro's submissions dated April 25, 2012, in the context of our reconsideration application with respect to the above-referenced matter.

A. Operation of the UCA by default BC Hydro asserts that the CEA exemption was meant to capture the smart meter system. We agree. This issue arises because there are two kinds of smart meter systems: hard-wired systems and wireless systems, the latter of which are accompanied by a host of health and environmental concerns.

"The Legislature and Cabinet knew, at all material times, that both these options existed. If it was intended that the exemption apply to the wireless option, why did the Legislature and Cabinet fail to make a specific reference in that regard - either by describing a system that includes a wireless component or by wireless functionality?

"The failure of the Legislature and Cabinet to bring, by explicit reference, wireless communication technology into the scope of the CEA exemption, results, by default, in the application of the UCA's CPCN requirement.  We advance this assertion based on the following reasoning . . .

Dear Parents and Grandparents,

On May 26, 2012, at the upcoming BCCPAC, please support Resolution #17 "Parent Choice Regarding Exposure to EMF Emissions"

(BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils) This resolution is not asking to remove Wi-Fi from all schools, but to provide wireless-free schools of choice. (Similar to French immersion, Montessori, or schools that emphasize a certain subject/sport, which are already available in B.C.)

It has taken hundreds of hours of work and debate in the BCCPAC Safety Committee to advance this resolution to the table. This is a much-needed opt-out solution for parents who want to follow the advice for precaution, as well as for children who have negative biological reaction to the pulsed microwave radiation emitted by Wi-Fi and wireless electronic devices in schools. These children are currently suffering physical symptoms while attending classes, or have to be withdrawn from schools because they are unable to take personal measures to avoid such exposure in campuses with Wi-Fi installed . . . (Resolution Book)

Votes can be cast by all Parent Advisory Councils, both PAC's and DPAC's, who are current, paid members. Votes are also possible by attending the AGM and voting by proxy.

Voting Instructions

Proxy Vote Form

Spring Conference Registration and Program

Smart Meter Moratorium Motion and / or Opt Out Tally List
Current Tally: 45
Congratulations and welcome, Squamish #44 and Vernon #45

Vernon Star Article
Vernon Council's Letter to Charles Reid

For links to help organize your own delegation request for a moratorium in your community, begin here.

A growing number of responsive and proactive B.C. Municipal and City Councils are passing motions for moratoriums on mandatory installation of B.C. Hydro's wireless "Smart" Meters as follows:

"According to Bill 23-2008 of the British Columbia Public Health Act, section 83

(1) a municipality must take action when it learns of something that could be harmful to its residents. It must notify the Minister of Health or take immediate action. At its June 27 Council meeting, the City of Colwood, B.C. passed a motion to write to the Minister of Health and, due to the potential for wireless smart meters to cause harm or to compromise security, request a moratorium on mandatory installations of wireless meters. The Council also requested that concerned residents be offered safer alternatives at no cost to them.

B.C. Councils who have considered the above request, and voted in favour of it:

1. Alert Bay
2. Burnaby 
3. Central Saanich
4. Colwood
5. Chawathil
6. Central Kootenay Regional District (RDCK / Nelson /Fortis BC)
7. District of Highlands
8. Duncan
9. Enderby
10. Gold River
11. Hagwilget Village First Nation
12. Invermere
13. Islands Trust (Bowen Island) 
14. Ladysmith
15. Lake Country / Winfield
16. Lake Cowichan
17. Langley Township
18. Maple Ridge (Moratorium declined, Opt Out Request Submitted)
19. Metchosin
20. Nanaimo
21. New Denver
22. North Cowichan
23. North Saanich
24. North Vancouver City
25. Oliver
26. Parksville
27. Powell River
28. Qualicum Beach
29. Regional District of Nanaimo
30. Richmond
31. Saanich District
32. Salmon Arm (opt out with possibility of moratorium.)
33. Sechelt
34. Sicamous
35. Silverton
36. Sooke
37. Squamish
38. Sunshine Coast Regional District
39. Surrey
40. Tofino
41. Ucluelet
42. Vancouver
43. Vernon
44. Victoria
45. White Rock
46. 
    

"Vernon officials don't want smart meters forced on to anyone.

"Council unanimously voted Monday to urge B.C. Hydro to develop an opt-out procedure for people who don't want the remote monitoring devices.

"I believe people should be given the right to decide what goes on their houses," said Coun. Bob Spiers.

"Spiers points to Quebec where residents there can refuse meters as long as they cover the costs involved with traditional meter reading . . .

"Hopefully those in power will reflect on this and consider what the community wants," he said."

Letter from Vernon Mayor to Charles Reid

"Lambton Shores Municipal Council last week heard two motions related to wireless communication installations in Port Franks, Ontario. Council passed a motion for nonconcurrence regarding a residential tower site proposed by Bell Canada. A history making motion brought forward by Councillor John Russell requested staff research and report in consideration of creating a 'white zone' in the hamlet of Port Franks; this motion also passed. This would be a first in Canada--protecting residents, employees, visitors and the area's unique natural environment from radiation generated by wireless communications installations. The report will include Official Planner consultation. Russell confirmed, "This has been sent to staff to investigate, and the issue will be brought back to Council with more information that answers how the idea fits within our planning parameters."

"A 'white zone' is an area where outdoor and indoor air pollution by the radiofrequency electromagnetic fields emitted by communications antennas is minimized or eliminated. Proven safer and effective communication technologies are available to improve services. For years, this area on the eastern shore of southern Lake Huron has had fibre optic cable--a newer technology that many Canadian communities lack.

"Residents applauded Council's forwarding-looking decision to investigate this topic, "This is not a move against industry, it sets the health of the town as top priority." More than 200 residents of the 460 homes in Port Franks submitted statements opposing all proposed communications antennas due to health risks to the townspeople, area wildlife, and abundant natural areas home to many endangered species and included requests to deem the area a 'white zone'.

"Residents of a Kitsilano apartment building are holding an all-day vigil to keep B.C. Hydro from installing smart meters this week.

"Sonya Makaroff, whose family owns a 74-unit building on York Ave., has plunked herself down in the lobby and is ready to deny access to Hydro personnel.

"A notice on the front door says the building's owner is "unable to grant installers access to exchange meters."

"Hydro intends to install new meters, which use wireless technology, sometime before 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

"It's hard to say exactly how things will go," said Makaroff. "A lot of this is evolving . . .

"In the case of an apartment building, Verschoor said Hydro would not recognize a building-wide ban being undertaken by individuals.

"Each customer would have to contact us individually to have their meter put on hold," she said.

"Makaroff said over 50 per cent of the building has signed a petition against the meters . . .

"The Sutro Tower is a prominent structure on an elevated site in San Francisco. Since 1973 it has provided radio and TV signals for the San Francisco Bay region. There have been long-standing concerns about the health effects of this high-powered transmitter located in the centre of a large urban population.

"The a priori hypothesis is that RF/MW radiation is a Ubiquitous Universal Genotoxic Carcinogen. This is based on a number of occupational studies and previous studies that have shown elevated cancer rates in residential populations living in the vicinity of radar and RF/MW broadcast towers. It is supported by many laboratory studies showing that ELF and RF/MW signals damage DNA. Thus it is predicted that at residential levels of RF/MW exposure cancer rates will increase in the vicinity of the Sutro Tower. This is tested by using the childhood cancer data-set from 1973-1988 with residential locations analysed to see if there is elevation of cancer and possible dose-response relationships. All of the analyses support and together confirm the hypothesis, and the radial patterns eliminate potential confounding factors.

"The objective of this study is to test the a priori hypothesis by analysing the spatial distribution of childhood cancer to determine its relationships to the emissions of RF/MW radiation from the Sutro Tower. The Sutro Tower is 977ft high, on a hill that is 921ft high and the top of the tower is at 1898ft (577m) above sea level . . .

B.C. Hydro is in the process of installing wireless "smart" meters on 99% of homes and businesses in the province of British Columbia, with a target completion date of December, 2012.  They are doing so without due diligence or public education, using "implied consent" as their reason to proceed without permission of the people of B.C. 

This form letter is for those who have had a chance to learn more about the negative effects of living and/or working in the vicinity of wireless smart meters, who do not accept the risk this involves, and who wish to officially register their opposition in the form of a demand for removal of the wireless smart meter, and the re-installation of a wired, analogue meter.

NB You will need to download it in order to copy and paste it into your own email, and fill in your information before sending.

It would be a good idea to also register your situation with your mayor and council.  Address finder here.

If you do NOT already have a wireless "smart meter?"  After posting (ASAP) a sign with your address, name and date, on your meter and on your door, you can send the original Letter of Non-consent to register your wish to keep your analogue meter after posting your intention to. 

Via electronic mail to:  smartmeters@bchydro.com and info.utilities@corix.com

Also via Canada Post to:

BC Hydro,
Smart Meter Specialist Department
6911 Southpoint Drive, Burnaby BC, V3N 4X8 

Attention B.C. Hydro, Corix Utilities and agents and/or assignees thereof:

Re: DEMAND FOR REMOVAL of any wireless Smart Meter at my Residence/Workplace  AND RE-INSTALLATION of Analogue/Wired Meter

Dated: _______________, 201__      B.C. Hydro Account # on bill_____________

Address: ___________________________________________________________

Please accept this as your official notice from this date forward of my absolute demand for the removal of any wireless Smart Meter installed on my Residence / Workplace AND for the re-installation, at BC Hydro's expense, of a wired, analogue meter on my home or premises at

full address  ________________________________________________________

Take notice that B.C. Hydro, Corix Utilities and /or agents and assignees thereof did not have my authorization, permission or consent to enter my property, business or premises for the purpose of replacing my previous meter with a new wireless Smart Meter.

Your action of installing this device on my property or residence is constituted as trespass and a violation of rights afforded to me as a citizen of Canada. 

I refuse your wireless Smart Meter on the grounds that it has the capability of being a surveillance system, used by you or other parties, which could violate my right to privacy. 

Also: My fundamental democratic right to protect my health from a possible carcinogen, specifically radiofrequency electromagnetic fields emitted by your wireless Smart Meter, supersedes any right you have to install a wireless Smart Meter on my property.

You only have authorization to attend at my property for the purpose of reinstalling a non-wireless analogue meter, and reading it manually. 

Name in full ________________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________

Copy (Cc) to

Liberal BC Leader Christy Clark, Minister of Energy Rich Coleman, NDP Energy Critic John Horgan, BC Chief Medical Officer Perry Kendall, NDP Deputy Health Critic Sue Hammell, Green Party Federal Leader Elizabeth May, Minister of Health, Mike de Jong, NDP Health Critic Mike Farnworth,
NDP BC Leader Adrian Dix, Green Party BC Leader Jane Sterk, BCRefed Leader Ingrid Voigt  
         

premier@gov.bc.ca, rich.coleman.mla@leg.bc.ca, john.horgan.mla@leg.bc.ca, perry.kendall@gov.bc.ca, sue.hammell.mla@leg.bc.ca, elizabeth.may@greenparty.ca, mike.dejong.mla@leg.bc.ca, mike.farnworth.mla@leg.bc.ca, adrian.dix.mla@leg.bc.ca, leader@greenparty.bc.ca, ingridrefed@gmail.com 

This letter format can be accessed, downloaded, cut and pasted into your own email from:citizensforsafetechnology.org   (Smart Meter Action Kit under "REMOVAL LETTER")

The following letter format is for use by citizens wishing accountability from Rich Coleman, our BC Minister of Energy.  It is designed to cut and paste into an individual e-mail and send.  As well, if preferred, it can be sent by regular post. Addresses provided:

"Please sign the following statement and return signed copy to the above noted address:

"I, Rich Coleman, Minister of Energy and Mines do solemnly swear that in my capacity as Minister responsible for the installation of Smart Meters in British Columbia I have personally familiarized myself with the available research regarding the use of the Smart Meter technology, information that includes . . .

"Further, having considered the above information in my decision, or wilfully ignoring it, I still declare that Smart Meters are safe and pose no health threat to humans and maintain that my commitment to this position is such that I waive all indemnity rights and privileges associated with my position as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Specifically, I waive the lawful protection to immunity from legal prosecution and/or legal indemnification in lawsuits or other legal matters related to Smart Meters and their adverse affects on human health and safety. In other words, I will take personal responsibility for my decision . . .