Grandma against cell towers pitstops here By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF A Port Frank grandmother, walking to Ottawa to raise awareness of the dangers posed by cell towers, stopped in Oakville Thursday to add local voices to her message. Wendy Hoy and her dog Dash, power walked to the cell tower at Rebecca Street and Bronte Road, where she was met by about 20 local supporters cheering and waving signs that read `Protect Your Children... Stop Cell Towers Where Children Live and Play.' Many present have protested the recent addition of Bell Canada antennas to the cell tower at Bronte and Rebecca, which they feel could harm nearby residents with electromagnetic radiation emissions. Hoy expressed concern about the cell tower being right next to the Bronte Fire Station. "I just don't know what is going to happen to the health of these people who protect us when we are in trouble." Halton Region's Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Bob Nosal, has said there is no convincing evidence weak radio frequency signals from cell towers cause adverse health effects. He has however acknowledged the agreement between Health Canada, the World Health Organization, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer that additional research is warranted. For Hoy there is no doubt. Last spring, Hoy said a cell tower was erected in Port Frank, which is west of London. Fearing the health impacts, Hoy and many residents and their council tried to fight the cell tower, but to no avail. Hoy's ordeal echoes the one Oakville residents went through in fighting the add-ons to the Bronte/Rebecca tower. "We learned through our experience, our journey that we don't have any power to stop these things, our municipality has no power to stop these things," said Hoy. "The bottom line is Industry Canada makes the final decision and that is a federal decision overriding any municipal decision." With her options limited, Hoy took a leave of absence from her job and organized a walk to raise awareness. So far Hoy's walk, which began Sept. 20, has taken her to Park Hill, London, Woodstock, Brantford, Hamilton and Burlington. En route she has shot video of residents fighting their own cell-tower battles. "People that I talk to and videotape who have had similar experiences, all say the same thing. `We need a say in what kind of things we are exposed to,'" said Hoy. "I'm walking for our right as individuals to protect our health." Hoy said she is also walking for the people who have already been injured by cell-tower 9 · Friday, October 12, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com MICHAEL IVANIN / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER WALK OF PROTEST: Wendy Hoy, 57, arrived at the Oakville fire station at Bronte Road and Rebecca Street Thursday en route to Ottawa. emissions and are now electro-hypersensitive. Hoy said her walk will eventually take her to Ottawa where she hopes to speak with authorities in government who can make changes to the rules governing cell-tower placement. Hoy's walk through Oakville included stops at Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn's and Oakville MP Terence Young's constituency offices. She also visited other cell tower facilities that have raised concern in Oakville, including the Bell facility in a house on Balsam Drive. Former Citizens for Clean Air (C4CA) Chair Frank Clegg used the occasion to announce he and a group of residents are launching an Oakville chapter of Citizens for Safe Technology (C4ST). Clegg said the group will seek to educate Canadians on potential hazards of electromagnetic radiation, work with government to update cell-tower safety regulations and work to convince society electro-hypersensitive people exist. For information on Wendy's walk, visit www. facebook.com/#!/WendyWalksforES?fref=ts. Let Us Cater Your Christmas and Holiday Parties! Book Now! mediterranean cuisine Ad nis 497 Pinegrove Rd., Oakville If your walls could talk, they'd thank you. Great home insurance. Protect your home with the best. And do it at a price that will have your wallet saying "thanks" too. Get to a better StateTM. 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