By Mark Squibb
Members of the Southern Shore Joint Council have two major concerns on their minds that they want to see addressed — poor cell phone service and damage caused by coastal erosion.
Bay Bulls Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien, who sits on the council along with representatives from other municipal councils and local service districts along the shore, told his fellow Bay Bulls council colleagues during the January 13 public meeting that the two topics were major subjects of discussion during a recent joint council meeting.
“We’re looking for an approach to get better cell coverage for the Southern Shore,” said O’Brien. “It goes blank in a lot of areas and is very poor in others.”
He said the committee was looking at reaching out to both Bell and the provincial government regarding the issue, and the problem appears to be a case of “more users on the same old equipment.”
The deputy mayor added that many communities along the shore have suffered coastal erosion, particularly following recent storms.
Mayor Keith O’Driscoll applauded the joint council’s action on both items — particularly in regard to the poor cell phone coverage.
“Cell coverage has diminished completely,” said the mayor. “Hopefully we can make some traction and get things changed.”
The issue of poor cell phone service is not limited to the Southern Shore— the town councils of Conception Bay South and Holyrood have also raised a fuss over poor cellular service in recent years.
