The mayor of Ashcroft says a presentation she did at the Union of B.C. Municipalities relating to cell coverage in rural B.C. was well-received.

Barbara Roden says there are huge parts of the province with no cell coverage, something she says was in the spotlight after three murders along northern B.C. highways in July.

Speaking on the NL Morning News, Roden used Highway 37 as an example. She says the highway – which was where Leonard Dyck was killed this summer, leading to Bryer Schmegelsky and Kam McLeod being charged with murder – has a stretch of 681 kilometres with no cell service.

She says the Regional District of Terrace-Stikine wrote to the Ministry of Transport asking for signs to be put up to warn drivers about a lack of cell coverage.

“The response from the Ministry was actually quite interesting to me. They said they’re reluctant to put up signs on behalf of the third party, meaning they don’t provide cell service so they’d be doing that for another company. But I thought well, they put up signs all the time saying ‘gas up’ because there’s no gas for 150 kilometres now.”

Roden also says the Ministry said it “would be difficult” to put signs in the appropriate spots.

“My immediate action was ‘well, we put men on the moon 50 years ago. Surely you can figure out where to put some signs.”

“And cell phone providers shouldn’t be let off the hook because Canadians pay amongst the highest cell phone rates in the world. So I think cell phone companies could well take some of the profits they’re making and do something for public safety.”

Roden gave the presentation yesterday during the UBCM’s Small Talk Forum involving local government members from small municipalities.

(Photo: backcountrycanadatravel.com)