Photo showing part of a newly poured concrete foundation and steel rods to support the cell tower at 14 Crescent St. which is near the entrance to the Sackville Industrial Park

Rogers Communications has begun construction of a controversial 65-metre (213 foot) telecommunications tower in the Sackville Industrial Park to improve its local cell phone services.

Plan 360, the planning and building-permit service of the Southeast Regional Service Commission, has issued a letter of concurrence allowing the project to proceed.

That letter, in effect, grants municipal approval for the cell tower located at 14 Crescent Street across from the Armtec pipe plant and near homes on Beal Heights.

Rogers is leasing the land from Sackville resident Percy Best.

Retired law professor Logan Atkinson says he visited the Plan 360 offices on Friday where he confirmed that the letter of concurrence had been issued as well as a building permit allowing construction to begin.

“Apparently, there’s very little discretion in whether or not the letter of concurrence and then the building permit will issue,” he told Warktimes.

“There are steps the proponent [Rogers Communications] must follow, and as long as those steps are followed properly and met, then the letter of concurrence will issue,” Atkinson says.

One of those steps requires public consultation. The company held an open house in March 2025, where many residents expressed strong opposition to placing the cell tower so close to homes and the Marshview Middle School.

Michelle Klein of Scott Telecom Services, acting as an agent for Rogers, said her company selected the site because it’s zoned industrial and has ready access to electric power.

Former Sackville Mayor Pat Estabrooks expressed concern about potential health effects.

“I live on Beal Heights, so that tower will be directly behind our home,” she said.

“It’s not the right place to put it…[and] I just want to tell you you’re making a wrong decision.”

The company also received written comments from the public as part of its consultation process.

Mayor Black’s letter

Former Mayor Andrew Black addressing council in February 2025 about the Rogers cell tower

When he first heard about the cell tower project in February 2025, then Mayor Andrew Black sent a letter asking Rogers to reconsider the Crescent Street location.

“We are deeply concerned about the potential negative impacts this tower would have on the health of our residents, their property values and their overall quality of life,” his letter said.

Black also objected on aesthetic grounds to placing the tower close to one of the flood retention ponds and the walking trails around it that serve as an extension of the Sackville Waterfowl Park.

“[It’s] a beautiful gem that will only continue to get better as more and more trees grow and more animals move in,” Black said during a town council meeting.

“We will have a…Rogers tower right next to it, which I personally find offensive,” he added.

When asked by Warktimes for a comment on Black’s letter, a Rogers spokesperson e-mailed the following response:

“We are committed to delivering a reliable, consistent wireless experience and are looking to enhance our network in Sackville to provide more seamless coverage for residents, businesses and emergency responders. We want to ensure our services, equipment and design meet local needs, and we will continue to work with the community.”

The company also said that it works closely with the federal regulator to make sure its products and services meet rigorous safety standards including Health Canada’s Safety Code 6.

Skepticism about safety

Sackville resident & retired law professor Logan Atkinson

But, for his part, Logan Atkinson is skeptical about the effectiveness of federal safety standards.

“Wireless technologies are all around us in all aspects of our life,” he says.

“You can’t get on the train without being bombarded with these, with the impulses from wireless technologies and so I think it’s fair to say if we’re learning from the lessons of the past around tobacco use and chemical use in agriculture etc., that we ought to be more cautious especially before siting this tower in the middle of a residential area next to a schoolhouse,” he adds.

To read warnings about the health effects of wireless technologies from Canadians for Safe Technology, click here.

To read Health Canada’s assurances that there are no health risks from cell phones, cell phone towers, antennas and 5G devices, click here.