SDG Counties’ Council has approved a request by Redwood Infrastructure to have access to county roads to expand services and offer more options for internet access in rural areas.
At the same time, county council members have criticized the current contractor leaving road shoulders and ditches in poor condition after fibre optics cables have been installed.
Landowners have also complained that the digging of ditches and leftover debris have had a negative impact on water drainage this spring.
Trevor Baker, SDG Counties’ Operations Manager, explained that there have been two crews on the project installing cables along ditches in SDG; one doing the construction and installation and one restoring the land to its previous condition before construction.
Unfortunately, the long winter caused delays in the second crew’s return for clean-up.
South Glengarry Mayor Lachlan McDonald noted that heavy equipment has used township roads during the spring’s half load restrictions, possibly causing damage to road surfaces.
Baker said that there are plans to have a third-party inspector established to make sure clean-ups are completed in a timely manner and all areas are returned to pre-construction condition.
Redwood will be taking over some of the already installed infrastructure and providing maintenance to the system.
The plan in North Glengarry includes improving existing sites with 5G equipment and building new cellular towers in Maxville, Greenfield, Glen Robertson and east of Laggan.
Crews are installing fibre optic cable throughout SDG, giving homeowners access to high-speed Internet. But some have complained about the damage caused by the work.
