A resident of Kemptville’s eQuinelle subdivision is speaking out in hopes of receiving better communication and some straight answers about telecommunications work on Equinelle Drive. The woman – who wished to remain anonymous – told the Times that a company called Tandem Networks has been on site installing what she believes are buried cables for Rogers Communications.
The work is leaving more than anyone bargained for, including damages to properties that are affecting their aesthetic quality. Ground is being disturbed, some driveways have had holes cut in them, and there is another problem that the contractor may not have anticipated. Because the subdivision was built on land that is heavily laden with underground boulders, the act of digging and drilling is pushing boulders up from under the road, causing unsightly bumps. The resident joked that the road is starting to look as though it is pregnant.
“They’re in front of our house right now, so I don’t know what kind of damage we’re going to sustain,” the woman said. “We haven’t been given any information. Isn’t it their responsibility to at least let homeowners know when work is going to be done in your area?” The woman is also concerned about whether the repairs to damaged properties are going to be done to the residents’ standards, or to the contractor’s standards. “One of my neighbours said he doesn’t want a patch in the middle of his driveway, he wants a new driveway.”
The resident understands that the Municipality has an easement at the frontage of all properties, but that has not allayed any of her concerns. “We have to keep it up,” she said. “If I don’t cut it, if I don’t maintain it, I’m going to have by-law at my doorstep in a flash, but they can come and tear it up and that’s okay?”
Director of Public Works Karen Dunlop provided a comment after learning of the resident’s concerns. “High speed internet and broadband expansion is taking place within many areas of the municipality,” said Director Dunlop. “The installation of the Rogers network within the eQuinelle subdivision is being completed within the road allowance and all homes received a communication via door to door notice of the expansion of the network in their area. The disturbed area will be reinstated to pre-existing condition or better.”
Despite Director Dunlop’s claim, the concerned resident does not remember receiving a notice on her door, and neither does her neighbour. Her husband did find a notice on Facebook, in which she said eQuinelle “wiped their hands of it” and made it clear that the work is not their doing or their responsibility.
At the end of all of this headache, the concerned resident hopes that at the very least, eQuinelle residents will get some benefit out of it. “You hear from your neighbours, ‘well we think it’s not going to benefit us, we think it’s only going to benefit Blackhorse down the road’, and I’m thinking that means we’re not going to get Rogers and we’re going through all of this.”
Tandem Networks was contacted for comment but did not respond by deadline.