Reeve Richard Chartrand says the cell service situation in the RM of St. Laurent remains poor and efforts to improve it are met with silence from major telecom providers.
“The service has not improved. It's still terrible,” he says. “We are making it known.”
Chartrand notes that connectivity concerns were raised at a June district meeting with the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM), attended by President Kathy Valentino. He says the issue was also front and centre during a roundtable held by the Association of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (AMBM).
“It's not just a St. Laurent issue. It's a province-wide issue,” says Chartrand.
No movement on promised towers
Despite years of lobbying, St. Laurent is still waiting on the installation of any new cell towers.
Chartrand explains that a company called SLI, based in Toronto, has secured approval from two landowners to place towers in the region but they can’t proceed without support from providers.
“They're waiting for feedback from Bell or Rogers, and they're not getting any response,” he says. “We've reached out to Rogers. We had reached out to Bell two years ago because they had promised in 2024 that they would put up a tower, and at last we heard from them, they had said it may be 2026.”
Chartrand continues, “We just don't understand why. We’ve been in contact with the province, with Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Naylor. She’s sympathetic, but this is governed federally.”
Dead zones and dropped calls a daily reality
The lack of coverage creates not just inconvenience but serious concerns around safety.
Chartrand points to a number of dead zones in the RM, including a well-used four-way stop and the area near Petro-Canada and Lake Francis.
“In the meantime, our ratepayers are complaining to Bell and Rogers,” he remarks. “There's nothing that's being replied to.”
He adds that the RCMP detachment in Lundar has reported similar problems when patrolling within the municipality, which he calls “very frustrating.”
Seasonal demand highlights the gap
Chartrand emphasizes the urgency of the issue during the busy summer months, when St. Laurent’s population doubles or even triples due to cottage and lake traffic.
“Our population jumps from 1,550 to anywhere between 3,000 to 4,000 people,” he remarks. “That impacts the amount of people that are utilizing it. It also impacts our emergency services.”
Even inside his own home, Chartrand says he can’t move from one side of the living room to the other without risking a dropped call.
A direct call for accountability
Despite numerous attempts to engage with Bell and Rogers, the RM says they’ve received no reply.
“We're more than open to do this,” Chartrand says. “Whether they come to our municipality at one of our council meetings, or invite us to one of their locations in Winnipeg to discuss this further.”
He concludes, “But for this to be an ongoing issue for years and years and years is not right.”
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