Cellular service between Sooke and Port Renfrew will be fully operational by spring, says Rogers Communications, eliminating a dead zone along a 70 kilometre stretch of Highway 14 that includes remote communities and some of the Island's most popular trails and beaches.
 
The company said in an update that five cellular towers are complete and providing coverage from Sooke to Minute Creek, about 13 kilometres east of Port Renfrew.
 
The remaining two towers are under construction and are expected to be completed by April, though the company did not provide a specific date.
 
"Cell service has been talked about for so long here that it's a see-it-to-believe-it thing," said Conner Bull, manager of the Port Renfrew Hotel and Pub.
 
But he said cell service "will improve life."
 
The provincial government announced in April 2021 that the infrastructure for cellular service would be in place by October 2021 to provide the wireless service so desperately needed by residents, search-and-rescue operators, and the thousands who use the trails and beaches along the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail.
 
But the construction of the towers, ranging from 40 to 60 metres high, and associated hardware hit several snags.
 
Rogers has said it has dealt with labour and supply chain issues and site construction delays associated with access, power-line construction, and environmental concerns on seven sites.
 
The sites were rezoned by the Capital Regional District and involved several landowners, including First Nations and forestry companies.
 
In a statement, Rogers chief technology officer Ron McKenzie said the 70 kilometres of 5G coverage will be welcomed by thousands.
 
"We are proud to light up service along this stretch of Highway 14 as we work to improve wireless connectivity for drivers and emergency responders," McKenzie said.
 
Al Wickheim, CRD director for the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area, said having cell coverage will be "huge."
 
"Overall, it's such a great benefit, not just emergency responders and residents but to anyone travelling the West Coast Road, you get stuck or break down, and you can call to get help."
 
Wickheim credits his predecessor, Mike Hicks, for laying much of the groundwork for the cell service.
 
The completed towers are located at Minute Creek, Bear Beach, Bear Beach North, Shirley, and an area just west of Sooke.
 
The remaining towers are closer to Port Renfrew.
 
Gord Horth, general manager of the CREST system that provides emergency equipment and services to first responders in the capital region, said the new towers will provide a vital link to an increasingly busy corridor west of Sooke.
 
The area includes Jordan River and Shirley as well as access points to beaches on the Juan de Fuca trail.
 
People who are injured, or lost, or run into vehicle trouble, often rely on bouncing cell signals off U.S. towers to get help, if they are close to a beach.
 
Or they simply wait until they can find someone who can drive into Sooke.
 
Horth said CREST will "piggyback" its transmitters and power systems at five of Rogers' seven towers.
 
He estimated the CREST hardware will be installed by the second quarter of this year, after Rogers completes the tower system.
 
That will give first responders such as paramedics, fire departments, and police increased channel capacity, allowing agencies to communicate in emergencies.
 
Currently, RCMP and paramedics switch to their own systems when they are out of range of CREST, and the Port Renfrew Fire Department has its own communications system.
 
The expansion will also allow other agencies such as B.C. Transit, the B.C. Conservation Officers Service, and CRD hazmat crews to tap into CREST while on Highway 14.
 
The cost for CREST to install its equipment and house backup generators will be about $250,000 per tower, Horth said.
 
Funding for the cell project is part of the province's Stronger B.C. Economic Recovery Plan, which included a one-time $90 million grant to the Connecting British Columbia program to expand high-speed internet and cellular access in rural and indigenous communities.
 
Rogers Communications was selected to receive up to $4.9 million to build the cell tower infrastructure.
 
Darron Kloster.