Bell Canada’s New Communication Tower

We are building a home in Seguin Township in near-northern Ontario.  Pals are doing the same on Lake Rosseau in Muskoka District.  They are about two months ahead of us, and we stopped by to check their progress.

Relieved that there will be life after construction, we relaxed and asked about the well-constructed new road leading off from theirs. “That’s the access road to Bell’s fake tree communication tower, one of seven going up in this area. It looks hilarious from the water … ”

We took a side trip down the Bell road on the way home for a closer look.   The 29 meter high, steel and fiberglass conifer reminded me of those original fake Christmas trees – a metal base into which you jammed green bottle-brush-like plastic and wire branches.  Too bad it wasn’t possible for Bell to take it one step further and keep it in ‘line’ with the rest of the treeline.

“The Talking Tree” Cheryl Andrews©

It looks like Bell plans to build more of the fake conifer towers in Brackenrig, Foot’s Bay, Port Carling East, Port Sandfield, Walker’s Point East, Breezy Point Road and Little Lake Joseph.

Cybernetic Trees

“We have become colonized by technology and it’s near impossible to escape it. I think in the future we will see that man-machine-nature will eventually mesh to where its imperceptible but right now welcome to talking trees version 1.0.” (Ed Boutilier, Muskoka Blog).  I agree with Ed.

This view from the water on Lake Rosseau is provided compliments of Ed Boutilier.  The majority of his commenters, cottagers of the Muskoka District, seem to prefer the white pine on steroids (Alice Murphy, Mayor, Township of Muskoka Lakes) over Bell’s traditional communication towers festooned with flashing red lights, in order to stay connected.

And, for a view from Peninsula Road take a peek at Ian Hardy’s photo at mobilesyrup.

I’d love to hear what you have to say on this man-machine-nature issue!

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