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Province to improve cellular service from Sooke to Port Renfrew
Times Colonist7 April 2021p. A1Darron Kloster, Times ColonistJDF SAR era
Darron Kloster, Times Colonist. Times Colonist, p. A1, 7 April 2021 ref-only
Summary
A highway rest area near the entrance to Sombrio Beach, a popular surfing hotspot, will be upgraded to provide a Wi-Fi connection, improving safety and convenience for people passing through or coming to enjoy a view of the ocean or a hike down the trails, the province said. The announcement is being welcomed by first responders. "Like so many emergency responders, we have come to rely upon cellular service for voice and data communications," said Vickie Weber, senior manager of Juan de Fuca Search and Rescue. "Many online resources enhance our capability and response to people who may be having a life-threatening emergency. We know it will have a significant impact on any [search-and-rescue] emergency along this route." Funding comes from the province's StrongerBC Economic Recovery Plan, which included a one-time $90-million grant to the Connecting British Columbia programme; Rogers Communications was selected to receive up to $4.9 million to build the cell tower infrastructure. Premier John Horgan, whose riding includes the area, said a cellular signal provides "peace of mind knowing you can stay in touch ... and call for help if it's needed."
Details
| Headline | “Province to improve cellular service from Sooke to Port Renfrew” |
|---|---|
| Publication | Times Colonist |
| Date | 7 April 2021 |
| Page | A1 |
| Byline | Darron Kloster, Times Colonist |
| Era | JDF SAR era |
| Document type | news report |
| Original article | ProQuest — the scanned page in the Times Colonist digital archive ↗ |
| Source | ProQuest Digital Times Colonist via GVPL (bulk export 2026-07-16) |
| Accessed | 2026-07-16 |
| Licensing | ref-only |
| Record confidence | confirmed |
Archivist's note
The cellular-service announcement for the Sooke to Port Renfrew corridor, and the piece of infrastructure news that matters most to this archive. Almost every incident along that stretch — the 2015 Sombrio grotto search, the 2018 cliff fall, the 2021 kayak search — turns on there being no way to call for help. Weber's line that it will have a significant impact on any search-and-rescue emergency along the route is the team's own assessment. This page was recovered from inside the ProQuest bulk export already held in the archive, where it had been listed as referenced but not held.
The clipping
