Councillor Castro Liu - Community Update - NOV 2022
Dear Ward 3 Residents,
I want to express a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported, volunteered, and voted for me during my campaign. I am both humbled and honored that you have once again placed your trust in me to represent you. I pledge to continue working for you and for the best interests of all Ward 3 residents in building a safe, collaborative, and inclusive community.
Bell Fibre Installation - Upcoming Work in Ward 3
I want to inform you that Bell and their subcontractor Aecon, will be starting to install fiber optic cables in parts of our ward next week. Fibre connections provide higher internet access speeds, bandwidth and increase internet and TV service reliability. The attached maps show the areas where they will be working. I’ve also attached a FAQ document that includes information on the project and what you can expect.
The fibre cables will be installed in the City owned portion of the boulevard, known as the municipal right-of-way, using directional drilling in most areas. You will notice utility locates (flags or spray painted), followed by some digging in the boulevard to create the pits for the directional drilling. This will be followed by fibre cable placing, splicing and finally restoration. Once restoration is complete, an inspection of the entire installation area will be completed by Bell and City staff to ensure proper restoration has been completed. Residents can expect this construction to last between one to two months depending on weather. In addition to street signs, all residents within the construction area will receive notification prior to construction starting.
Regards,
Councillor Castro Liu, Ward 3
City of Richmond Hill
225 East Beaver Creek Road
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3P4
T: 905 771 5497 | F: 905 771 2500 | e: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Q & A regarding Bell FTTH in Richmond Hill
What does FTTH mean? FTTH stands for Fibre to the Home.
What is the purpose of the Bell FTTH project?Fibre offers the most reliable and fastest Internet technology available. A direct fibre connection to your home will enable Internet access speeds up to 3 Gigabits per second (Gbps), the fastest data access to the home in Canada. Bell fibre also powers the latest advances in Bell’s next-generation Fibe TV and Alt TV services.
What is happening in front of my house and how long will the work take?Residents can expect an increase in Bell/build partner activity, and depending on the infrastructure in your neighbourhood fibre cables will be placed aerially on pole lines, or (more commonly) by buried construction. In areas where we are applying a buried design, the residents will experience utility locates followed by underground construction in the municipal boulevard, typically performed by directional drilling. This will be followed by fibre cable placing and splicing.
Increased Bell and Contractor presence can be expected for up to two months, not including restoration teams and inspection walks in the following weeks. We appreciate your patience as construction times are subject to the weather, and highly impacted by heavy rain and freeze & thaw cycles.
Will there be any restorations on my street once fibre is installed?In the weeks after construction (weather permitting), there will be a full restoration of the work areas, including; repairing or replacing sidewalks and driveways, as well as top soil, grass seed, and sod where required to achieve pre-construction condition. We not only encourage, but also mandate that contractors communicate proactively with residents over any concerns that may arise.
Residents are encouraged to speak with the teams in the field and the contacts provided for any deficiencies caused as a result of Bell work.
What are all the flags and paint marks on my street?Before construction begins, locators are sent out by Bell to identify where existing utility infrastructure, such as gas lines and water mains are located. The locators will then indicate by flags or paint the exact location of these utilities so construction teams are aware of the safe distances they must maintain from each utility during construction.
Will homeowners be notified before construction starts?In addition to street signs, all residents within the construction area will receive notification prior to construction starting; It’s also Bell policy that all residents are approached via direct mail or door hangers (applying Covid protocols) with the opportunity to have a service wire placed directly to the side of their house free of change and without obligation. This final service wire function will be performed after the spring thaw.
Who is doing the work for Bell?The project will rely on both Bell teams and our build partners RBS (Robert B. Somerville), Telecon (including Telecon/Promark locators), and Aecon in addition to some sub-contractors to complete fiber testing once construction is complete. The specific contractor will vary within Richmond Hill and all sites will have signs throughout the construction areas in your neighbourhood with a phone number to call. Below is an example of our current build partners’ signage during construction in Oak Ridges.
The Role of the City of Richmond Hill
The City of Richmond Hill has a municipal access agreement (MAA) with Bell that outlines the conditions which they can use and work in the right-of-way (ROW). The ROW typically is the boulevard section in front and/or beside the homeowner’s property. This work must follow the Telecommunications act which gives utility and telecom providers the right to install and maintain their infrastructure in the ROW.
The City of Richmond Hill’s Utility Permit Coordinators are responsible for the reviewing and approving the proposed design of new installations, as well as issuing Road Occupancy Permits (ROPs). The Utility Permit Coordinators also assist with complaint resolution and conduct inspections to ensure restoration requirements have been met.
The key contacts for this work include:
Primary Contact:Anthony Mirabelli, Utility Permit Coordinator This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Secondary Contact:Kevin Wilton, Utility Permit Coordinator This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.