A proposed telecommunications tower on Pelee Island is prompting birders — like Margaret Atwood — to push back

People are pushing back against the proposed 200 meter tall telecommunications tower on Pelee Island, saying it will harm migratory birds. The company wanting to build the tower is DRW. According to its website, it strives And that its technologies support global trading infrastructure. to move data between two points In November 2025, the outgoing mayor of the township on earth faster than anyone. of Pelee Island signed a letter accepting the request. A letter approved by council. It says the proposed tower went through the required consultation process, including public engagement and environmental review. The Pelee Island Bird Observatory, a non-profit dedicated to preserving natural bird habitat on Pelee Island, is against the tower. Saying it would sit on a major bird migration route and within areas that contain critical habitat for seven species at risk. It says the tower would act like a blender for migrating birds as they would be drawn to lights on the tower at night and would strike its guide wires. It has put out a petition for a full federal impact assessment of the plan. Author Margaret Atwood lives on the island and wrote a post supporting the petition. In it, she calls it a, quote, bird-killing tower and says Pelee Island is the stupidest place to put such a stock-trading tower and that it holds no benefits for the island's residents. In a statement to the CBC, the company says it has worked with the Pelee Island Bird Observatory, Birds Canada, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to understand and proactively address the risks to birds. It also says it's committed to voluntarily installing best-in-class bird collision mitigation technologies alongside the lighting requirements for aviation security. CBC has reached out to the federal government, but did not receive a response in time for this broadcast. Jacob Barker, CBC News, Windsor.