FILE PHOTO - Apex Mountain Ski Resort

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A petition to improve internet and cell service at Apex Mountain Ski Resort has gained 250 signatures, reflecting changes in the ways people are living and working.

"As travel restrictions and health concerns are causing citizens to stay at home and recreate locally, communications systems are overloading causing limits to economic opportunity and growth.  Improving services to this location will increase subscriptions, grow the local economy and improve safety,” wrote Anna Terebka, in a petition directed to TELUS and Subrina Monteith, area director for the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen.

She wrote the resort is small, but growing with an increasing number of year-round residents and as more people stay home, they’ve overloading already stressed internet and cell systems.

As cell service is limited, this means there is also an increased safety concern where many locations along the road to the resort don’t have cell service, she wrote.

“As traffic increases to the ski resort, the roads that lead to the resort community do not have cell service meaning when vehicle accidents occur, response for medical help is dependent on good Samaritans stopping to help,” Terebka wrote, adding that the petition includes Apex Mountain Resort, Apex Mountain Road and Green Mountain Road residents.

James Shalman, general manager of the resort, said with streaming and smartphones “bandwidth is becoming a bit of an issue.”

He said activity at the resort has been increasing in recent years.

“The rent at Apex is a lot more affordable than down in Penticton. So we are seeing people that are renting year-round or even coming up for six months in the summer,” he said.

The petition, which gained more than 250 signatures out of its 500 goal, Jan. 30, can be found at change.org.

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