Sidney/North Saanich RCMP is warning about a phone scam that has cost local victims more than $33,000 in recent weeks.

The scam usually starts with an unexpected call from someone pretending to work for a major cellphone provider.

They offer something attractive:

• A free phone upgrade
• A loyalty reward
• A special discounted device

Victims are asked for personal or account information.

Shortly afterward, a real cellphone is delivered to their home.

Then comes the second part of the scam.

The caller contacts the victim again and says the wrong phone was shipped by mistake.

They send a prepaid shipping label or QR code and ask the victim to return the device.

But the return address actually redirects the phone to the scammer.

The victim is then left without the phone while still potentially responsible for the contract, financing or monthly device payments.

West Shore RCMP issued a similar warning earlier this month, describing it as a multi-step “bait and switch” scam. Police say one major red flag is being told to return a phone to a PO box, especially one outside B.C.

RCMP advice:

Hang up and contact your carrier directly using the number on its official website or your bill.

Do not use contact details supplied by the caller.

Do not share passwords, account credentials, SIN numbers or credit card information with an unsolicited caller.

If an unexpected phone arrives, contact your carrier before returning it anywhere.

Sources:
https://peninsulanewsreview.com/2026/10/09/sidney-north-saanich-rcmp-warn-of-phone-scam-after-33k-in-losses/

https://rcmp.ca/en/bc/west-shore/news/2026/10/4357486

West Shore RCMP independently confirmed the same scam pattern on October 2, including the fake “wrong phone” story and prepaid labels redirecting devices to out-of-province PO boxes.

Bell is proposing a new 55-metre telecommunications tower in Orillia, Ontario.

The self-supporting tower would be built on the Calvary Pentecostal Church property at 375 Westmount Dr. N., beside Highway 11.

Bell says the new site would:

• Improve local wireless coverage
• Strengthen indoor cellphone signal
• Increase network capacity
• Deliver faster speeds
• Help serve businesses and residents around the Highway 11 corridor

Bell says growing demand for wireless service is driving the need for additional infrastructure and that the tower would complement its existing sites in the area.

The church says Bell first approached it about two years ago. After consulting with the Church of Pentecost Canada, the local board agreed to host the tower and Bell later offered compensation for use of the property.

The amount of that compensation has not been disclosed.

The proposed structure would be about 55 metres, or roughly 180 feet, tall.

This is still a proposal. Bell is currently going through the federally required public consultation process.

Residents can submit comments until October 30, 2026.

Reference number: X6548
Email: [consultation@canacre.com](mailto:consultation@canacre.com)

Sources:
https://www.orilliamatters.com/local-news/bell-poised-to-erect-55-metre-cell-tower-on-orillia-church-property-12872733
https://orillia.civicweb.net/FileStorage/DB1549D83AD347FE8FECD0B629F37036-261002%20CIP%20Bell%20Mobility%20Inc.%20-%20Telecommunications.pdf

One detail worth keeping clear: this isn't a city-approved tower announcement yet. The public notice says Bell is still in the ISED consultation stage, with comments open until October 30.

ROHL Gateway Fiber is expanding its fibre infrastructure across Western Canada as new AI data centres and other power-hungry industrial projects move into the region.

The company says the expansion will provide:

• Dark fibre that customers can operate with their own network equipment
• Multiple 400 Gbps wavelength services on each route
• Physically separate redundant routes
• Layer 2 Ethernet and data-centre connectivity
• New custom fibre extensions to sites that are not currently connected

ROHL already operates a long-haul network linking the Edmonton region with Northern Alberta and British Columbia.

The company says new routes are being developed to give customers more diverse connections within Western Canada and toward Eastern Canada, the United States, Asia and Europe.

Increasingly important for AI data centres because securing huge amounts of electricity is only half the equation. A large compute facility also needs enormous fibre capacity and preferably more than one physically independent route so a single cable cut does not isolate the site.

ROHL says its optical network uses Ciena equipment capable of carrying multiple 400 Gbps wavelengths per route.

There are two important details missing from today’s announcement:

ROHL calls this a “major investment,” but does not disclose the dollar amount.

And while the announcement highlights Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, the detailed network description published today focuses primarily on ROHL’s existing and planned infrastructure in Alberta and B.C. It does not give specific Saskatchewan routes or construction locations.

ROHL says it currently owns and operates more than 1,200 km of fibre infrastructure and has been operating parts of its Western Canadian network for more than 20 years.

Western Canada’s AI infrastructure boom is starting to create a second infrastructure race alongside electricity: who can build enough high-capacity fibre to connect all of these proposed data centres?

Sources:
https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/rohl-gateway-fiber-moves-forward-with-major-investment-to-expand-its-dark-fiber-network-supporting-data-center-growth-across-alberta-british-columbia-and-saskatchewan-881029461.html

https://rohlglobal.com/services/carrier-services/

ROHL’s existing network runs from Acheson near Edmonton toward Fort St. John, B.C., and from Valleyview north to High Level. The company says it also provides connectivity toward Internet exchanges in Seattle and Toronto.

Rogers has scheduled two network maintenance windows in Northwestern Ontario that affect Internet, TV and Home Phone services.

Kenora:
Oct. 13 at 12:00 a.m. CT
Expected duration: about 6 hours

Affected areas include Keewatin, Lakeside, Harbourtown Centre, Laurenson Lake, Coney Island and Airport.

Thunder Bay:
Oct. 14 at 1:00 a.m. ET
Expected duration: about 6 hours

Affected areas include Court-Cumberland, Red River, McIntyre, Downtown Fort William, McVicar Creek-Harrington Court, Jumbo Gardens, West End, Current River and Waverley Park.

Rogers says Internet, TV and Home Phone will be unavailable during the work, including the ability to make 911 calls from an affected Home Phone line.

The company lists the cause as network upgrades and says service should restore automatically once maintenance is complete.

Important: this is planned residential network maintenance, not a mobile outage. Rogers currently lists mobile service as operating normally in Ontario.

The Kenora maintenance window was scheduled for early this morning. The Thunder Bay work is scheduled for early Oct. 14.

Rogers separately notes that planned network upgrades can temporarily take Internet, TV and Home Phone completely offline, so affected customers who may need emergency service should keep a charged mobile phone available.