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Margaret Atwood joins fight against proposed 600-foot tower on Pelee Island

3h

Summary

  • A 600-foot communications tower is proposed for Pelee Island, Ontario, near the newly opened Atwood-Gibson Bird Centre.
  • Margaret Atwood urged readers on 13 November 2026 to sign a letter calling for a federal environmental assessment of the tower.
  • The Pelee Island Bird Observatory requested a federal impact assessment on 6 October 2026, citing threats to migrating birds.
  • The observatory says the tower site overlaps federally mapped critical habitat for species at risk, including the endangered Blue Racer snake.
  • DRW, the company behind the tower, says it commissioned an environmental study and adopted bird-safety measures in its design.
  • The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada is accepting comments until 16 November 2026, with a decision expected by 19 January 2027.

Reactions

  • Margaret Atwood wrote that Pelee Island is 'one of the stupidest places on the planet to put such a stock-trading tower.'
  • The Pelee Island Bird Observatory calls the site near the Atwood-Gibson Bird Centre a place 'where birds should land, not die.'
  • DRW spokeswoman Caroline Vasquez said 'Protecting wildlife has been a priority throughout the project's planning.'
  • Vasquez said DRW is committed to voluntarily installing best-in-class bird collision mitigation technologies alongside aviation lighting requirements.
  • DRW says it consulted Birds Canada, the Pelee Island Bird Observatory and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
  • The observatory argues DRW's environmental study did not adequately assess bird collisions during migration.

Timeline newest first

  1. On 13 November 2026, Margaret Atwood raised the alarm in a Substack post titled 'Bird Scary Tower!', urging readers to sign a letter for a federal assessment of the Pelee Island tower.
  2. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada is accepting comments on the assessment request until 16 November 2026, with a decision expected by 19 January 2027, the Pelee Island Bird Observatory says.
  3. DRW says the tower project has undergone the public consultation process required by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.
  4. DRW says it commissioned an independent environmental impact study and incorporated its recommended mitigation measures into the tower's design.
  5. The Pelee Island Bird Observatory submitted a request for a federal impact assessment of the tower on 6 October 2026.

Sources newest first

  • Margaret Atwood joins other bird lovers to fight against a proposed 600-foot tower on Pelee Island | CBC Newscbc.ca· 3h

    CBC News reports Margaret Atwood has joined opposition to a proposed 600-foot communications tower on Pelee Island, raising concerns about migratory birds in a Substack post urging readers to back a federal assessment. The Pelee Island Bird Observatory calls the site, near the Atwood-Gibson Bird Centre and critical habitat for the endangered Blue Racer snake, a place "where birds should land, not die," while DRW says it has commissioned an environmental study and adopted bird-safety measures.