Farmers in rural Manitoba looking for better cell service
Posted June 2, 2026 6:49 pm.
Last Updated June 2, 2026 6:52 pm.
Have you ever had to make a really important phone call but for some reason, you just don’t have service? Well, that’s something that farmers in Manitoba have to deal with every day, and community members in the Rural Municipality of McDonald have had enough, citing major concerns with safety.
“If something happens on the farm and we need to get a hold of somebody, good luck. We’ve had incidents on the farm where somebody’s had to walk up the road and stand as high as they could to make a call and stand there on the phone while waiting for the ambulance,” said Colin Penner, a grain farmer in Elm Creek, about 75 kilometers south of Winnipeg.
“Yes, 100 per cent it’s a basic human right,” said Penner. “For us it’s not just about being able to scroll. It’s about being able to talk and connect. And when I have a piece of equipment that’s broken down, and I have to phone and shut the tractor off and stand on top of the tractor to talk to the service tech, it’s not cost-effective. It’s costing me and my business, but it’s also costing the province’s GDP as well.”
Penner says that this is a problem everywhere, not just in his municipality. He uses cell boosters and even a mile-wide Wi-Fi network around his property as a short-term solution, but he wants more.
“I’ve reached out to cell service providers. I’ve said I have land, I have power. I would love a cell tower in my backyard. Well maybe not in my backyard but you know, crickets, nothing there,” he explained.
In a statement to CityNews, Bell MTS, which operates 468 wireless towers in Manitoba, said, “Wireless expansion in rural regions is a challenge for private investment alone, and we are open to partnerships with provincial and federal government to expand our network.”
CityNews also reached out to the province, but did not hear back.
President of Direct Farm Manitoba Phil Veldhuis manages over 1,200 hives across multiple rural municipalities. Based out of Starbuck, Veldhuis faces the same issues as Penner
“We’re close enough to Winnipeg, we can see the glow of the city at night, and yet we can’t get cell phone service,” said Veldhuis. “Everyone in Manitoba should be able to drive around and find their way around. And if they have trouble, be able to get help. And where you live shouldn’t matter.”
