In Simcoe County, north of Toronto, a group of concerned parents tried to stop the introduction of Wi-Fi networks to public schools.

They organized a petition and attended public meetings, their complaints about supposed ill health effects backed mostly by anecdotes, the odd bit of formal-looking evidence and the use of terms like “electromagnetic sensitivity.” Still, despite a rash of media coverage that leaned heavily on predictions of doom, the school board held firm: Wi-Fi remained in Simcoe schools.

That was 15 years ago.

It occurred to me as a flashback when I read about the recent protests against plans to erect a 5G cell tower in a parking lot in a strip mall in Etobicoke.

The beats are entirely familiar: There are the residents claiming the tower poses dangerous health risks o

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