BCTel
Encyclopedia
BC Telephone and later BC Tel was the legal operating name for the province wide telephone company operating throughout the province of British Columbia, Canada.
In 1904 the Victoria & Esquimalt Telephone Company and the New Westminster & Burrard Inlet Telephone Company were taken over by The Vernon & Nelson Telephone Company. On July 5, 1904 the name of the company was changed to the British Columbia Telephone Company Limited.
In 1916 the British Columbia Telephone Company Limited obtained a Federal charter and dropped the word Limited from its name.
Theodore Gary & Company bought a substantial interest in BC Telephone in December 1926 held in Canada under the Anglo-Canadian Telephone Company. Other Gary Companies at the time included International Automatic Telephone Company & British Insulated Cables. Mr G H Halse remained as President & General Manager of BC Telephone.
BC Telephone participated in Canada's first coast to coast radio broadcast for Canada's Diamond Jubilee, July 1, 1927.
On the first of April 1929, a charter was obtained for a new company under BC Telephone to be called "North West Telephone Company". This company was created to experiment with Radio-Telephony as a method to serve areas of the province otherwise unreachable by wire. The first experiment was in providing a connection to Powell River from Campbell River, 50 miles across the water.
A new record for storm damage in the BC Telephone system was set little over a year after the previous record had been set. The rain and sleet began early in the morning of Monday January 21, 1935. There were 1500 poles and 700 miles of wire down in the Fraser valley. Victoria had 1800 telephones out of service. The trans Canada toll line wasn't back in service until February 10, 1935.
The first photographs ever to be transmitted from Vancouver via Wire Photo Service took place during the King & Queen's visit on May 29, 1939.
GTE
of Stamford Connecticut became a 50.2% owner of the BC Telephone Company when the Theodore Gary Company merged with GTE
in 1955.
The "North West Telephone Company" was officially merged into the BC Telephone Company on January 1, 1961.
In 1979 the BC Telephone Company acquired Automatic Electric Canada and formed "AEL Microtel". Soon afterwards the name was shortened to just "Microtel"
In 1982 "BTE - Business Terminal Equipment" was formed to compete in the newly deregulated Premise Equipment field.
BC Telephone formed "BC Cellular" in 1985 to compete in the new Cellular Telephone business.
On May 1, 1993 BC Telephone reorganised under holding company "BC Telecom Inc" and changed its legal operating name to "BC Tel".
The deregulation of the phone industry in the 1990s combined with the competition of copper lines with cell phones, totally changed the business environment. In a 1999 "merger of equals" BC Tel merged with Telus
(the telephone operating company in Alberta
).
Initially registered as BCT.Telus the hunt for a new name began. Soon after it was announced that the newly formed company would keep the Telus
name and the headquarters would be in Vancouver.
With the merger, the new Telus became the second largest telephone company in Canada
.
In 1904 the Victoria & Esquimalt Telephone Company and the New Westminster & Burrard Inlet Telephone Company were taken over by The Vernon & Nelson Telephone Company. On July 5, 1904 the name of the company was changed to the British Columbia Telephone Company Limited.
In 1916 the British Columbia Telephone Company Limited obtained a Federal charter and dropped the word Limited from its name.
Theodore Gary & Company bought a substantial interest in BC Telephone in December 1926 held in Canada under the Anglo-Canadian Telephone Company. Other Gary Companies at the time included International Automatic Telephone Company & British Insulated Cables. Mr G H Halse remained as President & General Manager of BC Telephone.
BC Telephone participated in Canada's first coast to coast radio broadcast for Canada's Diamond Jubilee, July 1, 1927.
On the first of April 1929, a charter was obtained for a new company under BC Telephone to be called "North West Telephone Company". This company was created to experiment with Radio-Telephony as a method to serve areas of the province otherwise unreachable by wire. The first experiment was in providing a connection to Powell River from Campbell River, 50 miles across the water.
A new record for storm damage in the BC Telephone system was set little over a year after the previous record had been set. The rain and sleet began early in the morning of Monday January 21, 1935. There were 1500 poles and 700 miles of wire down in the Fraser valley. Victoria had 1800 telephones out of service. The trans Canada toll line wasn't back in service until February 10, 1935.
The first photographs ever to be transmitted from Vancouver via Wire Photo Service took place during the King & Queen's visit on May 29, 1939.
GTE
GTE
GTE Corporation, formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation was the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System....
of Stamford Connecticut became a 50.2% owner of the BC Telephone Company when the Theodore Gary Company merged with GTE
GTE
GTE Corporation, formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation was the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System....
in 1955.
The "North West Telephone Company" was officially merged into the BC Telephone Company on January 1, 1961.
In 1979 the BC Telephone Company acquired Automatic Electric Canada and formed "AEL Microtel". Soon afterwards the name was shortened to just "Microtel"
In 1982 "BTE - Business Terminal Equipment" was formed to compete in the newly deregulated Premise Equipment field.
BC Telephone formed "BC Cellular" in 1985 to compete in the new Cellular Telephone business.
On May 1, 1993 BC Telephone reorganised under holding company "BC Telecom Inc" and changed its legal operating name to "BC Tel".
The deregulation of the phone industry in the 1990s combined with the competition of copper lines with cell phones, totally changed the business environment. In a 1999 "merger of equals" BC Tel merged with Telus
TELUS
Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...
(the telephone operating company in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
).
Initially registered as BCT.Telus the hunt for a new name began. Soon after it was announced that the newly formed company would keep the Telus
TELUS
Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...
name and the headquarters would be in Vancouver.
With the merger, the new Telus became the second largest telephone company in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
External links
- BC Tel History from Telus's Corporate web site.