BC Tel

BC Telephone and later BC Tel was the legal operating name for the telephone company operating throughout the province of British Columbia, Canada. For most of its history, BC Tel served as one of several regional monopolies in Canada. In 1985 the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) ruled to once again allow competition in long-distance telephone service. In 1998, BC Tel merged with Telus to become the second largest telecommunications company in Canada.

History

William Farrell has been credited as consolidating virtually all of the telephone interests throughout BC to create the foundation of the BC Telephone Company/TELUS as we know it today.

William Farrell moved to Vancouver with his wife Jessie Maude in 1891 as the first General Manager of the Yorkshire & Canadian Trust Ltd. for BC. With small private telephone exchanges springing up through BC in the early 1890s Farrell took a large interest in the New Westminster & Burrard Inlet Telephone Company. Working with the owner he worked to amalgamate it with smaller companies eventually forming BC Telephone Company Limited in 1904. As president, William was the hand that guided BC Tel through the first 20 years initiating programs and balancing growth. Under his leadership, the company connected up the local exchanges in every community from Port Alberni to Victoria and Agassiz to Vancouver to create the telecommunications network we rely on today.