One day soon, or maybe already, the pay phone at Roberts Lake Resort will be used for the last time.
The sign above the booth has a maple tree growing alongside it, and the edges of the booth itself have begun to show signs of lichen from the rains last winter. But stepping into the booth feels like stepping in to the past. It91裸聊视频檚 clean, well taken care of and, for now at least, functional.
Also inside the booth is a notice posted on the phone by Telus, saying the phone is slated for removal on May 13, 2024.
91裸聊视频淟et91裸聊视频檚 let91裸聊视频檚 put it this way. It91裸聊视频檚 a good emergency phone.91裸聊视频� said Lorna Duncan, the owner of the Roberts Lake Resort.
Duncan has owned the resort for 46 years, and said that the phone gets regular use for emergency communications: people waylaid by weather in winter, or reporting accidents on an empty Vancouver Island highway strip between Campbell River and Sayward that does not have cell service.
91裸聊视频淭his is the halfway point between Campbell River and Sayward,91裸聊视频� Duncan said. 91裸聊视频淪o if you have an accident and are out of cell range, this is what people use. There isn91裸聊视频檛 anything around. What do they do?91裸聊视频�
Many community members posted to the Sayward community Facebook group in the past few days, saying they91裸聊视频檝e contacted Telus about their safety concerns.
91裸聊视频淲hen I saw that I just decided I91裸聊视频檇 write to Telus,91裸聊视频� said Terry Kluytmans, a resident of Sayward. 91裸聊视频淚 hope that public pressure (will) either stop them from removal of the phone booth or make them consider putting in a cell tower like they91裸聊视频檝e done it by Woss.91裸聊视频�
Kluytmans used to drive to and from Campbell River daily for work. She said that on one occasion she witnessed an accident and stopped to lend a hand.
91裸聊视频淭here was nobody around so it took probably 10 minutes for the first car to come by,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚t was almost an hour before we got personnel there to actually be on scene because it was just so far between two locations 91裸聊视频� It91裸聊视频檚 scary and when it91裸聊视频檚 winter and those curves are bad when you91裸聊视频檝e got black ice in place, you know, it91裸聊视频檚 a scary road.91裸聊视频�
The Mirror reached out to Telus, who said in an emailed statement that 91裸聊视频淎fter careful consideration, we are replacing the existing pay phones at Roberts Lake Resort and Sayward Valley Resort on Vancouver Island with community phones, at no charge to the person calling. The pay phones will remain operational until the community phones are installed.91裸聊视频�
Telus91裸聊视频� statement went on to say that the phones will connect to 911, 988 (suicide crisis helpline), and other N11 services, and will have free calling to anywherein B.C. as well as toll free within the region.
91裸聊视频淏oth community phones will remain in place until cell phone coverage becomes available.91裸聊视频�
The notice left on the payphone, however, does not mention this.
91裸聊视频淲e have invested heavily to connect rural highway corridors to a reliable wireless signal to enhance the safety of travel across our province,91裸聊视频� the Telus statement says. 91裸聊视频淲e are thoughtful about removing payphones and often work closely with local businesses, municipal governments, and the community to ensure there are alternate options within a reasonable distance before a payphone is removed.91裸聊视频�
In March 2023, the province announced funding for highway cell coverage, specifically noting the dangerous corridor north of Campbell River. As of May, 2024 much of the road still does not have coverage.
Phil Adams is a frequent traveller of the highway. He posted on Facebook about the closure of the booth.
91裸聊视频滻91裸聊视频檝e always driven past and thought that it91裸聊视频檚 a cool novelty,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚 pulled over and saw that it was working. It brought back a bunch of nostalgia from growing up when I was using those phone booths.
91裸聊视频淚t was pretty cool to pick up the phone and hear the big clunky click of the receiver, and then hearing the dial tone and putting it back down,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚 called my wife from it as well. I actually ran back to my van to see if I had a quarter 91裸聊视频� it91裸聊视频檚 an end of an era.91裸聊视频�
Telus said that they recognize people have feelings of nostalgia towards the phones.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e working with the community and local organizations to decommission the payphones for display purposes to ensure they can stay within the community as an acknowledgement of a shared piece of technology history,91裸聊视频� their statement says. 91裸聊视频淎ny residents who are interested in seeing these payphones showcased as a piece of history in a local museum or community centre can email us at telustickets@wimactel.com to learn more.91裸聊视频�
For at least a little while, North Islanders can make a trip north of Campbell River to make a call from the phone. Adams said that he was informed by the contractor in charge of removing the phone that the date of removal has been pushed back.
But, some day soon, the pay phone at Roberts Lake will make its last call.
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