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Telus cancels plan to remove phone booth from Hayes Creek

91ƵThis is great news91Ƶ says fire chief
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The phone at the Three Lakes General Store is considered by the community to be necessary for safety. (Facebook)

Telus has cancelled its plans to remove the phone booth in Hayes Creek.

A representative of the company told the Spotlight Monday that after looking into the matter Telus will go into a different direction.

91ƵAfter careful consideration and receiving feedback from the community of Hayes Creek,91Ƶ said company representative Lena Chen.

91ƵTelus will not be removing the payphone located at Three Lakes General Store.

91ƵIt will remain in service as we continue to explore other options to provide wireless connectivity in the area.91Ƶ

Residents of the area learned that Telus planned to remove the phone on Dec. 12 when a sign was posted on the phone booth earlier this month.

Cindy Gamache, Hayes Creek fire chief, expressed relief.

91ƵThis is great news. I feel this was from our great community emailing Telus, letting them know how important this telephone booth is,91Ƶ Gamache said.

91ƵThank you Telus and Hayes Creek community for making a difference.91Ƶ

The phone booth is a critical means of communication, said Gamache, as there is no cell service for much of the region.

With three campgrounds in the vicinity, visitors can rely on the phone in case of an emergency.

Late last year, when Cranbrook lost its last payphone 91Ƶ leaving the Kootenays with just four remaining in various locations 91Ƶ Black Press was told by a Telus representative that the few remaining pay phones in Western Canada would also be retired.

In 2022, Global reported there were 800 pay phones remaining in B.C.



Andrea DeMeer

About the Author: Andrea DeMeer

Andrea is the publisher of the Similkameen Spotlight.
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