The Past
Businesses
Churches
Communities
Community Services
~ City Hall
~ Fire
Department
~ Health Care
~ Justice of
the Peace
~ Library
~ Newspaper
~ Police
Department
~ Post office
~ Telephones
~ ~ Hinderance
or help
~ ~ History of Telephones
~ ~ Duties of
Operators
~ ~ Operators
in Enderby
~ ~ Modernized
services 1990
Entertainment
Ethnic Groups
Geography
Heritage Homes
Industries
Organizations
People
Schools
Transportation
As we are all aware, Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1874 in
Ontario. He formed the Bell Telephone Company in 1877. The idea soon spread around the
world, and in 1891 the Vernon-Nelson Telephone Company was formed, the first in the area.
By 1902 another company, the Okanagan Telephone Company, came into the area
(unofficially).
On April 25,1907, by an Act of Parliament, the Okanagan Telephone Co. was formed
(officially) to maintain and operate the system. Telephone exchanges did exist prior to
this date in Vernon, Armstrong, and Enderby. In 1910, the company extended to Salmon Arm.
The first printed directory in 1907 of the Vernon exchange showed 299 subscribers. That
figure increased when B.C. Tel connected with the Okanagan Telephone Company and provided
service to all Canadians and foreign exchanges serviced by the Bell System. By the end of
World War II there were 12248 installations.
On Tuesday, November 1, 1956, at 11:00 p.m., a Direct Distance Dialing service was
installed in Enderby. It was a million dollar modernization product which allowed
residents of Enderby, Salmon Arm, Sicamous, and Tappen exchanges the freedom to call any
one of the 435 000 dial telephones in 66 B.C. towns and cities.
Mandy Daniells
ALF School 1989