British Columbia Telephone Company (B.C. Tel./Telus) Telephone Talk: Bound Issues January/February 1941 Through November/December1942

British Columbia: British Columbia Telephone Company. Fair. 1942. First Edition. Hardcover. Half-leather binding. Telephone Talk was the glossy bimonthly publication of the British Columbia Telephone Company. It was written by employees for employees to present information of interest to those engaged in the plant, traffic, commercial, operating, accounting and other departments of the service. Each issue is replete with black and white photos and information on topics such as: company, industry and technological news, traffic levels, expansion plans, personnel announcements, publicity and social events, deaths, weddings, lists of exchanges, and more. As such, these issues serve as a vital preserve of rare and fascinating British Columbia history. This volume covers topics including: Many photos of the Ocean Falls mill, the plant and townsite of the Powell River mill, the Woodfibre mill, the Port Mellon mill, and Port Alice; Next Vancouver Dial Cut-Over on Saturday, April 12; Seymour's last 'Number Please' will be uttered April 12; 1886 photo of Tilley's bookstore which housed Vancouver's first telephone switchboard; photo of the Empire Building which housed Vancouver's telephone eschange from 1890 until 1907; Edward (Big Ed) William Singer passes away; Trinity operating room; Statement of Development (# of telephones in various exchanges) as at 1 January, 1941; Savings and Government Loans - article by President of the RBOC; War Bonds Appeal; Telephone operator Marion L. Davis writes of war-time Britain; Pioneer Mission Phone man John A. Catherwood passes away; Notes and photos from Eddie Esson, braving the blitz in England; Employees form credit unions; 6 samples of Canada's first telephone advertising, used in 1877 to promote Bell Telephone usage; artistic full-page war bond advert. with a Churchillian quote and silhouette, complete with cigar; Several pages of nice photos from the Courtenay/Comox region, including the Cumberland Mine; Courtenay and Comox receive new and improved phone service; All of downtown Vancouver now served by dial - multi-page article with photos; John Hough - The Comox Argus; Recycling phone books; Norman J. Dunlop retires; Many photos of Trail and vicinity; New dial unit for Victoria - text and photos; "Buck" Telephone advertisements - promoting the safety benefits of phones; Lauchie McMillan; Many great photos of Port Albernia and area, including a more heavily treed Cathedral Grove; PNE phone exhibit promotion; Peter Grant, Superintendant of switchboard construction, retires; Alan C. Irvine - new Marine Wire Chief; each issue concludes with the number of phones in each exchange; Many photos of Kamloops and area; 'Shortage of Telephone Supplies is a Wartime Problem'; Earl Squire; Fraser telphones now served by dial system - significant text and many photos; War Bond advert.; Elizabeth Teague retires as Victoria Toll Chief; 12 year growth chart of company's system with accompanying bar graph intended to show 'why forecasting is difficult'; Fascinating and substantial text and photos emphasizing conservation due to, among other things, a tin and rubber shortage due to Japanese attacks on Malaya; Photos and text of facility wartime blackout preparations; Jean Peard retires; Name of Highland office to be changed to Hastings; Photos of executives; photos of operator school; A.R.P. (Air Raid Protection?) meetings; Ship-to-shore service saves valuable log tows; Allan Wood Hunter recounts developing phone services in Venezuela; Many photos of drills to prepare for air attacks; Government puts restrictions on telephone installations; Did you use your phone during the Blackout? - article; James Cruickshank retires; Many photos of lovely young operators from across the province; Air Raid Sirens - photos and captions; Article on Norman MacDonald; William Sherry killed in Libya; Hugh D. Simpson; photo of 93' pole being escorted by policeman on motorcycle; Many ARP photos with captions; photo of tabulators at 'information'; two awesome photos from the Marine-Pacific facility; "Watch the Clock Wh; 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall; Telus History British Columbia Telephone Company Telephony Telephone Talk Internal House Magazine Periodical and technological news, traffic levels, expansion plans, personnel announcements, publicity and social events, deaths, weddings, lists of exc .