Following an impasse in its discussions with Waterton Lakes National Park, Telus opted to remove 14 public telephones from the park. After the expiry of the previous agreement between Telus and the park, the telecommunications company and the park were unable to reach an agreement over phone commission fees.
Facing declining revenue from payphones, Telus had sought to revise its rent agreement with the park so as to allow the it to break even, and proposed options such as a fee-per-phone payment system and zero-commission structure. With the park management deeming such arrangements to be unacceptable, Telus opted to remove its payphones from park property.
“It was really a matter of not being able to reach an agreement with the park management,” says Telus media relations spokesperson Shaun Hall of the dispute. “Waterton insisted that we continue to pay rent on the phones, which would mean that we lose money on them every day. In the past we were able to break even within this framework. We simply no longer can.”
Hall notes that while use of payphones has been in a slow, but steady decline over the past decade, that decline sharply increased a year ago following Telus’ installation of a cellular phone tower in the park, in which it invested $600,000. “Ultimately it’s [the park’s] decision and I understand their concerns,” he adds. “In the meantime, we’re entering profit-sharing agreements with property owners. We will also be helping out businesses who are selling prepaid Telus calling cards so that they don’t end up being stuck with cards that people can’t use because of the phones have been removed.”
With the removal of payphones from important areas of the park such as the waterfront and the campground, concerns pertaining to public safety access have been mounting. According to park finance manager Randy Sawchyn, however, the management is now looking at the possibility of installing emergency phones in the campsite and elsewhere. “Our safety people are currently looking at the situation, and will be discussing it during the winter,” says Sawchyn. “If such a system is to be installed, it will be in operation by next spring. In the meantime, we’ve instructed our campground staff to assist visitors in emergency situations.” Moreover, Sawchyn emphasizes that some seven public phones remain in the park by way of arrangements with private business owners, at locations that include the Kilmorey Lodge, the Bear Mountain Inn and outside the Bayshore Inn. “There is still access to public phones in the park,” he asserts. “Moreover, visitors are now able to use cellular phones in the park, which they weren’t able to do before.” Telus, meanwhile, has asserted that it is prepared to re-enter discussions with Waterton. “We would be happy to sit down with them and re-discuss this,” says Hall. “So long as we’re able to break even on the phones, as long as we’re not in a position where we’re losing money on them every day, we would be satisfied. If they have any ideas, we’d love to hear them.” Hall also emphasizes that the proliferation of cellular phones has resulted in a worldwide decline in payphone revenue, a reality that needs to be appreciated. Conversely, park representatives question the need for the previous number of phones in a park as small as Waterton. “We have at least seven public phones in the park,” asserts communications director Janice Smith.
“That’s a lot of phones for such a small park. There probably aren’t even that many in Pincher Creek, which has a much larger population.”
Publisher: Kathy Taylor Proprietor and published by Bowes Publishers Limited at 714 Main Street, PO Box 1000, Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada T0K 1W0
