Skip to content

Safety options floated in wake of B.C. highway’s payphone closures

Highway part of Vancouver Island trunk radio system, cell service is spotty
web1_240507-crm-last-phone-booth-phone_3
The area has no cell service, though Telus has posted a notice saying it “will continue to invest to bring you the latest connectivity, including our next-generation 5G network.” Photo by Marc Kitteringham/Campbell River Mirror

The removal and replacement of payphones on Vancouver Island north of Campbell River has experts weighing in on potential improvements for safety on highways.

Residents of Sayward were concerned when they recently learned that two payphones located near the community were going to be removed by Telus this month. A statement from Telus said that the intention was to replace the phones with community phones capable of calling 911 and other emergency numbers.

Support local journalism today

Join thousands of other like-minded readers and sign up below to gain immediate & unlimited access to our news for the next 30 days – plus start receiving our newsletters.

Sign Up with google Sign Up with facebook

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Reset your password

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

A link has been emailed to you - check your inbox.



Don't have an account? Click here to sign up


Marc Kitteringham

About the Author: Marc Kitteringham

I joined Black press in early 2020, writing about the environment, housing, local government and more.
Read more