Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
City of Edmonton. Telephone Department fonds
General material designation
- Graphic material - photograph
- Textual record
- Textual record - published
- Architectural drawing
- Object
Parallel title
ED TEL, edmonton telephones
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on name of creator.
Level of description
Fonds
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
6.75 m of textual records and other material.
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The Telephone Department was established in 1904 when the City purchased the Edmonton District Telephone Co from Alex Taylor for $17,000. The Telephone Department was responsible for providing telephone service to Edmonton, including operators, cable installation and repairs, line installation and repairs, switching stations, billing, and providing and servicing private and public telephones.
The Province of Alberta passed the Telecommunications Act in 1988, which allowed municipalities to provide telecommunications services and products through a wholly-owned subsidiary corporation, but not through a City department. As a result the Telephone Department was dissolved in 1989.
On January 1, 1990 the Edmonton Telephones Corporation, also known as ED TEL, was incorporated. The sole shareholder was the City of Edmonton, and it was overseen by a Board of Governors who were appointed by City Council for two year terms.
ED TEL fulfilled the following functions: providing basic services; providing other telecommunication services and services pertaining to telecommunications; researching and consulting in telecommunications; purchasing, constructing, extending, maintaining, manufacturing, operating, leasing to and from others, and otherwise acquiring and disposing of systems, including private communications systems; and manufacturing, repairing, buying, selling, leasing to and from others, and otherwise trading in goods, merchandise and services pertaining to telecommunications.
ED TEL was sold to Telus on March 10, 1995 for just over $470 million.
Custodial history
Scope and content
This fonds consists of records generated by the Telephone Department. It includes the following series:
- Series 1: Reports
- Series 2: Photographs
- Series 3: Equipment Records
- Series 4: Discrete Items
- Series 5: Architectural Drawings
- Series 6: Executive
- Series 7: Correspondence
- Series 8: Edmonton Telephones Corporation
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
This material was transferred to the City of Edmonton Archives between 1968 and 2013.
Arrangement
The material was arranged by the archivist by type of record.
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
There are no restrictions on access.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Copyright may apply.
Reproduction restrictions may apply.
Finding aids
Associated materials
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
General note
Accession numbers: A68-112, A75-69, A78-6, A80-89, A81-63, A81-117, A81-121, A83-56, A83-73, A89-43, A90-21, A93-44, A98-60, A2013-0, A2013-86
Physical description
This fonds also contains 129 reels of microfilm, 3 photographs, 15 cm of published material, 17 architectural drawings, and 1 artifact.
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
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Description record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules or conventions
Rules for Archival Description (RAD)
Archives Society of Alberta Subject Terms
Status
Final