Alberta Government Telephones

Alberta Government Telephones
Public utility, Crown corporation
Industry Telecommunications
Fate Privatized
Successor Telus
Founded 1906
Defunct 1991 (brand retired in 1996)
Headquarters Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Alberta Government Telephones (AGT) (formally the Alberta Government Telephones Commission) was formed by the Liberal government of Alexander Cameron Rutherford in 1906[1] following the acquisitions by the government of several independent telephone companies. In 1908, AGT acquired the Bell Telephone Company's Alberta operations[2][3] for $675,000.[4]

Alberta Government Telephones was directly managed by the province's Department of Public Works as a public utility until 1958 when it was transformed into a crown corporation, formally becoming the Alberta Government Telephones Commission.[1][3] For several decades, from 1945 until 1960, AGT operated the province's educational radio station, CKUA.[5]

In 1969, AGT built what was then Edmonton's tallest skyscraper as its new headquarters, joined by a second tower in 1971; they are now called TELUShouse at ATB Place.

In 1990, Telus Communications was established as a holding company for AGT in order to facilitate its privatization. In 1991, the province of Alberta sold its remaining ownership interest in AGT to Telus for $870 million. Telus acquired ED Tel from the city of Edmonton in 1995 and in 1996 the AGT and Ed Tel brandings were retired in favour of the Telus name. Telus merged with BC Tel in 1999 to form the present-day Telus Corporation.[2][3]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wilson, Kevin G., Deregulating Telecommunications: U.S. and Canadian Telecommunications, 1840-1997, Rowman & Littlefield (2000) ISBN 0-8476-9825-4 page 35
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Alberta Online Encyclopedia, "Alberta Government Telephones" Alberta's Telephone Heritage
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Telus Company History, Telus corporate website, accessed February 11, 2008
  4. ↑ Foran, Max (1982). Calgary, Canada's frontier metropolis : an illustrated history. Windsor Publications. p. 274. ISBN 0-89781-055-4.
  5. ↑ CKUA History, Canadian Communications Foundation