21. The Sunderland Telephone Company

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The Sunderland Telephone Company. – 63 River St

This company started about 1912 and pictures showing the telephone poles help one estimate the date of payment picture. The shares issued are also dated. For 1912, the telephone office was on the south side of river street to the east of the McDermott Block. It is now private residence.

In 1912, the President of the phone company was John Glendenning, and the secretary treasurer was Dr. N. Norman Blanchard. Shares were sold in 1912 for $50, mostly to local owners. In 1929, Harry MacGregor, a man with banking experience, took over as the secretary treasurer. At one point William Nassau Doble gain control of the phone company and bought up many of the shares when they were as low as $20. Mr. Doble hired Percy Flagler to look after the lines, a task he performed with dedication from 1930 to 1945.

After the Second World War, some of the repairmen were George Bagshaw, Wayne Kelly, Paul Brandon and Bob Fries. The lines were made compatible with Bell about this time. After World War II, Clarence Young returned from overseas and took over as the new repairman in 1957. James Milton Doble was the president, and Herb Wilson was the secretary treasurer. Bruce Toker was also involved in managing this company. About 1945 Cora Doble Moore and her husband Cecil Moore ran the telephone office until 1947. There was an office in the front, and they lived at the rear of the house. As time passed, various companies bought the Sunderland Telephone Company until it was finally purchased by Bell Canada. Three of the last technicians to work for the phone company were Leslie Brether, Jim St. John and Peter Baker.

In 1980 when Bell took over, they had to leave Sunderland to keep their jobs. The switchboard operators were replaced in 1968 when the dial up system was introduced. At this time thousands of old phones were just taken to the dump when the changeover to the new style was complete. Some of the former switchboard operators were Minnie Wilson, Annie Fair, Yvonne Sheldon, Irene Shier, Hazel Robertson, Hazel Gorell and Edith Bagshaw.

Gone are the days when you would crank two longs and a short to reach the operator and get connected. Also gone were the phone calls where everyone on your line could listen in and hear your conversation. Many telephone systems are started up by doctors wishing to have a better method of communicating with their patients.