Up the Gatineau! Article
This article was first published in Up the Gatineau! Volume 3.
The Telephone Industry in Wakefield and Surrounding Areas
Wendy Ellen Quince
With the development of the telephone around 1880, communications increased rapidly. In Wakefield, the telephone was regarded as a wonderful contraption with which to aid the medical profession. And so, within twenty-five years of its development, a telephone service for the public had been made available by the doctors of Wakefield.
Dr. Hans Stevenson, a general practitioner residing in Wakefield, had, for several years, realized the importance of a telephone system in the community. Finally, in 1905, his dream began to come true. By 1906, he and lsaie Brazeau, a farmer from Masham, had organized a “rural single wire, party phone system" which ran from Wakefield to Wolf Lake and East Aldfield in Pontiac County, and to Poltimore and McGregor Lake. Brazeau provided the engineering and installation, and Dr. Stevenson provided the finances. Telephone poles and labour were contributed by the line's prospective subscribers. Brazeau and Stevenson were aided by such people as Maurice Bertrand from Masham, and Vital Daziel, Reverend Father Ethier, and Dan McCallum from East Wakefield and Poltimore.
The exchange was first set up in Mr. Brazeau's home in Ste. Cecile de Masham. lt was later moved to the home of Norbert Martineau, who proved to be a very good night operator.
In 1906 the first phone was set up in MacLaren‘s General Store. Only long distance telephones could be reached. This phone was connected to various points throughout Quebec and Ontario. By 1920 calls could be made to anywhere in Canada and the United States. All calls were sent via American lines until 1932 when the Trans-Canada Telephone System was established.
In 1911 a line to Farm Point was built. The switch for this line was located in Dr. Stevenson's home. All these lines were organized to make the doctor's business easier. With it being a party line, everyone on the line knew where the doctor was going, and if any calls came in, it was easy to locate him and set him off in a new direction.
During the First World War, the line was once again moved, this time to Quyon. The old lines were replaced by the newer metallic lines which provided good service for many years. But then the costs of upkeep rose; the newer Systems became better; there were just too many demands upon the system and the lines became impractical. Power lines were erected to replace the metallic ones.
Prizes were presented to her and five other students at an assembly in Philemon Wright High School on Thursday, 2 May 1974.
During the 1920's the switchboard located at Martineau’s in Ste. Cecile de Masham was brought to Wakefield and set up near the home of Fred Wills. Because it was not in the house, there was no night service. However, during the daytime, Mrs. Wills was a great aid as an operator because she was bilingual.
By the 1920's four telephone companies had been established in the Wakefield area. The Wakefield and Masham Telephone Company was set up under Dr. H. Stevenson and Mr. l. Brazeau. The East Wakefield Telephone Company was founded by Dr. Stevenson, Mr. Vital Daziel of St. Pierre de Wakefield, and some progressive merchants of Poltimore. The growth of this company was greatly aided by the Reverend Father Ethier, who encouraged the public to support it. Mr. lsaie Brazeau also engineered the building of the lines. This line was built in 1915. It served people from Wakefield to Wilson's Corners, Cantley, and Kirk's Ferry. In 1953 the head office moved to St. Pierre de Wakefield when the company was taken over by Huot Telephone Service.
The third company founded was the Farrellton Rural Telephone Company. It was organized by the Reverend Father Chenier.
The fourth and final Wakefield company was the Rupert and North Wakefield Telephone Company. lt was established by Dr. James Pritchard, a first cousin to Dr. Stevenson. This company linked the English speaking side of the township. The Masham end of Wolf Lake and East Wakefield was owned and operated by F.A. Moffatt for many years.
The MacLaren store in Wakefield was interested in the three Wakefield companies (the Farrellton company is not included) in order to aid their business. They installed three local telephone company boxes and a Bell telephone. Messages could be repeated by the clerks from one system to another, but there was no direct connection between any of the phones.
Early services provided by the Masham Telephone Company were very informal. Mr. James Robb began a seventeen year career with the Masham company in 1930. He gave out information about community events, weather, and where certain villagers were at certain times. Robb had never seen some of his subscribers, but he could identify someone whom he had never met (but was a subscriber) just by listening to his voice.
In 1907 when the Masham Telephone Company first started, the Bell Directory listed the company's subscribers. There was a total of 18 who subscribed to the Masham Company. Six were from Masham, five from Wakefield, one from Aldfield, five from Ste. Cecile de Masham, and one from Duclos. The previous year the directory had listed only the service from MacLaren’s Store. This service, owned by Bell was then moved to the home of Dr. S. Kennedy, Wakefield‘s veterinary surgeon. It was also the terminal of the Maniwaki line. Dr. Kennedy was the local manager until 1911.
In 1918 the Bell directory listed the Masham Company as having one hundred subscribers and fifteen others who were served by the East Wakefield Company in Kirk's Ferry. The Masham service was not available all day. Calls could be made between 7am and 9pm on week days, and 8 to 9am, 12 to 2pm and 8 to 9pm on Sundays and holidays.
ln 1916 the Masham Company was made long distance agent for the Bell Telephone Company. This centralized most out-of-town and local facilities. After the official incorporation of the company in 1926, the headquarters were set up in the home of Thomas Brazeau. Later the switchboard and office moved to the home of Fred Moffatt, where it remained until 1952 when the company was transferred to Bell ownership. The 108 subscribers became Bell customers. Fred Moffatt was the president of the company at the time of sale, and James A. Moffatt was the Secretary-treasurer.
Miss J. Wilkinson was appointed local representative in 1952. The following year, until 1955, Mrs. Thelma Ryan became the local representative. When she retired Mrs. R. Curry succeeded her and in later years became chief operator.
At the end of the 1940’s Wakefield began to experience troubles. The poles which had been up since the company's origin had become rotten and line repairs were next to impossible. The poles had to be replaced. In 1950 Bell took over. They bought the remainder of the system and all the records for only one thousand dollars.
Within five years, Bell had purchased the remainder of the Telephone companies in Wakefield. In 1952 the entire Masham Telephone Company came under Bell control. Two years later Bell purchased the Rupert and North Wakefield Telephone Company. By 1960, dial service was available to Wakefield through Bell services.
Wakefield was not the only township in the Gatineau Valley with early telephone service. Only a few miles away in Low, telephone service became available in 1910. The company established was the Maniwaki Electric and Telephone Company. lts manager was George Brooks. The first telephone was installed in the combination hotel and boarding house on Main Street. It provided long distance service only and went through the Bell Telephone Company office at North Wakefield. The Low line went through to all principal cities, towns, and villages in Ontario, Quebec and the United States within a thousand mile radius.
in 1910 the Maniwaki company was listed in the Bell directory. It boasted one subscriber from Low, three from River Desert, six from Gracefield, seven from Maniwaki, two from Wright, and one each from Farrellton, Bouchette, Kazabazua, Six Portages and Aylwin, bringing the total to twenty-four.
Some examples of directory listings are as follows: “2 Bennett, Foster & Co... General Merchants... River Desert ring 13 Brooks, Geo. M... Local Manager... Low 3 ring 3 Ellard, J.E... General Merchant... Wright” The 2 in front of Bennett, and the 3 before ring, indicate the line numbers (probably private). The 13 before Brooks, and the 3 following ring indicate the number of rings. For example the 13 designates one long and three short rings.
In 1917 Wyman Brooks, George Brooks’ son took over until the late 1920's. From 1930 to 1932, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Smith operated the telephone office. It was moved into their home which is now the Paugan Inn.
In 1934 the Gatineau Valley Telephone Company began service in Low in the home of Mrs. William Stevenson, on Highway 11 in the village. In 1923 the Gatineau Valley Company acquired the old Farrellton Telephone Company. The Gatineau Valley Telephone Company served subscribers from Wakefield, Masham, Denholm, Low, Aylwin and Hincks, until 1947 when it was sold to Bell Telephone. The president of the Company at that time was Dr. H.J.G. Geggie; the secretary was Miss Annie Birdsell Robb.
The previous year Bell Canada had purchased the Maniwaki Power and Telephone Company. This company had previously served subscribers from Maniwaki, Montcerf, Bouchette, Burbidge, Gracefield, Kazabazua, Low and Alcove. With the purchase of the company a long distance station was established at Low under Mrs. Gardner Brown. The telephone exchange provided service for twenty-eight customers. In 1955 there were one hundred telephones in Low.
In 1953 Mrs. Pauline Gibson succeeded Mrs. Brown. Seven years later, and still on the job, she had a staff of three. On November 20 of that year, dial service came to Low.
Although to many people Wakefield and the surrounding areas appear to be old-fashioned and behind the times, this was not so with the Wakefield telephone industry. Within twenty-five years of its development, telephone service was available in Wakefield, Quebec.
Bibliography
Geggie, Dr. H.J.G., Some Local Color Re Bell Telephone Company: Wakefield and District. Bell Canada; Montreal, 1960. Robb, Miss A.B., History of Wakefield Village. Wakefield Women's Institute; Ottawa, 1959. Spencer, R.H. (Historian), Bell Canada Historical Information. Bell Canada; Montreal, 1960.
Wendy Ellen Quince, of A/cove, Oue., researched and wrote this essay which was a joint winner - with an essay by Judith Geggie, of Wakefield, Que. — of First Prize in the Society's third annual Essay Contest for High School students in 1974.