The Glengarry Telephone Co.
Founded on July 1, 1907, in Alexandria, the Glengarry Telephone Company was created to connect rural communities at a time when instant communication was far from guaranteed. Its service area extended across the townships of Lochiel, Kenyon, Caledonia, and parts of Hawkesbury, linking farms, villages, and small businesses through shared party lines.
The company began modestly with just 19 telephones in its first year but steadily expanded to hundreds of subscribers, handling both local and long-distance calls. Its central exchange, located in Lochiel (Quigley’s Corners), operated out of the Morris Bros. general store, a reminder of how deeply embedded the system was in everyday community life.
In 1966, the Glengarry Telephone Company sold its plant and fixtures to Bell Canada, bringing an end to its independent operation. Yet its legacy lives on through memories preserved by the Glengarry Historical Society—and through the voices of those who worked the lines.
One of those voices was Claudette (St-Denis) Quesnel, who began working as a telephone operator on August 3, 1960. She earned $35 per week for a seven-day work schedule, working three consecutive weeks followed by one unpaid week off. In the final two and a half years of her career, she transitioned to Bell Canada, first in Lochiel and later Alexandria, when local lines were centralized.
Operators like Claudette were expected to memorize every phone number. Many callers never consulted a telephone book—if they even had one—and often asked for people by occupation rather than name: the veterinarian, the pastor, or the grocer. Knowing where people lived, how they worked, and who they were was essential to doing the job well.
With party lines frequently busy, operators routinely called people back when a line became free. In emergencies, they would interrupt conversations, and during fires, the operator first contacted the fire department, then—if asked—called neighbouring homes to help until crews arrived.
Operators learned to recognize voices and even specific ringing patterns without answering. Long-distance calls were timed and logged, and while night operators were allowed to sleep, a buzzer would sound when a call came in—except on sale night at the Poirier Sale Barn, which meant a full night awake.
When the power went out, the system reverted to manual operation, requiring operators to hand-crank calls through, just as customers did at home.
Together, the Glengarry Telephone Company and its operators represent a time when communication was personal, communal, and human—when a familiar voice at the switchboard connected Glengarry, one call at a time.
