Gone are the days of memorizing phone numbers by heart and making sure there was enough loose change in your jeans to scrounge up 35 cents to make a phone call.
Pay phones are few and far between these days – it's unlikely one will be found in every shopping mall or gas station like in the 1980s and 1990s.
In fact, there will no longer be a payphone in Okotoks, Blackie or Nanton at all, come April 25.
All three communities received letters in recent weeks, indicating that the remaining payphones in their communities would be removed due to a decline in usage.
When discussed at Okotoks council March 28. some councillors and administration didn't even know the location of the phone - noted as Stoney Crossing Shopping Centre in the letter from WiMacTel Canada Inc. on behalf of TELUS Communications. A phone located at the Riverbend Campground will also be removed around this date.
Coun. Rachel Swendseid asked administration if usage numbers could be provided to the Town so they had an idea of just how many people were using the phone. She expressed concern that there may be individuals without cellphones who will miss the phone when it's removed. That data was not available as of press time.
CAO Elaine Vincent told council that any individual looking to make a call can do so by dropping in to any Town facility during business hours.
A dial tone still sounds from the phone outside The Honky Tavern in Blackie, though it appears few have inserted change into the slot for some time. The same goes for the payphone in Nanton which local residents say hasn't been functional for some time.
TELUS spokesperson Chelsey Rajzer previously told Great West Media that payphone use has declined steadily over the last two decades due to the popularity of cellphones. As a result, the company began removing the booths about six years ago.
