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Ted started his career with MTS, in September 1955, as a mail boy in the Assignment Department on Sherbrook Street. He joined the apprenticeship program in March 1956 and spent the next three and a half years in Winnipeg Central Office. In 1959 he applied for the Provincial Plant Operation and was transferred to The Pas where his first assignment was to complete the acceptance tests for the new Dial Exchange and co-ordinate all the inside wiring for some 4,000 customers. Ted's next major cutover assignment involved Thompson where INCO was opening its new and permanent head office for the Manitoba Division in January 1960. Ted spent ten days completing the acceptance tests and wiring for the 100 line PABX system. As Ted recalls, the temperature was 60 degrees below each morning and they kept the rented truck running day and night because there was no place to plug it in! With INCO's opening of the Mine and Smelter Operation, there was a need for a permanent telephone exchange for the new city. Ted returned to Thompson in April, completing all the equipment testing and wiring necessary for the cutover date of June 30, 1960. For the next eight years, Ted continued working throughout Northern Region while based at The Pas. His duties ranged from Dial and Toll Network maintenance to six years on the Northern Microwave route. He worked with CBC to bring the first TV broadcasting to The Pas and Flin Flon in 1962. In 1968, Ted was asked to take over the responsibility of Supervisor Commercial Region. In 1971, this led to a transfer to Thompson where Ted's job as Northern Region Commercial Manager entailed the supervision of The Pas, Flin Flon, and Thompson Business Offices. Ted says the most exciting and rewarding part of the next seven years was all the telephone service expansion to the remote First Nations and Métis communities. In 1978, Ted spent time in Saudi Arabia to assist with a billion dollar contract to build a complete telephone system for the country. Ted returned to Winnipeg in October, 1980 to assist with the decentralization of Eastern Region, in particular, the Eastern Region Commercial and Sales Department. Six months later he applied for and was selected Area Manager - Morden/Winkler/Steinbach to co-ordinate the decentralization of Eastern Region functions then based in Winnipeg, establishing phone centers, relocating the Customer Service records and administration to each community, hiring and training new people from those communities to replace those who couldn't relocate, and consolidating Operator Services, Phone Centres, and Business Offices under the existing manager in each community. Ted says this was a delicate process and summoned all of his previously acquired customer service and people skills to cause it to happen. Ted says that his two years working through the decentralization of Eastern Region and the wonderful people he worked with was the most rewarding and interesting time in his career. In October 1983, Ted assumed responsibility for Northern Region Operations, and relocated to Thompson. Northern Region encompassed two thirds of Manitoba, and had grown to 200 employees, 30,000 customers, a 10 million dollar budget, and was generating 30 million in annual revenue. It was a great honour for Ted to assume the responsibility since he had spent 19 years working in many facets of Northern Region Network Operations and Customer Service. He had a unique connection-disconnection with the Thompson local switching centre. In 1960, as an apprentice, he was present for the cutover of the Automatic Electric Dial Exchange; in 1989, as Vice-President Northern Region, he was present to disconnect this exchange and recognize the commissioning of the Digital Age in Thompson. Ted returned to Winnipeg in September 1989 to assume responsibility for the Broadcast and Cable TV Division of MTS. In 1991, the job expanded to include the Winnipeg Operations and Installation, Repair and Assignment Functions. Both of these departments required proven customer service skills and a positive attitude for sales. Ted says he feels good about his final four years at MTS that culminated in his decision to retire August 27, 1993. |