What was Picton’s telephone system like in the “good old days?”

It was a far cry from now, according to Mrs. Clair Thompson of 23 Broad Street, who joined Bell Canada as an operator at the age of 14 in 1911. With a total of 16 years service with the company, Mrs. Thompson, the former Clair McQuoid, says she can still recall many of the numbers off by heart. The total phones in Picton at that time numbered only in the dozens and, of course, the most frequent calls were for doctors or business firms.

There were no facilities for making overseas calls at that time, and even long distance calls to parts of the United States were rare, she said. The few that were made were usually coal companies arranging for supplies.

The office for Bell Canada in those days was at the corner of Elizabeth and Main Streets, where Williamson Insurance is now located.

Mrs. Thompson recalls that she worked as an operator for three years before her marriage.

At that time, the office required a staff of five to handle all necessary shifts and supervision. She left for a few years after her marriage, but started again after the death of her first husband due to the flu epidemic in 1919.

She recalls that the company was good to her. Because she had two children to support, they allowed her to work the night shift so she could supplement her income by working at the canning factories during the day.

After resuming her employment, she worked for another 13 years, leaving to operate her own business in 1931. This was a restaurant, located on top of Macaulay Mountain in the area where the army camp was later established. She also operated a nursing home for some years.

She retains a lively interest in the telephone business. Her remaining souvenir is a copy of the Picton section of the telephone directory for the District of Eastern Ontario of 1900.

This document also notes that the first telephone exchange opened in Picton in the early 1880s.