Latest news with #Telus
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
Calgary copper thefts are becoming an epidemic, Telus officials say
Telus Communications said since July 10, 2025, there have been seven incidents of copper wire theft in Calgary targeting its lines. A telecommunications giant says it's reeling after several copper wire thefts have impacted services for thousands of its customers. Telus Communications said since July 10, there have been seven incidents in Calgary that have impacted more than 3,500 customers. Those services include wireline voice services, internet and television signals. The outages have hit communities all across the city such as Crowchild, Signal Hill, Lynnwood, Ogden, Killarney and Bowness. The company said the thefts are becoming a big concern for some Calgarians. 'In certain situations, people might not be able to call 911, such as seniors living alone or in care homes might not be able to reach families or first responders,' said Anne Martin, Telus' vice-president of network engineering and operations. In addition, officials say thieves are inflicting a lot of damage when they seek out the copper they're looking for, cutting through fiber-optic cables – wiring that has no commodity value – in the process, exacerbating the problem for the company. Telus says it's taking steps to protect critical cable connections such as welding manhole covers shut and installing additional security measures to prevent thefts. In the meantime, additional crews have been brought into the city from other provinces to repair the damage that's been done. That work has been ongoing 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Telus said. 'This spike in criminal activity underscores an urgent need for stricter penalties, tighter regulations, increased vigilance and collaborative efforts between service providers, legislators, law enforcement and the public in order to stop these crimes from happening,' officials said. 'We are actively working with police to investigate all of these thefts and we urge the public to stay vigilant.' Calgary police say thieves are often taking advantage of easy-to-access areas, especially those in secluded areas of buildings. They urge businesses to take steps such as: securing the area by installing fencing or locked cages around outdoor HVAC units; installing motion-activated or dusk-to-dawn lights to illuminate HVAC and utility areas, as thieves prefer to operate in the dark; paint the cooper piping black or mark it with a unique identifier to make it harder to sell and look less attractive to thieves; installing surveillance cameras aimed at critical infrastructure to deter criminals and assist investigators if a theft occurs; conducting routine business property inspections, particularly after long weekends or off-hours; and consider hiring private security companies to patrol the area regularly for increased security. Telus urges anyone to report anything suspicious to your local police, Crime Stoppers or contact Telus directly by calling 310-CUTS (2887).
Calgary Herald
4 days ago
- Calgary Herald
Telus demands stricter enforcement as copper thefts rise in Calgary
Article content Ghosh also noted that only a sliver of the population struggling with addiction will ever resort to crime. Article content 'About 20 per cent of the population has a substance use concern, whether an addiction to nicotine, cannabis, alcohol, whatever,' he said. 'And we know a very small minority of that population engages in criminal activity.' Article content And those who do, have their nervous system hijacked by the substances, which trick the individuals into believing they are necessary for their survival. Article content 'It's not a moral failing,' Ghosh said. 'It's their instinct to survive that's causing them to do this.' Article content Wilsher added that these crimes help the perpetrator yield somewhere between $20 and $50, and the risks outweigh any potential benefits. Article content 'They do run the risk of lethal electric shock,' he said. 'It wouldn't be the first time that we've arrived and found the offenders seriously injured as they've tried to steal some of this copper.' Article content Article content The damage caused by these thefts is also much higher than the proceeds of the crimes. Article content 'You've got seniors living alone who can't call out; care homes are taken down, businesses can't process payments; students miss classes,' Martin said. Article content Wilsher said CPS regularly work with Telus and other companies to prevent such incidents. Article content However, Martin said more needs to be done. For instance, suspects who are caught are usually charged with theft under $5,000, which doesn't reflect the damage inflicted on the infrastructure. Article content Telus also called for stricter penalties, tighter regulations and increased vigilance for these thefts, while stating it's working with local police to investigate the incidents. Article content Martin said she feels reassured by the recent tabling of provincial legislation that, if passed, would impose requirements on scrap dealers to examine some documentation before buying any metals. Article content Alberta RCMP also launched an initiative last year called Operations Copper, in which they work with industry partners 'to investigate, identify and ultimately arrest the individuals who are causing the most harm related to copper wire and precious metal thefts.' Article content 'We are very much in favour of stronger deterrence, and that's tougher penalties for theft and the resale of stolen metal, more oversight on scrap metal dealers and better coordination with law enforcement for repeat offenders and organized groups,' Martin said. Article content
Business Insider
19-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Telus (TU) Gets a Hold from Barclays
In a report released on July 17, Lauren Bonham from Barclays maintained a Hold rating on Telus, with a price target of $15.00. The company's shares closed yesterday at $16.24. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. According to TipRanks, Bonham is an analyst with an average return of -18.2% and a 0.00% success rate. Bonham covers the Communication Services sector, focusing on stocks such as BCE, Rogers Communication, and Telus. In addition to Barclays, Telus also received a Hold from Canaccord Genuity's Aravinda Galappatthige in a report issued on July 9. However, on July 15, Scotiabank maintained a Buy rating on Telus (NYSE: TU). TU market cap is currently $24.99B and has a P/E ratio of 28.80. Based on the recent corporate insider activity of 42 insiders, corporate insider sentiment is negative on the stock. This means that over the past quarter there has been an increase of insiders selling their shares of TU in relation to earlier this year.
Global News
18-07-2025
- Global News
Ontario construction business, communications tower latest targets of copper theft
The Ontario Provincial Police say a local construction business and a communications tower are the latest sites to be targeted for copper thefts. Police said there was a 'significant theft of copper wire' from a construction yard in Temiskaming Shores, just north of Sudbury. Officers responded to the yard on July 11 but police said the theft happened sometime between July 6 and 11. Police found a substantial quantity of copper wire was removed from heavy machinery that was stored at the back of the construction yard, including multiple rock crushers and conveyors. The value of the stolen materials is estimated to be more than $40,000, police said. However, police noted the total loss is expected to be higher once repair costs and machinery downtime are factored in. Story continues below advertisement Meanwhile, police are also looking into two separate incidents of copper theft from a communications tower in Corbeil, just outside of North Bay, early on July 14 and on July 16. Police said the tower is situated within a fenced compound secured with padlocks and chains. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Upon inspection, the enclosure was found unsecured, and the locking mechanisms were missing,' police allege. Police said the tower stands between two buildings that has cables running up from both structures and that the cables 'appear to have been cut using a power tool.' 'It is believed that the tower was then climbed and the opposite ends of the cables were also severed,' police allege. Anyone with information on either incident, including suspicious sightings or activity, is asked to contact police. In relation to the communications tower copper theft incident, police said there is a possible cash reward of up to $2,000 for information. 2:02 Rising copper wire theft frustrate Alberta utility providers, homebuilders and police Copper theft on the rise in Canada Earlier this month, four Ontario men were charged after 33 hydro poles cut down for their copper in a rural area of Ontario. Story continues below advertisement Police in Durham Region issued a warning in May about copper thefts happening from air conditioners and heat pump units in Oshawa. Police said they had received 22 reported incidents since the beginning of the year. Telecommunications companies such as Bell Canada and Telus said they have noted an increase in copper thefts. Bell Canada said copper thefts has grown at an 'astronomical rate' over the past few years in Canada and that a large portion of the thefts are happening in east end of the country. Telus reported a 58 per cent increase in 2024 from 2023 in the amount of copper thefts in Alberta. In Edmonton specifically there was a 238 per cent increase in copper thefts. Bell Canada says copper theft has grown at an astronomical rate over the past few years in Canada, with a large portion of the thefts occurring in the east end of the country.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
2 people rescued after float plane crash off Lasqueti Island, B.C.
Two people were safely rescued after a float plane crashed in False Bay on the west side of Lasqueti Island, B.C., Thursday morning, according to officials and a witness who assisted with the rescue. Al Bajec, owner of Lasqueti Island Hotel and Pub, was making coffee just after 9 a.m. when he says he heard the float plane coming in. The plane, which Bajec believes belongs to Telus, comes every Thursday to drop off a couple of workers on the island, which is located about 70 kilometres northwest of Vancouver. Bajec said that on Thursday, it appeared to be coming in at a lower angle, but was otherwise normal, with relatively calm waters. "When it hit the water, it just went right in the water and just flipped," he said, describing the plane flipping over its front. Bajec said he and a friend rushed down to the dock and got in his boat, while another friend who was set to go fishing was already on the water. The boat that was already on the water got to the plane first and pulled the pilot and passenger, who had already escaped the submerged plane, out of the sea. "They have no scratch or nothing. They just have a little bit of hurting on their eyes because of the gas on the water, but that's it. The rest — everything's fine. They're in good shape," said Bajec. He said he used his boat to pull the upside-down plane to the dock, where he tied it up. According to Capt. Pedram Mohyeddin with Maritime Forces Pacific, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria, got a report a little after 9 a.m. that a float plane had overturned. Two vessels were deployed — RCMSAR 59 based in Deep Bay on Vancouver Island and a Canadian Coast Guard Motor Life Boat based at the French Creek station in Parksville. A Cormorant helicopter was also deployed from Comox. Mohyeddin said when the crews arrived in False Bay, civilians had already rescued the two people, who were brought back to Parksville on the coast guard boat. B.C. Emergency Health Services said an air ambulance was sent to Lasqueti Island, but it ultimately wasn't required. Telus confirmed by email that an accident occurred, and that the pilot and passenger were unharmed. The company spokesperson said Telus was investigating the incident, but didn't respond to follow-up questions from CBC News to clarify whether the company owned the plane and what sort of work was being done on the island. The federal Transportation Safety Board confirmed it had been notified of the crash, but hadn't determined on Thursday whether a full investigation would be launched, saying there were no plans to deploy investigators to Lasqueti Island. Bajec said there appeared to be spilled fuel in the spot where the plane flipped, but he didn't smell it around the dock where it was tied up. He said spill equipment had been put in the water around the plane.
