Cottage Q&A
QUESTION
Do people still have party telephone lines?
Kate Redford, Bancroft, Ont.
ANSWER
Yes, they do. Party lines, with up to four customers attached in a local loop, allow customers in remote areas (where lines are limited) to get service. Since everyone is on the same line, of course, everyone can listen in, too. Separate, distinct rings let each customer know when to pick up. But if you’re desperate to know what someone is paying for their new dock, you might just pick up “by accident.”
Party lines were a regular fixture in cottage country long after they disappeared in cities and towns for the simple reason that it’s more expensive to run private lines over longer distances. But now few exist as telephone companies upgrade service and technology. With cellphone technology improving, some cottagers are opting not to have a land line at all. You can still get a two-line party line service installed by Bell Canada; however, four-line service is no longer available (though Bell won’t take it away, if you already have it). But, if you do want a party line, you might meet with some incredulity. One staffer in Bell’s customer care department said he’d never had a request for one in nine years on the job.
Christine Langlois
Published in the July/August 2007 issue of Cottage Life.
