 During the period 1895-1909, Zurich had received telephone service from Bell Telephone Co. of Canada who supplied seven individuals and a party line to supply three individuals in St. Joseph's.
As early as 1906 Edmund Zeller (Zurich Herald Publisher) conceived the idea of a rural telephone system, along with William G. Hess. In 1909 Bell Tel. Co. sold its telephones in Zurich and St. Joseph and the pole lines west of town.
Bell retained the switchboard in Zurich and the pole line east to Hensall.
In Feb. 1910, a stock company under the name of "The South Huron Telephone Company Limited" was organized with Directors Edmund Zeller, Dr. Byron A. Campbell, John Preeter, Jonathon J. Merner, and Peter Lamont.
The company was granted permission to operate in Stephen Twp. in Apr. 1910. In June 1910, the Hay Twp. Council granted Tuckersmith the right to erect telephone lines in Hay Twp. with the proviso that Hay Twp. could buy back the lines at cost if they decided to establish a municipal telephone system. The demand for telephone service had begun in earnest.
In May, 1911 a petition of 179 ratepayers requested Hay Twp. Council to establish a municipal telephone system. The Council bought the Zeller Telephone System from Edmund Zeller for $7,150.00, and the switchboard and pole line from Zurich to Hensall from Bell Telephone Co. for $1,100.00.
As a result they could provide service in Dashwood and Zurich, and the townships of Hay and Stanley. Edmund Zeller was hired as manager; Fred Hess, Secretary; Wm. Hess hired as manager of all the system's lines; Peter McIsaac, then later T. Harry Hoffman as manager of Dashwood; Harry G. Hess manager of the Zurich Area.
Some of the early personnel hired also included: Marshall Zeller; Russel Zeller; Hazen Zeller; Miss Ivy Weber; Flossie Hartlieb (Siemon); Lucinda McIsaac; Milford McIsaac; Erwin McIsaac; Miss Sadie McIsaac; Daniel Koehler; Ezra Koehler; and Hurley Weber.
As the Hay Municipal System expanded it bought lines and services from Bell Telephone Co. in Dashwood and Grand Bend, ON. Other purchases included: part of Tuckersmith Twp. and Crediton Telephone Systems which included parts of Stephen and McGillivray Twps.
An amusing experience involves the guarantee one subscriber wanted that he could be assured of speaking in German over the phone. He complained a week later that his son's wife (who couldn't speak German) couldn't understand him any better than if he was right in the house talking to her. Had it not been for the family, the phone might well have been removed.
Another old timer picked up the phone line and wondered aloud, "Can't see how anybody can talk through that wire, it isn't even hollow!"
Until the end of 1994, the Hay Municipal Telephone System provided modern and up-to-date service to 5,000 customers from Grand Bend, Dashwood, Zurich, Hensall and rural services to all the townships surrounding Hay Twp.
In 1980 the Grand Bend exchange converted from a mechanical switcher to a computer controlled digital switcher at a cost of $600,000. Zurich cut over to the computer controlled digital switcher in March, 1985 also at a cost of $600,000. HMTS also relocated the Business Office and Work Centre to a new facility on the outskirts of Zurich, ON. in November, 1979. In December, 1989 the Dashwood exchange cut over to computer controlled digital switcher system at a cost of $410,000.
In January 1995, the Hay Municipal Telephone System (HMTS) was disbanded as a result of new Government legislation for all Independent Telephone Companies in Canada to the Canadian Radio-TV Commission (CRTC). As a result, HMTS was reorganized as the Hay Communications Co-operative Ltd. (HCCL).
Today, the HCCL owes its success as one of the great Independent Telephone Systems to its employees and management who have loyally given their best to make their system one of the largest and best of the Independents by keeping abreast of customers needs and confidently looking forward into the 21st Century.
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