Telephone Executive History

Department of Telephones, Saskatchewan Government

These were the First members of the Saskatchewan Government Telephone Department Executive
Under Deputy Minister S.P. Porter

Sidney Proctor Porter
b- Dec 16, 1870 in Taunton, Somerset, England
d- Feb 24, 1930 Quebec
Buried in Cimetière Mont-Royal
First Deputy Minister of the Saskatchewan Telephone Department
Became Executive Agent of the Grand Trunk Railway when they went into receivership
Lived at 2117 Lorne St Regina in 1908
married Martha Rebecca McKnight Oct 6, 1903 in Moose Jaw SK
son- Sidney A. Porter b- 1892
son- George Frederick Porter, b- 1893 in Medicine Hat AB
daughter- Florence M. Porter- b- 1895 in Regina
father- Harry Porter- Telegraph Inspector in 1881 in London England
mother- Mary Porter, nee ?

James Forsythe Sutherland
b- Aug 15, 1875, Ottawa, ON
d- Oct 19, 1962 Vancouver BC
buried in Saint Peter's Anglican Cemetery, Summerland, BC
Hired after 16 years with Bell,
And previously Superintendent of Traffic
With the Manitoba Government Telephone Company
He enlisted to fight in WWI, rank, Major
son of John Sutherland and Elizabeth A. D. McKinley
His father was an Ottawa contractor
brother- LT Andrew Sutherland also served in WWI
James married Hilda Blanche Farrell, June 5, 1907 in Ottawa ON
b- 1879, Winnipeg, MB
d- Aug 23, 1943 Summerland BC
daughter of William Henry Farrell and Louisa May Beer

W. Warren (see 1916-17 below as well)
William Robert Warren
b- 1878 in England
d- Sept 12, 1930 in Vancouver BC
buried in Mountainview Cemetery, Vancouver BC
He worked for Bell for 12 years, and Local Superintendent in Winnipeg for the Manitoba Government Telephone Company
received Masonic Funeral in Vancouver
married Minnie Mina Maud Moore June 22, 1909 St John's Cathedral, Winnipeg MB
b- sept 28, 1874 in Kentville NS
d- Mar 31, 1953 in Vancouver BC
daughter of Stephen D. Moore
daughter- Emma (Dean) Warren, born Oct 2, 1912 in Regina SK

D.C. McNab
Dugald C. McNab
b- 1863 in McNab Twp., Renfrew Co., ON
d- 1926 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
buried in White Lake, ON
worked for Department of the Interior as Special Inspector
Member of the Masonic Fraternity
see 1916-1917 list below

R. Fuller
Richard Jestus Fuller
b- 1870 Commenda, Viterbo, Lazio, Italy
d- 1956 Regina SK
buried in Riverside Memorial Park in Regina
He was a foreman with Bell Tel Co in 1908 boarding at 1861 Smith in Regina
Family lived at 1929 McIntyre st.
Worked in Telephone Line and Exchange Construction for 41 years, retiring in 1936
He started as a 16 year old boy with the Bell Telephone Construction gang in Smith Falls ON
He was sent west in 1900 by Bell to supervise the building of town exchanges and long distance lines
Built the Long Distance Line from Brandon to Regina
Supervised the First Telephone Exchange in Regina
son of John A. Fuller and Isobel Fournier
He married his wife Gertina Fournier in 1905
b- 1879
d- 1959
His 2 sons carried on the Telephone tradition.
One son Stanley “Stan” Vincent Fuller was Provincial Service Supervisor for Saskatchewan Government Telephones in 1951
Son William “Bill” Richard Fuller was a telephone lineman in Regina in 1951
daughter- Florence Fuller

J. Woods

T. Walshe Turner
he was an Inspector for Bell in 1908

Harry Willsmer
b- 1863 in Sturmer, Essex, England
d- Jan 1, 1950 in Regina
Secretary of the Wascana Masonic Lodge in 1937

C.F. Smith
Secretary of the Elks Club in 1908 in Regina

R. Chown

S. Hod

Minister- Hon. G. A. Bell
Deputy Minister- D. C. McNab (see above)
Chief Engineer- W. Warren (see above)
Superintendent of Rural Lines- W. J. Patterson (on active service)
Chief Accountant- W. H. Churchill
Superintendent of Service- W. T. Brattle
Chief Clerk- E. F. Pratt

©