Canada's Telecommunications Hall of Fame

Since its founding on May 30, 2005, Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame has achieved many of its goals. The Hall of Fame is well-launched and continues to make significant gains in stature, credibility and industry acceptance. We are an organization that takes seriously the task of promoting the Canadian telecom industry, celebrating and honouring our industry’s greatest pioneers and leaders and educating Canadians young and old about the history and heritage of one of our country’s most successful yet least understood industry sectors.

Because we dream large, Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame has set for itself another extremely ambitious Action Plan for the year ahead in 2009. To learn more about the Hall of Fame’s 2009 Action Plan, please read on.

Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame is initiating an ambitious history and heritage project – The Canadian Telecommunications Chronicles Project. The Chronicles Project will combine research, writing and electronic data collection and presentation. When completed in 2011, the Chronicles will be a web-based detailed, interactive, historical timeline of the Canadian telecommunications industry stretching from the 1840s to the present and incorporating and digitizing thousands of records and photographs never before compiled in one location.

The Hall of Fame Heritage Library Book Series will also be launched in 2009. The Heritage Library Series will be a systematic effort by the Hall of Fame to gather existing and out-of-print publications about the history and heritage of Canadian telecommunications, along with topical new anniversary books and contemporary research papers, into an on-going and expanding collection of works about the legacy of our industry.

First, our existing website was completely redesigned and relaunched in 2007. Existing sections, such as the Telecom Industry Portal that had been under construction for many months are now completed, and include segments such as Telecom Industry Careers, Canadian Telecom History and Telecom Research Papers. Members of the Canadian telecom industry afre encouraged to use the Telecom Industry Portal to promote their industry events and advance their career options.

A brand new section of the Telecom Industry Portal showcasing current Canadian telecom innovators has been added to the portal and includes video clips of leading Canadian telecom companies. Exhibits on each member of our Class of 2008 Telecom Laureates have also been added to the Virtual Tour section of the website, including new videos of the Laureates that were unveiled at the recent 2008 Telecom Laureate Awards gala.

We are already assessing new nominations to determine the Class of 2009 Laureates and Special Recognition Award winner. The process is now complete and the Class of 2009 Laureates are expected to be announced on June 10, 2009 at a Media Reception in Ottawa. Sponsors for this prestigious by-invitation-only event are currently being sought. If your company would like to sponsor the 2009 Hall of Fame Media Reception, please contact the Hall of Fame at 613-878-1532.

The 2009 Telecom Laureate Awards, the Hall of Fame's 5th annual induction ceremonies and gala dinner will be held on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 in the Grand Hall at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec, across the river from downtown Ottawa. If you or your company would like to participate, as either a sponsor, volunteer or attendee, please contact the Hall of Fame at 613-878-1532.

Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame Foundation is the not-for-profit federally-incorporated and registered charitable corporation that serves as the independent fund-raising arm of the Hall of Fame. The work of the Hall of Fame Foundation is directed by a volunteer Board of Governors. The Board of Governors is comprised of leading figures from the Canadian telecommunications industry, past and present, and will be widely representative of all sectors of the telecommunications industry. The current Chairperson of the Foundation Board of governors is Mr. Adrian Foster.

Typically, Hall of Fame Governors will be heads of telecom industry associations, former CEOs of Canadian telecom companies in the services and equipment sectors, senior government representatives from the telecom sector, retired senior executives from the telecom industry and others whose prior experience and/or expertise in the sector make them appropriate candidates to serve on the Board of Governors. The current members of the Hall of Fame Foundation Board of Governors are:

The Hall of Fame wishes to thank our former Chairperson, Michael Dunlop, President & CEO (ret.), Unigistix Inc., who was the guiding hand in the successful launch of the Foundation's Board of Governors.

October 17, 2005: The 2005 Telecom Laureate Awards inaugural induction ceremonies and gala dinner held in Toronto.

November - January 2006: Completed construction of Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame’s new website.

November - December 2005: Successful recruitment of the members of the Hall of Fame Laureate Nominations and Selections Committees.

January 30, 2006: Launch of Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame new website at www.telecomhall.ca

September 13, 2006: Announcement of the Hall of Fame Laureate Class of 2006 at the Hall of Fame’s inaugural VIP Luncheon at the Montreal Science Centre.

October 16, 2006: More than 350 guests attend the 2006 Telecom Laureate Awards Hall of Fame induction ceremonies and gala dinner held in Toronto at The Carlu.

December 2006: Canada's Telecommunications Hall of Fame invited by the Government of Canada to particpate as a member of Canada's Pavillion at the 2006 Telecom Olympics of the International Telecommunication Union in Hong Kong.

May- June 2007: Completion of redesign and relaunch of Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame website at www.telecomhall.ca,

June 4, 2007: Announcement of the Hall of Fame Laureate Class of 2007 at the Hall of Fame’s 2nd VIP Luncheon at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel in Calgary, Alberta, the first Hall of Fame event ever held in Western Canada.

October 16, 2007: The Hall of Fame stages the 2007 Telecom Laureate Awards, its 3rd annual induction ceremonies and gala dinner, at the historic Windsor Station in Monfreal.

October 29, 2008: The Hall of Fame stages the 2008 Telecom Laureate Awards, its 4th annual induction ceremonies and gala dinner, at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa/Gatineau.

What’s in Store for the Hall of Fame