VANCOUVER, KELOWNA and WINNIPEG — Telus Communications announced today the expansion of several Telus Community Boards in the western provinces of Canada.
The Telus Vancouver Community Board is expanding to include Vancouver coastal communities and is formally changing its name to the Telus Vancouver and Coastal Community Board. This expansion “will support 36 communities across Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast and Sea to Sky corridor, including Squamish, Whistler, Gibsons and Sechelt, with boundaries encompassing Hope up to Pemberton, and over to Powell River,” according to a press release.
The Telus Thompson Okanagan Community Board announced it is expanding to include Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Prince George, Quesnel and Cranbrook, and is also formally changing its name to the Telus Interior and Northern B.C. Community Board. “This expansion will support 76 communities across Northern B.C.,” reads a second press release.
Telus also announced the appointment of Michael J. Ballingall, senior vice-president of Big White Ski Resort, as board chair of the Telus Interior and Northern B.C. Community Board. Ballingall has been a Telus Thompson Okanagan Community Board member for more than 10 years. He has also previously served as chairman of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association and as director on the Tourism Kelowna Board.
Finally, the Telus Manitoba Community Board is expanding to include Saskatchewan and is formally changing its name to the Telus Manitoba and Saskatchewan Community Board. This expanded community board “will support more than 900 communities across Manitoba and Saskatchewan,” says a third press release.
This expansion, and the others announced today, will provide “more Canadian youth with access to the resources they need to learn, be creative, make connections, and stay healthy, opening up new opportunities for them to thrive.”
The Telus Manitoba and Saskatchewan Community Board also announced a $20,000 donation to Keeseekoose First Nation, “to support their community following the residential site discoveries brought to light last month,” the release says.
“Through the Telus Community Boards, the Telus Friendly Future Foundation funds more than 500 charities annually, supporting grassroots and charitable initiatives that offer health or education programs that help youth thrive in a digital world,” explains Telus in its press releases.
“Since 2005, Telus and its 13 Canadian Community Boards have enabled $87 million in cash donation support to over 7,100 charitable programs across the country, supporting youth, ultimately helping them thrive in an evolving digital world.”
For more on the expansion of the Telus Community Boards and their support of local charities and community organizations, please see Telus’s individual press releases.
