Superman would be hard-pressed to find a phone booth to change into his outfit these days.

There is little demand for payphones in this time of Wi-Fi, smartphones and texting, but there are a few still available for use in Kelowna that have yet to be taken away.

According to a Canadian Press article from 2015, the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) proposed to tighten up the rules companies must follow when they choose to disconnect the last municipal payphone.

Currently, there are two street-side payphones in the downtown Kelowna area: one outside the Kelowna Law Courts on Water Street and another just a block away outside Kelowna Memorial Arena on Doyle Avenue香蕉视频直播攏either are in a booth and both are still connected.

Staff at the Tourism Kelowna waterfront kiosk often get international tourists asking to use the Wi-Fi or the landline to make calls, and only rarely direct people to the downtown payphones.

Hey , when was the last time you used a payphone? This one outside Memorial Arena is still connected..

香蕉视频直播� Mack Britton (@MackBrittonBC)

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A CRTC survey found that only 32 per cent of Canadians used a payphone even once in 2014香蕉视频直播攁nd that was five years ago.

that lists known payphone numbers for major cities in B.C. sites zero numbers in Kelowna, while significantly smaller municipalities香蕉视频直播� Keremeos and Penticton both have two numbers each listed.

Meanwhile, in the small Village of Coalmont, the town香蕉视频直播檚 only

香蕉视频直播淭he phone booth was great and it was used often,香蕉视频直播� said Diane Stern, owner of the Mozey-On-Inn Motel in the heart of Coalmont.

The booth hasn香蕉视频直播檛 been replaced since the incident in 2015. Instead, Telus installed what Stern referred to as a 香蕉视频直播渏ail-phone,香蕉视频直播� which is the only public phone in the town which has little-to-no cell service

香蕉视频直播淭he 香蕉视频直播榡ail-phone香蕉视频直播� is really only good for calling 9-1-1,香蕉视频直播� Stern said. 香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 if people can even find it.香蕉视频直播�

People looking for tows, taxis or almost anything else come to Stern香蕉视频直播檚 motel to make calls; it香蕉视频直播檚 not a problem for them, but it could be when the motel closes their doors in 2021.

香蕉视频直播淲hen we close, they will need to put something better in because the current phone doesn香蕉视频直播檛 cut it. I really hope that it gets replaced,香蕉视频直播� said Stern.

Apart from the two street-side payphones downtown, there are only a few known local spots where payphones could be easily accessed. There are two at the 7-11 in Lake Country and signage for an old phone booth along side Highway 33 in Rutland just outside Olympia Tavern Greek Restaurant.

There have been old-style Telus payphones also spotted at Manteo Waterfront Resort, Jim Lind Arena in West Kelowna, Encore West Kelowna movie theatre, KGH and the Kelowna airport.

Telus香蕉视频直播� Liz Sauv茅 said that the use of payphones has been steadily declining for almost 20 years.

香蕉视频直播淭elus currently has about 8,000 payphones across Canada, primarily in B.C., Alberta, and Quebec. Many payphones go days at a time between use,香蕉视频直播� Sauv茅 said.

香蕉视频直播淎t this point, if we do remove a payphone, it香蕉视频直播檚 generally because the landlord doesn香蕉视频直播檛 want it anymore because it香蕉视频直播檚 not being used, it香蕉视频直播檚 being vandalized or because they香蕉视频直播檇 prefer to put something else in that space.香蕉视频直播�

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Payphones offer affordable, easily accessible and private options for people who may be from low-income families or homeless, but can also be an easy targets for vandals.

Telus also offers a due to the hardships some face due to the lack of affordable communication options and declining availability of payphones. Currently, more than 10,000 British Columbians use Telus香蕉视频直播� Mobility for Good program.

These payphones can be completely useless in some communities or be an essential lifeline in others.

Either way, with phone booths all but extinct and payphones seemingly close behind, new options will soon be needed for low-income users and costume-changing superheroes.

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