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害羞草研究所攏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..

害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所攁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害羞草研究所� Keremeos and Penticton both have two numbers each listed.

Meanwhile, in the small Village of Coalmont, the town害羞草研究所檚 only

害羞草研究所淭he phone booth was great and it was used often,害羞草研究所� said Diane Stern, owner of the Mozey-On-Inn Motel in the heart of Coalmont.

The booth hasn害羞草研究所檛 been replaced since the incident in 2015. Instead, Telus installed what Stern referred to as a 害羞草研究所渏ail-phone,害羞草研究所� which is the only public phone in the town which has little-to-no cell service

害羞草研究所淭he 害羞草研究所榡ail-phone害羞草研究所� is really only good for calling 9-1-1,害羞草研究所� Stern said. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 if people can even find it.害羞草研究所�

People looking for tows, taxis or almost anything else come to Stern害羞草研究所檚 motel to make calls; it害羞草研究所檚 not a problem for them, but it could be when the motel closes their doors in 2021.

害羞草研究所淲hen we close, they will need to put something better in because the current phone doesn害羞草研究所檛 cut it. I really hope that it gets replaced,害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所� Liz Sauv茅 said that the use of payphones has been steadily declining for almost 20 years.

害羞草研究所淭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,害羞草研究所� Sauv茅 said.

害羞草研究所淎t this point, if we do remove a payphone, it害羞草研究所檚 generally because the landlord doesn害羞草研究所檛 want it anymore because it害羞草研究所檚 not being used, it害羞草研究所檚 being vandalized or because they害羞草研究所檇 prefer to put something else in that space.害羞草研究所�

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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害羞草研究所� 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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