Restoration of TELUS Service on IR 1

Please note: This is not an Okanagan Indian Band announcement. The following information is being shared by OKIB on behalf of TELUS to provide members with an update on the restoration of telecommunications services following the recent wildfires.

August 17, 2026

Standing with the Okanagan Indian Band

Our thoughts are with every member and family affected by the recent wildfires. We are committed to working alongside you to restore essential connections to your community.

Restoration of TELUS Services

An 8 km stretch of poles and cabling along Westside Road has been lost to fire damage. TELUS shares the Westside Road pole line with BC Hydro, which places its infrastructure first, and once it is safe, TELUS follows behind.

Restoration of telecommunication services takes place in four stages: removal of damaged infrastructure, placement of the new pole line, fibre cable placement, and finally reconnections to homes.

Current status: TELUS, along with our partners at Global Broadband, are working to repair and replace damaged internet and phone lines along Westside Road. We have worked in coordination with BC Hydro to clean up damaged infrastructure these past two weeks and are now moving into restoration.

What to Expect

Timeline: We expect these efforts to continue for up to one month, though we are working hard to finish sooner.

Traffic Impact: To ensure the safety of our crews and the community, one lane of Westside Road will be closed periodically, with professional flaggers from CTC and BCWS managing alternating traffic. We will work to keep vehicles moving as quickly as possible.

Billing: Internet and landline phone billing was paused for the month of August for all IR 1 residents. This billing freeze will continue until services are back in place. Additionally, TELUS Mobility customers living on IR 1 have been provided with a 50 GB top-up free of charge.

For support with TELUS services and re-entry plans, please call the dedicated line at 1-855-889-7233 between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. local time.

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