A car driven by Rolly Giroux has demolished the Coalmont phone booth, destroyed one household’s water well, and sent one person to hospital.
Around noon today Warren Spence had stopped to use the phone booth at the corner of Front and Parrish. Mr. Giroux, driving an uninsured vehicle, came by and drove directly toward the booth with Mr. Spence in it. According to Spence he saw Giroux coming straight toward him but was not able to move away fast enough and was still left bleeding. Reportedly the injuries are not life threatening but still fairly serious. Spence has long been a sworn enemy of Giroux who is well known for his threats. It is unclear whether this was an accident or not.
Giroux, who lives at the other end of the block, went home. Spence apparently had a companion in his truck who was able to drive to the hospital. The police then arrived at the scene, took some pictures, and then went to visit Giroux whom it is assumed was with them when they left there a short time later.
Regardless of intentions, the worldly consequences are not good. Mr Spence says he will be laid up for at least 6 weeks. Furthermore, the loss of Coalmont’s phone booth is no small matter. It was the only emergency phone serving this area and section of the Trans Canada Trail. There is no cell phone coverage. The well behind it is now partly caved in and is exposed to further contamination by surface water and rodent access. This was a source of drinking water for two properties. In addition, the goats and other animals which Giroux was caring for at his residence will need attention while their master is away. It is not known when, or if, he will return.
Contrary to this articles report Rollie’s animals are well taken care of by myself and my family. As well as all the support he has from his fellow Coalmontians.
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I sure hope they do replace that phone booth. The ambulance radios don’t work in Coalmont and I have seen them use that payphone when they come to town on a call. It is also important for quadders who have had an accident to use it to call 911. That has also happened. When you don’t have cell service the payphone is a matter of great importance for safety.
How is ROLLY doing and the town of Coalmont I miss it up there
Hi Courtney. My apologies for not publishing more news lately. :) Rolly is still there, but the goats and other animals seem to be gone recently.
Well, now that we all heard about our wonderful Telus not wanting to replace your phone booth (Global 6pm news, North Vancouver, BC., April 30, 2015)….(it is repeated on BC 1 {21} at 7 pm, and 1 am) and will probably be mentioned in various forms in between these times, maybe even picked up by CTV, so hopefully you will be lucky and have a new hone booth after all.
If your area doesn’t have cell service what do they expect you to do? Even if you did have cell service, not everyone has one of those fancy things. Or the battery is dead …..whatever …
I am hoping Telus will wake up and reconsider.
There are around 450 truckloads of rocks covering the Trans Canada Trail,so, there wont be any traffic on that trail for quite sometime – if at all.
Perhaps some of the readership may go to Mr. Giroux and have him replace the phone booth or maybe just drop into the Coalmont Hotel ad use their payphone that is conveniently located in the lobby and hasn’t been vandalized by bad drivers or local Hillbilly’s…..yet.
The payphone is about 30 paces from the destroyed phone booth.
Mr. Lewis, The temporary closure of the KVR will not deter the use of any ATV, bicycle equestrian or foot traffic. There are many other trails that intersect with the intersection where the missing phone booth was. Drop on by during the May long weekend and see how busy it will be! The rockslide you mentioned will NOT suppress any of that traffic. As for the Hotel phone, it is much more than 30 paces from the old booth, and those who would go to use it, would have to know of it’s existence, all the while only accessible if the hotel is open for business and during their business hours…hardly high visibilty and 24 hour accessible as the old booth was.