PD Session: From Telegraph Wires to Text Messages – The Evolution of Messaging

Earn Continuing Professional Development Hours from this Brown Bag Session presented by Tim Taylor, P.Eng.

Ever wonder how we went from tapping out dots and dashes to sending texts and voice notes in seconds? The story of instant messaging starts way before your first Nokia text. In 1843, Samuel Morse and Arthur Vail sent the first-ever instant message – via telegraph. That instant communication was revolutionary and spawned many telecommunications innovations. 

In 1867, Canadian Confederation promised British Columbia an east/west railway link. As Canada was coming together, so was its communication network, with telegraph lines stretching alongside the railways. The challenge was then to connect to Europe and while an undersea cable was being contemplated, so was an overland route from the Yukon, into Alaska and through Russia. The history of telegraphy in the Northwest Territories took a different turn with the advent of rain telegraphy. 

Today, messaging is faster, smarter, and sometimes even AI-assisted. But the evolution continues. From Telegram (the app) to telegraphy still used by hobbyists and some western museums, messaging keeps shaping how we connect.

Join us for a fascinating dive into the tech that made texting what it is today — and where it’s headed next.

📅 Date: April 9, 2025 at 12:00 P.M.  (30 minutes + discussion)
📍 Location: Virtual – link to be provided  
🎟 Register: napeg@napeg.nt.ca

Speaker Bio  

Tim Taylor, P. Eng., Sessional Instructor Mount Royal University 

Tim started his career in the aircraft industry. He moved to Alberta in 1980 and joined Gulf Canada. Tim’s career has spanned 26 years working with Gulf and its successor, Petro-Canada, in various roles, including his last position as Team Leader, EH&S. Tim volunteered on behalf of PetroCanada for its Young Innovators Award at Mount Royal and also with several other Mount Royal Committees. In 2006 Tim started his own environmental consulting firm. In 2007 he became a sessional instructor at Mount Royal, teaching Pollution Prevention.

Tim has over 40 years of experience in industry and has been teaching at Mount Royal for 15 years. Over this time he taught 100 courses, empathizing logic, processes and an understanding of current trends and how they are applied to environmental scientific problems.

Tim is currently trying to define what retirement looks like.