TELUS Chief Executive Officer Darren Entwistle has been named a 2026 inductee into the BC Innovators Hall of Fame, an honour awarded by BC Tech.
The award recognises Entwistle's role in expanding TELUS in British Columbia and the company's investment in the province since 2000. TELUS says it has invested CAD $70 billion in British Columbia over that period, as part of CAD $294 billion invested across Canada.
BC Tech established the BC Innovators Hall of Fame in 2023 to recognise leaders whose work has had a lasting effect on the province's technology sector and wider economy. Inductees are honoured for supporting innovation, economic growth and British Columbia's position as a technology hub.
Entwistle has led TELUS for 26 years, during which the company has expanded beyond its origins as a regional telecommunications provider. It now operates across connectivity, healthcare, agriculture, customer experience, security and artificial intelligence.
The announcement also served to outline the scale of TELUS's activity in British Columbia. The company says its 5G network reaches more than 90 per cent of Canadians, while its PureFibre network connects 3.7 million homes and businesses.
TELUS also pointed to projects tied to its network overhaul. Under its copper retirement programme, it says it has reclaimed more than 4,600 tonnes of copper through so-called urban mining, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 9,300 tonnes.
Province focus
Housing, digital access and health services also featured in TELUS's account of its work in British Columbia. Through its TELUS Living initiative, the company is redeveloping former central office buildings into purpose-built rental housing, using sites made redundant by its fibre network expansion.
Its social access programmes, including Internet for Good, Mobility for Good and Tech for Good, have reached more than 204,000 people in British Columbia, according to TELUS. The company added that TELUS Wise has supported online safety efforts in the province.
In healthcare, TELUS says TELUS Health for Good has supported more than 145,000 patient visits for underserved people in British Columbia through 17 mobile clinics. The clinics use technology to deliver services outside conventional settings.
TELUS also highlighted support for local content and education. It says it has invested more than CAD $12.6 million in local storytelling and emerging creators in British Columbia through STORYHIVE and TELUS originals, while the TELUS Student Bursary has supported 300 bursaries in the province since launch.
AI and investment
TELUS says it is building artificial intelligence infrastructure in British Columbia through three facilities, including a data centre in Kamloops and two planned sites in Vancouver. It also says TELUS Ventures has built a CAD $1 billion portfolio of technology companies in areas including health, agriculture, telecoms and cyber security.
TELUS recently said it plans to invest a further CAD $15 billion in British Columbia through 2030, with spending directed towards connectivity, artificial intelligence and economic growth in the province.
The Hall of Fame recognition also comes as large Canadian technology and telecommunications groups face pressure to show how infrastructure spending translates into jobs, digital access and local economic activity.
For TELUS, British Columbia remains both a home market and a test bed for broader initiatives in housing reuse, healthcare delivery and AI infrastructure. The company's position is that its commercial expansion and community programmes in the province are closely linked.
"British Columbia has played a pivotal role in TELUS' journey over the past 26 years as we evolved from a regional telecommunications company into a world-leading technology innovator with global reach," said Darren Entwistle, President and Chief Executive Officer of TELUS.
"I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition from BC Tech, which is a reflection of the extraordinary passion, ingenuity and purpose-driven culture of our team members, whose commitment to innovation continues to create meaningful economic and social outcomes for Canadians. Since 2000, TELUS has invested $294 billion across Canada, including $70 billion in British Columbia alone, to build world-leading broadband networks, advance preventative healthcare and precision agriculture innovation, bolster Canada's digital economy and support communities in need with TELUS' caring culture. Importantly, we are continuing to invest boldly in British Columbia's future through transformative initiatives in responsible AI capabilities, environmental sustainability, affordable housing and digital inclusivity. Moreover, through the investments of TELUS Ventures, we have built a $1 billion portfolio of entrepreneurial tech companies that are driving innovative change in health, agriculture, telecoms and cyber security. Together, we are helping British Columbia advance to the forefront of global innovation and competitiveness while creating a friendlier future for generations to come," Entwistle said.