Imagine Wireless is proudly celebrating its 30th year in business, and we’re looking back at its humble beginnings with one store in 1994. Back then, Rogers was still CANTEL and the idea of consumers carrying around cellphones was still strange. With a strong entrepreneurial spirit, Bruce, Chris, and Sharon co-founded their first dealership store for CANTEL (now known as Rogers) after gaining some industry experience.

Building their first location on 16th Ave NW in Calgary, Sharon reflects, “They would go from their suit and tie to their construction clothes. We would do a few activations, sell some accessories, and take that money to purchase more inventory for the next sale. It was day by day.”

 

 

It was a risky undertaking in a burgeoning industry, and mobile phones were nothing like today. They were a brand-new idea and were bulky with long antennas. Bruce talked about the difficulty of selling at that time, “No one had a cell phone back then nor did they think they needed one. We would go out and sell our product mainly to small medium business, trying … to get the consumer to buy into the idea of carrying a phone around.” They knew the industry was going to be fast-moving and constantly changing, and they evolved with it. They found the growth of technology exciting and jumped at the chance to be part of it, despite the risks.

"Our first location was on 16 ave and 2nd St NW. That is where we came up with what was the original name of our company: Trans Canada Communications."

Sharon, Bruce, and Chris in their first CANTEL location in 1995.
Chris and Bruce in a 2006 newspaper feature.
Nearly 30 years later, Sharon, Bruce, and Chris in the new Imagine Wireless Head office in Kensington, 2024.

 

 

 

Reflecting on those early days, Chris Churchill shared, “My thoughts were that we would have a decent run for maybe 5 years and then everyone would have a phone, and we would have to move on to something else. Little did I know how the industry and our company would continue to evolve and grow to where we are today.” Within a year of opening and founding their company as Trans Canada Communications Store, they had opened a second location. However, it was not an easy accomplishment.

“One of our biggest challenges was trying to get the banks to lend us money,” Sharon said, “Bruce eventually made a great partnership with BDBC and at some very high interest rates for their venture capital we got some money to grow our business. Risky but I guess we had guts and confidence. A better combination than having mostly common sense, in my opinion.”

Hayley and Bruce (center), and Neil and Aliyah (kneeling) attend the Kids Cancer Care Foundation Father Daughter Gala.

 

 

Within a few years they grew to nine retail stores, CANTEL became Rogers Communications, and they rebranded to Imagine Wireless. In 2015 they acquired Digital Communications and their corporate assets. Chris recalls, “Overnight we went from one outbound sales office in Calgary to having an office in Edmonton, two in Vancouver, and one in Victoria. The success of this move has basically seen us to where we are today.”

No matter what, they have always been involved and supportive of community including supporting Kids Cancer Care foundation, Holiday Toy Drives, and the Calgary Food Bank. In 2016 they began to support the Ride to Conquer Cancer, now Enbridge’s Tour Alberta for Cancer, and have raised more than $350,000 to date towards cancer research.

Now in today’s world the telecom industry has completely changed and Imagine has continued to adapt and excel in the market. Bruce’s mantra has always been “An owner should be working on the business instead of in the business,” which has driven them to find leaders who treat the company like their own. They especially want to recognize Neil for his contribution to where Imagine Wireless is today.

Chris, Neil, Bruce, and Sharon at the Imagine Wireless Kensington Office, 2024.


"I think the sky and beyond is the limit for Imagine. I see Imagine continuing to be a leader in this industry and a crucial contributor to our community."


"I will have to of course acknowledge our fearless leader Neil Shah. Literally without his dedication and leadership we would be nowhere near where we are at today."

With the move of the Calgary head office to a new building, together they look towards a future that continues to be bright. Chris Churchill teases, “You can look forward to another huge growth year for the business and all the opportunities that come with it. Details to follow!” Bruce adds, “very excited for our continued growth as well as our commitment to supporting the Tour Alberta for Cancer.”

These concluding thoughts from Sharon wrap it up nicely, “I think the sky and beyond is the limit for Imagine. I see Imagine continuing to be a leader in this industry and a crucial contributor to our community.”

On behalf of all the staff at Imagine Wireless: Congratulations on this incredible milestone. In a world of ups and downs it is amazing to see small businesses in Calgary persevere. We look forward to continuing to grow alongside you and cannot wait to see what comes next!

— Robyn Hiebert, Marketing Coordinator