The man who brought cable television to the province was honoured in the Alberta Legislature last week. Edward Polanski, known as a communications pioneer, died last fall but his legacy of improving broadcasts lives on whenever anyone wants to view sittings of the House without being present. All that they have to do is turn to the right channel or visit www.assembly.ab.ca for the broadcasts.
That’s why Lorne Dach, MLA of Edmonton-McClung, took a few minutes during the proceedings to speak about Polanski’s life’s work.
“His mission in life was to bring private television viewing into every Albertan home,” Dach said, noting that Polanski campaigned to broadcast daily sittings of the Alberta legislature and encouraged other provincial cable systems to do so as well.
“(He) is responsible for originating television broadcasting of proceedings of this Alberta Legislative Assembly and the House of Commons that we now watch today.”
Polanski was born in Eldorena, east of Redwater, in 1933 but received his education in Thorhild. While still a young man in that community, he repaired radios in his father's hardware store. This fostered a growing interest in all electronics and the emerging communications technology.
He took post-secondary training at the Ryerson Institute of Technology and moved back to this province to earn his place in telecommunications history. He established one of Alberta's first cable television systems in 1960 in Athabasca. Ten years later, he was one of a group of investors granted a license from the CRTC for a cable TV operation that served the western half of Edmonton, with Ed as chairman and CEO.
“During his time, TV transmission was being broadcast simply to the borders of Edmonton and not beyond,” Dach continued.
That company, Quality Cable Television (otherwise known as QCTV), grew exponentially during his leadership, eventually managing cablevision systems in 32 towns and cities.
Polanski followed his other aptitudes and interests, serving as mayor of the Town of Athabasca and president of the Alberta Chamber of Commerce. He previously was named a Designated Pioneer and Honours recipient of the Canadian Cable Television Association.
He was a successful and respected businessman and was known as a dynamic visionary and mentor who still knew how to really connect with people. He passed away on Oct. 7, 2015 at the age of 82.
Dach said that he was proud to work with “Ed” as a master control operator intern with QCTV in the early 1980s.
“Mr. Polanski was a great mentor. He would walk through the television station and offices to inquire as to how things were going. He was always engaging, and he really deserves the accolades of this House and all Albertans for his accomplishments,” he continued in his presentation.
