'They didn't even care': Calgarians accuse Telus of unchecked internet installation damage

An upgrade to Telus internet speeds has some Calgarians cursing the company's name, saying it's unfairly leaving a mess on their property.

The telecom giant has been digging into lawns and sidewalks over the past few years to install fibre optic internet cables.

A lot of that work is technically done on private property, but it's land that Telus has the ability to dig into thanks to municipal right-of-way utility policies.

But those policies carry clean-up standards, and that's where some believe Telus has been sloppy.

She's not even a customer, but Michelle Huynh says the company has ruined her Beddington Heights landscaping.

"Telus walked all over my home and they didn't even care," she told CTV News.

After they finished the job, Huynh says contractors did not put the land back the way it was when they started.

Two noticeable holes now sit over her property line: one on her lawn and one on her driveway.

The former stands out on a manicured lot.

And she says the latter could impact the stability of the rest of the nearby concrete.

"I called them so many times to get them to help, and they pushed me aside," Huynh said.

"They've destroyed so many homes and failed to answer any questions."

After dozens of calls, the homeowner says she was able to get Telus to agree to a property check-up.

But it didn't go the way she was hoping.

"When I asked them to repair it, they came and they threw rocks on my lawn," she said.

"They threw compacted soil, sprinkled some grass seeds on top and called it a day. There's an asphalt hole in my concrete after it was exposed for (multiple) seasons."

Telus denied an interview request.

It sent a statement -- after a CTV News deadline -- that reads, "Our team starts restoration work as quickly as possible, and while several factors can affect the pace of restoration work, we're working hard to complete all remediation by the end of this month. To provide timely assistance to residents with build-related questions, we've set up a point of contact between Telus and the City of Calgary that can be reached by dialing 311."

"I'm not confident (in that) at all," Huynh said.

"I've tried to call."

The Calgarian has since taken to hiring a lawn maintenance company out of her own pocket.

"At the end of the day, I don't care about my internet speed: I care about my home."

One local complainant claims Telus contacted her and asked her to not involve media in her property clean-up.

That alleged message came after the telecom company was contacted by CTV News on Thursday morning.