If you had your alarm monitored by The Monitoring Center, you need to read this. TMC, the Oakville-based company that built its reputation on $9.99/month monitoring and no long-term contracts, has been bought by Telus. Your account, your data, and your service now belong to one of Canada's largest telecom corporations.
TMC used to say on their own website: "We have never been bought or sold." That's no longer true. Their Canadian operations have been absorbed into Telus's growing security empire, and the TMC that customers trusted for affordable, no-nonsense monitoring is gone. The Oakville office is closed. The Yelp listing says "CLOSED." And the nearly 100,000 customers who chose TMC specifically because it wasn't a big corporation? They're now Telus customers whether they signed up for that or not.
This isn't the first time Telus has done this. It's not even close. And every time it happens, the same pattern plays out: prices go up, contracts appear, support gets outsourced, and the local service that made the original company worth choosing disappears.
If you're a TMC customer wondering what just happened to your alarm service, or if you're with any independent monitoring company and wondering if you're next, here's everything you need to know. And if you're ready to switch to a company that won't sell you to a telecom, Force Security's alarm system takeover lets you keep your equipment and start fresh.
What Actually Happened to TMC
Unlike Telus's $700 million ADT Canada deal, which came with press conferences and news coverage, the TMC acquisition was done quietly. No press release. No public announcement. Customers found out through letters in the mail telling them their account had been transferred to Telus.
The acquisition appears to have closed in 2024, with formal customer notification letters going out in mid-2025. By late 2025, TMC's Canadian operations were effectively gone. The Telus support page now states: "Canadian customer accounts of The Monitoring Centre are now owned by TELUS Communications."
TMC was built on a simple promise: affordable monitoring, no contracts, customer-owned equipment. They were ULC Listed, CSAA 5 Diamond Certified, and they claimed to be the first company to separate the cost of alarm hardware from the cost of monitoring. That model attracted nearly 100,000 customers. And now those customers are inside the Telus machine.
Telus Has Been Buying Up Canadian Security Companies for Years
TMC isn't an isolated case. Telus has been systematically acquiring independent Canadian security companies since 2018. Every acquisition follows the same playbook: buy the company, absorb the customers, rebrand everything as "Telus SmartHome Security," and fold it into the telecom bundle. Here's the full list.
AlarmForce (Western Canada)
~$66.5 million for ~39,000 customers in BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Telus picked up the western half after Bell acquired all of AlarmForce for $182M.
ADT Security Services Canada
~$700 million for ~500,000 customers and ~1,000 employees. The transformational deal. Rebranded to "Telus SmartHome Security" by September 2020. The biggest independent security company in Canada, gone overnight.
Price's Alarms (Victoria, BC)
Price not disclosed. ~40,000 customers. A family-owned company since 1895. Served residential and commercial clients across BC for 125 years before being absorbed by Telus.
Vivint Canada
~$132.1 million for Vivint's entire Canadian operation. Another major smart home brand erased from the Canadian market.
The Monitoring Center (Oakville, ON)
Price not disclosed. ~100,000 customers across US and Canada. No press release. Customers found out through letters in the mail. TMC's Oakville office is now closed.
The strategy is clear. Telus is building a monopoly-style position in Canadian home security by eliminating independent alternatives one at a time. Every company they buy is one fewer option for consumers who want to avoid the telecom giants.
What TMC Customers Are Actually Experiencing
These are real reviews from TMC customers after the Telus acquisition. Posted publicly on Trustpilot, RedFlagDeals, and other review platforms. The pattern is consistent.
Since that takeover, the service has gone straight downhill. Pre-takeover, a false alarm got a callback within seconds. Now? Twenty-minute delays. During an emergency, I was on hold for five minutes with advertisements playing.
My alarm system has been malfunctioning since the Telus takeover from TMC. Over 2 hours wait time for an agent. I prepaid through December 2026 but can't get working service.
TMC sold their company to Telus without refunding my credit or closing my existing contract. My private data was shared without my consent.
15+ year TMC customer. Price went from the advertised $9.99/month to $12.95/month with no explanation. After Telus took over, my bill jumped about 40%. Now they want me on a 3-year contract.
The service that customers paid for no longer exists. The company they trusted is gone. And the alternative being offered is a telecom bundle with higher prices, longer contracts, and outsourced support. If this sounds familiar, it's because it happens every single time.
Done with Telus? Switch today.
Keep your existing equipment. No contract. Local support that actually picks up the phone. Call 844-360-1234 or book a free assessment online.
What Happens When a Telecom Buys a Security Company
Whether it's ADT, AlarmForce, Price's Alarms, Vivint, or TMC, the post-acquisition playbook is identical. Here's what customers can expect after a telecom takes over their alarm company.
Prices Go Up
TMC's $9.99/month became $12.95, then $30-50 under Telus. The affordable, transparent pricing model that attracted customers in the first place is replaced with telecom-style rate structures. The value proposition evaporates.
Contracts Appear
TMC had no long-term contracts. Telus wants 3-year commitments. The flexibility that let you leave if the service wasn't good enough gets replaced by cancellation fees and lock-in periods.
Support Gets Outsourced
Local, knowledgeable support teams get replaced by offshore call centres. TMC customers report being routed to agents in the US, Egypt, and Montreal who have no context on their system. Hold times ballooned from seconds to hours.
Service Quality Drops
False alarm callbacks that used to take seconds now take 20 minutes. Emergency calls go to hold with advertisements. Systems malfunction and nobody can help. The personal service disappears into corporate process.
This isn't speculation. It's documented. Customers have been telling the same story every time a telecom acquires a security company. And overall telecom complaints in Canada were up 17% between 2024 and 2025, with Telus seeing the largest year-over-year increase of any carrier.
TMC Before Telus vs. After Telus
- Monitoring from $9.99/month
- No long-term contracts
- Customer-owned equipment
- Local Oakville-based support
- Immediate false alarm callbacks
- ULC Listed, CSAA 5 Diamond Certified
- Independent, never bought or sold
- Prices jumped ~40% or more
- 3-year contract pressure
- Equipment compatibility issues
- Outsourced support (US, Egypt, Montreal)
- 20-minute delays, 2+ hour hold times
- Systems malfunctioning post-transfer
- Customer data transferred without consent
The irony: TMC built its brand on being the affordable, no-contract alternative to the big companies. Their own marketing said "We have never been bought or sold." Now they are the big company. And every customer who chose TMC to avoid exactly this situation is living through it anyway.
Don't wait for the next price increase. TMC customers who prepaid through 2026 are already reporting they can't get refunds or working service. Customers who haven't been migrated yet are being pushed into 3-year Telus contracts. The longer you wait, the deeper you get locked into the Telus system. If you're thinking about switching, the best time is before your account is fully migrated. Get a free takeover assessment now.
You Don't Have to Accept This
If your alarm company got bought by a telecom and you don't like what's happening to your service, you have options. You don't have to stay. And with Force Security's alarm system takeover, you don't have to rip out your equipment to leave. Same sensors. Same wiring. Different company behind it. One that's local, answers the phone, and doesn't lock you into multi-year contracts.
Switching Takes Three Steps
Most takeovers are completed in a single visit.
Call or Book Online
Call 844-360-1234 or book a free assessment online. Tell us what system you have. We'll confirm if it's compatible before we send anyone out.
→We Reprogram Your Panel
A Force Security technician visits your home and reprograms your existing panel to connect to our ULC-listed monitoring centre. Your sensors, keypads, and cameras stay in place.
→You're Protected. Done.
24/7 monitoring starts the same day. Local support. No contract. No telecom. If you're not happy, you can leave anytime. We keep customers by earning it.
No Contracts, Ever
We don't lock you in. No cost upfront options are available. We keep your business by providing service worth paying for, not by trapping you in a cancellation fee. TMC used to work the same way. Under Telus, it doesn't.
Local People, Real Answers
When you call Force Security, you reach a real person who knows your area and your system. Not a call centre in another country. Not a 2-hour hold with ads. Not a script. A human who can actually help.
Full Professional Monitoring
24/7 ULC-listed monitoring with direct police and fire dispatch. Intrusion detection, fire protection, environmental monitoring. The same quality TMC used to offer, without the telecom middleman.
Compatible With Your Equipment
Most panels from TMC, ADT, Telus, Vivint, and other providers can be reprogrammed. Door sensors, window sensors, motion detectors, keypads, cameras. We assess it for free. No equipment replacement in most cases.
Force Security Will Never Be Sold to a Telecom
Force Security is a family-owned, local Canadian security company. We've been protecting homes and businesses across Hamilton, Niagara, and the Greater Toronto Area since 1988. We're not for sale. We're not looking for a buyer. And we're not building a customer list to flip to the highest bidder.
When a company like Price's Alarms, which protected families for 125 years, gets swallowed by Telus and erased from the market, it's a loss for the entire industry. The independent security companies that built trust through decades of local service are disappearing one by one. Force Security isn't going anywhere.
- Family-owned and operated since 1988. Not a subsidiary, not a franchise, not for sale.
- No long-term contracts. We earn your business every month.
- Real people answering the phone. No automated menus, no offshore call centres.
- Alarm system takeover available for customers leaving ADT, Telus, TMC, Vivint, or any other provider.
- ULC-listed monitoring with direct dispatch to police and fire.
- Every install done by our own certified local technicians. No subcontractors.
- PowerG+ wireless technology for the most reliable systems available.
- Full range of services: home security, commercial alarm systems, security cameras, smart locks, vacation home security, medical alerts, and more.
Read our customer reviews, see our Readers' Choice Award, or meet the team.
Switch to Force Security. Keep Your Equipment.
If your alarm company got bought by a telecom, we can take over your system. Same equipment, better service, no contract. Get a free assessment.
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Frequently Asked Questions
My alarm was monitored by TMC. What happened to my account?
Your account has been transferred to Telus Communications. Telus now owns the Canadian customer accounts of The Monitoring Center. You should have received a letter notifying you of the change. Your monitoring will continue through Telus, but pricing, contract terms, and support structure may be different from what you had with TMC.
Can I keep my existing alarm equipment if I switch to Force Security?
In most cases, yes. Force Security's alarm system takeover reprograms your existing panel to connect to our monitoring centre. Door sensors, window sensors, motion detectors, and keypads typically stay in place. A technician will assess your system for compatibility at no charge.
Will Telus raise my monitoring price?
Based on the experience of customers from previous Telus acquisitions (ADT, AlarmForce, Price's Alarms, Vivint), price increases of 30-40% or more are common. TMC customers have already reported prices jumping from $9.99/month to $12.95/month, with further increases expected as accounts are fully migrated to Telus pricing structures.
Does Force Security require a contract?
No. Force Security does not require long-term contracts. We earn your business every month. No cost upfront options are available so you can get started without a large out-of-pocket expense. If you're unhappy, you can leave. We keep customers by providing service worth paying for.
Is Force Security at risk of being bought by a telecom?
No. Force Security is a family-owned, locally operated Canadian company. We've been in business since 1988. We're not backed by venture capital, we're not publicly traded, and we're not looking for a buyer. Our goal is to protect our customers, not to build a customer list for resale.
Proudly serving: Niagara Falls • St. Catharines • Welland • Fort Erie • Port Colborne • Fonthill • Lincoln • Beamsville • Crystal Beach • Hamilton • Ancaster • Binbrook • Smithville • Dunnville • Burlington • Mississauga • Brampton • Oakville • Ajax • Toronto • Brantford • Guelph • Kitchener • Port Dover • Acton • Aldershot