Ministers ask CRTC for a 911-type number for suicide crises

OTTAWA – The Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, François Champagne and Minister of Health, Patty Hajdu sent a letter to the CRTC in January asking the Regulator if the telecom industry could come up with a three-digit phone number Canadians could dial for suicide crisis support, similar to how you can dial 911 for emergencies or 411 for information. The FCC in the United States last year approved 988 as the number for those experiencing a suicide crisis to call. It will begin in 2022. In a March 9 return letter to the ministers, CRTC chair Ian Scott...