MONTREAL – Starting now, all those in the 450, 514 and 819 area codes in Québec and 519 and 613 in Ontario must dial all 10 digits when making a call.
The new dialing method will also apply to local calls from the 418 region to the 819 region and to local calls from the 705 region to the 519, 613 and 819 regions. As of this June 17, people who do not dial the 10 digits will hear a recorded message prompting them to dial the area code followed by the seven-digit local number on all subsequent calls. Their call will then proceed, but this message could disrupt certain communications such as data transmission (faxes, Internet, etc.).
Those in other urban areas, like 905, 416 and 604, have been dialing all 10 digits for years. It’s a long way from growing up rural where about 20 years ago, if the number was, for example, 705-264-6995, all that needed to be dialed was 4-6995, to complete the local call.
"Ten-digit dialing is an important issue in that it affects more than six million residents (in the regions mentioned), in addition to the people working and the companies operating in those areas," said Johanne Lemay, consultant and spokesperson for the Telecommunications Alliance for its 10-digit local dialing communications campaign. "It is imperative that consumers and businesses understand the urgency of reprogramming their systems and communications equipment prior to June 17, in order to avoid any inconveniences caused by the changes," she added.
