Area codes 778 and 236

Area codes 778 and 236 are overlay area codes for the Canadian province of British Columbia. They overlay the existing area codes, 604 and 250, simultaneously, requiring ten-digit dialing throughout the province. Area code 672 will be overlaid as relief on May 4, 2019.[1]

History

604 had served as British Columbia's sole area code for 53 years before 250 was created as the area code for Vancouver Island and the Interior in 1997, with 604 cut back to serve Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Within four years, however, 604 was on the brink of exhaustion once again due to Canada's number allocation system. Every competitive local exchange carrier is allocated blocks of 10,000 numbers—corresponding to a single prefix—for every rate centre where they plan to offer service, even in the smallest hamlets. While most rate centres do not need nearly that many numbers, a number cannot be allocated elsewhere once assigned to a rate centre and carrier. This results in thousands of wasted numbers. The problem was particularly severe in the Lower Mainland, since it is home to most of the province's landlines and cell phones.

To solve this problem, area code 778 was created on November 3, 2001, as a concentrated overlay for the two largest regional districts in the Lower Mainland, Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley Regional District. The rest of the Lower Mainland continued to use only 604.[2] Nonetheless, the implementation of 778 made 10-digit dialing mandatory across the Lower Mainland.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced on June 7, 2007, that 778 would become an overlay for the entire province effective July 4, 2007, due to the impending exhaustion of numbers in 250.[3] Overlays have become the preferred method of relief in Canada, and Telus and other carriers wanted to spare customers outside the Lower Mainland the expense and burden of changing their numbers for the second time in a decade.

As of June 23, 2008, 10-digit dialing became mandatory across British Columbia; attempting to use seven digits would trigger an intercept message reminding callers of the new rule. After September 12, 2008, 7-digit dialing ceased to function.[4]

This was intended as a long-term solution, but within four years 604, 250 and 778 were close to exhaustion once again. To solve the problem, area code 236 went into effect as an additional overlay for the province on June 1, 2013.[5]

Area codes 604, 250, 778 and 236 are expected to be exhausted by May 2020. As such, the CRTC has ordered the introduction of a new area code, 672, which will be put into effect on May 4, 2019.[1]

Communities included

  • Abbotsford (778)-201 314 344 345 360 761 769 771 779 780 856 880 982
  • Aldergrove (236)-260, (778)-240 241 242 243 245 246 255 369 549 551 552 556 808 809 823 825 878 908
  • Campbell River (778)-346 420 560
  • Chilliwack (778)-539 596 860 933
  • Cloverdale (778)-571 574 575 850
  • Comox (778)-431 541 585 992
  • Courtenay (778)-225 335 451 585 647
  • Cranbrook (236)- 363, (778)-261 450 517 520 550 570 761 963
  • Dawson Creek (778)-273 299 595 843 864 964
  • Delta (778)-264
  • Duncan (236)-594, (778)-422 455 493 568 936
  • Fernie (778)-519
  • Fort Nelson (778)-463 553 744
  • Houston (778)-221 642 816
  • Hudson's Hope (778)-204
  • Invermere, British Columbia (778)-526
  • Kamloops (236)-421 425, (778)-220 257 376 390 399 470 471 495 538 586 696 765
  • Kaslo (778)-205
  • Kelowna (236)-361 420 595, (778)-214 215 313 363 380 392 436 477 478 484 581 594 699 721 760 821
  • Kimberley (778)-481
  • Kitimat (778)-631 649 818 876
  • Langley (778)-277 278 298 366 609 726 826
  • Nakusp (778)-206
  • Nanaimo (778)-268 269 441 690 762 787 841 971
  • New Westminster (778)-237 238 312 384 385 386 387 388 389 396 397 398 503 688 727 759 772 773 775 789 791 792 801 822 827 858 859 861 862 863 865 869 885 889 891 892 893 895 896 898 935 937 979
  • North Vancouver (778)-251 262 264 338 340 729 802 820
  • Penticton (236)-422, (778)-476 559 622 646 781 931
  • Port Alberni (778)- 419 421 449 925
  • Port Coquitlam (778)-216 284 285 325 730 831 941
  • Port Moody (778)-217 272 355 522 731
  • Powell River (778)-236
  • Prince George (236)-331 423, (778)-281 349 415 416 497 510 675 693 763 764 890 983
  • Prince Rupert (778)-361 645
  • Quesnel (236)-424, (778)-334 414 466 768 920
  • Richmond (236)-266, (778)-219 234 282 295 296 297 723 732 803 804 832 918 919 960
  • Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia (778)-527
  • Saanich (778)-351 426 749 750
  • Smithers (778)-210 640 648
  • Sooke (778)-352 425
  • South Delta (778)-263
  • Sparwood (778)-518
  • Surrey is divided into the following local rate centres:
    • Newton (236)-263, (778)-218 223 438 563 564 565 578 590 591 593 612 830 986
    • Whalley (778)-290 293 368 391 394 395 435 636 735 852
    • White Rock (236)-265, (778)-291 292 294 390 545 736
  • Trail (778)-274 367 456 965
  • Vancouver (236)- 317 520 521 777 826 828 888 984 985 986 987 988 989 990 991 992 993 994 995 996 997 998 999 (778)-200 222 224 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 235 239 288 300 302 309 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 327 328 329 330 331 333 370 371 372 373 374 375 377 378 379 381 383 446 452 504 532 554 558 580 588 600 628 668 680 681 682 683 684 686 689 706 707 708 710 712 713 714 724 737 782 783 785 786 788 800 807 819 828 829 833 834 835 836 837 838 839 840 845 846 847 848 849 854 855 857 866 867 868 870 871 872 873 874 875 877 879 881 882 883 886 887 888 889 891 893 897 899 903 904 905 923 926 927 928 929 938 939 944 945 952 953 954 955 956 968 980 984 985 987 988 989 990 991 993 994 995 996 997 998 999
  • Vernon (236)-426, (778)-212 475 506 790 930 932
  • Victoria (236)-237, (778)-224 265 350 400 401 405 406 410 430 432 433 440 445 533 535 557 584 587 600 676 677 678 679 698 700 746 747 817 966 967 972 977
  • West Vancouver (236)-264, (778)-279 280 734 805 851
  • Williams Lake (236)-433, (778)-267 333 412 417 567 799 961

Future planning

Area code 672 is reserved for British Columbia and will go into effect on May 4, 2019.[5][6]

See also

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 (CRTC), Government of Canada, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. "Relief for area codes 236, 250, 604, and 778 in British Columbia". crtc.gc.ca. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  2. ↑ NANP Planning Letter PL-246
  3. ↑ New dialing to come in British Columbia Archived June 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ Ten-digit dialing coming to all of B.C.
  5. 1 2 "Telecom Decision CRTC 2011-451". Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  6. ↑ "B.C. is getting a new area code next year". CBC News. February 14, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  • Fabisch, M.P. (1995-08-17). "NANP-Split of 604 (British Columbia) Numbering Plan Area (NPA)" (PDF). Bellcore Letter. Retrieved 2007-01-24.
  • Suresh Khare (October 26, 2006). "Planning Document NPA 250 Numbering Relief" (PDF). 1.0. Canadian Numbering Administrator (CNA). Retrieved 2012-07-19.
British Columbia area codes: 236/778, 250, 604
North: 867
West: Pacific Ocean, 907 778 and 236 (overlaid with 250 and 604) East: 780, 403, 587/825 (overlay)
South: 360, 509, 208, 406
Alberta area codes: 403, 587/825, 780
Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut area codes: 867
Idaho area codes: 208
Washington area codes: 206, 253, 360, 425, 509, 564
Alaska area codes: 907

Coordinates: 54°N 124°W / 54°N 124°W / 54; -124

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