Area codes 778, 236, and 672

Area codes 778, 236, and 672 are overlay area codes for the Canadian province of British Columbia. They overlay the existing area codes, 604 and 250, simultaneously, requiring ten-digit dialling throughout the province. The area codes also serve the United States community of Hyder, Alaska, which sits along the Canada–United States border near the town of Stewart.

History

Area code 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. This was intended as a long-term solution; however, within four years, 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.

While numbers tended to be used up fairly quickly in the immediate Vancouver area due to its rapid growth, the number allocation problem was particularly severe in the Lower Mainland. 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.[1] Nonetheless, the implementation of 778 made 10-digit dialing mandatory across the Lower Mainland.

In early 2007, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) faced the prospect that 250 would exhaust in early 2008. Relief proposals included:[2]

  • a geographic split that would have seen the Interior retain 250, with Vancouver Island switching to a new area code
  • expanding 778 to the 250 territory
  • concentrated overlays covering part of the 250 territory

Ultimately, the CRTC concluded that there was not enough time to implement a split before 250 was due to exhaust. Additionally, the major landline and cell phone providers in the 250 territory contended that an overlay would be far easier to implement than a split. Telus and other carriers wanted to spare their Vancouver Island customers the expense and burden of changing their numbers for the second time in a decade.[3]

Accordingly, the CRTC announced on June 7, 2007, that 778 would become an overlay for the entire province effective July 4, 2007.[4] Overlays have become the preferred method of relief in Canada, as they are an easy workaround for the number allocation problem; no area codes have been split in the country since 1999.

As of June 23, 2008, ten-digit dialling 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, seven-digit dialling ceased to function.[5]

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.[6]

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 third overlay for the province, 672, which was put into effect on May 4, 2019.[7][8]

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
  • Castlegar: (778) – 364 460 633
  • Chilliwack (778) – 539 596 860 933
  • 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 (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 (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:
    • Cloverdale (778) – 571 574 575 850
    • 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) – 200 222 224 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 235 239 288 300 302 309 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 327 328 329 330 331 333 370 371 372 373 374 375 377 378 379 381 383 446 452 504 532 554 558 580 588 600 628 668 680 681 682 683 684 686 689 706 707 708 710 712 713 714 724 737 782 783 785 786 788 800 807 819 828 829 833 834 835 836 837 838 839 840 845 846 847 848 849 854 855 857 866 867 868 870 871 872 873 874 875 877 879 881 882 883 886 887 888 889 891 893 897 899 903 904 905 923 926 927 928 929 938 939 944 945 952 953 954 955 956 968 980 984 985 987 988 989 990 991 992 993 994 995 996 997 998 999
  • 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
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See also
  • List of NANP area codes

Notes and references
  1. NANP Planning Letter PL-246
  2. "New dialing to come in British Columbia". Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  3. Telecom Decision 2007-38
  4. New dialing to come in British Columbia Archived June 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Ten-digit dialing coming to all of B.C.
  6. "Telecom Decision CRTC 2011-451". Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  7. (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.
  8. "B.C. is getting a new area code next year". CBC News. February 14, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
British Columbia area codes: 236/672/778, 250, 604
North: 867
West: Pacific Ocean, 907 778, 236, and 672 (overlaid with 250 and 604) East: 780, 403, 587/825 (overlay)
South: 360/564, 509, 208/986, 406
Alberta area codes: 403, 587/825, 780
Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut area codes: 867
Idaho area codes: 208/986
Washington area codes: 206, 253, 360, 425, 509, 564
Alaska area codes: 907

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