MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS
Canada has some of the most sophisticated communication systems in the world. There are public payphones everywhere – in cafés, bars, public buildings, gas stations, and post offices. Most operate with coins or cards, and while local calls are a bargain, international calls can be expensive. It is also possible to send telegrams, faxes, and even documents via Intelpost, a satellite communications system.
Canada Post, the country’s mail service is certainly reliable, but it is renowned for being slow. It can be quick however, if you are willing to pay an extra fee for priority handling and delivery.
Public telephones operate on 25 cent coins, although there is an increasing number of phones that accept both credit and phone cards. Rates are generally cheaper between 6pm and 8am, and on weekends. All local calls cost 25, 35, or 50 cents (private subscribers have free local calls). For any call outside the local area, including international calls, the operator will tell you how much to pay for the initial period and will then ask for more money as your call progresses. It is usually easier to make long distance calls using a phone card than to have the stacks of change required.
- For calls to another area code: dial 1 followed by the area code and the 7-digit local number. (In Toronto, dial the area code for all local calls.)
- For international calls: dial 011 then the code of the country (Australia 61, the UK 44) followed by the local area/city code (minus the first 0) and the number. To call the US from Canada dial 1 , the area code, then the local number.
- For international operator assistance dial 0 .
- For information on numbers within your local area dial 411 .
- For information on long distance numbers call 1 followed by the area code then 555 1212 .
- An 800 , 866 , 877 , or 888 prefix means the call is toll free.
All mail from Canada to outside North America is by air and can take between three and seven days to arrive. If you are sending mail locally, it can also take days – not including the postal code will make the service even slower. To send mail, look for signs that say “Canada Post” since some post offices are located in malls.
- Canadian Post Customer Services Line. Tel: 1 800 267 1177.
It is possible to rent a mobile phone while on vacation, or to have your own mobile tuned to local networks.
Visitors can use e-mail in the larger hotels or at one of many city-based Internet cafés.
It is possible to send a fax from the commercial outlets found in most towns. Telegrams are dealt with by Canadian National Telecommunications (CNT) or Canadian Pacific (CP). There are two main services, Telepost, which provides first-class delivery, and Intelpost, which sends documents abroad via satellite.
The only papers that see themselves as national publications are The National Post and The Globe and Mail , both based in Toronto. There is also a national news weekly called Maclean’s . Most cities have their own daily newspapers and some, such as Toronto, have several. Many cities and regions have free weeklies that provide excellent coverage of local events.
Canada has a national 24-hour public broadcasting corporation (CBC), 80 percent of whose programs are produced locally. CBC also provides an excellent radio service, and can be a good source of information on local happenings and weather for visitors. They also have a national service in French.
- Alberta - 403 & 780.
- British Columbia - 604 & 250.
- Manitoba - 204.
- New Brunswick - 506.
- Northwest Territories - 867.
- Nova Scotia - 902.
- Newfoundland & Labrador - 709.
- Ontario -
- 416, 647 & 905 (Toronto).
- 705 - (central and northeast).
- 519 - (southwest peninsula).
- 613 - (Ottawa region).
- 807 - (northwest).
- Prince Edward Island - 902.
- Quebec -
- 514 & 540 (Montreal).
- 819 - (north).
- 418 - (east).
- Saskatchewan - 306.
- Yukon & Nunavut - 867.
