
From: Dave.Leibold@superctl.tor250.org (Dave Leibold)
Date: 18 Aug 96 21:08:12 -0500
Subject: Northern Canada Exchange Profile


Northern Canada NPA/NXX profile
17 August 1996
David Leibold <dave.leibold@superctl.tor250.org>

This is a list of NXX ("exchange" or central office codes) as used in
various northern Canadian points. The Northwest Territories and Yukon points
(switching to NPA 867) are listed, as well as associated northern British
Columbia and Quebec points (i.e. those British Columbia points operated by
NorthwesTel, those northern Quebec points operated by Bell Canada).

403/819/867 split (the territories):

NPA (area code) 867 has been assigned for use throughout the Northwest
Territories and Yukon. This will be in service as of 21 October 1997 and
NPAs 403 and 819 will cease to operate into the territories as from
26 April 1998 and 867 (or "TOP" on the phone dial) becomes "mandatory"
in the territories.

Northwestel has set up a hotline to deal with the area code changes:
1 888 777.1867. A test number (867) 669.5448 will be in effect when the
new 867 code is activated.

604/250 split (British Columbia):

Northern British Columbia points operated by Northwestel will change
area code from 604 to 250 beginning 19 October 1996. NPA 604 can still
be used in parallel with 250 until 6 April 1997, at which time NPA
250 becomes "mandatory".

Test numbers when 250 comes into effect will be (250) 371.0123 and
(250) 371.0124.

Contents:

* 403 Northwest Territories (western part), Yukon
* 819 Northwest Territories (eastern part)
* 819 Northern Quebec (Nunavimmiitunut directory area)
* 250 (from 604) Northern British Columbia
* General Notes

-----------------------------------------------------
-- 403 Northwest Territories (western part), Yukon --
-----------------------------------------------------

[These NorthwesTel points will be changing to the 867 NPA]

206 Trout Lake               ; NWT; new as of July '96
360 Gjoa Haven               ; NWT
370 Lutselk'e                ; NWT; formerly Snowdrift
371 Edzo                     ; NWT; connected as Rae-Edzo
390 Teslin                   ; Yukon
392 Rae                      ; NWT; connected as Rae-Edzo
393 Whitehorse               ; Yukon; formerly for Pine Point, see [note 2]
394 Fort Resolution          ; NWT
396 Holman                   ; NWT
399 Tagish                   ; Yukon; also Marsh Lake, see [note 4]
536 Watson Lake              ; Yukon
537 Pelly Crossing           ; Yukon
561 Taloyoak                 ; NWT; formerly Spence Bay
573 Wha Ti                   ; NWT; formerly Lac La Martre
580 Paulatuk                 ; NWT
581 Wrigley                  ; NWT
587 Norman Wells             ; NWT
588 Tulita                   ; NWT; formerly Fort Norman
589 Deline                   ; NWT; formerly Fort Franklin
598 Fort Good Hope           ; NWT
602 Nahanni Butte            ; NWT; new as of July '96
633 Whitehorse               ; Yukon
634 Haines Junction          ; Yukon
667 Whitehorse               ; Yukon
668 Whitehorse               ; Yukon
669 Yellowknife              ; NWT
690 Sachs Harbour            ; NWT
695 Fort Simpson             ; NWT
699 Fort Providence          ; NWT
709 Colville Lake            ; NWT; see [note 3], new as of July '96
713 Snare Lake               ; NWT
769 Pelly Bay                ; NWT
770 Fort Liard               ; NWT
821 Carcross                 ; Yukon; see [note 5]
841 Destruction Bay          ; Yukon; also Burwash Landing, see [note 6]
851 Swift River              ; Yukon
862 Beaver Creek             ; Yukon
863 Carmacks                 ; Yukon
872 Fort Smith               ; NWT
873 Yellowknife              ; NWT
874 Hay River                ; NWT
920 Yellowknife              ; NWT
952 Fort McPherson           ; NWT
953 Tsiigehtchic             ; NWT; formerly Arctic Red River
966 Old Crow                 ; Yukon
969 Ross River               ; Yukon; see [note 7]
977 Tuktoyaktuk              ; NWT
978 Aklavik                  ; NWT
979 Inuvik                   ; NWT; NXX to be changed, see [note 1]
982 Kugluktuk                ; NWT; formerly Coppermine
983 Cambridge Bay            ; NWT; also Ikaluktutiak
984 Enterprise               ; NWT
993 Dawson                   ; Yukon
994 Faro                     ; Yukon
995 Elsa                     ; Yukon; also Keno, see [note 8]
996 Mayo                     ; Yukon
997 Rae Lakes                ; NWT

** Notes:

[note 1]

403-979 Inuvik will need to have an NXX change as NPA 867 is established.
This is because it conflicts with 819-979 Iqaluit which will become 867-979.
Inuvik's new NXX is unknown at this point.

[note 2]

Some exchanges that had been listed for NWT have apparently been removed
from service. Recent examples are:

  - 391 Lady Franklin NWT (test pack), now assigned to Red Deer, Alberta
  - 393 Pine Point NWT, now assigned to Whitehorse, Yukon
  - 777 Tungsten NWT, now assigned to Calgary, Alberta

Some explanations for 391, 393 and 777:

391 was a code only used for calling cards associated with DEW Line
personnel. These would be used for billing when placing calls with the
Northwestel operator at Fort Nelson. These were replaced with 148-numbered
cards in the early 1980s. 391 was retained as a "mark-sense" code for
billing/ID purposes until it became obsolete circa 1990-91.

393 Pine Point has vanished. 393 has been assigned to Whitehorse since
1994 initially in service for "switched 56" services, then for Centrex
and eventually for conventional lines.

777 Tungsten was decommissioned due to the 1989 shutdown of the tungsten
mine in that centre. The exchange then only had two or three telephones
in service and was eventually shut down two years after the mine shutdown.

[note 3]

The 1996 NWT directory has a page for Colville Lake. The catch is,
there aren't any Colville Lake numbers to be found on it; just external
numbers such as NorthwesTel contacts, RCMP, territorial services etc.
403-709 (to become 867-709) is the designated NXX for this locality.

[note 4]

399 Tagish is the main rate centre. Marsh Lake is a remote Nortel DMS-100
type switch off Whitehorse exchange, established December 1989.

Marsh Lake telephone numbers are in the 399-4xxx range.
Tagish has all other ranges: 399-2xxx, 399-3xxx, 399-9xxx.

Calls between Tagish and Marsh Lake are long distance, despite the
use of the same NXX.

[note 5]

One pay phone and one or two business phones in Fraser, BC (approx 55 km
from Carcross) are connected to the 821 Carcross exchange. Canada Customs
for the Klondike Highway is based in Fraser.

[note 6]

Burwash Landing is connected to the 841 Destruction Bay exchange, albeit
at an extra $4.19/month local service rate representing the connection
distance to the central office. The two communities have local calling
with each other.

[note 7]

969 Ross River used to have a remote number series with Ketza River
having the 969-7xxx number range. Long distance applied between
Ross River and Ketza River.

[note 8]

Keno (or Keno Hill, or Keno City) has rural multi-party service off
995 Elsa central office.

[note 9]

Direct dial access is expected to two other communities in 1997: Jean
Marie River and Kakisa. Assignments under NPA 403 may be needed if the
introduction of these exchanges is prior to the activation of NPA 867.

Umingmaqtok (Baychimo) is another place slated to have a direct dial
connection. This is contingent on the installation of commercial power
in that community, likely after NPA 867 comes into effect.

----------------------------------------------
-- 819 Northwest Territories (eastern part) --
----------------------------------------------

[These NorthwesTel points will be changing to the 867 NPA]

252 Resolute Bay             ; NWT
253 Little Cornwallis Island ; NWT
266 Sanikiluaq               ; NWT
436 Nanisivik                ; NWT
439 Arctic Bay               ; NWT
462 Repulse Bay              ; NWT
473 Pangnirtung              ; NWT
645 Rankin Inlet             ; NWT
793 Baker Lake               ; NWT
857 Arviat                   ; NWT, formerly Eskimo Point
896 Whale Cove               ; NWT
897 Cape Dorset              ; NWT
898 Chesterfield Inlet       ; NWT
899 Pond Inlet               ; NWT
924 Clyde River              ; NWT
925 Coral Harbour            ; NWT
927 Broughton Island         ; NWT
928 Hall Beach               ; NWT
934 Igloolik                 ; NWT
939 Kimmirut                 ; NWT, formerly Lake Harbour
979 Iqaluit                  ; NWT, formerly Frobisher Bay
980 Grise Fiord              ; NWT

** Notes:

[note 10]

980 Grise Fiord was billed by Bell Canada as the world's most northerly
exchange some years ago. Whether this accomplishment has been beaten is
not known.

----------------------------------------------------------
-- 819 Northern Quebec (Nunavimmiitunut directory area) --
----------------------------------------------------------

[These Bell Canada northern points are in Quebec and as such will not be
changing to the 867 NPA]

254 Inukjuak
255 Salluit
331 Umiujaq
337 Kangiqsualujjuaq         ; formerly Port-Nouveau-Quebec
338 Kangiqsujuaq
491 Aupaluk
492 Quaqtaq
496 Akulivik
633 Tasiujaq
922 Ivujivik
929 Poste-de-la-Baleine      ; Kuujjuarapik
935 Kangirsuk
988 Puvirnituq               ; was listed Povungnituk - Misspelled? Changed?

** Notes:

[note 11]

Interestingly enough, Bell Canada doesn't use the standard 310.BELL
business office number in this region, but instead uses 811 (with the
exception of 1-811 used in Kangiqsualujjuaq and Kangiqsujuaq exchanges).

----------------------------------------------
-- 250 (from 604) Northern British Columbia --
----------------------------------------------

[These points will not be changing to the 867 NPA]

232 Toad River               ; also Summit Lake (232-7xxx)
233 Fort Nelson              ; new, cellular and Centrex only as of Aug. '96
234 Iskut
235 Telegraph Creek
236 Bearskin Lake
237 Bob Quinn
239 Good Hope Lake           ; [note 12]
471 Fort Ware
771 Dease Lake
774 Fort Nelson
772 Wonowon                  ; also Upper Halfway, see [note 13]
773 Prophet River            ; formerly referred to as Minaker
776 Muncho Lake              ; also Mould Creek (776-7xxx)
778 Cassiar
779 Lower Post               ; see [note 15]

** Notes:

[note 12]

239 Good Hope Lake is local to Cassiar 778. This local connecion adds
$4.98/month to local rates in Good Hope Lake.

[note 13]

772 Upper Halfway (772-50xx), Wonowon (772-3xxx, 772-4xxx)

772 Wonowon is the main centre with numbers in the 772-3xxx and 772-4xxx
range. Upper Halfway (772-50xx range) is a "Rural Serving Area", costing
customers $41/month extra, but connected to the Wonowon switch with local
calling between places.

[note 14]

Atlin (604-651, soon to be 250-651) is a northern BC Tel exchange, but
listed in the Northern BC/Yukon directories for reference.

[note 15]

779 Lower Post has locality with Watson Lake, Yukon (403-536)
and an extra $2.91/month per line local service rate.

-------------------
-- General Notes --
-------------------

Telephone directories for these regions are currently:

   - Yukon and Northern British Columbia (NorthwesTel)
   - Northwest Territories (NorthwesTel)
   - Nunavimmiitunut (Northern Quebec, Bell Canada)

Phone book information was used in updating the above NXX listings.

Prior to a corporate shuffle in recent times, the phone book areas were
split along corporate lines: NorthwesTel areas (western NWT) had
directories for Yukon/northern BC (similar to today) and a western NWT
directory (their NPA 403 points). Bell Canada had one northern directory
which consisted of its eastern NWT and northern Quebec points (their
NPA 819 points).

The Nunavimmiitunut phone book is small, but is tri-lingual (Inuktitut,
French, then English). There were three introductory sections (one per
language) and two sets of listings (one with the Inuktitut character
set, and the other which was for French and English).

NorthwesTel's Northwest Territories phone book had Inuktitut and English
sections. The Yukon/Northern BC book is in English only.

Phone bill forms are English and French in the Northwestel 403/604 (or
soon 867 west/250) regions, and English/Inuktitut in the 819 (soon 867
east) regions. Printed details are in English in these cases.

Disconnect notices are in English, French and Inuktitut.

No other regional language such as Dogrib or Loucheux is used by Northwestel.

Information compiled from various Northwestel, Bell Canada and other telco
sources. Thanks to Geoff Capp and Ray Chow for additional info for this
document.


Fidonet : Dave Leibold 1:259/730@fidonet.org
Internet: Dave.Leibold@superctl.tor250.org
