Area codes 416, 647, and 437

Evolution of area codes in Ontario and southwestern Quebec

Toronto's original manual telephone exchanges were recognized by an exchange name and a block of four-digit line numbers. The "GRover exchange" at Kingston Road and Main Street in East Toronto became the first Canadian dial exchange in 1924. Montréal got its first dial telephones one year later.[2] The numbers were dialled as two letters and four digits (2L+4N). Grover 1234 was dialled GR-1234 (or 47-1234). Conversion to seven-digit (2L+5N) format began in 1951, and continued until the introduction of direct distance dialling in 1958.[3] The main area code, 416, was one of the 86 original area codes, which were introduced in 1947.[4] It covered most of the populous Golden Horseshoe region in southern Ontario, from Colborne to Niagara Falls to Kitchener-Waterloo. It was almost completely surrounded by Ontario's other area code, 613. Ontario and Quebec were the only provinces to be assigned multiple area codes at the inception of the continent-wide numbering plan.

Area code 416 has been split twice. The western portion of 416 (including Kitchener) was combined with the southern portion of area code 613 to form area code 519 in 1953, which left 416 largely co-extensive with the area that is generally reckoned as the core of the Golden Horseshoe. Despite rapid growth in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), that configuration remained for 40 years.

By the late 1980s, however, 416 was close to exhaustion because of the GTA's continued growth and Canada's inefficient number allocation system. Canada does not use number pooling as a relief measure. All competing carriers are assigned 10,000-number blocks, which correspond roughly to a single prefix, in each rate centre in which it plans to offer service, regardless of its actual subscriber count. Most rate centres do not need nearly that many numbers to serve their customers, but a number cannot be allocated elsewhere once it has been assigned to a carrier and rate centre. That resulted in thousands of wasted numbers. The problem was less severe in the Golden Horseshoe than in other areas of Canada since then, as now, numbers tended to be used up fairly quickly because of the area's dramatic growth.

Nonetheless, the GTA's rapid growth and the proliferation of cell phones, fax machines, and pagers made it obvious that the Golden Horseshoe needed another area code. In 1993, area code 416 had its territory reduced to its current size to just Metropolitan Toronto (York, East York, North York, Etobicoke, Scarborough and Old Toronto). Area code 905 was then assigned to most of Toronto's suburbs and almost completely surrounds 416. The split began on October 13, 1993, but permissive dialing of 416 continued throughout the Golden Horseshoe until January 1, 1994. The GTA would have likely needed another area code at some point given its explosive growth, but the 905 split might have been delayed if it had been possible to reallocate numbers from the Golden Horseshoe's smaller rate centres to Toronto.

With the amalgamation of Metro Toronto into the "megacity" of Toronto in 1998, 416 became the only Canadian area code to serve just one rate centre and just one city. Many of Canada's larger cities, especially "megacities" that have been created from mergers of previously separate cities, are split between multiple rate centres that have never been amalgamated. Toronto is an exception and has been a single rate centre, which is by far Canada's largest, since 1977, with the merger of the historical Agincourt, Don Mills, Islington, New Toronto, Scarborough, West Hill, Weston, and Willowdale exchanges into the Toronto exchange.[5]

The 1993 split had been intended as a long-term solution for Canada's largest toll-free calling zone. Within five years, however, 416 was once again close to exhaustion. Toronto's size and status as a single rate centre have caused numbers to tend to be used up fairly quickly. Therefore, the number allocation problem was not nearly as serious as in other Canadian cities that are split between multiple rate centres. However, it was obvious that Toronto needed another area code. Splitting Toronto between two area codes, a solution adopted in the United States for cities like New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles, was ruled out because of the area's high population density and the lack of a suitable boundary along which to split. Another option was an overlay area code, which would cover the same area as 416. Overlays were then a new concept that was somewhat controversial because of the requirement for ten-digit dialling. However, Bell and other telephone companies pressed for an overlay since they wanted to spare their customers the expense and burden of having to change their numbers, which would have required a massive reprogramming of cellular telephones. Also, it would have been extremely difficult to split Toronto since it is a single rate centre. Ultimately, the decision was made to implement an overlay.

On March 5, 2001, 416 was overlaid with area code 647, which is Canada's first overlay code. The implementation of 647 made ten-digit dialling mandatory in Toronto. However, within a decade, both 416 and 647 were close to exhaustion. A new overlay area code, 437, started operation on March 25, 2013.[6][7] That effectively allocates 24 million numbers to one city of 2.5 million people.

Area code 942 will be overlaid on area codes 416/647/437 on April 26, 2025.[8] Area code 387 has been reserved for Toronto's future use.

Since the implementation of area code 647, overlays have become the preferred solution for area code relief in Canada, as they allow carriers an easy workaround for the number allocation problem. As of April 28, 2023, only three Canadian area codes (709, 807 and 867) are still single-code areas, with no overlay, and so still allow seven-digit local dialing. (An overlay is planned for 709 as it is predicted to exhaust by 2024.)

A 2020 exhaust analysis by the NANPA projects a 2025 exhaustion date for the 416/647/437 numbering plan area.[9]

Toronto is the centre of the largest local calling area in Canada, and one of the largest in North America. As of 2013, the following points in area code 905 were a local call to +1-416 Toronto: Ajax-Pickering, Aurora, Beeton, Bethesda, Bolton, Brampton, Caledon East, Campbellville, Castlemore, Claremont, Georgetown, Gormley, King City, Markham, Milton, Mississauga (rate centres Clarkson, Cooksville, Malton, Nobleton, Port Credit and Streetsville) Oak Ridges, Oakville, Palgrave, Richmond Hill, Schomberg, Snelgrove, South Pickering, Stouffville, Thornhill, Tottenham, Unionville, Uxbridge, Vaughan (rate centres Kleinburg, Maple and Woodbridge) and Victoria. Caledon in area code 519 is also a local call to Toronto.[10] Many of these suburban areas are long-distance to each other, particularly, but not exclusively, those which are across Toronto from each other (i.e. north versus east versus west of Toronto).

Toronto, Ontario

In the Greater Toronto Area, the terms the 416 is also used to describe the area within Toronto proper, and Toronto residents are called 416ers. In recent years, Toronto has been increasingly referred to as "The 6". The suburbs are referred to as the 905 or the 905 belt, and suburbanites are called 905ers (in this use the term does not include the more distant parts of area code 905, such as Niagara Falls).

The 647 area code does not carry the same strong geographic associations as it disproportionately contains nomadic services (such as mobile telephones and voice over IP); an incumbent Bell land line is hard-wired to a specific location in area 416, postal code M. Some have paid a premium for a true 416 number as the code gives the appearance of a local, long-established business instead of a new entrant.[11][12]

On March 17, 1966, The Munsters episode "A Visit from Johann" depicted a person-to-person call to a Happy Valley Lodge in the 416 area code.[13] A hamlet of Happy Valley exists in King Township, in 416 at the time but now (as part of York Region) in 905.

In 1994, food delivery chain Pizza Pizza obtained a Canadian registered trademark on its 416 telephone number, 967–1111, which had featured in distinctive radio advertising jingles since the 1970s.[14]

Toronto rapper Maestro Fresh Wes rendered homage to the area code in his 1998 song "416/905 (TO Party Anthem)". Rapper Drake has a tattoo of the number on his rib to symbolize Toronto as his birthplace.[15] Drake has also released his fourth studio album, titled Views, referring to the 416 and 647 area codes. His album picture is of him sitting on top of the CN Tower in Toronto.

All central office codes reside within the rate centre of Toronto. In some cases, 416 prefixes are available to wire centres outside Toronto city limits which serve Toronto subscribers (such as MALTON22 in Mississauga, which serves an airport hotel strip in Toronto).

• List of North American area codes

• NANP Administrator (October 19, 1989). "Planning Letter(s): IL-89/010-048" (PDF). www.nationalnanpa.com. IL-89/010-048. NANP Administrator. Retrieved January 11, 2023. NANP - Interchangeable Central Office Codes in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada 416 NPA{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)

• CNA exchange list for area +1-416
• CNA exchange list for area +1-647
• CNA exchange list for area +1-437
• Area code map of Canada