Understanding CRTC Policies for Calling Within Canada

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) regulates telemarketing and unsolicited calls within Canada. To ensure compliance, it’s important to understand the rules around calling times, regional distinctions, and area codes. This guide focuses on these specific details to help you adhere to CRTC policies when conducting calls.

The CRTC mandates specific calling windows to protect recipients from intrusive calls outside reasonable hours. Calls must comply with the recipient’s local time. Below are the allowable time frames converted to Eastern Time (ET) for each time zone:

Canada’s provinces and territories are grouped into five regions. Each region has specific area codes that can help you identify the recipient’s time zone.

• Provinces: Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick

• Area Codes:

  • Newfoundland and Labrador: 709

  • Prince Edward Island: 902

  • Nova Scotia: 902, 782

  • New Brunswick: 506
    
    

• Provinces: Quebec, Ontario

• Area Codes:

  • Quebec: 418, 581, 438, 514, 450, 579, 819, 873

  • Ontario: 905, 289, 365, 416, 647, 437, 519, 226, 548, 613, 343, 807
    
    

• Provinces: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta

• Area Codes:

  • Manitoba: 204, 431

  • Saskatchewan: 306, 639

  • Alberta: 403, 587, 780, 825
    
    

• Province: British Columbia

• Area Codes: 604, 778, 236, 250
  
  

• Territories: Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut

• Area Codes:

  • Yukon: 867

  • Northwest Territories: 867

  • Nunavut: 867

To ensure adherence to CRTC rules, follow these practices:

• Maintain an internal DNC list to record recipients who opt out of calls.

• Respect the DNC list for all future campaigns.

• Clearly identify your organization and the purpose of the call at the start of every interaction.

• Double-check the recipient’s time zone before initiating a call to ensure compliance with permitted hours.

• Maintain detailed call logs, including:

• Date and time of calls.

• Area codes and recipient’s local time.

• Notes on whether the call was answered, unanswered, or opted out.

• Obtain express consent before making unsolicited calls.

• Provide a simple mechanism for recipients to opt out of future calls.

Failure to adhere to CRTC regulations may result in:

• Financial penalties.

• Suspension of telemarketing privileges.

• Reputational damage to your organization.

• CRTC’s Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules

• Canadian National Do Not Call List

By following these guidelines and leveraging the regional and time zone information provided, you can ensure your IVR campaigns remain compliant with CRTC policies while maintaining positive interactions with your audience.