Canada’s new three-digit emergency line for mental health crises will be 988 — a close numerical relative to 911.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced the number on Wednesday, saying it’s expected to be functional by November 30, 2023.
“We are taking a significant step in making mental health and suicide prevention resources more accessible to everyone in Canada. A single, easy to remember point of contact will provide much-needed help to those in crisis and will be crucial to saving lives,” CRTC chairperson and CEO Ian Scott said in a news release.
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Texts and calls to 988 will be directed to mental health crisis and suicide prevention services free of charge. It will be available 24/7 across the country.
One barrier to setting up the number, according to the CRTC, is that all regions of the country need to be converted to 10-digit dialling before the networks can be configured for 988.
Some areas, including Newfoundland, Labrador, northern Ontario, and the Yellowknife area, still use seven-digit dialling.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) characterized the announcement as a “critical milestone” in a news release.
An average of 12 people die by suicide every day in Canada, and PHAC has been working to improve access to suicide prevention services. It says the three-digit, easy-to-remember number would save individuals time from looking up a 10-digit number.
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