Making telephone calls

Almost every person or family and business in Alberta has a telephone.

Local calls are telephone calls made to a number in the same community. All Alberta phone numbers use one of two area codes:

Towns and cities north of Red Deer use the area code (780).
Towns and cities from Red Deer south use the area code (403).

When you are making a local call, dial the area code first, then the seven-digit phone number.

If you are making a local call from a private telephone, there is no extra charge and you can talk as long as you want. However, if you make a local call from a hotel or motel room, an extra charge may be added to your accommodation bill. Ask at the reception desk to find out how much the charge will be.

Public pay telephones are located in small and large population centres (often in large buildings) and along roadways. To make a local call:

Pick up the receiver.
Deposit 35 cents (or use a calling card or major credit card).
Dial a telephone number.

You will hear a telephone ring or a busy signal. If the line is busy, hang up and your money will be returned. For assistance at no charge, call the operator by dialing 0.

Telephone books (sometimes called telephone directories) are divided into parts with pages of different colours. Numbers for emergency, health and social services usually are listed on the inside front cover or first page. Instructions for making long distance calls also are near the front of the book.

The directory also contains:

The white pages, which list both family and business names in alphabetical order.
A separate section of blue pages, in larger cities where government numbers are listed. In smaller cities and towns, look in the white pages under Government of Canada for federal government offices and Government of Alberta for provincial government offices.
If an Alberta government office is not listed in your telephone book, you can reach the appropriate office toll-free through Service Alberta at 310-0000. Local government numbers are usually listed under City (or Town, Village) or the name of the community. For example, local government offices in Lethbridge are listed under City of Lethbridge.
Yellow pages that are organized alphabetically by type of business or service (for example, Banks, Day-care Centres, Dentists, Department Stores, Driving Instruction, Drug Addiction Information and Treatment, Electric Contractors).

If you do not have access to a telephone book and need to find a telephone number, you can use the myTELUS phone book website or dial 411 for Directory Assistance. A small fee will be added to your telephone bill for each number or address provided when you use the 411 service.

Some people and businesses have answering machines that answer their telephones when they are not available. If a machine answers when you make a telephone call, you will hear a recorded message that usually asks you to state your name, telephone number and leave a message after you hear a beep.

Charges for long distance calls (called toll charges) vary depending on the company providing long distance services, the time of day, the destination of the call, the length of the call and the type of call (direct or operator-assisted). If you are calling long distance and are not sure which area code to use, you can dial 411 for Directory Assistance for a small fee.

Other features about the telephone system

You can call direct if you are calling from a private telephone and know the number and area code for the place you wish to call. Dial 1, then the area code and telephone number.

To make an operator-assisted call, dial 0 followed by the area code and phone number. You may need the assistance of an operator if you are making a long distance call from a pay phone, want to charge the call to another phone number or want to call collect (ask the person receiving the call to pay for it).

A number of companies offer long distance services in Alberta. Long distance telephone service providers often have discount offers for telephone calls made at certain times of the day or week. Some have discount rates for calls to particular areas of the world. If you would like to prepay a specified number of minutes for long distance calls, you can buy long distance calling cards at various retail outlets instead of having long distance charges added to your telephone bill.

Making calls to government

To call a local Alberta government phone number, just dial the area code, then the seven digits of the phone number. For example, if you are in Edmonton and are calling a government office in Edmonton, dial 780, then the phone number.

You can call an Alberta government office outside your community for free. Dial 310-0000; then after the prompt, dial the area code and the seven digit office number.

Accessing the Internet

Most Albertans own computers or have access to computers at work or at school. Telephone companies offer access to the Internet via telephone lines; cable television companies offer cable Internet services.

If you do not have access to the Internet at home or through a friend, you can access the Internet at a Community Access Program (CAP) centre in your community. In Alberta, most CAP centres are located in libraries, community centres or schools. To locate the CAP centre nearest you, call 1-800-575-9200 toll-free or talk to the librarian at your local public library.

Sending mail

You can send mail via Canada Post or use the services of a private courier company.

Print the destination name and complete address on the front in the centre of the envelope or parcel. Print your return address in the top left corner and put stamps near the top right corner.

Stamps and postal services are available from Canada Post outlets in post offices, drug stores and small shops that display the Canada Post logo. Letters with correct postage can be dropped into Canada Post mailboxes on the street. Heavy letters or parcels should be taken to a postal outlet to determine the correct postage. If you are sending a parcel out of Canada, the postal clerk will ask you to describe the contents and dollar value of the parcel for customs purposes.

Canada Post charges extra for services such as the following: