Area code 905/289

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Area code 905 (1-905) (with overlay Area code 289) is a telephone dialing area for south central Ontario. It includes the Niagara Peninsula, Hamilton, Oshawa, and the suburban Greater Toronto Area. It was first assigned in Canada in October of 1992, as a split from area code 416.

905 overlays with area code 289. It surrounds Area code 416/647 (the city of Toronto) and is bounded with Area code 519 in the west, Area code 705 in the north and Area code 613 in the east. All numbers, after 2002, must be dialed with an area code, changing the number of digits for local telephone numbers from 7 to 10.

The incumbent local exchange carrier in 905/289 is Bell Canada, with the last independent company absorbed by Bell around the year 1980.

1 History of the area code
2 905 in popular culture
3 Rate Centres and Central Office Codes
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] History of the area code

A previous version of the +1-905 area code was once used as a block of alternate numbers for calls from the United States to Mexico (+52-5-...) in the days when overseas calls otherwise would have needed to be placed through a telephone operator. This use became obsolete with the widespread introduction of direct dial overseas calls and was completely abolished no later than February 1, 1991. By October 1992, the 905 NPA had been assigned for use resultant from the geographical split of the 416 area code.

Automatic number identification (ANI) on the NPA's switching systems began transmission on October 11, 1992 for some central office codes, and full conversion was achieved by January 1, 1994.

Only five years after its introduction, and with the proliferation of cell phones, fax lines, and secondary phone lines for home dial-up internet use, the NPA was exhausting numbers at a much faster rate than anticipated. By 1999, the CRTC had established an ad-hoc committee to study NPA relief planning for area code 905. A split of the 905 NPA was considered, with various options presented:

a geographic split by municipality (either two-way or three-way)
a geographic split of concentric rings around Toronto
re-aligning NPA boundaries (some areas retain 905, others acquire a new NPA); that is, a municipality and exchange split
a distributed overlay

The first three options would allow for either 7- or 10-digit dialing, whereas the latter required 10-digit dialing exclusively. The latter option was chosen because it was easier to implement technically, and required no changes for existing customers in the 905 area. The 289 NPA overlay was approved by the CRTC on August 15, 2000 (Order CRTC 2000-772), came into service on April 7, 2001, and was in full operation by June 9, 2001.

905 officially became exhausted in November, 2005. All new central office prefixes will be assigned in NPA 289, as there are no longer any available prefixes in 905.

In August 2000, Toufic Saliba, consultant and technical engineer at the Commission, directed the addition of area code 289 in the 905 area code region. In doing so, Saliba directed that all carriers put in place a 10-digit dialing plan for all local calls. In this order, the Commission directs Bell Canada to take the necessary steps to put in place the 10-digit local dialing plan as directed in August 2000. Ref. CRTC of the Canada government web at: [1]

[edit] 905 in popular culture

To be a 905er means that you reside in the suburbs of Toronto, while 416ers live in Toronto proper. The term the 905 or the 905 belt is also used to describe the suburban areas of the Greater Toronto Area, while Toronto proper is referred to as the 416. While still part of the area code, the term does not refer to areas more distant from Toronto, such as Hamilton and the Niagara Region. The term has seen much use in the context of Canadian politics, where the 416 is a stronghold of Liberals and New Democrats, whereas the 905 historically had strong ties to the Progressive Conservative Party. The region has, however, backed opposition parties as a protest vote, including both the NDP in 1990 and the Liberals in 2003, as a backlash to the current government. In either case, the opposition party was elected to government with strong backing of the 905 region.

Canadian rapper Maestro famously rendered homage to the area code in his song "416/905 (TO Party Anthem)".

The 905 music scene is a music scene located in the 905 area code. The scene has produced many popular and influential bands and songwriters. In this particular case, the entire area code, including Hamilton and Niagara, is included as part of the 905 music scene.

[edit] Rate Centres and Central Office Codes

Ajax-Pickering: 289-224 229 314 315 882 892, 905-231 239 250 391 409 420 421 422 423 424 426 427 428 492 550 619 621 622 626 683 686 706 744 767 831 837 839 903 995 999
Ancaster: 289-239 346 445, 905-304 648
Aurora: 289-221 466 894, 905-222 395 503 713 717 726 727 750 751 758 841
Beamsville: 289-566, 905-563
Beeton: 289-899, 905-724 729 748 801 909
Bethesda: 905-504 888
Binbrook: 289-286 287, 905-692
Blackstock: 905-986
Bolton: 905-533 857 951
Bowmanville: (289)-223, 905-419 623 697
Bradford: 905-551 775 778
Brampton: 289-298 325 747 764 889, 905-216 230 291 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 463 487 488 494 495 497 499 500 595 598 654 759 781 782 783 789 790 791 792 793 796 798 799 840 846 861 863 866 867 872 874 965 970
Brooklin: (289)-227, 905-425 620 655
Burlington: 289-288 293 313 427 636 828, 905-220 315 319 320 331 332 333 335 336 340 407 592 630 631 632 633 634 635 637 638 639 681 802
Caledon (Eastern Portion only): 905-584 586 587 588 757 860
Caledonia: 289-284 285, 905-765
Campbellville: 905-854
Castlemore: 905-200 204 794 913 915
Castleton: 905-344
Cayuga: (289)-370, 905-772
Claremont: 905-408 490 649
Cobourg: 289-251 252, 905-207 269 372 373 375 376 377 396
Colborne: 905-355
Cold Springs: 905-342
Dundas: 289-238 345 446, 905-627 628
Dunnville: 289-331 332 369 377, 905-229 701 774
Fisherville: 905-779
Fort Erie: 289-303 320 321 322 476, 905-871 991 992 993 994
Freelton: 905-659
Garden Hill: 905-797
Georgetown: 289-344 428 839 890 891, 905-702 703 873 877
Gormley: 905-284 400 534 887 927
Grafton: 905-349
Grimsby: 289-235 447, 905-309 945
Hagersville: 289-282 283, 905-768
Hamilton: 289-237 244 260 391 396 425 426 439 440 808 887, 905-218 253 296 297 308 312 314 317 318 379 381 383 385 387 388 389 390 393 481 496 512 515 516 517 518 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 531 536 537 538 540 541 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 560 561 570 572 573 574 575 577 578 645 661 667 719 730 741 745 746 769 777 807 818 865 869 870 902 906 912 920 921 923 928 929 961 962 963 966 971 972 973 974 975 977 978 979 981
Hampton: 905-263 445
Keswick: 905-476 535 656 700 989
King City: 289-467 905-539 833
Kleinburg: 289-202, 905-552 893
Maple: 289-468 905-303 417 553 585 653 832
Markham: 289-469, 905-201 202 205 209 294 350 471 472 554 910
Milton: 289-429 878, 905-299 462 514 691 693 699 749 805 864 875 876 878
Mississauga is divided into the following local rate centres:
- Clarkson: 289-299 825 898, 905-254 403 491 822 823 855 916 919
- Cooksville: 289-232 360 362 444 883, 905-206 210 212 214 219 232 238 241 247 267 268 270 272 273 275 276 277 279 281 282 283 290 306 361 366 402 501 502 507 566 568 602 614 615 624 625 629 712 755 756 766 803 804 848 890 896 897 949
- Malton: 289-548 562 623, 905-234 255 256 293 298 362 364 405 461 564 565 612 670 671 672 673 676 677 678 694 696 698 740 795 908 956
- Port Credit: 289-297 822, 905-221 271 274 278 486 891 990
- Streetsville: 289-290 896 997 999, 905-285 286 288 301 302 363 369 412 542 567 569 593 600 601 603 606 607 608 609 785 812 813 814 816 817 819 820 821 824 826 828 858 997
Mount Albert: 905-473 557
Mount Hope: 289-280 281, 905-679
Newcastle: 905-446 987
Newmarket: 289-231 264 319 338 395 470, 905-235 251 252 392 657 710 715 716 806 830 836 853 868 895 898 952 953 954 955 960 967
Newtonville: 905-786
Niagara Falls: 289-257 292 294 296 477, 905-262 295 351 353 354 356 357 358 371 374 394
Niagara-on-the-Lake: 289-868, 905-468
Nobleton: 905-558 859
Oak Ridges: 289-471, 905-223 313 398 505 506 559 773
Oakville: 289-242 259 291 295 430 881 885 888, 905-208 257 287 330 334 337 338 339 399 464 465 466 467 469 483 484 510 580 582 599 616 617 618 808 815 825 827 829 842 844 845 847 849 901
Orono: 905-485 983
Oshawa: 289-222 240 316 385 404 676 688 886, 905-213 215 233 240 242 243 244 245 259 260 261 404 410 429 431 432 433 434 435 436 438 439 440 441 442 443 447 448 449 498 571 576 579 644 674 675 718 720 721 723 725 728 743 809 914 922 924 925 926
Palgrave: 905-583 880
Pelham: 289-897, 905-892
Port Colborne: 289-478 836, 905-834 835
Port Hope: 905-800 885
Port Perry: (289)-225, 905-982 985
Port Robinson: 905-384
Queensville: 905-478 589
Richmond Hill: 289-317 475 833, 905-224 237 292 508 737 770 780 784 787 883 884 918
Ridgeway: 289-876, 905-894
Roseneath: 905-352
Schomberg: (289)-318, 905-590 939
Selkirk: 905-776
Snelgrove: 905-843 996
St. Catharines-Thorold: 289-213 228 241 398 407 479 668 669, 905-225 227 228 246 280 321 322 323 324 325 327 328 329 341 345 346 347 348 359 360 378 380 397 401 641 646 650 651 658 680 682 684 685 687 688 704 708 931 932 933 934 935 937 938 941 964 980 984 988
Stevensville: 905-382
Stoney Creek: 289-448, 905-594 636 662 664 930
Stouffville: 905-591 640 642
Sutton: 905-596 722
Thornhill: 289-472, 905-326 370 418 482 530 532 597 660 669 695 707 709 731 738 739 747 760 761 762 763 764 771 879 881 882 886 889 907
Toronto (former Pickering Township only): 905-509
Tottenham: 905-406 936
Unionville: 289-333 473 884, 905-248 258 300 305 307 316 413 415 470 474 475 477 479 480 489 513 604 752 754 917 940 943 944 946 947 948 968 969
Uxbridge: (289)-394, 905-852 862 904
Victoria: 905-838 998
Vineland: 905-562
Wainfleet: 905-899
Waterdown: 289-431 895, 905-689 690
Welcome: 905-753
Welland: 289-347 480 820 821 823, 905-414 714 732 733 734 735 736 788
Wellandport: 905-386
West Lincoln: 905-957
Whitby: 289-220 893, 905-217 430 444 493 556 665 666 668
Winona: 905-643
Woodbridge: 289-268 474, 905-264 265 266 605 652 663 850 851 856