New area code for southwestern Ontario

Starting Saturday, residents in southwestern Ontario that use the 226 and 519 area codes will be getting a third area code of 548.

Residents from Brantford to Windsor and up to Owen Sound, including Waterloo Region, are included in the change.

According to Telecommunications Alliance, the need for a new code stems from the huge increase in the number of people wanting a phone number in the region. The new area code has been created to meet the demand.

“The new area code will be introduced gradually across southwestern Ontario once there is no longer a sufficient supply of numbers with the existing area codes – 226 and 519 ” said Glen Brown, spokesperson for the Canadian Numbering Administrator, a group responsible for administering Canada's telecommunication numbering resources.

Anyone with an existing telephone number will not be affected, but new area codes will be introduced as new phone numbers are issued.

There are no changes to the 911 emergency number. Officials say that will remain as a three-digit number.