Area codes 819 and 873 are area codes for central and western Quebec, Canada, including the Quebec portion of the National Capital Region, and the entire Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay coastlines of Quebec. Major cities in the 819 territory include Gatineau, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières.
The incumbent local exchange carriers in 819/873 are Bell Canada, Bell Aliant, Telus, as well as Télébec and other independent companies. From 1992 to 1997, Northwestel was also an incumbent carrier in 819 as it included former Bell Canada points in the Northwest Territories.
Originally, Quebec was divided between two area codes. 514 originally covered the entire western half of Quebec from the US border to Hudson Strait, while 418 served the eastern half. In a 1957 flash cut, the 514 area was split into three segments - the southernmost (including Montreal) remained 514, the middle became 819, and the northern part, which had no telephone services, was added to 418. 819 thus bordered 613 and the new 705 codes in Ontario and 418 on the east and north, and the remainder of 514 on the south.
When telephone service was introduced in the eastern Northwest Territories (most of this is now the territory of Nunavut created in 1999), at Frobisher Bay in 1958, Bell Canada nominally made it part of Area code 418. Through the 1960s and 1970s, telephone service was introduced, by Bell Canada at other locations in the eastern Northwest Territories and in locations along the Quebec Arctic coastline, as well as by Sotel, an independent company, in the James Bay region. These non-diallable locations also became part of 418.
Late in the 1970s, the northern portions of 418 served by Sotel and Bell along James, Hudson and Ungava Bays and Hudson Strait, as well as the eastern Northwest Territories, were assigned to 819 as exchanges in that area began to receive direct distance dialling. Thus 819 now also bordered Area code 709 of Newfoundland in the Torngat Mountain area, and Area code 403 where Bell Canada and Northwestel service areas met, as well as 204 (Manitoba) and 807 (northwestern Ontario). Also, from the late 1970s until 1997, 819 extended one-eighth of the way around the world, from the 45th parallel north at Stanstead, Quebec to the North Pole by including much of the Northwest Territories along with most of western Quebec. Northwestel used Alberta's area code 403 for its services in Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
In 1997-98, the portions of 819 in the Northwest Territories, plus the portions of 403 in the Northwest Territories and Yukon, were transferred to Area code 867, a newly created code to unite all northern territories (including Nunavut in 1999). 819 was cut back to western Quebec, while 403 was reduced to serve only Alberta. Thus, borders on 403, 204 and 807 were replaced with the single border on 867. Area code 514 was split shortly afterward, changing 819's boundary on 514 to a boundary with Area code 450, the new area code for the off-island suburbs of Montreal.
Until 2006, it was possible to make calls between Ottawa and Hull with only seven digits, since Ottawa and Hull are a single local calling area. A similar situation prevailed in the Washington metropolitan area, where calls could be completed with just seven digits even though the region spilled across three area codes in three jurisdictions—Washington itself and parts of Maryland and Virginia. An "exchange protection" scheme prevented the same seven-digit local number from being assigned in both Ottawa and Hull. This code protection was implemented in such a manner that, if an exchange in +1-819-77x (1-819-PRovince) was in use in Hull, the corresponding +1-613-77x exchange could not be used anywhere in Eastern Ontario. Conversely, if an exchange in +1-613-23x was being used in Ottawa, the corresponding +1-819-23x exchange was unavailable anywhere in western Quebec, even in areas a safe distance from the National Capital Region such as Mauricie and Estrie.
The problem was exacerbated by Canada's inefficient system of number allocation. Every tiny hamlet is a rate centre, with multiple CLEC's issued 10,000-number blocks (corresponding to a single three-digit prefix) in each. Larger cities had multiple rate centres, most of which were not amalgamated during the creation of "megacities" in Quebec in 2002 and remain separate to this day. For instance, in 2002 Hull was merged into the "megacity" of Gatineau. However, the megacity comprises five separate rate centres which have never been amalgamated. The city centre exchange (serving the former cities of Hull and Pointe-Gatineau) is still named "Ottawa-Hull," while the "Gatineau" exchange only serves the pre-merger city of Gatineau. The Gatineau and Aylmer exchanges (now both within the newly amalgamated municipality) remained long-distance calls to each other until a 16 August 2007 expansion of their local calling area, five years later.
While many smaller rate centres don't need nearly that many numbers in order to adequately serve their customers, a number could not be assigned elsewhere once allocated to a carrier and rate centre. This resulted in thousands of wasted numbers, and the proliferation of cell phones and pagers only exacerbated this.
By 2006, the only available remaining central office codes in the entire 819 region were numbers that theoretically could have been used in Hull, but could not be assigned without breaking seven-digit dialling between Ottawa and Hull. The situation could have been avoided had some +1-819 versions of the seven-digit Ottawa-Hull numbers been assigned to areas a safe distance from the National Capital Region (such as Sherbrooke or James Bay) years earlier.
Ten-digit dialling was made mandatory in both 819 and 613 on October 21, 2006, and exchange protection was largely ended. Seven-digit local calls in centres far from the area code boundary (such as Trois-Rivières or Belleville, with no local calling into any other area code at the time) were failing with intercept messages demanding that customers "dial the area code".
The only legacy of the old system is a "dual dialability" scheme for federal government numbers in the National Capital Region; all federal government offices on the Quebec side duplicated their entire allocation of multiple exchanges worth of numbers available on the Ontario side.
Originally to be introduced in 2015, on July 20, 2011, the CRTC moved up the introduction of the new 873 area code to September 15, 2012 after a report stated that the current 819 area code would be exhausted by then. 873 had never been assigned as a local exchange in 1-819 because the tiny border village Beebe Plain is divided between 1-819-876 Rock Island and 1-802-873 Derby Line, an international local call which had been given exchange code protection to permit seven-digit local dialling.
There is still no number pooling in Canada and redundant telephone exchange rate centres are not being merged when the underlying municipalities are amalgamated; the inefficient allocation of 10000-number blocks to multiple carriers in each of multiple rate centres in (often) the same municipality continues unabated.
Akulivik - (819) 496
Amos - (819) 218, 442, 443, 444, 480, 724, 727, 732, 830, 834, 954 (873)- 393 730 840
Angliers - (819) 949
Arthabaska - (819) 260, 350, 352, 357, 402, 433, 551, 552, 984
Arundel - (819) 687, (873) 275
Asbestos - (819) 223, 716, 879
Aston-Jonction - (819) 226, 256
Aupaluk - (819) 491
Ayer's Cliff - (819) 838, 867
Aylmer - (819) 332, 486, 557, 682, 684, 685, 915 (873) - 320, 397
Barraute - (819) 733, 734
Béarn - (819) 726
Beaucanton - (819) 941
Bécancour - (819) 294, 602, 936
Belleterre - (819) 722
Bishopton - (819) 884
Bouchette - (819) 465 (873) 321
Bromptonville - (819) 276, 541, 636, 846 (873) 826
Buckingham - (819) 281, 617, 961, 986 (873)- 322, 386, 738
Bury - (819) 872
Cadillac - (819) 759, 945
Campbell's Bay - (819) 453, 648, 650 (873)- 863
Champlain - (819) 295, 619
Chapeau - (819) 689 (873) 323
Charette - (819) 221, (873) 409
Chartierville - (819) 312, 656
Chelsea - (819) 335, 607, 827, 866 (873) 324
Cheneville - (819) 428, 508
Chesterville - (819) 202, 382, 504
Chisasibi - (819) 855
Clericy - (819) 637
Clova - (819) 662
Coaticook - (819) 502, 804, 849, 926 (873)- 392 868
Compton - (819) 501, 835
For the amalgamated municipality "Cookshire-Eaton", see Cookshire, Sawyerville
Cookshire - (819) 875, (873) 825
Danville - (819) 590, 642, 839
Daveluyville - (819) 367, 404, 447, 605
Deauville - (819) 240, 612, 864 (873) 371
Deschaillons - (819) 292, 599, 632, (873) 267 391
Drummondville - (819) 250, 313, 314, 388, 390, 445, 461, 469, 470, 471, 472, 473, 474, 475, 477, 478, 479, 803, 816, 817, 818, 850, 857, 870, 883, 967, 991, (873) 270, 377, 382
Dubuisson - (819) 738
For the amalgamated municipality "Dudswell", see Bishopton, Saint-Adolphe-de-Dudswell
Duparquet - (819) 948
Dupuy - (819) 783
East Angus - (819) 251, 451, 832 (873) 827
East Hereford - (819) 514, 844
Eastmain 1 - (819) 865 (873) 358 544
Eastmain - (819) 977
Fabre - (819) 634, 670
Ferme-Neuve - (819) 206, 587
Fort-Coulonge - (819) 683 (873)- 325, 864
Fortierville - (819) 287, 792
Frontenac - (873) 585, 624
Fugèreville - (819) 748
For the amalgamated municipality "Gatineau" see Ottawa-Hull, Aylmer, Buckingham, Chelsea and Gatineau. The "Gatineau" rate centre covers the pre-amalgamation suburb (on the east side of the Gatineau river) only; it also excludes +1-819-243- Pointe-Gatineau (Ottawa-Hull).
Gatineau (secteur - suburban) - (819) 303, 307, 439, 485, 500, 643, 663, 669, 718, 886, 893, 916, 928, 930, (873) 396 800
Gentilly - (819) 298, 407, 589, 608
Gracefield - (819) 463 (873) 326
Grand-Mère - (819) 533, 538, 729
Grand-Remous - (819) 438 (873) 327
Grenville - (819) 242
Ham-Nord - (819) 344, 464
Hull - see Ottawa-Hull
Inukjuak - (819) 254
Ivujivik - (819) 922
Joutel - (819) 756
Kangiqsualujjuaq - (819) 337
Kangiqsujuaq - (819) 338
Kangirsuk - (819) 935
Kazabazua - (819) 467 (873) 328
Kingsey Falls - (819) 363, 645
Kuujjuaq - (819) 900 964
Kuujjuarapik - (819) 929
Labelle - (819) 236, 686, (873) 284
Lac-des-Écorces - (819) 387, 585
Lac-Drolet - (819) 232, 549
Lac-du-Cerf - (819) 403, 597
Lac-Édouard - (819) 653
Lac-Mégantic - (819) 214, 237, 417, 554, 582, 583, 614, 890, 907, 910, (873) 652 732 889
La Corne - (819) 799, (873) 372
Laforge - (819) 853
La Minerve - (819) 274, (873) 274
L'Annonciation - (819) 275, (873) 283
La Patrie - (819) 235, 888
La Reine - (819) 947
La Sarre - (819) 301, 333, 339, 482, 520, 940 (873)- 380
Latulipe - (819) 747, 750
La Tuque - (819) 521, 523, 676, 680, (873) 403, 407
Laurierville - (819) 365, (873) 829
L'Avenir - (819) 394, 494
Laverlochère - (819) 765
Lebel-sur-Quévillon - (819) 706, 755, 925
Lorrainville - (819) 625
Louiseville - (819) 228, 498, 721 (873)- 398 865 866
Louvicourt - (819) 736
Low - (819) 422 (873) 329
Luskville - (819) 391, 455, 894 (873) 330
Lyster - (819) 389, (873) 828
Macamic - (819) 782
Magog - (819) 201, 594, 703, 746, 769, 843, 847, 868, 869, 927, (873) 404
Malartic - (819) 757, 924
Maniwaki - (819) 215, 305, 306, 315, 334, 441, 449, 462, 528, 892, 982 (873)- 331 390 650 734
Manouane - (819) 971 (873) 733
Manseau - (819) 356, 567
Maskinongé - (819) 227, 497, 626, (873) 268
Matagami - (819) 739
Montebello - (819) 309, 393, 423 (873) 332
Mont-Laurier - (819) 203, 401, 436, 440, 499, 513, 616, 623, 660, 833, 951, (873) 388 867
Mont-Tremblant - see Saint-Jovite
Nantes - (819) 547
Nédélec - (819) 784
Nemaska - (819) 673
Nicolet - (819) 262, 293
Nominingue - (819) 278, 304, (873) 282
Norbertville - (819) 261, 369, 882
Normétal - (819) 788
North Hatley - (819) 409, 675, 794, 842
Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix - (819) 522
Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette - (819) 766
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes - (819) 245, 385
Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil, Quebec - (819) 204, 336, (873) 452
Notre-Dame-du-Laus - (819) 767, 793
Notre-Dame-du-Nord - (819) 723
Obedjiwan - (819) 974
Ottawa-Hull - (819) 205, 208, 209, 210, 213, 230, 243, 246, 259, 271, 282, 317, 318, 319, 328, 329, 351, 360, 376, 410, 412, 414, 420, 431, 469, 483, 484, 503, 506, 510, 525, 561, 568, 576, 592, 593, 595, 598, 600, 624, 635, 639, 654, 661, 664, 665, 700, 708, 712, 743, 744, 770, 771, 772, 773, 775, 776, 777, 778, 779, 790, 800, 815, 881, 904, 914, 918, 920, 921, 923, 931, 934, 938, 939, 953, 955, 956, 957, 962, 965, 966, 968, 994, 997, 999, (873) 396 397 408, 469, 510
Palmarolle - (819) 787
Papineauville - (819) 308, 427, 476 (873) 333
Parc de la Vérendrye - (819) 435
Parent - (819) 667
Perkins - (819) 671, 813, 903
Plessisville - (819) 252, 291, 362, 621, 789, 998, (873) 735
Pointe-Gatineau - see Ottawa-Hull
Pontiac (municipality) - see Luskville
Princeville - (819) 234, 361, 364, 413, 505
Puvirnituq - (819) 988
Quaqtaq - (819) 492
Quyon - (819) 458 (873) 335
Radisson - (819) 638, 672, 854
Rémigny - (819) 761
Richmond - (819) 518, 644, 826, 905, 908, 912
Rivière-Héva - (819) 735
Rivière-Rouge - see l'Annonciation
Rochebaucourt - (819) 754
Rock Island - (819) 267, 704, 876
The amalgamated municipality "Rouyn-Noranda" contains multiple rate centres; see Cadillac, Clericy, Rouyn-Noranda
Rouyn-Noranda (centre) - (819) 277, 279, 290, 490, 493, 649, 760, 762, 763, 764, 768, 797, 880, 917 (873)- 379 842 861
Saint-Adolphe-de-Dudswell - (819) 887
Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard - (819) 327, 714, (873) 278
Saint-Albert - (819) 353, 630
Saint-Alexis-des-Monts - (819) 265
Saint-Barnabé - (819) 264, 402
Saint-André-Avellin - (819) 405, 516, 885, 981, 983 (873) 651
Saint-Boniface-de-Shawinigan - (819) 535, 655
Saint-Bruno-de-Guigues - (819) 728
Saint-Celestin - (819) 229, 963 (873)-384
Saint-Cyrille - (819) 397, 781, 836
Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm - (819) 419, 424, (873) 277
Saint-Émile-de-Suffolk - (819) 426
Saint-Ludger - (819) 548, (873) 409
Saint-Eugène-de-Guigues - (819) 785
Saint-Faustin - (819) 688, 713, (873) 280
Saint-Félix-de-Kingsey - (819) 512, 848
Saint-Germain-de-Grantham - (819) 395, 495, 730
Saint-Grégoire - (819) 233, 406, 591, 606
Saint-Guillaume - (819) 396, 596
Saint-Jovite - (819) 341, 421, 425, 429, 430, 631, 681, 717, 808, 897, (873) 279
Saint-Léonard-d'Aston - (819) 399, 615, 937
Saint-Malo - (819) 515, 658
Saint-Mathieu - (819) 532
Saint-Nazaire - (819) 392, 558
Saint-Paulin - (819) 268, (873) 399
Saint-Pierre-de-Wakefield - (819) 457 (873) 336
Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets - (819) 263, 745
Saint-Roch-de-Mékinac - (819) 241, 646
Saint-Sébastien-de-Frontenac - (819) 652
Saint-Sylvère - (819) 285, 546
Saint-Wenceslas - (819) 224, 526
Sainte-Agathe - (819) 216, 217, 219, 321, 323, 324, 325, 326, 507, 774, 896, 281, 222, 603, 863
Sainte-Anne-du-Lac - (819) 586, 814
Sainte-Eulalie - (819) 225, 798
Sainte-Gertrude - (819) 297, 786
Sainte-Marie-de-Blandford - (819) 283, 545
Sainte-Monique-de-Nicolet - (819) 289, 530
Sainte-Sophie-de-Lévrard - (819) 288, 899
Salluit - (819) 255
Sanmaur - (819) 666
Sawyerville - (819) 553, 889
Scotstown - (819) 231, 657
Senneterre - (819) 737, 952 (873)- 373, 402
Shawinigan - (819) 247, 529, 531, 534, 536, 537, 539, 540, 556, 719, 731, 805, 852, 913, 989, (873) 271, 378, 405, 737
Shawville - (819) 509, 647 (873)- 746 862
The amalgamated municipality "Sherbrooke" contains multiple rate centres; see Deauville, Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke (centre) - (819) 200, 212, 238, 239, 300, 340, 342, 345, 346, 347, 348, 349, 366, 416, 432, 434, 437, 446, 452, 481, 542, 560, 562, 563, 564, 565, 566, 569, 570, 571, 572, 573, 574, 575, 577, 578, 580, 588, 620, 640, 674, 678, 679, 742, 780, 791, 812, 820, 821, 822, 823, 829, 861, 891, 919, 933, 943, 969, 987, 993, (873) 389, 500, 600, 601, 602, 603, 604, 605, 606, 607, 608, 609, 888
South Durham - (873) 200, 248, 339, 858, 970
Stanstead - see Rock Island
Stoke - (819) 258, 543, 878
Taschereau - (819) 796
Tasiujaq - (819) 633
Témiscaming - (819) 220, 627
Thurso - (819) 659, 707, 985 (873) 337
Tingwick - (819) 359, 749
Trois-Rivières - (819) 244, 266, 269, 299, 370, 371, 372, 373, 374, 375, 376, 377, 378, 379, 380, 383, 384, 386, 415, 448, 489, 519, 524, 601, 609, 668, 690, 691, 692, 693, 694, 695, 696, 697, 698, 699, 701, 801, 807, 840, 841, 862, 898, 909, 944, 979, 992, 995, 996, (873) 220, 255, 269, 387, 410, 804, 887
Umiujaq - (819) 331
Val-David - (819) 320, 322, (873) 276
Val-des-Bois - (819) 454
The amalgamated municipality "Val-des-Monts" contains multiple rate centres; see Perkins, Saint-Pierre-de-Wakefield
The amalgamated municipality "Val-d'Or" contains multiple rate centres; see Dubuisson, Louvicourt, Val-d'Or
Val-d'Or (centre) - (819) 270, 280, 316, 354, 355, 488, 527, 550, 651, 710, 824, 825, 831, 856, 859, 860, 874, 975 (873)- 381 395 770 841 860
For the amalgamated municipality "Victoriaville", see Arthabaska, Victoriaville
Victoriaville (centre) - (819) 302, 330, 460, 604, 740, 751, 752, 758, 795, 806, 809, 960, 980, 990, (873) 300 303, 375, 406 430
Ville-Marie - (819) 622, 629, 702, 946 (873)- 374, 394, 736
Villeroy - (819) 381, 715
Wakefield - (819) 456, 459, 720 (873) 338
Warwick - (819) 358, 559, 641
Waskaganish - (819) 895
Waswanipi - (819) 753
Waterville - (819) 408, 677, 837, (873) 623
Weedon - (819) 877, (873) 266 823
Wemindji - (819) 978
Wickham - (819) 398, 400, 741
Windsor - (819) 517, 628, 725, 845, 932
Woburn - (819) 544, (873) 622
Wotton - (819) 286, 828
Yamachiche - (819) 296, 466, 618
shared-cost service - (819) 310