As of July 16, 2022, people in the United States will be able to call 988 to reach mental health crisis and suicide prevention services.

The “988” number has not been fully implemented yet in Canada.

However, the Canada Suicide Prevention Service (CSPS) can be reached at 1-833-456-4566 for voice calls at any time, or by texting 45645 from 4pm to midnight Eastern Time.

Should TekTalk customers dial 988, perhaps having seen the U.S. publicity, TekSavvy does two things.

• First TekSavvy plays a short message as mandated for this purpose by the CRTC. That message explains that 988 has not been implemented in Canada but that the CSPS number is available.
• Second, since callers hearing that message may well require immediate care, TekSavvy then forwards such calls to the CSPS. Other services are available in Canada for mental health and suicide prevention services, but TekSavvy forwards all 988 calls to the CSPS because the CRTC specifically requires us to provide their phone number in our message.