City services and 311

Canadian municipalities concentrate non-emergency contact in a single service line. Where a city runs 311, that number reaches every municipal department, and the people answering can route a request to the right one. For Toronto that is City of Toronto.

Numbers and contacts

• City services (311 Toronto)311, or 416-392-2489 from outside Toronto

  Answered 24/7 in more than 180 languages.

  Official page

• Police non-emergency (Toronto Police Service)416-808-2222

  Answered 24/7; from a mobile you can also dial *TPS (*877). Call 911 in an emergency.

  Official page

• City Hall main switchboard311, or 416-392-2489 from outside Toronto

  The City routes general enquiries through 311 rather than publishing a separate City Hall switchboard.

  Official page

• Toronto City Hall address100 Queen St. W., Toronto

  City Hall is open to the public Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  Official page

• TTC customer information416-393-4636 (INFO)

  Automated information 24 hours a day; operator-assisted service 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

  Official page

Official city services

These go directly to the municipality’s own pages for the services residents use most. Fares, fees, hours and collection schedules change, so each link is the live source rather than a snapshot copied here.

• TTC fares and passes — Fares, PRESTO tickets, monthly fare capping and pass options.
• TTC trip planner — Trip planning across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
• TTC service alerts — Current status of TTC service, with service changes and construction notices.
• Recycling, organics and garbage — Curbside collection, multi-residential programs and drop-off depots.
• Snow clearing and winter maintenance — Salting and plowing levels of service for roads, sidewalks and bikeways.
• Building permits — What needs a permit, how to apply and how to check application status.
• Toronto Public Library — Hours, locations and the library catalogue.

Getting a request acted on

A municipal request is only as useful as its location. Whatever the issue — a pothole, a broken streetlight, missed collection, a water main leak, an unshovelled sidewalk — the details that get it fixed are the same:

• The exact address, or the nearest intersection, plus which side of the street.
• What the problem is and when you first noticed it.
• A photo, where the problem is visible — most cities accept attachments online.
• Whether it is on public property or private. Cities can only act on what they own, and this is the most common reason a request is closed without action.
• A reference number. Keep it: it is what you quote when you follow up.

What is not the city’s job

A surprising share of complaints go to the wrong body. In most Canadian cities, the following are handled by someone else entirely:

• Police, fire and medical emergencies — 911. Not the city service line.
• Highways and provincial roads — the province, not the municipality. City crews maintain local roads only.
• Electricity, natural gas and telecoms — the utility or the provider. See the driving and utilities information for who regulates them in Ontario.
• Landlord and tenant disputes — a provincial tribunal, not the city.
• Schools and hospitals — school boards and regional health authorities.