Some Mississauga residents are dialing 311 for city services — only to be told they’ve reached the wrong municipality.
A recent telecommunications glitch has caused a number of 311 calls from northwest Mississauga to be mistakenly routed to Halton Region’s municipal service line instead of the City of Mississauga, leaving residents confused and frustrated.
Mississauga Ward 10 Councillor Sue McFadden raised the issue during last week’s city council meeting after hearing repeated complaints from constituents. McFadden said even her own attempt to contact Mississauga’s 311 line ended up connecting with Halton’s information and services system.
She noted that the problem has surfaced in the past and was believed to have been resolved, but appears to have returned.
“We had it kind of under control, it seems, for a little while but it seems to be an issue again,” McFadden told senior city staff and council colleagues.
The issue became particularly aggravating during a recent snowstorm, when residents were unable to access timely municipal information and support through the city’s non-emergency reporting line.
McFadden urged the city’s IT department to explore solutions to ensure Mississauga callers are properly directed when they dial 311.
The 311 line is widely used across Canada and the United States as a non-emergency number for residents seeking municipal services, information, or reporting local issues.
However, a City of Mississauga spokesperson said the misrouted calls are not the result of a city system failure, but rather a broader telecommunications issue that commonly occurs near municipal boundaries.
“This is primarily due to how phone networks route calls, especially near municipal borders,” the spokesperson explained. “Calls are sometimes directed based on the cell tower, IP address or service provider configuration rather than the caller’s physical location. This is outside of the City of Mississauga’s direct control.”
City officials noted the glitch can affect multiple phone technologies, including cellphones, Wi-Fi calling, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. Similar issues have been reported in other municipalities, and the situation is typically managed through cooperation between neighbouring regions.
Because geography plays a major role, areas near city borders — such as west Mississauga, east Mississauga, and Malton in the north end — are more likely to experience misrouting due to proximity to Halton, Toronto, and Brampton.
The spokesperson added that traditional landlines are generally less affected, as they are linked to a fixed physical address, while mobile networks rely on nearby infrastructure that may fall outside municipal limits.
For residents trying to reach Mississauga’s municipal services from outside city boundaries, the city recommends calling the direct number: 905-615-4311.