If you've ever had trouble reaching someone at city hall (what's with those confusing Blue Pages, anyway?), help is on the way. The CRTC has approved a joint application from the cities of Calgary, Toronto, Halifax and Halton to use 3-1-1 for non-emergency municipal government services.
For those of us in Toronto, this is a far cry from the days of former mayor Mel Lastman who refused to let civial servants use voice mail in the bizarre belief it would hurt customer service. 3-1-1, which is already being used in several U.S. cities, makes it easier to deliver programs, reduce costs and boost awareness among people of local sevices.