More than a number, it’s a lifeline – when you need it most.

Our incident begins with you alone at home, you just reached into your pocket, grabbed your cell phone and dialed 9-1-1. 

Dispatcher:  ‘9-1-1, do you require Police, Fire or Ambulance?’

You: ‘I fell on a kitchen knife, I’m on the floor bleeding and things are starting to get fuzzy – I’m at 123456 Lakeside Road – please send help!’

…. you lose consciousness hoping that someone is coming. This story does not end well. 

Now the rest of the story ...  9-1-1 Operators and First Responders tried their best to locate the civic address identification number (a.k.a. house number) on a driveway leading off Lakeside Road, but were unable to find the house or sign in the dark.

Development Services issues civic addresses to identify homes and businesses based on their location. If you do not have a number, or would like us to confirm your number, please contact us. Development Services then contacts Canada Post, TELUS, BC Hydro, FortisBC and BC Assessment with the new number and road name.

In emergencies like floods or wildfires, notification and evacuations teams use civic addresses to locate and advise residents of imminent threats. Delivering these door to door evacuation notifications is critical to ensuring you are contacted and accounted for. 

• numbers three to five inches tall in high contrast colours
• installed along the road at the primary driveway
• free of vegetation or snow and visible from road