Phone prefixes in Port Renfrew, BC
Port Renfrew, BC is a rate centre in the Canadian numbering plan. CNAC records 4 in-service prefixes there, held by 4 carriers and spread across 3 area codes (672, 236, 250). With 4 prefixes, Port Renfrew is a small rate centre within British Columbia: 128th of 309, holding 0.1% of the province’s prefixes, and 1280th of 2,920 rate centres across Canada.
Background reading: Canadian area codes, overlays, and what a 416 number actually tells you · Caller ID spoofing, STIR/SHAKEN, and how to actually block calls in Canada
Where Port Renfrew is
- Province or territory
- British Columbia
- Census division
- Capital
- Local time
- — Pacific Time (PT), UTC−8; UTC−7 in daylight saving time
- Nearest rate centres
- Youbou (39 km), Lake Cowichan (41 km), Sooke (55 km), Duncan (59 km), Bamfield (61 km)
Divisions and places: Statistics Canada and NRCan. Straight-line distances.
In numbers
- In-service prefixes
- 4
- Telephone numbers covered
- 40,000
- Carriers
- 4
- Area codes
- 3
- Provinces and territories
- 1
- First assignment
- March 30, 2016
- Most recent assignment
- October 25, 2021
Port Renfrew’s share of its area codes
Within area code 672, Port Renfrew accounts for only 2 of 321 prefixes (0.6%): the code is dominated by Vancouver and spread over 109 rate centres. Within area code 236, Port Renfrew accounts for only 1 of 745 prefixes (0.1%): the code is dominated by Vancouver and spread over 269 rate centres. Within area code 250, Port Renfrew accounts for only 1 of 781 prefixes (0.1%): the code is dominated by Victoria and spread over 268 rate centres.
| Area codes | Prefixes here | Prefixes in code | Share | Range | Largest rate centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 672 | 2 | 321 | 0.6 % | 672-788 – 672-870 | Vancouver |
| 236 | 1 | 745 | 0.1 % | 236-926 – 236-926 | Vancouver |
| 250 | 1 | 781 | 0.1 % | 250-647 – 250-647 | Victoria |
Who holds these numbers
Distributel holds the largest share at 1 prefixes, 25.0% of the total, ahead of 3 other carriers. Code by code: in 672, Fibernetics Corporation leads with 1 of 2 prefixes ahead of 1 others; Distributel is the only holder in 236; TELUS is the only holder in 250. No carrier holds prefixes in every one of Port Renfrew’s 3 area codes, while 4 appear in just one.
| Carrier | 672 | 236 | 250 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distributel | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Fibernetics Corporation | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| ISP Telecom Inc. | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| TELUS | — | — | 1 | 1 |
Wireless and wireline
None of Port Renfrew’s holders carries a mobility brand in its registered name: all 4 prefixes belong to wireline or wholesale carriers, among them Distributel, Fibernetics Corporation, ISP Telecom Inc and TELUS. A call showing a Port Renfrew number therefore nominally comes from a landline, cable or VoIP platform rather than a locally assigned cellphone.
How the allocation was built up
Port Renfrew’s dated assignments run from 2016 to 2021. The busiest period was 2020–2024, when 2 prefixes went to 2 carriers. 1 prefixes (25%) carry no date in the register: these are the historic pre-1999 assignments, the wireline bedrock of the rate centre. Since 2020 another 2 prefixes have been added, so the rate centre is still growing.
Port Renfrew’s oldest prefixes, the ones the register leaves undated, belong to TELUS: this carrier made up the landscape before competition arrived. The first dated assignment went to Distributel in 2016. The most recent arrivals are Fibernetics Corporation (2021), ISP Telecom Inc. (2021) and Distributel (2016), a sign that new carriers are still asking for numbers in Port Renfrew.
Port Renfrew has just 4 prefixes (40,000 numbers): a very small rate centre, typical of a village or rural area served by a single switching office.
No single carrier dominates Port Renfrew: the leader, Distributel, holds only 25.0% of the prefixes against 3 competitors, a sign of a highly fragmented market where cable companies, mobility brands and VoIP providers weigh as much as the incumbent.
Growth is recent: 66.7% of the dated prefixes were assigned in the last ten years, peaking in 2020–2024. Port Renfrew is among the rate centres where demand for numbers is still rising quickly.
| Period | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|
| 2015–2019 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020–2024 | 2 | 2 |
1 undated in the register.
Dialling a Port Renfrew number
Port Renfrew is served by 3 overlaid area codes (672, 236 and 250). A 250 number is no more “out of town” than a 672 one; from abroad, dial +1 and the full ten digits.
The numbering neighbourhood
Port Renfrew shares area codes 672, 236 and 250 with at least 20 other rate centres, including Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, Abbotsford, Nanaimo, Prince George, South Kamloops and Cranbrook. The largest of them, Vancouver, holds 225 prefixes in 236 and 672; the smallest on the list, New Westminster, has just 14.
| Rate centre | Province | Shared codes | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | BC | 236, 672 | 225 | 13 |
| Victoria | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 127 | 13 |
| Kelowna | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 58 | 11 |
| Abbotsford | BC | 236, 672 | 38 | 11 |
| Nanaimo | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 38 | 12 |
| Prince George | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 34 | 8 |
| South Kamloops | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 34 | 10 |
| Cranbrook | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 28 | 7 |
| Vernon | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 28 | 8 |
| Penticton | BC | 236, 250 | 24 | 9 |
| Fort St. John | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 21 | 9 |
| Duncan | BC | 236, 250 | 20 | 8 |
| Courtenay | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 19 | 6 |
| North Vancouver | BC | 236, 672 | 19 | 5 |
| Parksville | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 18 | 11 |
| Campbell River | BC | 236, 250 | 17 | 9 |
| Salmon Arm | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 17 | 7 |
| 100 Mile House | BC | 236, 250, 672 | 16 | 5 |
| Aldergrove | BC | 236, 672 | 15 | 8 |
| New Westminster | BC | 236, 672 | 14 | 7 |
What a Port Renfrew number tells you
A number attached to Port Renfrew tells you that its prefix was issued to a carrier for this rate centre in British Columbia, most often Distributel. It does not tell you where the handset is today: a subscriber may have ported the number to any of the 4 carriers present here or to a VoIP service usable anywhere. Nor does it tell you who is calling: caller ID can be spoofed, and a British Columbia area code is easy to borrow to look local.
Reading a register entry for Port Renfrew: code 236-926 is recorded for Distributel, so every 236-926-XXXX number (10,000 possible) descends from that assignment. “Port Renfrew, British Columbia” there names a rate centre, not a municipality, and several area codes overlay it.
Every Port Renfrew prefix
Each row is an in-service central-office code recorded for Port Renfrew, with its original holder and year of assignment.
| Prefix | Carrier | Assigned |
|---|---|---|
| 236-926 | Distributel | 2016 |
| 250-647 | TELUS | undated |
| 672-788 | ISP Telecom Inc. | 2021 |
| 672-870 | Fibernetics Corporation | 2021 |
Had a call from a Port Renfrew number?
No clear pattern in reports on these numbers yet. If a call worried you:
- Call back on a number you trust
If a caller says they are your bank, the Canada Revenue Agency, a courier or your phone company, hang up and call the organization on the number from its website or your statement, never the number that called you. Caller ID can be faked.
- Report the fraud
Report the call or text to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or at 1-888-495-8501. If you lost money or gave out personal details, tell your bank first, then your local police.
- Register on the National Do Not Call List
Registering a landline or mobile on the National DNCL is free. Registered charities, political parties, newspapers and companies you already do business with may still call.
- Forward suspicious texts to 7726
Forward a scam or spam text to 7726 (SPAM on the keypad). It's free, and your carrier uses it to block the sender. Don't tap links or reply.
Frequently asked
What is the area code for Port Renfrew?
Port Renfrew does not have one area code but 3: 672, 236 and 250. The best-stocked is 672. All are dialled with ten digits and none is “more local” than another.
Is a call from Port Renfrew a cellphone or a landline?
More likely a landline or a VoIP service: mobility brands hold only 0.0% of Port Renfrew’s prefixes.
Which carrier is behind a Port Renfrew number?
In the register, Distributel holds the most prefixes in Port Renfrew (1 of 4), ahead of 3 other carriers. Code 236-926, for instance, belongs to Distributel.
Is this Port Renfrew number a scam?
The register cannot say: it records who a prefix was issued to, not who is calling. Search the full number above to see the reports filed against it.
What is the newest prefix in Port Renfrew?
The latest code brought into service is 672-870, assigned to Fibernetics Corporation on October 25, 2021. At the other end, the oldest dated prefix, 236-926, goes to Distributel (March 30, 2016). A number in a recent prefix almost always belongs to a subscriber who signed up after that date.
What time zone is Port Renfrew in?
Port Renfrew is on Pacific Time (PT, UTC−8), with daylight saving time (UTC−7) from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
Allocated prefixes
All 4 in-service prefixes, grouped by rate centre.
Port Renfrew, BC
236-926 · 250-647 · 672-788 · 672-870
Elsewhere in British Columbia
| Rate centre | Province | Prefixes | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | BC | 73 | 15 |
| Newton | BC | 46 | 14 |
| Chilliwack | BC | 41 | 14 |
| Whalley | BC | 36 | 12 |
| West Vancouver | BC | 31 | 9 |
| Whistler | BC | 28 | 12 |
| Port Coquitlam | BC | 26 | 10 |
| Squamish | BC | 24 | 12 |
Allocation source: Canadian Numbering Administrator (CNAC), the registry that records which carrier a central-office code was originally issued to. An allocation says who was issued the prefix, not who serves the number today: numbers can be ported between carriers, and caller ID can be spoofed outright.