A person sending a text message. (File photo by Blackburn News)A person sending a text message. (File photo by Blackburn News)
Windsor

Opening New Line Of Communication

You can now text Windsor's 311 call centre.

The city kicked off a one-year pilot program Tuesday, through Impact Mobile.

Acting manager of the centre Alena Sleziak says the service creates an easy way to have simple questions answered. "When are the fireworks? Or when is this festival starting? Or to report really simple kinds of things like a pothole on the corner of Walker Rd. and Wyandotte St.," Sleziak explains. "It's quick for them just to send that message off to us, we can take that information, create the service request, then let the resident know that we have it and thank them for it."

Sleziak says texts to 311 will only be received between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm, Monday through Friday each week, because that's when staff will be available to answer questions or take down information.

Windsor is the first municipality in Canada to use a short code texting function. Many municipalities are using texting programs, but all others have implemented new 10-digit numbers for the service.

Read More Local Stories