Greeting order by site
The Ottawa number can greet English first; the Gatineau number French first. Both reach the same people.
Ottawa and Gatineau
Business phone systems for Ottawa businesses
Ottawa businesses work across a provincial border every day. An office in Ottawa and staff or clients in Gatineau means two area codes, two holiday calendars and callers who expect to be greeted in either language. One cloud system handles all three.
- 613, 343 and 819 numbers on one system
- Bilingual greetings and AI receptionist
- Ontario and Quebec holidays per site
ExampleView all team
Business number
+1 (416) 555-0198
Main numberActive call 00:24
IN
Inbound caller
+1 (905) 555-0142
Mute
Keypad
Hold
Add
End
Transfer call
Select a team member or department
Search people or teams
- Sales teamExt. 202
- Customer supportExt. 204
Your team
RC
ReceptionExt. 201
AvailableS1
Sales 1Ext. 202
On a callS2
Sales 2Ext. 203
AvailableSD
Service deskExt. 204
AvailableOM
Office managerExt. 205
In a meetingAn Ottawa business phone system from 3CTel keeps or provides a local 613 or 343 number, and an 819 or 873 number for the Gatineau side, on one cloud system with a bilingual greeting and an AI receptionist that answers in English or French. Each site keeps its own hours and provincial holiday calendar. Setup is remote, tested on a temporary number, and existing numbers are ported from your current carrier.
Last updated:
Two provinces, one system
| Ottawa side | Gatineau side | |
|---|---|---|
| Area codes | 613, 343, 753 | 819, 873 |
| Time zone | Eastern | Eastern |
| Holiday calendar | Ontario dates | Quebec dates |
| Greeting most businesses choose | Bilingual, English first or French first by choice | French first with English option |
| On the system | One site record with its number, hours and greeting | A second site record; same directory, same rules |
Business Phone Numbers
Local, toll-free and campaign numbers that all land in one system.
Learn more: Business Phone NumbersMulti-location business
Every branch on one system, with its own number, hours and greeting.
Learn more: Multi-location businessNumber porting
How a port works, what you need to provide, what causes delays, and what 3CTel does at each step.
Learn more: Number portingBilingual as the default, not the exception
In the National Capital Region a bilingual greeting is simply what callers expect. Government contractors, associations and non-profits in particular tend to serve members and clients on both sides of the river and in both languages.
On the system, the language choice happens once at the greeting and follows the caller through menus, hold messages and voicemail. The AI receptionist answers in whichever language the caller uses and takes messages with a transcript in that language.
Language-aware ring groups
A caller who chooses French rings staff who answer in French first, with overflow to a bilingual person or the AI receptionist.
AI receptionist in both languages
Answers common questions, books appointments and takes messages in English or French, after hours or whenever the team is busy.
AI Receptionist
Answers, understands and books — in English and French.
Learn more: AI ReceptionistMontreal
French-first greetings, bilingual menus and 514/438 numbers on one cloud system.
Learn more: MontrealCustomer service
The phone workflow behind a support desk that answers, follows up and improves.
Learn more: Customer serviceCall flows Ottawa organizations ask for
- Government contractors: a main menu that reaches a named directory quickly, call recording with an announcement where the contract requires it, and a closed greeting that does not take messages for procurement lines.
- Associations and non-profits: a members' option that reaches a small team on desk phones and mobile apps, a donations or events option with its own voicemail, and seasonal schedules around conferences.
- Technology companies in Kanata and downtown: a support queue with callbacks, distributed staff on apps, and integration with the help desk via API or an automation platform, scoped during planning.
- Professional practices: front-desk ring groups, appointment booking by the AI receptionist and voicemail transcripts to email.
Government & Public Sector
Citizen-service queues, bilingual menus and department routing for public bodies.
Learn more: Government & Public SectorNon-Profits & Associations
Donor lines, program intake and volunteer coverage for charities and associations.
Learn more: Non-Profits & AssociationsTechnology & IT Services
Support queues, on-call escalation and API-driven routing for software firms and MSPs.
Learn more: Technology & IT ServicesContact Centre
Queues, routing and supervision for teams that live on the phone.
Learn more: Contact CentreSet up on both sides of the river without a visit
Plan the two sites
A specialist captures the Ottawa and Gatineau numbers, the greeting order for each, the holiday calendars and who answers what.
Build and test
Both language paths are configured on a temporary number and you call in to hear them before anything changes.
Ship and install
Desk phones arrive pre-configured at either address. Staff who move between offices use the app and keep the same extension.
Port and switch
Each number is ported from its current carrier on its own agreed date. Emergency calling uses each device's registered service address, confirmed at setup.
Devices
Phones and headsets that arrive ready to plug in.
Learn more: Devices9-1-1 on VoIP
Why the registered address matters, how it is confirmed at setup, and how to keep it current.
Learn more: 9-1-1 on VoIPBusiness Phone
Reliable calling with routing your team will actually use.
Learn more: Business PhoneQuestions from Ottawa businesses
Do we need two systems for an Ottawa office and a Gatineau office?
No. Both are sites on one system. Each keeps its own local number, greeting and provincial holiday calendar, and both share one directory, so a call to the Ottawa number transfers to a Gatineau colleague by name. An administrator manages both from one console, and a new site on either side is added the same way.
Can an 819 number ring staff who sit in Ottawa?
Yes. A number routes to a ring group, and the group can include anyone on the system regardless of where they sit. Many organizations keep a Gatineau number so Quebec-side clients see a local number while calls are answered by the same team in Ottawa, with the French-first greeting on that number.
How do different holiday dates on each side work?
Each site has its own holiday calendar. On a date that is a holiday in Quebec but not Ontario, the Gatineau number plays its holiday greeting and follows the after-hours path while the Ottawa number keeps ringing normally. Staff who are working that day can still take Gatineau calls if the overflow rules say so.
After-hours calls
A plan for every call that arrives after closing, on a weekend or on a holiday.
Learn more: After-hours callsRing group
One incoming call rings several phones at once or in sequence; the first to pick up takes it.
Learn more: Ring groupCall routing
Decide who answers, in what order, and what happens when they cannot.
Learn more: Call routingRelated pages.
Ontario
One system across Toronto, the 905 belt, Southwestern Ontario and Ottawa.
Learn more: OntarioMontreal
French-first greetings, bilingual menus and 514/438 numbers on one cloud system.
Learn more: MontrealAI Receptionist
Answers, understands and books — in English and French.
Learn more: AI ReceptionistBusiness Phone
Reliable calling with routing your team will actually use.
Learn more: Business PhoneBusiness Phone Numbers
Local, toll-free and campaign numbers that all land in one system.
Learn more: Business Phone NumbersGovernment & Public Sector
Citizen-service queues, bilingual menus and department routing for public bodies.
Learn more: Government & Public SectorFrequently asked questions.
Often, but subject to availability. 343 numbers overlay the same region and are equally local. A specific 613 number cannot be guaranteed; existing 613 numbers are ported as they are.
Yes. Outbound caller ID can be set per user or per ring group, so a member-services team can show the 819 number to Quebec-side clients and the 613 number to others.
Yes. Hold and queue messages are recorded or generated in English and French and played according to the caller's language choice at the greeting.
Yes. The desktop and mobile apps work anywhere with internet. Home workers keep their extension and appear in the directory the same way as office staff.
Plan a bilingual system for Ottawa and Gatineau.
A specialist captures both sites, both greeting orders and both calendars in one call, then quotes the setup.