If the numbers 709 hold special meaning to you, that may be because you're from Canada's most eastern province. But thanks to a ruling from the Canada Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will soon have a second area code to contend with — 879.

For decades, 709 has been the province's sole area code. It's expected all available 709 numbers will be used up by March 2019.

10-digit dialling

When the new area code comes into effect, callers will be required to dial 10 digits when making a call within the province to differentiate between the two codes — something some service providers already require.

People can expect to see the new area code in place sometime after Nov. 24 2018.