New Brunswick — A right to information request by The Manatee has revealed that New Brunswick was originally slotted to receive a new area code of 425. No reason for the change was given when news broke Tuesday about the province’s second area code of 428, but some political watchers have speculated that beginning with 425 would make it too easy to mock Premier Brian Gallant when it was converted to letters.
“For example, when translated to letters, 425-526-8277 would be GAL-LAN-TASS,” said an anonymous member of a watchdog group, “and the number 425-526-8789 becomes GAL-LAN-TSUX. If this had gone through, Gallant would never have heard the end of it.”
Tory MLAs cried political interference in the legislature and demanded the resignation of every member of the Liberal party, but were overheard outside the chamber lamenting the lost opportunity.
Gallant himself offered a solution. “If that’s the way the Tories want to be, trying to score political points any possible way… they can feel free to call the CRTC and complain,” said the premier. “I believe 727-278-9789 is the number,” he said, walking away laughing.
Our reporter looked into it, and the number Gallant gave us translates to: PCP-ART-YSUX.