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Call 911. If you can’t speak safely, go to the nearest emergency room. If you’re outside Canada, call your local emergency number.
911These are the Canadian crisis lines we know are real, where the people answering them have been trained. Most are 24/7. A few have shorter hours — we say so when they do.
Every number on this page was checked against the organisation’s own website on the verified date above. If a line has changed or you’ve had a bad experience, tell us — we update.
These five lines cover the whole country and are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are the right first call for most situations.
A note on 988 vs 911: 911 dispatches police, fire, or paramedics. 988 connects you to a crisis counsellor trained in suicide prevention. For a mental-health-specific crisis where you’re not in immediate physical danger, 988 is usually the safer call — it has not been associated with the deaths of mental-health callers that 911 has.
Call or text · 24/7 · English & French + 150+ via interpreter
988.caFor First Nations, Inuit, and Métis · 24/7 · EN, FR, and on request: Cree, Ojibway, Inuktitut
hopeforwellness.caFor youth · Call 24/7 · Text CONNECT to 686868 · 100+ languages
kidshelpphone.caFor Veterans, former RCMP, and their families · 24/7 · Bilingual · TDD/TTY 1-800-567-5803
veterans.gc.caFor Survivors of Indian Residential Schools and their families · 24/7 · EN, FR
sac-isc.gc.caThe 988 line works for most situations. These lines are run by people who share the experience you’re going through, so the conversation often starts further along.
A peer support line, answered by trans people for trans and questioning people. You don't have to be in crisis to call. The line is fully anonymous and operator-led — no intake questions.
Not 24/7. Holiday closures. If high call volume, you may need to call back.
Peer support for 2SLGBTQ+ youth aged 29 and under in Ontario. Confidential and anonymous. Phone, text, and chat.
Ontario-only. If you're 2SLGBTQ+ and outside Ontario, 988 and Trans Lifeline still apply.
A 24/7 crisis line for women experiencing any form of abuse — physical, emotional, sexual. Multilingual. TTY available. The line is based in Ontario but answers calls from across Canada.
Ontario-based but answers from across Canada. Your province may also have a dedicated line — see §03 below.
Each province and territory has its own mental health crisis line. These usually connect faster to local supports than the national lines, and the responders know what’s actually available in your area.
Confidential, anonymous service from Primary Care Alberta. Crisis intervention, information about mental health programs, referrals to other agencies.
Toll-free anywhere in BC. Emotional support, information, and referrals for mental health and substance use. No wait, no busy signal.
Free, confidential counselling, support, and referrals from Klinic Community Health. Local Winnipeg line: 204-786-8686.
Provincial bilingual crisis phone line for all residents of New Brunswick. Free, confidential.
As of May 2022, mental health crisis calls are answered by registered nurses through the 811 HealthLine, including trained crisis interveners.
Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team. Phone support for anyone of any age in mental health crisis. In-person mobile teams available in HRM 1pm–1am.
Free and confidential information and referrals for mental health, addictions, and gambling. Phone, text, chat, and email.
Single point of access for mental health, addictions, and substance use calls in PEI. Replaced the Island Helpline in January 2023.
Free and confidential suicide prevention service. Trained responders, automatic transfer to a local suicide-prevention centre.
Mental health crisis line staffed by registered psychiatric nurses and social workers. Translation in over 100 languages.
Free, confidential, caring telephone listening support. NOT 24/7 — operates evenings only. For 24/7 crisis support, call 988 or Hope for Wellness.
Not 24/7. Outside these hours: 988 (national) or Hope for Wellness (Indigenous).
"Kamatsiaqtut" means "thoughtful people who care" in Inuktitut. Confidential listening, crisis intervention, and suicide prevention.
Not 24/7 — operates afternoons and evenings. For 24/7 crisis support, call 988 or Hope for Wellness.
Not 24/7. Outside these hours: 988 (national) or Hope for Wellness (Indigenous).
Every phone number, hour-of-operation, and language note on this page was checked against the originating organisation’s own website on 2026-05-18. We re-verify quarterly. The “Last verified” date at the top of this page is the truth — if it’s older than three months, please check the source link before relying on what’s here.
If you’ve called one of these lines and the number was wrong, the line was discontinued, or your experience tells us we should change something on this page, email us at hello@cultureiqlabs.ca with the line name and what happened. We update.
This is a directory. We’re not a crisis service. We don’t answer phones. If you call any line on this page, you are reaching the organisation listed beside it — not us. If you’re in immediate danger, call 911.