Calgary 311 service will expand with face-to-face help

Calgary 311 service will expand with face-to-face help

First there was the phone line, then there was the website and the app, and now more changes are coming.

It's been 10 years since Calgary initiated the first 311 line in Canada, and now the city is looking to the next 10 years with a plan to make the service more personal.

In the near future, some of the 311 helpers will be placed in city facilities around Calgary in order to help in person.

"They can take calls and they can deal with online requests when no one is there, but if you're actually at the swimming pool or at a city service and you need some help, there's someone there who can help you, and I think that is going to be awesome," said Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

The 311 service has grown over the years from 500,000 calls in 2005, to over 11 million in 2014.