The original area code for Alberta (all points, including Northwestel exchanges in the western high Arctic) was +1-403. The +1-403 prefix was removed from the Arctic territories in 1997 with the introduction of +1-867. Due to inefficient allocation of local numbering resources (there is no number pooling in Canada) the code was split again in 1999 to place Northern Alberta (including Edmonton) in area code +1-780. The entire province was then overlaid by the little-used +1-587 area code in 2008, breaking seven-digit dialling for all points.