City of Toronto Year 2000 Project

Welcome to the City of Toronto's Year 2000 preparedness Web site.

The Year 2000 problem exists because some computers and other devices rely on two-digit codes to represent the year. That means that on January 1, 2000, computers that have not been fixed may read "00" as "1900" instead of "2000". Naturally, this would cause considerable inconvenience across the city – a scenario we are determined to avoid.

Just a few weeks after the new city was formed in January 1998, Toronto began one of the most comprehensive Year 2000 preparedness efforts in North America.

Our plan is extremely comprehensive, covering all city services and coordinating closely with those delivered by agencies such as the police, Toronto Hydro and the Toronto Transit Commission. We're confirming the Year 2000 readiness of all city suppliers. We're training all city staff. We're looking at both information systems and embedded chips in non-IT systems. If an application involves dates, it's in our plan.

Our program is on track and on target. While minor technology-related inconveniences are always possible, we are confident that it will be business as usual for city services on January 1, 2000.

The Year 2000 challenge is among the City of Toronto's top priorities for 1999. In the months ahead, we will be communicating directly with all Toronto residents and businesses, to ensure broad awareness of what we're doing to ensure a smooth transition to the new century.