Canadian marketing "do-not-call" lists

Want fewer telemarketing calls and spam mail? Check out these "do-not-call" lists in Canada:

• The Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) has a national do-not-contact list that you can register for now. You register your name, address(es), and phone number(s) and they make sure you're taken off the CMA member marketing lists for 3 years, after which time you need to re-register. Note that registering may prevent you from receiving offers from companies you actually may want to hear from (e.g., catalogues, coupons, etc.). After my friend registered on this list and waited a couple months for it to take effect, she noticed a drop in marketing calls from 25-35 per week to 2-3 per week!
• The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has a more comprehensive national do-not-call list. Register phone, cell, and fax numbers to be taken off all telemarketing lists for 3 years, after which time you need to re-register. There will be some exceptions, such as registered charities.

Make sure you register all the variations of your name and phone numbers (home, work, cell). You may want to include your recent addresses, too.