Police in Halton, Ont. are reminding parents that out-of-service cell phones can still call 911.
According to police, a child dialled 911 and operators kept the child on the line for an hour and a half while officers knocked on more than 50 doors looking for them to make sure they were OK.
Police say it turns out the child was using the old phone as a toy, and had also called 911 from it the previous night.
Halton police say they receive hundreds of such calls a year, and while they "love talking to our youngest citizens," there can be serious consequences for those who are truly in need of emergency services.
If operators can't tell if the call was a mistake or made by a kid playing with a phone, they have to send officers out.
— With files from The Canadian Press