Canada Post has identified 136,000 addresses across 13 communities that will no longer receive home mail delivery later this year, as the agency moves to replace door-to-door service with community mailboxes.
The federal mail service is set to phase out all household delivery, impacting approximately four million addresses over the next five years as part of a restructuring initiative aimed at reducing costs and maintaining financial viability after several years of deficits that have left the Crown corporation billions of dollars in the red.
The addresses slated to be switched over late this year and in early 2027 include 30,000 in Ottawa with the postal codes K1B, K1G, K1H, K1J, K1K and 18,000 in Etobicoke, Ont., with M9V and M9W postal codes.
In British Columbia, 23,000 households in Vancouver with postal codes V7M, V7P, V7R, V7S, V7T, V7V, V7W will be switched to community mailboxes. Also slated for transition are 11,000 in Abbotsford with V2S and V2T postal codes as well as 6,000 in Mission under the V2V postal code.
A total of 19,000 addresses in Moncton and Riverview, N.B., with postal codes E1B, E1C, E1E, E1G and 16,000 in Winnipeg with postal codes R2P, R2R, R2V, R2W, R2X, R3E, R3H, are also on the chopping block.
Two areas of Quebec are being targeted. Canada Post said 7,000 addresses in Sept-Îles with postal codes G4R and G4S are part of the transition as are 6,000 homes in La Prairie and Candiac under the J5R postal code.
The areas chosen for the first phase of the changeover are located near neighbourhoods that already have community mailboxes, Canada Post said. Transitioning to this style of mailbox typically takes several months and involves consultations with the communities regarding their placement.
Community Mailboxes
The federal mail service first announced the upcoming change in a March 31 statement, several months after Procurement Minister Joël Lightbound said sweeping changes were coming to curb the financial losses of the Crown corporation as mail volumes continue to decline.Lightbound announced last September that Ottawa plans to adopt all the recommendations made by Industrial Inquiry Commissioner William Kaplan in a report he submitted to the government in May of the same year. The report contained several suggestions to improve Canada Post’s fiscal situation as the agency faced a $1.5 billion loss in 2025.
Lightbound said Canada Post was “effectively insolvent,” and change would be needed to stabilize operations and regain financial stability.
Transitioning away from door-to-door delivery is expected to save the corporation $400 million annually.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CPUW) is opposing the change to community mailboxes and has vowed to stop the switchover.
CUPW said the changeover would result in job cuts for its members and posted a graph on its website listing the proposed implementation date for each community and the resulting job loss.
It projected a Sept. 21 launch date for Winnipeg with a 25-30 percent job loss and an Oct. 19 implementation date for Sept-îles with a 30-35 percent job loss.
Community mailboxes are also slated for this year in Etobicoke, Moncton, and La Prairie on Nov. 16, with projected job losses ranging between 30 and 40 percent. Abbotsford and Mission are slated to transition next February with job losses ranging between 20 and 35 percent. North Vancouver will follow in March 2027, and Ottawa in July 2027, with estimated job losses of 30-35 percent.
The union said its fight to stop the change is about more than job losses.
“This is about a public service that Canadians have relied on for over 150 years,” Eckert said. “Cutting delivery to the door means longer walks to community mailboxes for the public. This will be more difficult for seniors and people with mobility issues. It means increased safety concerns and thefts. It means more risk of vandalism, litter, and noise from idling cars.”
Lightbound has said the changes are necessary to the corporation’s survival.
More Changes to Save Money
Also topping the list of changes is the closure or conversion of some post offices. Canada Post said it is already reviewing its retail network in preparation for closures of urban and suburban post offices in areas that it described as “over-served.”The government has also authorized Canada Post to change its delivery standards for non-urgent letter mail, allowing for ground transportation instead of air to reflect the reduced volume of mail.
“Canada Post has reached an important turning point,” the agency said in its statement. “Our transformation will strengthen the postal service, allow us to be a better partner for businesses, and help us meet our dual mandate of delivering for all Canadians in a way that is financially self-sustainable.”
