Canada Post: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:24, 11 November 2025

Canada Post (legal name: Canada Post Corporation; French: Société canadienne des postes) is the federal Crown corporation that provides the national postal service. It delivers letter mail, parcels, and direct marketing; operates post offices and PO boxes; offers retail and e-commerce shipping solutions; and issues Canadian postage stamps. Canada Post reports to Parliament through the Minister responsible and operates under the Canada Post Corporation Act.

At a glance — Canada Post

Type	Federal Crown corporation; universal postal service provider
Core services	Letter mail • Parcels & courier partnerships • Direct mail/Admail • PO boxes • Community mailboxes • Addressing tools • Forwarding & Hold Mail • Stamps & philately
Network	Urban, suburban & rural delivery; community mailboxes; post offices (corporate & dealer) across all provinces/territories
Group companies	Purolator (majority-owned) • SCI Logistics • Innovapost (IT)
Universal service (examples)	National delivery standards • Retail access • Services for remote/North via air stage points
Official site	canadapost-postescanada.ca

Mandate and governance

Canada Post’s mandate is to provide a reliable, affordable universal postal service to all addresses in Canada. The Corporation has an exclusive privilege to collect, transmit, and deliver letters within Canada (with defined exceptions) and competes in parcels and marketing services. A Board of Directors oversees strategy, service standards, and financial sustainability; day-to-day operations are led by an executive team.

What Canada Post delivers

Lettermail & documents — Domestic and international letters, flats, and documents in standard and oversized formats.
Parcels & packets — Domestic, U.S., and international parcel tiers with options for on-time delivery standards, tracking, liability coverage, and signature.
Direct marketing — Addressed and unaddressed mail products for businesses and public agencies.
Retail & identity services — Postage, PO boxes, money orders (where offered), identity/verification and pickup services at post offices; seasonal and peak services vary by location.

Postal codes and addressing

Canada uses a six-character alphanumeric postal code in the pattern A1A 1A1 (letter–digit alternating, space in the middle).

The first three characters (FSA, Forward Sortation Area) identify a broad region or city sector; the last three (LDU, Local Delivery Unit) pinpoint the delivery route or specific building/cluster.
Standard addressing format (example):

JOHN SMITH

123 MAIN ST APT 4

OTTAWA ON K1A 0B1

CANADA

Use capital letters, two-letter province abbreviations, and place the postal code on the same line as city/province with two spaces before it.

Delivery network & access

Modes — Door-to-door, community mailboxes (superboxes), rural roadside, apartment/condo panels, and PO boxes.
Days — Letter mail is typically delivered Monday–Friday; parcels may have extended/peak-season weekend delivery in select urban areas.
Holidays — Federal holidays affect collection/delivery; post-office hours vary by site.
Remote & North — ‘‘Air stage’’ offices serve communities without year-round road access; delivery times and options vary by season and mode.

Parcels: options and features (overview)

Domestic tiers commonly include **Regular/Expedited**, **Xpresspost**, and **Priority**-class services with published delivery standards by origin–destination.
Tracking & notifications — End-to-end tracking numbers, delivery scans, and optional email/SMS updates.
Signature & coverage — Signature on delivery, proof-of-age where required, and liability coverage up to stated limits (additional coverage purchasable).
Returns & pickups — Return labels, scheduled pickups for business accounts, and self-serve drop at staffed counters or parcel lockers (where installed).

Letter mail: sizes, weights, and stamps

Formats — Standard (common envelopes), Oversize, and Lettermail flats; thickness and weight limits apply.
Permanent (“P”) stamps — A “P”-denominated domestic stamp is valid for the current basic letter rate at any time, even after rate changes.
Postage calculation — Domestic, U.S., and international rates depend on format, weight bracket, and destination; business pricing and indicia/franking options exist for volume mailers.

Customer tools

Track parcels; Find a postal code; Find a rate; create labels online (e.g., Snap Ship); schedule pickups (business).
Mail Forwarding (temporary/permanent) and Hold Mail services.
FlexDelivery — Ship online purchases to a preferred post office for pickup.
Accessibility and language options are available across online and retail channels.

Community mailboxes and security

Community mailboxes consolidate delivery to secure compartments with separate parcel lockers. Keys are issued to households; change-of-lock service is available if compromised. Site placement and maintenance follow municipal and accessibility guidelines.

International mail & customs

Canada Post carries outbound international mail under Universal Postal Union rules and partners with foreign posts and couriers. Customs declarations (CN22/CN23) are required for dutiable contents; HS codes, values, and recipient contact details improve clearance. Import duties/taxes and handling fees (if any) are collected from recipients according to destination/import rules.

Stamps and philately

Canada Post designs and issues definitive and commemorative stamps, souvenir sheets, and collectible products that mark national themes, history, arts, sports, and nature. Official first-day covers and annual stamp programs are published each year.

Canada Post Group

Canada Post is the parent of a group that includes:

Purolator — Majority-owned courier company focused on time-definite parcel, freight, and logistics in Canada/U.S.
SCI Logistics — Contract logistics and fulfillment.
Innovapost — Shared IT services for the Group.

Service standards, accountability, and sustainability

Published delivery standards guide expected times (not guarantees in all cases). Performance, community service, environmental initiatives (fleet efficiency, alternative fuels, recycling), and accessibility commitments are reported publicly in corporate plans and annual reports. Ombudservices and complaint channels are available for customers and businesses.

History (brief)

1867–1981: Postal services operated by the federal Post Office Department.
1970s: Introduction of modern postal codes and mechanized sorting.
1981: Creation of the Canada Post Corporation as a Crown corporation.
1990s–present: Expansion of parcel/e-commerce services, community mailboxes, and digital tools; ongoing modernization of facilities, vehicles, and retail network.

External links (official)

Canada Post — Home: https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/
Track a package: https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/track
Find a postal code: https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/find-a-postal-code
Find a rate / create a label: https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/ship
Hold Mail / Mail Forwarding: https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/manage-mail