Vancouver, British Columbia — The government-owned corporation that delivers mail in Canada is taking steps to stop home delivery.
Canada Post is beginning talks with 13 communities to convert approximately 136,000 addresses from door-to-door delivery to a community mailbox, a standalone unit with a designated space for each of multiple residences. It is the first step in a move that will end home delivery at around 4 million addresses over the next five years.
“This is a process that could take six to nine months from start to finish,” Canada Post spokesman John Hamilton said in an interview. “Nothing will happen immediately.”
Hamilton said Canada Post will work with city planners and neighborhoods to determine the best locations for community mailboxes.
Hamilton said that of the 17.6 million addresses that Canada Post currently serves, 75% already have some form of centralized delivery. Some people use a community mailbox or post office box, while others live in an apartment or condominium.
Hamilton said eliminating home delivery would save Canada Post approximately CDN$400 million (US$291.96 million) per year.
It is facing huge financial losses. Canada Post said in November that its losses in the first nine months of 2025 exceeded CDN$1 billion (US$73 million).
Hamilton said Canada Post will not lay off workers because of the delivery changes. “This will reduce the number of letter carriers. They will have work, but it will be elsewhere,” he said.
Canada Post currently employs approximately 60,000 people.
The corporation said in a statement that the process of ending home delivery is starting after a meeting with union officials.
Members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers will begin voting Monday to ratify new contract agreements with the national mail carrier.
They do not have a new contract through November 2023, and the union has staged two nationwide strikes and a series of other disruptions during contract negotiations.
A resident of one of the affected communities said losing his home mail delivery would not be a problem.
“It really wouldn’t bother me at all,” said Lianne Beedon, 44, who lives in North Vancouver, British Columbia, and works remotely. “I think this is a smart move to maintain mail delivery for Canadians and keep costs down.”
