Canada Post strike begins as government ends most door-to-door mail delivery

OTTAWA, Ontario — The Canadian Union of Postal Workers launched a nationwide strike Thursday after the government announced door-to-door mail delivery would end for nearly all households within the next decade.

Canada Post said the strike will halt mail and parcel processing and delivery for the duration of the walkout, and no new items will be accepted. The shutdown affects millions of Canadians and businesses across the country.

Procurement Minister Joël Lightbound announced sweeping changes aimed at shoring up Canada Post’s finances in response to a decline in letter mail and the corporation’s small share of the parcel market. The plan would expand the use of community mailboxes and slow delivery times. The changes come as the government seeks to steady a longtime deficit in the Crown corporation’s finances and address shifts in how Canadians send and receive mail.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers said it was caught off guard by the policy changes and argued that Canada Post and the government are creating the conditions that drive down demand for both letter and parcel services. CUPW said all of its 55,000 Canada Post members were on strike immediately and accused the company of failing to engage in meaningful bargaining.

Canada Post warned the strike would deepen its financial challenges, complicating any path to stabilization. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu called it a point of balance between maintaining a universal postal service and ensuring fair treatment of employees, adding that federal mediators remained available to support bargaining and urging both sides to work toward a resolution that preserves service and protects workers.

Lightbound described the move to door-to-door delivery as a necessary step given the service’s public mandate and the need to modernize Canada Post. He said the service is facing an existential crisis and that repeated bailouts are not the solution. He pointed to the commission of inquiry’s recommendations, which favored more community mailboxes as a component of the broader overhaul.

Under the plan, the average delivery time for letters is expected to rise from about three to four days to roughly three to seven days. About four million Canadians are expected to receive mail at community mailboxes instead of at their doors, and some post offices could close entirely as part of the transformation. Lightbound estimated the changes could save about C$400 million (US$287 million) annually.

The moratorium on expanding the use of community mailboxes has ended, the minister said, signaling a shift that supporters say will reduce ongoing deficits and integrate newer delivery models into the system.

Hajdu emphasized that federal mediators are available to support a fair bargaining process and urged both sides to pursue a resolution that balances the future of postal service with workers’ rights. The government’s stance reflects a broader debate about funding, modernization, and how to maintain universal service amid changing mail volumes and growing parcel demand.

Observers warn the strike could worsen Canada Post’s financial outlook if delays persist and customers shift to private carriers, though supporters say the modernization plan is essential to long-term viability. For communities reliant on postal service, especially in rural and northern areas, the changes could mean longer wait times and adjusted access to services as the system restructures.