A Calgary resident checks for mail in a Canada Post community mailbox.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
Canada Post announced Thursday that it’s starting preliminary work to convert addresses that receive door-to-door mail to community mailboxes.
Over four million addresses still receive door-to-door mail.
Which addresses are being affected first?
Thirteen communities across Canada will be converted first, starting in late 2026 and early 2027. Approximately 136,000 addresses will be converted in that timespan.
A large portion of the conversions will start in British Columbia, with 10 postal codes being switched to community mailboxes. The organization said that the communities selected for the first phase are adjacent to areas that already receive their mail in community mailboxes.
How long will the process take?
Canada Post says the process is expected to take five years to convert four million addresses.
Why is this change happening?
In September, 2025, the federal government announced that Canada Post would introduce flexible letter mail delivery standards, along with the community mailboxes. The government argued that only two billion letters are delivered annually, down from 5.5 billion two decades prior. The parcel delivery market share has also dropped below 24 per cent from 62 per cent in 2019.
Canada Post loses $10-million daily, and has lost at least $5-billion since 2018. The government estimates that the shift to community mailboxes will save $400-million annually.
Can packages still fit into community mailboxes?
Community mailboxes have individual compartments or dedicated parcel compartments for packages. A key for the specific compartment will be placed inside the recipient’s mailbox by the delivery person, which will allow the customer to unlock that specific compartment. After taking out the package, the recipient would place the key in the mail slot.
Bigger packages will be delivered straight to the customer’s door, or can be picked up at a post office. Canada Post also announced it will be reviewing its retail network in preparation for closures of urban and suburban post offices in areas it says are currently over-served.
Will the mailboxes be designed with accessibility considerations?
Residents can apply to Canada Post’s Delivery Accommodation Program for accessibility requests. These can include sliding trays and Braille features.
The Crown corporation also noted it can provide weekly home delivery on a seasonal, temporary or permanent basis in some cases. The Accessible Canada Act is in place to make Canada barrier-free by January 1, 2040.
Has the federal government tried to end home delivery before?
Stephen Harper’s federal government first introduced the end of door-to-door delivery initiative in 2013. In Justin Trudeau’s first prime minister campaign, the Liberals vowed to stop Harper’s plan if elected.
Once in office, the Liberals did not resume door-to-door service for those who had already been converted to community mailboxes.