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The Canada Post Corporation (French: Société canadienne des postes), doing business as Canada Post (French: Postes Canada), is a Crown corporation that serves as the country’s major postal operator.
Even though it had not yet been split from the government, Royal Mail Canada (the operating name of the Post Office Department of the Canadian government formed in 1867, French: Poste Royale Canada) was rebranded to the “Canada Post” name in the late 1960s.
The Canada Post Corporation Act went into effect on October 16, 1981. The Post Office Department was abolished, and the current Crown corporation that provides postal service was established.
The act aimed to steer the postal service in a new direction by securing its financial security and independence.
In 2016, Canada Post served over 16 million addresses and delivered approximately 8.4 billion items, generating $7.88 billion in consolidated revenue from operations.
Traditional “to the door” service and centralized delivery are provided by 25,000 letter carriers operating a 13,000 vehicle fleet.
There are more than 6,200 post offices in the United States, which are a mix of corporate offices and private franchises run by shops like drugstores.
In terms of service area, Canada Post covers a bigger region than any other country’s postal service, including Russia’s (where service in Siberia is limited largely to communities along the railway). Residential mail delivery services were provided to almost 843,000 rural Canadian clients in 2004.
Canada Post is part of The Canada Post Group, a conglomerate of firms. It has about 64,000 full-time and part-time employees. Purolator Courier, Innovapost, Progistix-Solutions, and Canada Post International Limited are all owned by the Corporation.
In the year 2000, Canada Post launched Epost, a service that allowed clients to get their bills online for free from partner shops and institutions. Epost was acquired by Canada Post in 2007. Canada Post stated in early 2022 that the Epost service would be phased out by the end of the year.
The Federal Identity Program is known as Canada Post (French: Postes Canada). In English, the company is known as Canada Post Corporation, while in French, it is known as Société canadienne des postes. The short forms used in the corporation’s logo throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s were “Mail” (English) and “Poste” (French), which were transcribed as “Poste Mail” in Québec and “Mail Poste” in other provinces.
Although the firm was still referred to as “Canada Post” in English-language advertising.
Ombudsman
The Office of the Ombudsman at Canada Post was established in October 1997 as a result of the Canadian government’s 1995 Canada Post Mandate Review, which was performed by an Advisory Panel.
In the case of postal service complaints, the Ombudsman is the final appeal authority. If a customer’s problem is not resolved to their satisfaction by Canada Post, they can file a complaint with the Ombudsman. Despite the fact that the Ombudsman has no legislative authority over Canada Post, the recommendations made by the office can help the firm improve processes, alter rules, and reinforce compliance with procedures.
The Ombudsman is an independent employee of Canada Post who reports to the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mrs. Francine Conn was appointed as Canada Post’s fourth and current Ombudsman on July 11, 2011. The services provided by the Ombudsman’s Office are free of charge.
Mail Format
The destination address appears in the center of any letter delivered within Canada, and a stamp, postal indicia, meter label, or frank mark appears in the top-right corner of the envelope to acknowledge postage paid. Although not essential, a return address can be written in smaller print than the destination address on the top-left corner or rear of the envelope.
The address should be written in block letters with a fixed-pitch typeface, according to official addressing standards (such as Courier). The recipient’s personal name and internal address appear on the first line(s) of the address. The post office box, general delivery indicator, or street address appears on the second-to-last line, with the truncated name of the street type and no punctuation. The legal place name, a single space, the two-letter province abbreviation, two full spaces, and the postal code make up the last line. If you’re mailing within Canada, the country identification isn’t necessary.
Major Products And Services
The Postal Guide is a directory of all the Corporation’s products and services, and it is separated into three primary categories: Transaction Mail, Parcels, and Direct Marketing.
Transaction Mail
The lettermail service allows you to send almost any paper document. From 2015 to 2018, a regular letter (30 g or less) cost 85 cents, and a letter between 30 g and 50 g cost $1.20. The proposed rate changes for 2019 are 90 cents and $1.27. Rates normally go up in mid-January each year; for conventional letters, rates usually go up in mid-February (30 g or less).
A price-cap formula was used to control the rate, which was tied to the rate of inflation. After a rate hike, the Corporation now has a “permanent” stamp that will always be priced at the domestic rate, eliminating the need to buy 1 cent stamps. Lettermail charges are determined by the weight and size of the item, which determines whether it meets the aforementioned required format or in the oversize one.
The Canada Post website documents standards for delivery within Canada:
Lettermail
Priority™ Delivery Standards
In 1939, daily cross-country airmail services were established. The Lettermail Delivery Standards Grid shows that municipal delivery service standards in Canada are two days.
Letter-post is the term for international mail. Only paper documents are allowed to be stored in it (See “Small Packet” below). From 2015 to 2018, the cost of a typical letter to the United States was $1.20, while it cost $2.50 to send to any other destination.
Parcels
Domestic
Canada Post offers four domestic parcel services. The rates are based on distance, weight, and size. The maximum acceptable weight is 30 kg.
International
Small Packet
Air and surface services are available.
Maximum weight is 1 kg (USA) and 2 kg (International).
No on time guarantee
No ability to make a trace or investigation if it is lost or delayed
Expedited Parcel USA
Available for items sent to the United States only.
Despite its name, does not provide any service guarantee.
The maximum acceptable weight is 30 kg
It is cheaper than the standard international rate.
Handed off to the USPS as Priority Mail.
Xpresspost-USA and International
Provides speedy and guaranteed delivery to addresses in the United States.
Provides accelerated delivery to certain countries.
Maximum weight is 30 kg (USA) and 20 to 30 kg (depending on the international destination).
Handed off to the USPS / other postal administrations as Priority Mail Express / EMS.
International Parcel
Air and surface service available
Provides delivery to countries to which Xpresspost is not available
No on time guarantee
Priority Worldwide
Partnered with FedEx Corporation
Delivers overnight to the US and to more than 220 countries in 2–3 business days with detailed tracking
Direct marketing
Personalized Mail
Promotional mailings targeted to specific residents.
Minimum quantity of 1,000 articles.
Neighbourhood Mail
Consists of printed matter and product samples that are not addressed to specific delivery addresses in Canada, but to specific neighbourhoods or cities.
Snap Admail
On September 22, 2014, Canada Post unveiled Snap Admail™, an all-in-one online tool that is aimed to support small businesses in the creation and execution of direct-marketing campaigns.
Issue Of Stamps
Although Canada Post is responsible for stamp design and production, the corporation does not actually choose the subjects or the final designs that appear on stamps.
That task falls under the jurisdiction of the Stamp Advisory Committee. Their objective is to recommend a stamp program that will have broad-based appeal, regionally and culturally, reflecting Canadian history, heritage, and tradition.
Before Canada Post calls a meeting of the committee, it also welcomes suggestions for stamp subjects from Canadian citizens. Ideas for subjects that have recently appeared on a stamp are declined. The committee works two years in advance and can approve approximately 20 subjects for each year.
Once a stamp subject is selected, Canada Post’s Stamp Products group conducts research. Designs are commissioned from two firms, both chosen for their expertise.
The designs are presented anonymously to the committee. The committee’s process and selection policy have changed little in the thirty years since it was introduced.
Noted stamps
Definitives
Queen Elizabeth II definitive stamp (Canada) (since 2003)
2000
Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer
2005
Acadian Deportation, Polio Vaccination
CEO and President
In 1981, Canada Post became a Crown Corporation with a CEO and President:
Michael Warren
1981-1985 – appointed by Pierre Trudeau
Donald Harley Lander
1986-1992 – Chair 1993-? – appointed by Mulroney and business executive; deceased (2010)
Georges Clermont
1993-1998 – appointed by Campbell; now CEO of International Post
André Ouellet
1999–2004 – appointed by Jean Chretien and former Minister in charge of Canada Post (as Postmaster General); Chair 1996-2004
Moya Greene
2004–2010 – appointed by Paul Martin and left to become CEO of Royal Mail.
Stewart Bacon
2010 – appointed interim CEO by Stephen Harper following Greene’s departure
Deepak Chopra
2011–2018 – appointed by Stephen Harper
Jessica McDonald
April 2, 2018-March 4, 2019- Interim appointment by the Canada Post Board of Directors
Doug Ettinger
March 4, 2019
