Roughly 30,000 addresses, mostly in east Ottawa, could be shifted from door-to-door mail delivery to community mailboxes by next year, Canada Post says.
Late last month, the Crown corporation announced it was moving ahead with its transformation plan, one that included a proposal to eventually end home delivery.
Public Services and Procurement Canada directed Canada Post to make changes last year, as it faced faltering finances and what’s been called an “existential” crisis.
In a news release Thursday, the postal service said it was “initiating discussions” with 13 Canadian communities — including Ottawa — as it prepared to convert its first cohort of about 136,000 addresses countrywide to the boxes in late 2026 and early 2027.
In Ottawa, that would involve about 30,000 addresses in postal codes beginning with K1B, K1G, K1H, K1J and K1K.
Canada Post said it plans to eventually convert about four million addresses nationwide to community mailboxes, although that work will take years to complete.
Community engagement promised
Most of the addresses in the first cohort are near areas where people already get deliveries to a community mailbox, Canada Post said.
The process to convert from home delivery to community boxes “typically takes months,” it added.
“Canada Post will engage with communities as it identifies suitable locations for community mailbox sites,” the corporation’s statement said.
“It is also notifying residents of the upcoming change to their mail delivery, and will keep them, businesses, bargaining agents and employees informed every step of the way.”
There’s already been concern expressed in parts of eastern Ontario about the modernization plan, particularly regarding rural residents who don’t have access to a vehicle or public transit.
Nearly three out of every four Canadian addresses already get mail and parcels through some form of centralized delivery, Canada Post added in its statement.