Editing Canada Post (section)

==History==
{{further|Postage stamps and postal history of Canada}}
[[File:First Toronto Post Office-Royal Mail (26425168203).jpg|thumb|[[Royal Mail]] signage at a [[First Toronto Post Office|Toronto post office built in 1833]]. The British Royal Mail administered the [[Province of Canada]]'s postal system until 1851.]]
On August 3, 1527, in [[St. John’s, Newfoundland]], the first known letter was sent from present day Canada.<ref name="one">[[Paul O'Neill (author)|Paul O'Neill]] (2003) ''The Oldest City, The Story of [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's, Newfoundland]]'' (p. 116) {{ISBN|0-9730271-2-6}}</ref> While in St. John's, [[John Rut]] wrote a letter to [[King Henry VIII]] about his findings and planned voyage. Mail delivery within Canada first started in 1693 when the [[Portugal|Portuguese]]-born [[Pedro da Silva (post courier)|Pedro da Silva]] was paid to deliver between [[Quebec City]] and [[Montreal]]. From 1711 to 1851, post offices in [[British North America]] were extensions of the [[General Post Office|British Post Office]]'s [[Royal Mail]].{{sfn|Adie|1990|p=22}}

In April 1851, control of postal services in the [[Province of Canada]] was transferred from the [[Postmaster General of the United Kingdom]] to the newly formed [[List of postmasters general for the Province of Canada|Postmaster General for the Province of Canada]]. Postal responsibilities in the colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island were also transferred to their local governments that year.{{sfn|Adie|1990|p=36}} The first postage stamp (designed by [[Sandford Fleming]]) went into circulation in Canada that same year.

===Establishment===
[[File:Royal Mail - Ottawa Electric Railway.jpg|thumb|A streetcar used by Royal Mail Canada in Ottawa, {{circa|1890s}}]]
It was in 1867 that the newly formed [[Dominion of Canada]] created the Post Office Department as a federal government department (The ''Act for the Regulation of the Postal Service'') headed by a [[Canadian Cabinet|Cabinet]] minister, the [[Postmaster General of Canada]]. The Act took effect on April 1, 1868, providing a uniform postal service throughout the newly established [[dominion]]. The Canadian post office was designed around the British service as created by [[Rowland Hill (postal reformer)|Sir Rowland Hill]], who introduced the concept of charging mail by weight and not destination along with creating the concept of the [[postage stamp]]. The new service traded under the name The Royal Mail Canada. It joined the [[Universal Postal Union]] in 1878.

Several historical sites related to the history of the Post Office Department of Canada can be visited today. In [[Ontario]], the [[first Toronto Post Office]] is still in operation. The site of [[Scotiabank Arena]] was once the Canada Post Delivery Building. Also notable are the Vancouver Main Post Office<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120306014330/http://www.discovervancouver.com/GVB/vancouver-post-office.asp Vancouver Main Post Office]</ref> and the Dawson, Yukon, Post Office,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070208183933/http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/yt/dawson/natcul/natcul3_e.asp Dawson, Yukon, Post Office]</ref> a [[National Historic Site of Canada]]. In [[Peggys Cove|Peggy's Cove]], Nova Scotia, a nineteenth-century lighthouse acts as a seasonal post office for the tiny coastal community.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071010124112/http://www.peggys-cove.com/photos6.html Peggy's Cove lighthouse]</ref>

=== 20th century ===
[[File:Royal Mail Canada, rural mail delivery cart, Ancaster-Hamilton (I0000746).tif|thumb|A Royal Mail Canada rural mail cart, October 1908]]
Prior to rural mail delivery, many Canadians living outside major cities and towns had little communication with the outside world. On October 10, 1908, the first free rural mail delivery service was instituted in Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/cpm/chrono/ch1908ae.shtml|title=Free Rural Mail Delivery|website=[[Canadian Museum of History]]|access-date=May 10, 2018}}</ref>  The extension of residential mail delivery services to all rural Canadian residents was a major achievement for the Post Office Department.

The Post Office Department was an early pioneer of [[airmail]] delivery, with the first airmail flight taking place on June 24, 1918, carrying mail from Montreal to [[Toronto]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.torontoplaques.com/Pages_ABC/Canadas_First_Air_Mail.html |title=Canada's First Air Mail Historical Plaque |access-date=2012-07-18 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212220/http://www.torontoplaques.com/Pages_ABC/Canadas_First_Air_Mail.html |archive-date=2016-03-03 }}</ref> By 1927, airmail service had expanded to Manitoba, and a regular airmail route between [[Rimouski]], [[Quebec City|Quebec]], [[Montreal]], and [[Ottawa]] had been established. In 1937, the Post Office provided [[Trans-Canada Airlines]] with airmail contract. Daily airmail service between Vancouver and Montreal began in 1939.<ref name="canencyc">{{Cite web |title="The Postal System" article in the Canadian Encyclopedia online |url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/postal-system |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322213205/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/postal-system |archive-date=2012-03-22 |access-date=2013-09-23}}</ref>
{{multiple image|totalwidth=330|align=left|direction=vertical|image1=Royal Mail.jpg|caption1=A functional mailbox from the 1900s, bearing the name Royal Mail Canada|image2=Canadian Post Office Letter Carrier Hat (14579239685).jpg|caption2=A Canada Post Office letter carrier hat, {{circa|1970s}}|footer=The postal service operated under the name Royal Mail Canada until the 1960s, when the brand was phased out.}}
The [[Postal savings system#Canada|Post Office Savings Bank]] system, an agency created by the April 1868 Post Office Act, was phased out in 1968–69.<ref name="Post Office Savings Bank - Canadian Museum of History">{{cite web |title=Civilization.ca – A Chronology of Canadian Postal History |url=https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/cpm/chrono/ch1868be.shtml |website=Canadian Museum of History |access-date=17 June 2018}}</ref>

==== Crisis and reform ====
The 1970s was a difficult decade for the Post Office, with major strikes combined with annual deficits that had hit $600 million by 1981. This state of affairs made politicians want to rethink their strategy for the federal department. It resulted in two years of public debate and input into the future of mail delivery in Canada. The government sought to give the post office more autonomy, in order to make it more commercially viable and to compete against the new threat of private courier services.

On October 16, 1981, the Federal Parliament passed the "Canada Post Corporation Act",<ref name="C-10" /> which transformed Canada Post into a [[Crown corporation]] to create the ''Canada Post Corporation (CPC)''. The legislation also included a measure legally guaranteeing basic postal service to all Canadians. It stipulates that all Canadians have the right to expect mail delivery, regardless of where they live.

In 1985, Canada Post began phasing in community mailboxes instead of door-to-door delivery in new subdivisions. This was met with legal challenges, requiring an Ontario court to rule that the Canada Post Act does not require door-to-door mail delivery.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |year=2013 |title=Canada Post hiking prices, ending door-to-door delivery in cities, urban areas |url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/canada/Canada+Post+phase+home+delivery+urban+centres/9273560/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924003515/http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/canada/Canada+Post+phase+home+delivery+urban+centres/9273560/story.html |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |access-date=July 12, 2015 |work=Calgary Herald}}</ref>

By 1989, Canada Post had resolved much of its financial troubles, reporting its first profit since 1957.<ref name=":1" /> It continued to operate at a consistent profit from 1995 to 2010.<ref name="theglobeandmail.com">{{cite news |author=Barrie McKenna |date=April 17, 2013 |title=Canada Post swings to profit but red ink looms |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/canada-post-swings-to-profit-but-red-ink-looms/article11327974/ |work=[[The Globe and Mail]]}}</ref>

In 1993, Canada Post purchased a majority stake in [[Purolator Courier]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Canadian post office to buy 75-percent stake in Purolator for $24 million – UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/06/04/Canadian-post-office-to-buy-75-percent-stake-in-Purolator-for-24-million/1612739166400/ |access-date=2024-12-18 |website=UPI |language=en}}</ref> In 2000, it launched Epost, which allowed customers to receive bills from participating merchants and institutions online for free. Epost was discountinued at the end of 2022.

===21st century===
2006 and 2007 saw minor disruptions to rural mail service, with 5,000 out of 847,000 mailboxes temporarily cut off due to concerns with postal worker safety.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Canada Post rings twice on rural mail delivery safety |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/canada-post-rings-twice-on-rural-mail-delivery-safety-1.683082 |access-date=December 18, 2024 |work=CBC News}}</ref>

For 2007, 2008{{Citation needed|date=February 2009}}, and 2009 the corporation was named one of [[Canada's Top 100 Employers]], as published in [[Maclean's]] magazine.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 13, 2008 |title=Reasons for Selection, 2007 Canada's Top 100 Employers |url=http://www.eluta.ca/einfo?en=Canada+Post+Corporation&ri=39212ce27c291e29d31a11b23f3549d8&rk=59c32f7316fb9856fa903ef5f5ec55ac |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729034719/http://www.eluta.ca/einfo?en=Canada+Post+Corporation&ri=39212ce27c291e29d31a11b23f3549d8&rk=59c32f7316fb9856fa903ef5f5ec55ac |archive-date=July 29, 2012 |access-date=2009-02-17 |publisher=Eluta.ca}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=January 2, 2009 |title=Employer Review:Canada Post Corporation |url=http://www.eluta.ca/top-employer-canada-post |access-date=2009-02-17 |publisher=Eluta.ca}}</ref>  In 2008, a strike by Canada Post's administrative worker union — the [[Public Service Alliance of Canada]] (PSAC) — caused minor issues in customer service.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 17, 2008 |title=Few mail delays reported in strike by Canada Post support staff |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/few-mail-delays-reported-in-strike-by-canada-post-support-staff-1.696636 |access-date=December 18, 2024 |work=CBC News}}</ref>

==== Attempted restructuring and pushback (2010–2017) ====
In 2010, Canada Post began a seven-year modernization effort called Postal Transformation, investing in greater motorization and automation. As part of this initiative, the duties of letter carriers were combined with those of mail service couriers.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/oeRdjIwCs-M Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20170526072458/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeRdjIwCs-M Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Cite web |title=Transforming our Business | date=May 26, 2011 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeRdjIwCs-M |via=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref> This resulted complaints of undelivered mail, increased overtime, work stress, and injuries from fatigue and working past dark.<ref name="theglobeandmail.com" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 9, 2012 |title=Remember letters? Some aren't getting through |url=https://www.lfpress.com/2012/12/09/remember-letters-some-arent-getting-through/wcm/449b5bd4-3907-e9a1-b2cf-156f79f1b1da |website=The London Free Press}}</ref>
[[File:Chanting up a storm with Halifax Postal Workers locked out by Canada Post.ogv|thumb|Locked out [[Canadian Union of Postal Workers]] picketing outside a Canada Post sorting depot in Halifax, June 2011]]
In response, the [[Canadian Union of Postal Workers]] (CUPW) went on its first strike against Canada Post since 1997.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 2, 2011 |title=FAQs: Handy facts about the postal dispute |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/faqs-handy-facts-about-the-postal-dispute-1.981936 |access-date=December 18, 2024 |work=[[CBC News]]}}</ref> The following week, Canada Post [[lockout (industry)|locked out]] CUPW members and the [[Premiership of Stephen Harper|Harper government]] soon passed a [[Back to work legislation|back-to-work motion]] with [[binding arbitration]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lu |first1=Vanessa |date=8 October 2015 |title=Canadian postal workers challenge 2011 back-to-work order |url=https://www.thestar.com/business/2015/10/08/canadian-postal-workers-challenge-2011-back-to-work-order.html |newspaper=The Toronto Star}}</ref> This resulted in a new agreement in 2012 with major concessions from the union, including a $4 per hour drop in starting wages and the loss of bankable sick days.<ref>{{cite news |title=Postal workers union says sick leave reform didn't work for them |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/postal-workers-union-says-sick-leave-reform-didn-t-work-for-them-1.3053334 |work=CBC News}}</ref> Although CUPW successfully challenged the back-to-work legislation in court, the new agreement remained in force, since it was agreed to by the membership of CUPW.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Big CUPW Win in Court — 2011 Back-to-work Legislation Struck Down |url=https://www.cupw.ca/en/big-cupw-win-court-%E2%80%94-2011-back-work-legislation-struck-down |website=CUPW}}</ref>

Canada Post posted a pretax loss of $253 million in 2011, partly due to the 25-day employee lockout and a $150 million pay equity class action lawsuit.<ref name="theglobeandmail.com" /> The period from 2012 to 2016 saw a return to financial sustainability for Canada Post, with a net profit of $266 million.<ref name="cpar2015" />
[[File:CanadaPostCommunityMailboxes10.jpg|thumb|left|A Canada Post community mailbox in Ontario, 2017]]
In 2014, Canada Post attempted to phase out door-to-door service in urban centres in favour of community mailboxes, affecting an estimated 32% of Canadian addresses and cutting over 8,000 jobs.<ref name="cbc-communityhalt">{{cite news |title=Canada Post to end community mailbox conversions as part of Liberal reforms |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberals-end-community-mailbox-conversions-1.4501291 |access-date=2018-01-24 |work=CBC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=March 2015 |title=Canada Post's Five Point Action Plan: Our Progress to Date |url=https://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/assets/pdf/aboutus/5_en.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150816003346/https://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/assets/pdf/aboutus/5_en.pdf |archive-date=2015-08-16 |access-date=July 12, 2015 |publisher=Canada Post}}</ref> The move was widely unpopular, especially for its impacts on seniors and people with disabilities.<ref name="cbc-communityhalt" /><ref name="ctv-doortodoor">{{cite web |last=Commisso |first=Christina |date=December 11, 2013 |title=Critics blast Canada Post's plan to phase out door-to-door delivery |url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/critics-blast-canada-post-s-plan-to-phase-out-door-to-door-delivery-1.1584625 |access-date=May 1, 2014 |work=CTVNews.ca |publisher=Bell Media}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Majority of Canadians oppose Canada Post service changes: survey {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/1038025/more-than-half-of-canadians-oppose-new-canada-post-service-changes-poll/ |access-date=2024-12-18 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}</ref> President and CEO Deepak Chopra became a target of public criticism.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}} In 2015, CUPW filed a federal lawsuit demanding that the roll-out be suspended.<ref name="cbc-commmailsuspended">{{cite news |title=Canada Post halts controversial community mailbox program |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada-post-community-mailbox-1.3289647 |access-date=27 October 2015 |work=CBC News}}</ref>

[[Liberal Party (Canada)|Liberal]] leader [[Justin Trudeau]] promised to stop the phaseout as part of his [[2015 Canadian federal election]] campaign.<ref name="torstar-liberalplatform">{{cite news |title=Justin Trudeau lays out platform that would revamp electoral system |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/06/16/trudeau-would-end-first-past-the-post-electoral-system.html |access-date=27 October 2015 |work=Toronto Star}}</ref><ref name="ctv-doortodoor" /> Following his victory, Canada Post suspended its phaseout.<ref name="cbc-commmailsuspended" /> Chopra announced his resignation in summer 2017, leaving three years ahead of his term's expiry date.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-08-14 |title=Canada Post head Deepak Chopra stepping down in spring of 2018 |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/canada-post-head-deepak-chopra-stepping-down-in-spring-of-2018/article35986208/ |access-date=2024-12-18 |work=The Globe and Mail |language=en-CA}}</ref> The Liberal government announced an official halt in January 2018. Canada Post did not reintroduce door-to-door delivery to areas affected before April 15, 2016.<ref name="cbc-communityhalt" />

==== Financial and labour crises (2018–present) ====
[[File:CanadaPostTruck4.jpg|thumb|A Canada Post delivery truck and mailbox. The truck features a side panel ad that spotlights the postal service's role in delivering [[e-commerce]] goods.]]
In October 2018, [[2018 Canada Post strikes|CUPW launched rotating strikes]] across Canada to negotiate a new agreement with Canada Post.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Details Of Tentative Agreements |url=https://www.cupw.ca/en/details-tentative-agreements |website=CUPW}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Canada Post offer 'not good enough,' says union as strike continues in five provinces |url=https://www.thestar.com/vancouver/2018/11/16/canada-post-offer-not-good-enough-says-union-as-strike-continues-in-five-provinces.html |access-date=2018-11-16 |newspaper=The Toronto Star |language=en}}</ref> The strikes lasted until late November, when postal workers were ordered back to work by the Trudeau government.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sciarpelleti |first1=Laura |date=December 17, 2019 |title=Canada Post workers still without new contract 1 year after back-to-work bill passed |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/canada-post-workers-still-without-contract-1-year-after-bill-c-89-1.5399085 |work=CBC}}</ref> This created a 30-day backlog, causing Canada Post to temporarily suspend Canada-bound mail<ref>{{cite news |title=Strike prompts Canada Post to ask foreign services to stop sending mail |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-post-strike-1.4909208 |access-date=2018-11-16 |work=CBC News |language=en-US}}</ref> and post $270 million in losses for 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Post |first=Canada |title=Canada Post segment posts $270 million loss for 2018 |url=https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/our-company/news-and-media/corporate-news/news-release/2019-04-18-canada-post-segment-posts-270-million-loss-for-2018 |access-date=2024-12-18 |website=www.canadapost-postescanada.ca |language=en}}</ref>

Canada Post struggled to adapt to the growth of [[e-commerce]] parcel delivery throughout the [[2010s]] and [[2020s]], losing more than $3 billion between 2018 and 2024 and racking up over $1 billion in debts.<ref name=":0" />  Between 2006 and 2023, its letter deliveries declined from 5.5 billion to 2 billion annually, while parcel revenue rose from $1.6 billion in 2015 to $3.4 billion in 2023. Conversely, its market share in parcel delivery dropped sharply, from 62% in 2019 to 23% in 2023.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Subramanian |first=Vanmala |date=2024-11-22 |title=Canada Post strike shines light on service's struggle to survive amid fierce competition and financial losses |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-canada-post-strike-financial-losses/ |access-date=2024-12-18 |work=The Globe and Mail |language=en-CA}}</ref>
[[File:Canada Post strike, November 2024 (II).jpg|thumb|CUPW members picket outside a Canada Post building in Surrey, British Columbia, November 2024]]
Labour relations and costs were persistent challenges throughout this period. In 2023, Canada Post incurred $4.9 billion in labour costs and employee benefits against $6.9 billion in revenue, with parcel delivery costs of $50 to $60 per hour, exceeding industry averages of $40 to $50. In November 2024, a [[2024 Canada Post strike|32-day strike]] halted operations across Canada.<ref name=":0" />

Canada Post's 2023 annual report indicated it may run out of funds by the end of 2025. Unlike many Crown corporations, Canada Post must sustain itself entirely on its own revenues.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=2023 Annual Report |url=https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/our-company/financial-and-sustainability-reports/2023-annual-report/our-financial-picture.page |access-date=2024-12-18 |website=Canada Post |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Major">{{Cite news |last=Major |first=Darren |date=May 29, 2024 |title=Getting rid of daily mail delivery is not on the table, Canada Post CEO says |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-post-daily-mail-delivery-1.7218955 |access-date=December 18, 2024 |work=[[CBC News]]}}</ref>