Canada Post, known in French as Postes Canada, is the primary postal operator in Canada. Each year it provides mail service to more than 16 million addresses distributed by 6,200 post offices across Canada and delivered by 25,000 letter carriers.
The territory covered by Canada Post is bigger than any other country.
With such a large territory to deliver mail to, it’s important to understand Canada Post work hours, what time does mail get delivered, and Canada Post delivery hours.
Luckily, we have the answers to these and many other Canada Post delivery questions below.
When does Canada Post deliver mail?
Canada Post delivers mail from Monday to Friday from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. Canada Post does not deliver on Saturday, and Canada Post does not deliver on a Sunday. They also do not deliver mail on statutory holidays like Christmas Day or New Year’s Day.
But as we shall see, there are always exceptions to every rule!
How long does Canada Post mail take?
How long does Canada Post mail take within a city?
Regular letters are delivered within two business days within a city.
How long does Canada Post mail take within a province?
Regular letters are delivered within three business days
How long does Canada Post mail take within Canada?
Nationally letters are delivered within four business days. These times exclude the day of mailing.
How long does Canada Post mail take for international delivery?
If you are sending letters internationally, delivery time varies by country, but we expect international letters to be delivered in 4 to 7 business days.
It is important to remember that these time frames are not guaranteed, as weather and the volume of mail volume can affect delivery times.
Has COVID-19 affected delivery?
Like many other services, postal delivery times were affected during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Due to this, Canada Post was forced to adjust its operations, and its On-time Delivery Guarantee was suspended.
In good news, this guarantee resumed in August 2021 for domestic mail.
The On-time Delivery Guarantees will apply only to the delivery of domestic parcel services, including Flat rate boxes, Expedited Parcel, Xpresspost, and Priority.
Unfortunately, the international delivery guarantee remains suspended at this time.
To get the most up to date delivery information contact us
Are any Canada Post offices open on Saturday or Sunday?
There is a recognition that some customers require Canada Post services outside of weekdays. As a result, Canada Post has partnered with private businesses to run outlets for them.
In such cases, they will be open on the weekend- as we said earlier, there are always exceptions to every rule!
An example of a Canada Post office open on weekends is the one located in Shoppers Mart in Edmonton. This was opened in recognition of the need for Canada Post to offer weekends.
“Canada Post’s future success depends upon us meeting and exceeding the ever-growing, changing needs of the Canadian consumers from all walks of life and from across our vast country. Through partnerships with local entrepreneurs, Canada Post is being proactive in responding to our customers’ fluid shopping patterns regarding online purchases and bill payments as well as their greater use of our extensive parcel delivery network,” said Doug Jones, Senior Vice-President, Delivery and Customer Experience at Canada Post.
This Canada Post outlet will offer the standard postal services including parcel pickup, stamps and shipping, post office boxes, money orders, government forms including Revenue Canada and Passport Canada, and debit and credit card payments and is available seven days a week: from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 9 pm, Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm.
Since then, Canada Post offices have been opened in other Shopper Mart locations across Canada and these also have longer operating hours than regular Canada Post outlets.
What are Canada Post holiday delivery times?
Canada Post is not delivering mail on national, provincial, and territorial holidays. Therefore, there is no collection or delivery of mail on those days. Post offices operated by the private sector as mentioned above will be open according to the hours of service of the host business.
Below is the list of national, provincial, and territorial holidays for 2021 and 2022.
| Canada Post Holidays 2021 and 2022 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| New Year’s Day (National) | Jan. 1 | Jan. 2 | |
| Good Friday (National) | April 15 | April 7 | |
| Easter Monday (National) | April 18 | April 10 | |
| Victoria Day (National) | May 23 | May 22 | |
| Patriots’ National Day (Québec only) | May 23 | May 22 | |
| Québec’s National Holiday (Québec only) | June 24 | June 26 | |
| Canada Day (National) | July 1 | July 3 | |
| Civic Holiday (Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Newfoundland & Labrador) | Aug. 1 | Aug. 7 | |
| Natal Day (Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia) | Aug. 1 | Aug. 7 | |
| New Brunswick Day (New Brunswick) | Aug. 1 | Aug. 7 | |
| British Columbia Day (British Columbia) | Aug. 1 | Aug. 7 | |
| Heritage Day (Alberta) | Aug. 1 | Aug. 7 | |
| Discovery Day (Yukon) | Aug. 15 | Aug. 21 | |
| Labour Day (National) | Sept. 5 | Sept. 4 | |
| National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (National) | Sept. 30 | Oct. 2 | |
| Thanksgiving Day (National) | Oct. 10 | Oct. 9 | |
| Remembrance Day (National) | Nov. 11 | Nov. 13 | |
| Christmas Day (National) | Dec. 25 | Dec. 25 | |
| Boxing Day (National) | Dec. 26 | Dec. 26 |
Regular mail collection and delivery occurs on provincial Family Day holidays, Louis Riel Day (Man.), and Islander Day (P.E.I.).
It is important to note that a non-delivery day may be applied to the next business day when a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday. As such, post offices will be closed, and there will be no collection or delivery of mail. Thus, if Canada Day falls on a Sunday, then the post office may be closed the following Monday.
What are Canada Post Christmas delivery hours?
Customers often ask if Canada Post delivers on Christmas Eve. The answer is yes, they do—if Christmas Eve doesn’t fall on a weekend.
Planning your direct marketing campaigns
With deliveries limited on weekends and major holidays, it is essential to plan any mailings well in advance. You don’t want any critical advertising campaigns delayed over these periods.
In particular, Christmas postcards, holiday postcards, and bulk mail services should be planned to be distributed in a timely manner before the holidays. We recommend building a few more days into your planning to ensure your mailers are delivered on time.
Quick delivery guide:
Canada Post Saturday hours: Closed (certain private outlets may be open)
Canada Post Sunday hours: Closed (certain private outlets may be open)
Canada Post Saturday delivery: No
Canada Post Sunday delivery: No
Canada Post delivery hours: Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm
Canada Post work hours: Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm (certain private outlets may be open longer)
Questions?
If you’d like to speak with one of our experts about your direct mail delivery strategy over holidays or indeed at any other time, we’d love to hear from you!