Community mailboxes a short-sighted fix to Canada Posts financial woes says postal worker

The continued cuts to door-to-door delivery are a part of Canada Post’s larger plan to recoup lost finances. Adrian Ghobrial reports.

AJAX, ON - The convenience of door-to-door Canada Post mail delivery is set to come to an abrupt end for millions of Canadians.

This week Canada Post revealed its plans to build neighbourhood mailboxes in 37 Canadian communities, affecting more than 485,000 homes in 2027.

In a statement released on Thursday, the postal service said the additional locations are “on top of the 136,000 addresses in 13 communities already identified for conversion in late 2026 or early 2027.”

“These changes are very important to secure the future of the post office,” says Ariane Sauvé, Canada Post public relations director.

The Crown corporation told CTV News that approximately 75 per cent of Canadians already receive their mail at a community mailbox or centralized location.

Though in the first quarter of 2026, the service recorded a pre-tax loss of $205 million, due to revenue and volume declining across all lines of business.

The move to bring an end to door-to-door mail across Canada is being called a short-sighted fix by postal worker Waseem Khan.

“There is a solution to the fiscal problem of Canada Post (but) it’s not the shortest answer, the lowest hanging fruit which is cutting services to Canadians,” says Khan, who shared his frustrations with CTV News.

The longtime postal worker says he and many of his colleagues believe the crown corporation should be looking at more forward-thinking growth initiatives to drive revenue and cut debt.

“I think postal banking is a solution, I think being able to provide same day delivery is a solution. These are things that can be done. We used to have projects with Best Buy, with Walmart where we offered same day delivery. We need to support good jobs here in Canada,” says Khan.

Community mailbox accessibility

Canada Post says they are currently doing the “groundwork” with municipalities to find the best site locations for the community boxes.

They’re beginning by targeting neighbourhoods where the centralized delivery mailboxes already exist nearby. They’re starting in smaller urban centres and rural areas, before they turn their attention to Canada’s biggest cities.

Accessibility for Canadians of all ages, especially during the winter months, are just some of the priorities Canada Post needs to consider, according to one Urban Planner who spoke to CTV News.

“There isn’t a set of standards around how far is reasonable, in terms of what is the distance these mailboxes should be placed from homes,” says University of Toronto Professor, Shauna Brail.

For single-family dwellings in big cities, Brail believes building the mailboxes near public transit could be an option.

“Bus stops already have to be cleared of snow, cleared of ice made and made accessible. It’s worth identifying what are some ideal locations, what is aesthetically pleasing, interesting, and a place where some people might come together and meet their neighbour that they’ve never met before,” adds Brail.

Canada post has said for those with disabilities who’re unable to get to a centralized mailbox in their neighbourhood, they can apply to have mail delivered to their homes once a week.

Though for Khan, it’s still a nonstarter. He says that Canada Post as a Crown corporation, has a duty to offer a service to Canadians, it’s not meant to be a money-making operation. He’s also concerned that the community mailboxes will eventually lead to layoffs.

“I have enough seniority at Canada Post that I will be fine, but I do worry right across Canada about the potential loss of good jobs,” says Khan who also questions if millions of Canadians understand what they’re giving up.

“Canada Post is owned by Canadians, are we willing to allow the government to cut us out from having a say over the future of a service that is so important to residents and small businesses?” he asks.

In total, four million addresses nation wide will have their door-to-door delivery come to an end, the cross-country conversion is expected to take five years to complete.

With files from CTV News, Multi-Platform writer, Kayla Thompson