Dozens more communities across the country will switch to Canada Post’s community mailboxes as part of a broader plan to modernize the postal service.

Canada Post will move about 485,000 additional addresses from door-to-door delivery to centralized mailboxes by next year, including roughly 34,000 in the Maritimes.

This comes weeks after the company’s first announcement, stating it would convert about 136,000 addresses in 13 communities by late 2026 or early 2027.

Canada post says move is being driven in part by ongoing financial losses, as it works to return to self-sustainability without relying on taxpayers. The shift will improve security, with most mail and parcels delivered under lock and key, and help reduce delivery costs, noting that they are responsible for maintaining all community boxes for safety and accessibility.

Ensuring everyone can access their mail

Customers with functional limitations can access their mail through Canada Post’s Delivery Accommodation Program which provides free support for residents.

The program offers accommodations that make mailboxes easier to use, such as sliding trays, Braille features, or a more accessible compartment. In some cases, weekly home delivery may be provided on a seasonal, temporary, or permanent basis.

Residents can request an accommodation after receiving a letter notifying them of the location of their new community mailbox.

Canada Post community mailbox. PHOTO: NATALIE CHIASSON/ACADIA BROADCASTING

Where conversions will take place

The corporation is initiating discussions with local governments in the following communities to begin preparing for conversions in 2027:

* All numbers are approximate

ProvinceCommunityNumber of addresses*
Nova ScotiaHalifax17,000
New BrunswickFredericton, Oromocto17,000
QuébecL’Ancienne-Lorette, Laval, Longueuil, Québec City, Saint-Hubert, Trois-Rivières139,000
OntarioAjax, Brampton, Hawkesbury, Kitchener, London, Mississauga, Ottawa, Pickering158,000
ManitobaPortage la Prairie, Winnipeg17,000
AlbertaCalgary, Edmonton56,000
British ColumbiaBurnaby, Colwood, Coquitlam, Esquimalt, Kelowna, Langford, New Westminster, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Saanich, Songhees Nation (New Songhees 1A), Victoria, View Royal, Westbank First Nation (Tsinstikeptum 10 and Tsinstikeptum 9), West Kelowna81,000

Canada Post says they’re committed to Canadians and that the company aims to move ahead carefully, maintaining service across the country while protecting access in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities, and treating employees fairly.

They add customers and stakeholders will be kept informed, with advance notice of any changes.