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       Could daily mail delivery be coming to an end in Canada?
        
 (HTM) Source
        
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       Daily mail delivery may be a thing of the past as Canada Post explores
       its options amid financial pressure.
        
       In its annual report, Canada Post says it needs to adapt to handle
       more competition for parcel delivery, higher operating costs, and the
       erosion of the need for physical mail.
        
       "In many ways, the Canada we serve today is not the one we're built
       for," Canada Post President and CEO Doug Ettinger said in a release
       Tuesday.
        
       Jon Hamilton, a spokesperson for the Crown corporation, tells CityNews
       one of many options on the table is switching mail delivery from every
       weekday to every two or three days.
        
       "Flexibility is a big factor. How we deliver the mail and parcels
       hasn't changed in a long time," said Hamilton.
        
       * * *
        
       A Canada Post mailbox. (Hugh Perkic, CityNews Image)
        
       * * *
        
       Whereas Canada Post delivered 5.5 billion letters in 2006, last year
       its carriers delivered only 2.2 billion letters.
        
       In 2023, Canada Post reported a pre-tax operating loss of $750
       million, making it the sixth straight year of losses for the national
       postal service.
        
       "These are all important changes we can build on," said Ettinger. "But
       it is clear there is much more we need to do to secure the future of
       Canada's postal service."
        
       An increase in the cost to send a letter in Canada took effect Monday.
       The price of a single domestic stamp is now $1.15, up from $1.07.
       Canada Post says price increases are required to keep up with the rate
       of inflation.
        
       Any changes around mail delivery frequency, Hamilton says, will have
       to be negotiated with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, which is
       currently engaged in collective bargaining talks.
        
       The federal government says it's willing to make legislative changes
       if necessary to ensure the stability of Canada's postal system.
        
       _— With files from The Canadian Press_
        
        
        
        
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