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By Victor Kaisar

Canada Post Update

Weekend deliveries in select cities as Canada Post works to clear backlog before Christmas

Dec 22, 2024 | 9:35 AM

OTTAWA — Canada Post is making deliveries this weekend in select cities as it anticipates that a “significant portion” of items held up by the month-long strike will be delivered before Christmas.

“Canada Post has processed the parcels held in the postal system during the strike, with all these items now flowing through our network or delivered,” a statement from Canada Post said.

Canada Post says its post offices are open for business and new commercial mail can be dropped off for processing, while scheduled parcel pickup services are also back.

The Crown Corporation also says it’s still working through a backlog of international mail and parcels after workers returned to the job on Tuesday. It will also start accepting new international mail on Monday, Dec. 23.

It also says Canadians should still expect domestic package delays into the new year. Delivery delays of two to three days are expected between urban centres, while delays of up to 10 days are expected for packages travelling longer distances.

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“On-time service guarantees continue to be suspended as we work our way back to full service levels,” the statement added.

“With a large, integrated network of processing plants, depots and post offices across the country, we expect to return to full service levels and normal delivery standards in early January.”

Delivery operations in rural and remote areas of Canada will also see delays “into early 2025,” the national mail carrier said.

More than 55,000 employees were ordered back to work by the Canada Industrial Relations Board after it determined a deal could not be reached before the end of the year.

The Crown corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers had been deadlocked in negotiations, with federal mediation on pause as key issues like wages and weekend expansion seemed to see no movement.

Now, the government has appointed an industrial inquiry commission to come up with recommendations by May 15 on how a new agreement can be reached, while the existing contracts have been extended to May 22.

– With files from The Canadian Press