A national postal strike has been announced by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). Canada Post’s operations are now shut down, affecting millions of Canadians and businesses across the country.
This is the second postal strike in less than a year. The previous strike ended after a little over one month, with a Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ruling.
According to Canada Post, mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered and some post offices will be closed for the duration of the national strike, which began on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025.
“Service guarantees are suspended for items already in the postal network. We have notified customers that their scheduled pickups have been cancelled. No new items will be accepted until the national disruption is over,” the national postal service detailed.
The current strike is in response to a federal government announcement that service changes are coming, as a result of what the government called an “existential crisis.”
In a statement, Public Services and Procurement Canada said that, since 2018, the corporation has accumulated more than $5 billion in losses.
“In 2024 alone, [Canada Post] lost over $1 billion, and in 2025, it is already on track to lose close to $1.5 billion. Earlier this year, the federal government provided a $1-billion injection to keep the corporation operational. In the second quarter of 2025, Canada Post posted its worst quarterly results ever, losing $407 million. Today, the corporation is losing approximately $10 million every day,” the statement reads.
“Twenty years ago, Canada Post delivered 5.5 billion letters annually. Today, it delivers only 2 billion, even as the number of households has grown. That means fewer letters are being delivered to more addresses, while fixed costs remain high. At the same time, parcels volumes — which should have been Canada Post’s growth opportunity — have declined. In 2019, Canada Post delivered 62% of parcels in Canada; today, its market share has dropped below 24%, with private competitors taking the lead. Structural challenges, combined with outdated restrictions and stalled negotiations between labour and management, have further limited the corporation’s ability to adapt.”
In the statement, the Honourable Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, announced a series of measures to stabilize the corporation’s finances and enable its modernization, as follows:
Letter Mail Delivery Standards: Canada Post will introduce flexibilities to reflect today’s lower volumes. The average household receives just two letters per week, yet operations remain designed for far higher volumes. By adjusting standards so that non-urgent mail can move by ground instead of air, the corporation will save more than $20 million per year.
Community Mailbox Conversions: The government is lifting the moratorium on community mailbox conversions. Currently, three-quarters of Canadians already receive mail through community, apartment, or rural mailboxes, while one-quarter still receive door-to-door delivery. Canada Post will be authorized to convert the remaining 4 million addresses to community mailboxes, generating close to $400 million in annual savings.
Postal Network Modernization: The moratorium on rural post offices, in place since 1994, will also be lifted. The rural moratorium was imposed in 1994 and covers close to 4000 locations. It has not evolved in 30 years, but Canada has changed. This means that areas that used to be rural may now be suburban or even urban, but are still required to operate as rural post offices. Canada Post must return to the government with a plan to modernize and right-size its network.
The government is reportedly also reviewing the process for increases to the stamp rate to modernize and shorten it, in line with Industrial Inquiry Commissioner William Kaplan’s recommendations, outlined in a May 15, 2025, report.
The CUPW responded to this announcement, noting that no details on exactly how the government will impose these sweeping changes were provided.
“Converting more addresses to CMBs (community mailboxes) makes little sense when customers want their parcels to the door. The Government has completely failed to consider the problems it faced a decade ago when CPC last tried to convert door-to-door to CMB delivery,” the union stated in its own release.
“The announcement also ignores how changes to delivery standards could impact mail volumes and confidence in service. And it fails to consider the importance of the moratorium on post office closures to help ensure universal service. These recommendations could result in major job losses. On this, the Minister simply dodged questions from reporters.”
Locally, MP Mark Gerretsen took to social media to speak about the government’s position.
“It’s been a busy week in Canadian politics with major moves that could shape how we live, how we’re protected, and how we trade,” he expressed.
“From a bold plan to modernize Canada Post, to new legislation tackling hate, and an historic agreement with Indonesia, these developments are worth your attention.”
With regard to Canada Post specifically, Gerretsen was brief.
“Canada Post is getting a major overhaul,” he said.
“The minister of Public Services has directed changes to make it more efficient and sustainable. Think: flexible delivery schedules, expanded community mailboxes, and a modernized network, especially in rural areas.
“It’s about cutting costs while keeping services strong to ensure sustainability long term.”
In response to the strike announcement, the City of Kingston provided the following details on how best to provide necessary documents and pay bills, fines, parking tickets etc. while the strike is ongoing:
Pay bills, fines, and parking tickets and more
You are still responsible for paying bills, fines, and parking tickets on time, and you can pay online or in person at select locations, the City stated.
Pay online
Residents can visit CityofKingston.ca/Pay for online payment options for parking tickets and permits, provincial offences fines, recreation programs, transit passes, and pet licenses.
Pay in person
The payment centre cannot process payments for Recreation & Leisure Services, Planning, Building & Licensing Services, and Housing and Social Services. The payment centre in City Hall, 216 Ontario St., is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Pay provincial offences fines at Provincial Offences Court at 362 Montreal St. from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Pay recreational program fees at City recreation facilities during regular business hours.
Pay planning, building, and licensing fees at 1211 John Counter Blvd. from 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Make Housing & Social Services payments at 362 Montreal St. from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Pay after hours or drop-off
Drop-off and after-hours payments can only be made by cheque – please do not use cash. You can drop off at:
City Hall, 216 Ontario St., through the mail slot in the door at the Market Street entrance
1211 John Counter Blvd. in the 24-hour drop box
Utilities Kingston payments
Pay by cash, cheque, or debit at City Hall Payment Centre (216 Ontario St.)
Drop off cheques to Utilities Kingston at 1211 John Counter Blvd. or 85 Lappan’s Ln.
Register for the MyUtilities Customer Portal to access your bills online. The City advises to have your Utilities Kingston account and postal code handy.
For other options to pay your Utilities Kingston bill, see UtilitiesKingston.com/Accounts/PaymentOptions.
Housing and Social Services correspondence
You can bring all correspondence to Housing and Social Services, including documents for Ontario Works, to 362 Montreal St. during regular business hours or by using the 24-hour drop box.
Residents of Kingston, South Frontenac, and the Frontenac Islands may pick up social assistance cheques in person at 362 Montreal St., with identification.
Residents of North and Central Frontenac Townships may pick up cheques in person at 362 Montreal St. with identification, or contact their Ontario Works Case Manager to make arrangements for cheque pick-up.
Property tax bills
Residents are invited to sign up for MyTax, the City’s online portal, to access tax information and bills by visiting MyKingston.ca. You will need an access code from a recent tax bill.
Visit this page for more tax payment options.
Planning, building and licensing documents
The City of Kingston asks that residents not mail applications, requests, time-sensitive material, or Notices of Appeal for Official Plan Amendments, zone changes, Draft Plans of Subdivision, or Committee of Adjustment applications.
Items can be dropped off at the Planning, Building & Licensing counter at 1211 John Counter Blvd. between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, or use the 24-hour drop box at the same location – do not place cash in this box.
DASH (Development and Services Hub) Development Planning, Heritage Planning or Building Permit record payments can be processed online through DASH with credit or debit card transactions for Development/Heritage Planning, and with debit card transactions for Building Permit records.
Other correspondence
If you need to give a letter or other non-bill correspondence to the City, drop it off between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the appropriate municipal customer counter.
Garbage bag tags will not be available via mail, but can be purchased at many other locations.
For those who still have questions, the City asks you to contact them by phone at 613-546-0000 for time-sensitive inquiries.