改革加拿大邮政，迈向低流量时代

LAWRENCE ZHANG |APRIL 2026 Canada Post’s cost structure no longer scales in a low-volume world. Labour flexibility,automation, work sharing, retail consolidation, and parcel growth are necessary to reduce thecost of reaching every address while preserving universal service. KEY TAKEAWAYS Canada Post recorded losses of C$748 million in 2023 and C$841 million in 2024,bringing cumulative losses from 2018 to 2024 to nearly C$5 billion. The problem is structural: mail volumes have permanently declined, while deliveryobligations and labour costs have risen. Higher stamp prices and modest service cuts will not close the gap. Restoring sustainability requires a focused reform agenda: align labour with flexibleworkloads, expand work sharing upstream, use more automation, reduce retail acceptancecosts, and grow parcel services. These changes will not be politically easy, but without reform, Canada Post will requirepermanent subsidy or face forced contraction. CONTENTS Key Takeaways ................................................................................................................. 1Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 2Structural Problems .......................................................................................................... 3The False Choices............................................................................................................. 5Privatization.................................................................................................................. 5Subsidy ........................................................................................................................ 5Service Cuts.................................................................................................................. 6A Cost-Cutting Agenda....................................................................................................... 6Align Labour Deployment with Address-Based Demand ...................................................... 6Use Work Sharing to Reduce Costs .................................................................................. 7More Automation ........................................................................................................... 9Rationalize the Retail and Real Estate Footprint.............................................................. 10Grow Parcel Revenue ................................................................................................... 10Maintain Focus on Core Postal and Logistics Functions.................................................... 11Conclusion..................................................................................................................... 12Endnotes ....................................................................................................................... 13 INTRODUCTION Canada Post is Canada’s only universal physical mail delivery network. It reaches everyhousehold and business, regardless of location or profitability. That reach continues to supportcore economic and civic functions, from business billing and payments to legal notice andgovernment correspondence. It remains the only delivery system that is both comprehensive andpredictable. But Canada Post is in a downward spiral. Letter volumes have collapsed and delivery density isfalling, while the organization is operating with a cost structure designed for a high-volume erathat will not return. Increasing mail prices will only lead to even more diversion away fromphysical mail. This is not a cyclical downturn, but rather reflects a permanent shift in theeconomics of mail delivery colliding with an operating model that has not adjusted at thesame pace. Declining mail volume is the core cause. The shift to digital communication is permanent, andletter mail volumes will not recover. But Canada Post’s response has not been enough, as recentannual losses show. Higher mail prices will not solve the problem. Federal subsidies might, but that means either ahigher federal deficit or cuts to other areas across government. Before either of these choices,policymakers should first insist on significant cost-cutting reforms to restore Canada Post tooperational breakeven within 10 years, while sustaining universal daily delivery. Canada Post’s cumulative losses since 2018 approach C$5 billion, equal to over 80 percent ofannual revenue.1The window for deliberate reform is narrowing, increasing the likelihood thatfuture decisions will be made under fiscal or service crises rather than strategic choice. Recent federal actions should be understood in the context of that narrowing window. 2025Federal Budget expanded rate-setting flexibility, implicitly accepting higher prices as a fix.2Thegovernment has also directed Canada Post to implement long-deferred changes—adjustingstandards so that non-urgent mail