If you’re one of the Montrealers who still gets the mail slipped through a slot in your front door, you should enjoy it while it lasts.
Canada Post is moving ahead with its plan to end door-to-door delivery across the country, and it’s now made it easier to find out exactly when the change is coming to your neighbourhood.
On October 22, Canada Post launched an online tool that lets you enter the first three characters of your postal code to see when door-to-door delivery in your area is scheduled to switch to community mailboxes.
According to Canada Post, the timelines are subject to change, and the tool will be updated with more precise dates as schedules are finalized. The Crown corporation also says customers will receive advance notice by mail before any changes are made to their delivery.
When Montreal could be affected
So when will Montrealers have to start walking to a community mailbox?
According to the tool, the east end of the city is up first. Neighbourhoods like Anjou and Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles could see community mailboxes as early as 2028.
Other neighbourhoods, including LaSalle, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, the Plateau, Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension and Ahuntsic-Cartierville, are expected to follow around 2030 and 2031.
You can check your own postal code on Canada Post’s website.
Nearly 4 million addresses will make the switch
You won’t be the only one making the switch. According to Canada Post, nearly four million addresses across the country that still get door-to-door delivery will move to community mailboxes over the coming years.
The first of those addresses, in Sept-Îles and Winnipeg, started getting their mail at community mailboxes earlier this week.
Other parts of Quebec were already on the list too. Earlier this year, Canada Post announced that about 139,000 addresses in Laval, Longueuil, Saint-Hubert, Quebec City, Trois-Rivières and L’Ancienne-Lorette would make the switch in 2027.
Canada Post says the move will make mail and parcels more secure, while also cutting delivery costs.
What changes with a community mailbox
If you’ve never used one before, a community mailbox is a shared, locked unit in your neighbourhood where everyone on your street picks up their mail. Each household gets its own compartment and key, allowing residents to access it 24/7.
Parcels that fit will be left in a separate locked compartment, with a key placed in your mailbox. Larger parcels, or anything that needs a signature, will still be delivered to your door. If nobody’s home, they’ll be brought to a nearby post office.
For people who might struggle to get to a community mailbox because of a disability or mobility issue, Canada Post offers a free Delivery Accommodation Program.
Why this is happening
The move is part of Canada Post’s push to cut costs and modernize its operations. The Crown corporation recorded a loss before tax of $482 million in the first half of 2026.
Canada Post is also reviewing its post office network, starting with largely urban areas, and is asking customers in some locations to fill out a short survey about the services they use.
And there’s at least one bit of good news for online shoppers. Canada Post has introduced weekend parcel delivery, which is expected to start in major urban markets, including Montreal, in November.
AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog’s Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards page.