Canada Post is the primary postal operator in Canada and a Crown corporation responsible for mail and parcel delivery across the country. It operates under a set of corporate values and signature behaviors and follows regulations as part of its role in serving Canadians. Regarding weekend operations, Canada Post does not work on weekends, but there are some other aspects of this topic that we will clarify in this guide.
Weekend Availability
Canada Post does not operate on weekends (Saturdays and Sundays). All their post offices work only five days a week. No mail is accepted or delivered on weekends. You can’t drop off your mail at the post office on these days or inquire about an upcoming delivery.
Role of Private Outlets
However, Canada Post also has some authorized private post offices across the country. These post offices have their own timings, and some of them might even work on weekends. It is the only way people can receive mail on weekends.
Average Delivery Timeframes
A local delivery within a city takes 2 days. Provincial and national deliveries could take up to 3 and 4 business days. In contrast, international deliveries are completed within 4 to 7 days. These timeframes could give you a fair idea about when you will receive your mail.
Standard Working Hours
Canada Post follows an 8-hour working day for five days a week. They handle commercial deliveries from morning 9:00 am to evening 5:00 pm. For residential deliveries, the timings are from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm. Some authorized private post offices have the authority to complete your deliveries on weekends or public holidays, for example, the Canada Post office in Edmonton Calgary.
Office Hours & Schedules
- Canada Post offices work 8 hours a day for five days a week.
- The postal services deliver mail and packages from morning 9:00 am to evening 5:00 pm to commercial addresses.
- For residential deliveries, the timings are from 9:00 am up to 8:00 pm.
- All business deliveries are completed by 5:00 pm in order to not miss deliveries due to late timings as a lot of people tend to wrap up at 5:00 pm.
Residential Delivery Timing
On the other hand, mail delivery to residential places is completed late because a lot of people are available at their homes to receive the mail only during late evenings. Canada Post has fixed these timings to reduce parcel delivery failures and to speed up the process.
Holiday Restrictions
They do not deliver on any statutory holidays like New Year’s Day and Christmas. There are a lot of other days when Canada Post does not operate, which we will discuss below.
Public Misconceptions
There might still be some queries: Does Canada Post deliver on Sundays? Many people believe that Canada Post operates for the entire year without any holiday breaks and weekend offs. This belief is because there are numerous subsidiary post offices owned by the private sector that have the authority to process and complete your deliveries on weekends and even during holidays—for example, the Canada Post office in Edmonton Calgary.
Shoppers Drug Mart Example
Canada Post has one of its private sector franchises in Edmonton city, in the name of Shoppers Drug Mart. Their in-store services are very convenient to avail of and have the same working standards as that of the official post offices.
Services Provided at Private Franchises
Moreover, they provide all the post office services like post office boxes, stamps, pickup, shipping, money orders, credit and debit card payments, and government forms like Passport Canada and Revenue Canada. It operates on all 7 days of the week with some changes in the service timings. From Monday to Friday, their office is open from 7:30 am to 8:00 pm. On Saturdays, they provide postal services between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm. It works effectively even on Sundays from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Hence, if you have some urgent work or need to ship your mail fast, you can visit one of these offices and get it done.
Other Private Outlets
But, it should be noted that not all private post offices operate on all days. There are some of these franchises that also operate only from Monday to Friday. In Calgary, there is one such postal outlet named “Exchange Gift and Convenience” that works only five days a week from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. However, it does offer all postal products.
Using Private Locations for Urgent Mail
Hence, if you think the official post office is far from your area, you can always locate and visit these private sector offices in your area at your convenience. With the help of these outlets, Canada Post can sometimes deliver on weekends. Please note that the deliveries can be delayed due to poor weather conditions, lack of manpower, and holidays.
Misunderstandings Explained
It Delivers Regular Mail on Sundays
Since it is the national postal service provider, people think Canada Post will deliver regular mail or parcels even on weekends. However, this is not the case. It only offers weekend deliveries during the holiday season.
Express Delivery Service Works on Weekends
While Canada Post offers express services like Xpresspost or Priority, they are only operational on regular business days. They do not guarantee weekend deliveries.
A Missed Friday Delivery Can Be Rescheduled for Weekends
Canada Post does not deliver mail and parcels on weekends. If you are unable to accept the mail on Friday, the next delivery attempt will be made on the next business day, which means Monday.
List of Non-Operational Holidays
We have already found out the answer to questions like: Does Canada Post deliver on Saturdays? How does Canada Post deliver on weekends? There are a couple of more things you should be aware of about Canada Post deliveries. Every year, there are certain holidays when the post offices, and probably the private outlets as well, do not operate. It is recommended that you know about these holidays well in advance to avoid any surprises or inconveniences.
Below is a list of holidays in 2025 when Canada Post will be non-operational. Some of these holidays are national, while others are either provincial or territorial.
- 1st January – New Year’s Day (National)
- 18th April – Good Friday (National)
- 21st April – Easter Monday (National)
- 19th May – Victoria Day (National)
- 19th May – Patriots’ National Day (Québec’s provincial holiday)
- 24th June – Québec’s National Holiday (Québec’s provincial holiday)
- 1st July – Canada Day (National)
- 4th August – Civic Holiday (Ontario,Nunavut, Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Labrador, and some Northwest Territories)
- 4th August – Natal Day (Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island)
- 4th August – New Brunswick Day (New Brunswick)
- 4th August – British Columbia Day (British Columbia)
- 4th August – Heritage Day (Alberta)
- 18th August – Discovery Day (Yukon)
- 1st September – Labour Day (National)
- 30th September – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Federal)
- 13th October – Thanksgiving Day (National)
- 11th November – Remembrance Day (National)
- 25th December – Christmas (National)
- 26th December – Boxing Day (National)
Notes & Additional Observations
- These are the officially recognized holidays when Canada Post suspends operations.
- Some provinces or territories observe additional holidays (or variations) not in the federal list — those can also affect local post offices.
- If a holiday falls on a weekend, the “observed” closure may shift to a nearby weekday.
- On these days, post offices are closed, and there is no mail collection or delivery.
Regional Holiday Exceptions
On national holidays, Canada Post and most of its private sector outlets are closed. Hence, if you are wondering: Does Canada Post deliver on Sundays through its private post offices? The answer is yes, but is subjective to the timings of these offices. Though Canada Post does not operate on territorial and provincial holidays, the post offices in other territories and provinces do operate on those days. For example, on Québec’s National Holiday, Canada Post will remain non-operational only in Québec. The post offices in all the other places work as usual.
Planning for On-Time Delivery
- Ship it in the early days of the week.
- Choose faster delivery options like Priority, XpressPost, or Expedited Parcel.
- Every post office has a cut-off time. To ensure same-day processing, try to send the mail before that.
- If you’re using a street mailbox, drop off the mail early in the day for quicker pickup and processing.
- Avoid sending packages near public holidays, as they may get delayed due to closures.
Comparison with Other Couriers
Canada Post
- Does not offer delivery services on weekends, except during holiday peak periods.
- Authorized outlets such as Shoppers Drug Mart may open on weekends with limited services.
FedEx Canada
In major cities across Canada, FedEx offers Saturday deliveries through the following services. You must pay an additional fee and indicate this option on your bill.
• FedEx 2 Day
• FedEx Standard Overnight
• FedEx Priority Overnight
• FedEx International Priority
• FedEx International Economy
UPS Canada
Offers Saturday delivery for major Canadian cities, such as Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, at no additional cost.
Final Thoughts
Does Canada Post deliver on Saturdays? How are some people receiving mail during weekends? How long does it take for Canada Post to deliver? These are some of the questions addressed in this blog. In conclusion, Canada Post does not deliver on weekends as it works only five days a week. You need to complete all your work before the weekend or wait till Monday.
However, for urgent mailing, you can always locate the postal outlets that are nearby and use their services. These private-sector post offices also provide all the same services and use the same postal standards.
