Postal services in Manitoba

Canada Post mailbox  by Raysonho.  CC0

Canada Post is the country’s main postal service. You can send or receive mail and parcels at many Canada Post Office branches as well as outlets located at convenience stores and pharmacies like Sobeys, 7-Eleven, Pharma Plus Drugmart, and Shoppers Drug Mart.

To find out the post office nearest you, use Canada Post’s post office locator. To use this tool, enter your postal code, address or, intersection. The map will show you the post offices and outlets in your area. If you click on the red post office symbol, it will show you the address, days and hours of operation, as well as services they offer. Standard services include:

• Stamps and shipping services
• Post office boxes
• Money orders
• Revenue Canada forms and guides
• Passport application forms
• Debit and credit card payments

Smaller offices, particularly in rural locations, may not offer all of these services.

Sending mail

You can send letters, cards, invoices, billing statements, and the like through Canada Post. Mail must meet size and weight requirements. If they are too big or too heavy, they will be considered as parcels and will cost more to send. Things like jewellery, liquids, powders, or anything fragile or perishable cannot be mailed as standard letter mail. It is also not safe to send money through standard mail. For safe and convenient remittance from Canada to any part of the world, use MoneyGram and Postal Money Orders. Go to this link to know what other items cannot be sent through the mail.

Remember to label your mail or parcels correctly. Write the name and complete address of the recipient clearly to ensure that it will reach them. Don’t forget to include the postal code. Place your name and return address on the upper left-hand corner of the envelope (or box) so that in case there are problems with mailing, they can return the mail or parcel to you. Postage stamps are usually affixed on the upper right-hand corner of the envelope or box.

Know how to address mail accurately to avoid delays and extra charges. You can see a sample from the link.

Receiving mail

Canada Post delivers mail to your address Monday to Friday. They do not deliver (or accept mail) on weekends and statutory holidays. However, outlets in stores may have different operating policies, so check their schedules using the post office locator.

If you don’t have a permanent address yet, you can have your mail sent “care of” a relative, friend, or to a Postal box. If you like shopping online and you don’t want parcels delivered to your doorstep (for instances when you’re not home and you don’t want your packages stolen) you can avail of FlexDelivery. This is a free Canada Post service that delivers packages to the post office of your choice.

Rush letters, documents and parcels

If you want to send a letter or parcel faster, use Canada Post’s special services. You can also go to other courier services such as FedEx Canada, Purolator, or UPS. These services usually cost more than regular mail.

Other services

Canada Post has other services to make it easier for you to manage your mail. Among them are:

• Mail forwarding – If you are moving or temporarily locating to a new address, Canada Post can forward your mail from your Canadian address to a new address within Canada or abroad. This is a paid service that you have to sign up for ahead of time (recommended 30 days before the start of service, a minimum of three days before).
• Hold mail – Canada Post can hold your mails to keep them secure if you will be away on a trip or vacation. The cost of this service varies depending on the duration you wish to have your mails on hold. Subscribe to Hold Mail at least three days before the start of the service.

 
Article updated September 17, 2021.