OTTAWA, Canada: The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) launched a nationwide strike late last week after the federal government announced that door-to-door mail delivery would be phased out for nearly all households within the next decade.

Canada Post confirmed that mail and parcels will not be processed, delivered, or accepted during the strike. "Canada Post's operations will shut down during a national strike, affecting millions of Canadians and businesses across the country," the corporation said in a statement.

The walkout followed sweeping reforms unveiled by Procurement Minister Joël Lightbound aimed at stabilizing Canada Post's finances. With letter mail volumes in steep decline and the postal service holding only a modest share of the parcel market, the government plans to expand community mailboxes, reduce delivery speed, and close some post offices.

CUPW said it was blindsided by the changes and accused Canada Post and the government of deliberately undermining demand for its services. The union announced that all 55,000 members were on strike immediately, charging that management has failed to engage in "real bargaining."

Canada Post warned that the strike would further weaken its already precarious financial position. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu urged both sides to keep negotiating, saying federal mediators remain available. "It's up to the union and the corporation to find the balance between the future of the postal service and respect for employees," she wrote.

Lightbound defended the reforms, saying they follow the recommendations of a commission of inquiry. He noted that Canada Post, which has been serving Canadians for over 150 years, now faces "an existential crisis," and repeated federal bailouts are not sustainable.

The reforms will significantly alter how Canadians receive mail. Letter delivery times are expected to stretch from three to four days currently to three to seven days. Roughly four million people will see their door-to-door delivery replaced by community mailboxes, and some post offices will be permanently closed. Lightbound said the switch could generate C$400 million (US$287 million) in annual savings.

He also pointed out that more than three-quarters of households already lack door-to-door delivery. However, a moratorium had been in place, preventing further expansion of the community mailbox system. That moratorium has now been lifted.

"Canada Post is a national institution, older than the country itself, connecting communities in every corner of Canada, including northern, Indigenous, and rural regions," Lightbound said. "But the system must adapt. Repeated bailouts from taxpayers are not the solution."

The strike marks one of the most significant labor disputes for Canada Post in recent years, throwing services for households and businesses into uncertainty at a time of sweeping structural change for the national mail carrier.