Canada Post clarifies the significance of mailbox flags
Canada Post, a Crown corporation, has issued a clarification regarding the use of mailbox flags. The corporation has directed its carriers to stop using the flag on mailboxes to indicate delivered mail [1]. This change, while not a new policy, is a clarification of the existing one, according to Canada Post.
The red flags on mailboxes are officially intended to signal outgoing mail from customers to carriers, not to indicate incoming mail delivery. This clarification was issued after customer complaints that carriers were not consistently using the flag to signal delivered mail, causing confusion [2]. As a result, Canada Post has directed carriers to stop raising the mailbox flag to indicate mail has been delivered [4].
This change may impact rural residents who have traditionally used the raised flag as a visual cue to know when mail has arrived. With the flag no longer intended to be used by carriers to signal delivered mail, these residents will need to check their mailboxes directly rather than depending on the flag's position as a sign of received mail [3].
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) is investigating the instruction from Canada Post that they were not informed about [1]. The CUPW, a party involved in the current situation, has expressed some dissatisfaction with the directive [2]. The change could potentially impact the working practices of the CUPW.
The inconsistent use of the flag by Canada Post carriers prompted the corporation to issue a clarification. The directive to stop using mailbox flags has been met with some dissatisfaction in rural communities [1].
This report, authored by Nicole Thompson of The Canadian Press, was first published on August 8, 2025 [5].
References:
- The Canadian Press
- CBC News
- Global News
- CTV News
- The Globe and Mail
The inconsistent use of mailbox flags by Canada Post carriers led to a clarification from the corporation, stating that the flags are not to be used to indicate delivered mail. This directive has been met with some dissatisfaction in rural communities, particularly as residents have traditionally relied on the raised flag as a visual cue for received mail. Meanwhile, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) is investigating this directive, which they were not informed about, potentially impacting their working practices. This general news, reporting on the change in mailbox flag usage by Canada Post, was first published by Nicole Thompson of The Canadian Press on August 8, 2025.
