Hugh: Canada Post’s Deadlines for Delivery by Christmas are Almost Here

Almost all of us have friends or family who live elsewhere, so any Christmas exchanges will have to be done from afar. If you have some packages you’ve been meaning to send through the mail, or maybe you’re a little behind on sending out Christmas cards, you’ll have to act soon. Earlier on this season, Canada Post identified a few dates you should have on your radar if you want your parcels to reach their destination by Christmas, and they’re coming up very shortly.

Deadlines for sending packages can get a little confusing because there are different Canada Post delivery standards you can use. For local destinations, regular parcels should reach their destination if sent by the 20th, while you can wait until the 22nd if you send by Priority or Xpresspost. For packages sent within a “regional zone,” regular parcels should be in the mail between December 16th and 20th, while sending by Priority or Xpresspost will give you until the 21st. Finally, if you’re sending a package within Canada but out of your region, you should probably pay up for faster delivery. For regular shipping, Canada Post recommends having it sent between December 9th and 19th, for an Expedited Parcel or flat rate box send between December 19th and 21st, and the last date you should send an item by Priority or Xpresspost is the 21st.

If you’re just sending cards through the mail, you still have some time, as cards with a local destination should be sent by December 20th, while those sent within the region should be sent by the 19th, and you should send cards with a national destination by the 16th. Today, the 12th, is the deadline for cards to be shipped to the USA.