How the dispute began
Updated for November 1st 2025
In late September 2025, Canada Post’s national workers union, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), launched a nationwide strike following major reform announcements by the federal government. On 25 September 2025, CUPW declared that its members would walk off the job across the country.
The dispute was triggered by sweeping changes proposed by the government and Canada Post, including the planned elimination of door-to-door delivery for millions of households, a shift toward community mail-boxes, and a reorganisation aimed at cutting billions from the Crown corporation’s losses.
Because the strike was nationwide, for a period mail and parcel processing was effectively halted.
Transition to rotating strikes and current status
After more than two weeks of a full national shutdown, the union shifted its strategy. On 11 October 2025, at 6 a.m. local time, CUPW moved from a full strike to rotating stoppages in specific locations.
Under this rotating strike model:
-
Some facilities are affected at a given time; others operate normally.
-
Mail and parcels are accepted and processed in unaffected areas, but considerable delays remain and service guarantees are suspended.
-
Canada Post itself warns of “uncertainty and instability in the postal service” while rotating strikes are in effect.
So, the status as of now: the full national walk-out has been scaled back, delivery has restarted in many places, but the system remains under strain, subject to disruption, and no full normalisation is guaranteed yet.
What this means for shippers & consumers
-
If you’re shipping to or within Canada, expect delays. Some parcels may sit in processing facilities while strike-actions hit them.
-
Service guarantees (for example delivery by a certain date) have been suspended by Canada Post.
-
For businesses especially (international sellers, e-commerce) this strike is a reminder of the risks of relying solely on one carrier.
How DVDLady still ships to Canada during the strike
If you’re using or selling through DVDLady (the online DVD store) and you need to ship to Canada — here’s how they’re managing despite the disruption:
-
DVDLady offers shipping to Canada, with a clear international shipping option: “Australia / Canada – $6 Starting from”. DVD Lady – Classics on DVD
-
Given the Canada Post strike, it means DVDLady has arranged alternate shipping methods (or selects carriers that don’t rely exclusively on Canada Post for last-mile) so that Canadian customers can still receive orders.
-
For Canadian customers ordering from outside canada this is good news: although Canada Post’s network is strained, choosing a seller that explicitly supports Canada shipping and uses alternative routes can mitigate delays.
-
A tip: when placing an order to Canada now, ask DVDLady for tracking information and verify which courier will deliver in Canada (e.g., smaller courier or alternative to Canada Post). That way you can keep tabs on whether a particular parcel might be delayed due to an affected facility.
What you should do if you’re shipping to Canada now
-
Clearly communicate to your customers (or if you’re buying) that shipping times will be longer than usual.
-
Choose carriers or services that give tracking and rely less on Canada Post’s vulnerable nodes.
-
Consider splitting shipping: for Canadian destinations you might use a courier that handles the “last mile” without Canada Post, or send parcels via ground freight to a hub and then local courier.
-
Monitor updates from Canada Post: they publish service alerts and list affected areas.
In summary
The Canada Post strike of 2025 is a significant event: what began on 25 September as a national walk-out has now transitioned into rotating strike action starting 11 October, meaning partial delivery has resumed, but the network remains under heavy pressure and still prone to disruption.
For international sellers and buyers, shipping to Canada is still possible — but you’ll need to build in extra lead-time, choose reliable carriers/tracks, and where possible avoid reliance solely on Canada Post’s last-mile. Retailers like DVDLady are already advertising Canada-friendly shipping during this disruption, which means customers don’t necessarily need to halt ordering — just prepare for slower delivery and ask questions about the shipping route.