The decision to phase out door-to-door mail delivery is being reviewed.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
One sure way to incense a Canadian with door-to-door mail-delivery service: threaten to take it away.
In a move to cut costs, the former Conservative government had begun phasing out door-to-door delivery in favour of community mailboxes, which Canada Post said would save $500-million annually.
But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised during the election to put a stop to this, and now has initiated a formal review, as well as taking a look at reimplementing banking services at Canada Post locations.
Snail mail may seem like yesterday's news in the age of high-speed Internet and Amazon's drone deliveries, but 32 per cent of Canadians still receive door-to-door service, and many are reluctant to give it up.
But Canada Post can do – and has been involved in – a lot more than just mail delivery. Take a look:
Heavy ordnance
Guns, grenades, stun guns, dangerous chemicals, cocaine, marijuana, heroin and even a rocket launcher have all been found to enter Canada through the mail, according to a November, 2012, RCMP report, created for the organized-crime committee of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.
Won't cross bears
Canada Post might operate in rain or shine, but that mandate stops at bears. One letter carrier in British Columbia arrived at his destination but was unable to complete the delivery. On the slip he left, he summed it up thus: "bear at door."
Batman v Superman
If you've ever wanted a 14-karat gold coin with depictions of Batman and Superman from their most recent big-screen appearance, then look no further than Canada Post. The $100 coin will cost more than a pretty penny, though: $749.95 plus tax. It does include a case, mind you.
This is hardly the only superhero memorabilia that Canada Post offers. There's a whole "Superhero" subcategory where you can get the Dark Knight, Man of Steel or Wonder Woman in a variety of poses on a number of different coins.
The final frontier
If space is more your bag, then you can check out the Start Trek 50th Anniversary page. On offer are stamp collections with famed characters such as Spock, or a framed print of Captain James Tiberius Kirk himself, signed by William Shatner.
Strange happenings abroad
Canada Post isn't the sole owner of interesting mail-related facts. The U.S. Postal Service was known to ship children before a 1914 declaration that "no humans" would be allowed to be sent by mail any longer. Oh, and if you're thinking of sending a box of live scorpions by mail, don't. Unless, of course, you are shipping live scorpions for research purposes. In that case, the U.S. Postal Service is there for you.
Canada Post will ship bees, day-old chicks, parasites, leeches and some other small cold-blooded animals, provided the contents don't leak or stink.
And we have an American to thank for getting Canada's postal services started. Benjamin Franklin, an American founding father, opened the first Canadian post office in Halifax in 1753, when he was serving as joint deputy postmaster-general for the British colonies.