Canadians should anticipate parcel delays for the foreseeable future, says Canada Post

Are you still patiently waiting for that item you ordered online weeks ago?

Well hang tight, because Canada Post is reiterating that months of lockdown restrictions have led to a dramatic spike in parcel volumes that's resulted in heavy delays.

On May 19, Canada Post reported an all-time, single-day record with 2.1 million parcels delivered, roughly three times higher than the average for this time of year.

“As Canadians continue to ramp up and diversify their online shopping, Canada Post is responding to unprecedented parcel volumes while maintaining important physical distancing measures in all our facilities,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Processing record parcel volumes in plants that were never designed to keep people two metres apart takes more time.”

Please anticipate delivery delays for the foreseeable future as we are responding to unprecedented parcel volumes while maintaining important physical distancing measures in all our facilities. Thanks for your patience & understanding. Learn more: https://t.co/TwDe4PvEMZ

— Canada Post (@canadapostcorp) May 26, 2020

Across the country, local postal service delivery spots are currently experiencing record numbers and handling a “wider variety of items,” compounding in slower processing.

"It’s not just the volumes that are causing challenges, the number of larger household items, like mini-fridges, patio furniture, and barbecues coming through our network have also increased,” said Canada Post.

“These bulky items often require a two-person lift which creates additional safety challenges and delays.”