Mail and parcel delivery is set to resume across Canada as postal workers transition from a full nationwide strike to rotating job action, a shift that has sparked cautious optimism among small business owners who rely heavily on the national courier to stay afloat.
For Saskatoon entrepreneur Nirali Patel, the timing couldn’t be more critical. Patel opened Revitalize Physiotherapy & Rehab this past August, and half of her marketing budget went into designing and printing 10,000 promotional flyers intended to introduce her new clinic to the community this fall.
“This was really vital for us,” Patel said. “We don’t have a lot of connections around, so we wanted to really stand out.”
But just a week before her campaign was set to launch, the postal union announced a nationwide strike in response to federal changes to Canada Post’s business model. Her flyers — each offering a promotional deal that expires November 8 — have since sat untouched in boxes, with Patel watching the clock tick down. Alternate courier services proved too costly, leaving her dependent on Canada Post to get the flyers into mailboxes before the deadline.
“If they do deliver those, that would be fantastic for me,” Patel said. “It would be a huge help and will also help me with my stress that I’m right now dealing with.”
For Monique Poisson-Fast, who runs the home-based business Stardust Artwork in Saskatoon, news of the strike’s end came as “massive relief.” Poisson-Fast sells jewelry, prints, and stickers online, often shipping inexpensive items as letter mail — an option that keeps shipping costs low for customers.
“It gets shipped with letter mail and no one is going to pay $15 or $20 for courier shipping for a $5 sticker,” they explained. “Canada Post is really my only option.”
When the strike began, Poisson-Fast paused all shipping on their website, leading to an immediate drop in orders from outside the city. “My summer student position had just finished a week before the strike, and so I was gearing up for this to become my primary source of income again,” they said. “Then the strike happened, which creates instability for sure.”
While the return to rotating strikes provides some relief, many in the small business community remain uncertain about what the coming weeks will bring. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) cautioned that rotating strikes may not offer the stability businesses need.
“This kind of strike could increase uncertainty,” said Jasmin Guenette, CFIB’s Vice-President of National Affairs. He explained that the work stoppage has already cost small firms in lost sales and disrupted cash flow, and unpredictable rotating walkouts will add another layer of complexity.
“It’s a baby step, I would say, in the right direction, but it’s not what is needed,” Guenette said. “What is needed is a full stop to strike activities.”
Canada Post, in a statement, welcomed employees back but acknowledged that rotating strikes will make it difficult to provide consistent service. All service guarantees will remain suspended as a result.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers plans to begin its rotating strikes on Saturday morning. Local branches will be notified of their turn to walk out closer to their scheduled time, meaning some uncertainty will persist even as delivery resumes.
For business owners like Patel and Poisson-Fast, however, even a partial return to normal operations offers a glimmer of hope — and a crucial chance to salvage their marketing and shipping plans before the busy holiday season kicks in.