Canada Post eliminates over 1,000 red street letter boxes but reports e-commerce growth

Canada's primary postal operator, Canada Post, has removed over 1,000 of its red letter boxes from Canadian streets, largely because the country’s household mail has dropped off 17 percent in the past 5 years.  In 2009 Canada Post had 31,584 street letter boxes and in 2011 reduced that number to 30,546.  The Canadian crown corporation reports that corresponding use of epost, its online mailbox service (http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/personal/epost/default.jsf), has increased dramatically and that, with service available at almost 6,500 Canada Post counters across the country, large e-retailers such as Wal-Mart, Gap, and Old Navy, are using Canada Post to deliver their parcels. While in 2006, parcels coming from e-commerce from the top 25 shippers represented about 13 percent, that number climbed to 32 percent last year.

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1126915--canada-post-eliminates-more-than-1-000-red-street-letter-boxes?bn=1

Bank of Canada unveils new plastic $$$

Starting in November 2011, Canada will replace the paper-cotton substrate on which it presently prints its folding currency with a laundry-friendly, Australian-made polymer.

http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110620/boc-money-unveiling-110620/20110620/?hub=OttawaHome