Welcome back to the Canadian Circus!

On this episode of "Why Canada?" we discuss Canada Post.

As of this morning, Canada Post has completely shut down operations nationwide. That’s right—no pickups, no deliveries, nada. It’s causing a ripple effect, and you can expect delays across the board as other carriers scramble to handle the overflow.

What’s Happening?

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has called for a full national strike. Until they hash things out with Canada Post, no new items will be accepted or shipped in the Canada Post network. Packages already in their system? They’re stuck, waiting their turn in a first-in, first-out limbo once operations resume. And let’s be real, even when the strike is over, it’s going to take some time to clear the backlog, so expect delays all around.

What does this mean for you?

We’ve tapped into a network of alternate carriers to keep your packages moving. The catch? It’s double the price, so we’ve had to swap free shipping with flat rates temporarily. Everyone’s infrastructure is overloaded, so while we’re doing everything we can, please expect some delays.

Your patience is needed while we navigate this shipping storm. And please, for the love of everything holy, remember that we, a small vape shop in Ontario, do not have control over Canada Post's national business. There's nothing we can do.

Updates:

We wanted to share the latest updates on how we’re handling shipping during the ongoing Canada Post strike. Currently, we’re shipping with Purolator and UPS to keep orders moving. While this approach is helping, there are some challenges:

• Smaller carriers and brokers: Many have informed us they’re unable to manage our volume or are quoting significantly higher prices. Purolator and UPS are our only reasonable options currently.
  
  
• Coverage limitations: Unlike Canada Post, Purolator and UPS don’t cover the entire country. If you’re in a rural area that these carriers can’t service, we’ll reach out to discuss options, including a refund.
  
  
• Estimated Delivery Dates: Canada's biggest carrier is on strike. To give you estimated delivery dates with any carrier would just be guessing. Every other carrier is facing an extreme influx of packages - tracking numbers are a good indicator.

Additionally, shipping rates with Purolator and UPS are higher than Canada Post’s, even under normal circumstances. To make things affordable, we’ve introduced a flat fee shipping structure based on your province. No matter the size of your order, you’ll only pay the flat rate, and we’ll cover the difference. You will be able to select Flat Rate Shipping at checkout - it is not added to your balance after purchase. It works the same as shipping did before.

Here’s how the flat rates break down:

• Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba: $12
  
  
• BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador: $16
  
  
• Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon: $25 $40 (subject to carrier availability in your area)

These changes are temporary. We will be back to live rates and free shipping once Canada Post reaches an agreement with CUPW.