Does Canada Post actually use postal codes?

[Wayne]

Occasionally I get snail mail delivered to the wrong address. When this happens I look up to see where the address actually is - in several instances the street name was similar to mine but the postal code was not. And the postal code appeared to be correct for the intended recipient.

Therefore it looks like Canada Post seems to be putting more emphasis on the street address than the postal code. Isn't it the other way around - shouldn't they be using postal codes + names as the primary key for delivering mail? If not then what is the point of having postal codes in the first place?

[james99]

You are correct, they shouldn't be looking at street address during the sorting process. Only the carrier needs to know the exact address.

Canada Post uses FSAs(FORWARD SORTATION AREA ) for sorting, the first three digits of the Postal Code.

http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/asse..._april2012.pdf

[Dr.Dave]

Mail is grouped by FSA (the first 3 letters) and LC (Letter Carrier walk). The LC covers several city blocks (and postal codes) in a typical single family housing area. If you want to download a map showing the LCs in your FSA, you can get it here.

My guess is that the mail is machine-sorted into LC groups and hand-sorted into postal walk sequence within the LC. I don't think they look at the postal code when they sort it into sequence.

If the incorrect mail is within a few blocks of you, it is probably in the same LC and the errors are occurring when the mail is being hand-sorted.

Up until 5 years ago I used to get mail from the next street with over with the same house number, but a different postal code.

[Wayne]

Here is an example of one of the issues that I have seen - let's say I live at (addresses disguised):
33 Smith Cres
Toronto ON M1M 1A2

I received a letter for someone at:
33 Smithcrest Drive
Toronto ON M5H 1X1

The postal code for the Smitchrest Drive address appeared to be correct.

If you were going by street name then it is understandable that Smith Cres and Smithcrest could be interchanged. But when going by postal codes that should never happen, unless the postal code is incorrect. But perhaps the person didn't exist at Smithcrest so they went to alternative methods which led to this confusion?

[james99]

That's probably the case. The letter carrier may have attempted to deliver using the Postal Code address but the person had a different name so they tried your address.

During the amalgamation process many folks were concerned that the official removal of burbs would result in mis-directed mail because the same address could now exist in more than one location if you merely stated Toronto and not N. York, etc.

This wasn't an issue if you had the correct Postal Code, especially the FSA.

[hugh]

My guess is that the mail is machine-sorted into LC groups and hand-sorted into postal walk sequence within the LC.

That is the way it was explained to me. Mistakes can also occur when mail is sorted manually because the readers can't figure out the postal code.

Another issue is what if the address is right and the postal code is wrong?

Example:
Two real Addresses - 1 Main Street M1M A1A and 1 King Str. M5M 5A5

On the Envelope - 1 Main Street M5M 5A5

In this case, I believe CP will deliver to 1 Main Street because the address is considered the place where the mail was supposed to go, not the postal code.

[jayoldschool]

I know for a fact that once it is out of the big sorting building, they don't bother. My address is in Cumberland. However, if I put that above the postal code for a package, it goes to the Cumberland post office. They will then angrily cross out "Cumberland" and write "NAVAN" on it. Yes, Navan is my local post office, but according to Canada Post's own website, I live in Cumberland. I gave up and started putting Navan on packages.

[james99]

Are you K4C or K4B ?