Question Period Note: Safety of the Canadian Postal System

The Minister of Public Safety introduced Bill C-2, which proposes various legislative amendments, including changes to the Canada Post Corporation Act to allow law enforcement to search and seize contraband in the mail where authorized to do so in accordance with federal law, and expand the authority of postal inspectors to open letters in addition to parcels.

• The Government is committed to protecting our communities from the trafficking of illegal drugs, including fentanyl
  • The proposed amendments to the Canada Post Corporation Act would allow law enforcement to search and seize contraband in the mail when authorized to do so in accordance with federal law, and expand the authority of postal inspectors to open letters in addition to parcels
  • These measures will help to stop the flow of drugs in Canada, particularly in regards to the small amounts of opioids, like fentanyl, that can be easily shipped that way

There are no legal impediments on law enforcement for the search and seizure of anything shipped by private courier services such as FedEx, UPS, DHL, or Purolator (91% owned by Canada Post).

Many stakeholders have long advocated for these legislative amendments, including the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and various Indigenous communities.

In 2017, Bill C-37, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related amendments to other Acts, removed the exception that prevented border officers from opening mail weighing 30 grams or less, in order to stop drugs, like fentanyl, from entering Canada illicitly through the mail system.

In November 2022, Senator Dalphond introduced former Senate Public Bill S-256, the Canadian Postal Safety Act, to enable police to search and seize items such as fentanyl and illegal firearms in the course of post, however it died on the Order Paper when Parliament was prorogued.

The main difference between this new Bill and S-256 is that it does not provide Canada Post with the authority to screen mail destined for Indigenous communities for the purpose of identifying the presence of a controlled substance. In addition, it does not set the minimum threshold of a general warrant to allow for the search and seizure of mail. However, this new Bill expands the authority of postal inspectors to open letters in addition to parcels.

• With only roughly 25 postal inspectors, Canada Post’s ability to inspect the 240 million parcels it delivered in 2024 is limited
  • In addition, in 2024 Canada Post delivered 2 billion letters. Postal inspectors are not authorized to search these letters
  • The Canada Post Corporation Act does not permit law enforcement to search and seize anything in the course of post (i.e., after mailed and before delivery). Postal inspectors may lawfully search parcels but their powers do not extend to the opening of letters weighing less than 500 grams