The original name for the postal service was called The Royal Mail Canada up until 1981, when Canada Post became a crown corporation and the official new name of the postal service in Canada.

Prior to and during the 19th century in Canada, people went to local businesses or general stores to receive their mail, as there was no stand alone post offices during this time. Most mail was delivered via stagecoach or even a sleigh, to and from the store. This was on a route that delivered and picked up between York (Toronto) and Kingston. Residents were often notified in the newspaper if there was mail to be picked up, as a daily trip to the post office was not always possible, especially if they lived in rural or remote communities.

In 1854 the first Post Office on rails was established, enabling mail to be delivered a lot faster and across more distances.

Mail delivery in Whitby did not come around until 1959, although rural mail delivery was available in some parts of Canada in as early as 1908. This brought about much change to the delivery of mail, and required the hiring of letter carriers and post box installations.