Document Record

Creator

Canada. Post Office Dept.

Title

Post Office Department, Transportation Branch : Correspondence related to mail privileges and government patronage

Identifier

lac_mikan_133459
164326
RG 3 E 9
R169-82-X-E
R169-82-X-F
Government
Politics and politicians
oocihm.lac_mikan_133459

Document source

Library and Archives Canada / Bibliothèque et Archives Canada

Language

English

Description

Mail delivery within Canada first started in 1693 when the Portuguese born Pedro da Silva was paid to deliver mail between Quebec City and Montreal. Official postal services began in 1775 and was under the control of the British Government up to 1851. It was not until 1867 when the newly formed Dominion of Canada created the Post Office Department as a federal government department headed by a Cabinet minister, the Postmaster General of Canada. The Act took effect in April 1868, providing uniform postal service throughout the new country. In October 1908, the first free rural mail delivery service was instituted in Canada. The Post Office Department was also an early pioneer of airmail delivery with the first airmail flight taking place in June 1918, carrying mail from Montreal to Toronto. The Post Office Department was rebranded as "Canada Post" in the late 1960s, even though it had not yet been separated from the government. In October 1981, the Canada Post Corporation Act came into force, abolishing the Post Office Department and creating the present day Crown corporation which provides post service, the Canada Post Corporation.
The position of General Superintendent of Postal Services was established as a result of the 1922 reorganization in the Post Office. The General Superintendent was responsible for all postal service including mail service, railway mail service, contract securement and inspections. Chief Superintendents or branch heads reported to the General Superintendent. In 1947, the General Superintendent of Postal Service organization was split into the Operations Branch and the Communications (transportation function) Branch, both of which reported to the Deputy Postmaster General.
The Transportation Branch, established in 1952 and changed in name only from the Communications Branch, was responsible for the movement of the mail by air, land, rail, and water routes. In 1962, the Assistant Deputy Postmaster General became responsible for the Transportation Branch. In 1971, the Transportation Branch was reorganized to provide transportation programs and support for the field, and to focus on the planning and transportation policy areas. National transportation contracts were negotiated and administered from the Branch.
This collection consists of correspondence related to mail privileges and government patronage. The correspondence is from the Office of the Deputy Postmaster General and is addressed to Members of Parliament and to editors and publishers of newspapers. The correspondence relates to the purchase and discontinuance of subscriptions and to the granting of free mailing privileges.

URL

https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_mikan_133459