2026 holiday shipping in Canada: closures, last days to ship and peak charges

Here’s what Canada’s parcel carriers had published for the 2026 holidays as of October 11: when they’re closed, the last days to ship for Christmas, and the peak-season charges that start in the next few weeks. Carriers change these, so check their pages (linked at the end) before a big send.

When the carriers are closed

UniUni’s holiday table, still labelled 2024, lists Thanksgiving everywhere except New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador, Christmas and New Year’s Day nationwide, and Boxing Day in Ontario only.

Last days to ship for Christmas

Canada Post’s dates, from its October 2026 holiday guide, between major cities:

FedEx’s dates, for arrival by December 24 to most metropolitan areas: Standard Overnight and the other overnight services by Wednesday, December 23; 2Day by Tuesday, December 22; and FedEx Ground between Tuesday, December 15 and Wednesday, December 23 depending on the distance. FedEx notes the dates exclude shipments from the western provinces to Atlantic Canada.

Purolator, UPS and UniUni hadn’t published 2026 ship-by dates yet. Purolator’s page still showed last year’s advice, which was to ship next-day parcels by December 22 to allow for weather.

Peak-season charges

• UPS adds a per-package demand surcharge on domestic air and ground parcels from October 25, 2026 to January 16, 2027, and higher additional handling, large package and over-maximum charges from September 20.
• FedEx adds a demand charge to oversize, additional handling and unauthorized parcels from September 28, 2026 to January 17, 2027. A residential demand charge from October 26 applies only to shippers averaging more than 7,000 packages a week.
• Canada Post raises its oversize, unpackaged and out-of-spec surcharges from November 2, 2026 to January 10, 2027, and in that period only honours late-delivery guarantee claims when a parcel arrives two or more business days late.
• Purolator’s peak page still showed the 2025 season, when it charged extra on special handling pieces from late October to mid-January. Its 2026 schedule wasn’t posted yet.
• UniUni doesn’t publish a peak surcharge.

Most of these hit large, heavy or awkward parcels. For a normal box going to a home, the UPS per-package charge is the one most small shippers will notice.

Other changes this season

• From November 1, 2026 to March 14, 2027, Purolator’s morning delivery times to Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories move an hour later, because those places are staying on daylight time. A 9 am commitment becomes 10 am.
• UPS’s Canadian holiday page says its service guarantee is suspended for all domestic services.
• Canada Post is taking 15% off its published domestic fuel surcharge from October 5, 2026 to January 3, 2027.
• Canada Post is starting weekend parcel delivery in Ottawa now, and in Montreal and Toronto by late November. Weekend delivery by carrier
• None of the carriers had announced 2027 rate increases for shipments within Canada. FedEx’s 5.9% increase for January 2027 applies to its US services.
• Canada Post isn’t on strike; its new contracts run to January 2029. Canada Post labour status