Letter Definition Regulations (SOR/83-481)

Short Title

1 These Regulations may be cited as the Letter Definition Regulations.

Definition of Letter

2 For the purposes of the Canada Post Corporation Act and any regulation made thereunder,

letter

letter means one or more messages or information in any form, the total mass of which, if any, does not exceed 500 g, whether or not enclosed in an envelope, that is intended for collection or for transmission or delivery to any addressee as one item, but does not include

• (a) an item carried incidentally and delivered to the addressee thereof by a sender who is a friend of the addressee;

• (b) an item of an urgent nature carried by an employee where the average salary cost to the employer for delivery of that item is at least equal to an amount that is three times the regular rate of postage payable for delivery in Canada for a similar item weighing 50 g;

• (c) an item having no further address than “householder”, “boxholder”, “occupant”, “resident”, or other similar expression;

• (d) an item relating to the official functions of a diplomatic or consular mission or covered by the privileges and immunities provisions of international conventions to which Canada is a party;

• (e) a cheque, money order or Receiver General payment instrument;

• (f) a tape, microfilm, disc or similar mass storage device, on which a message or information is recorded by electronic or optical means;

• (g) a newspaper, magazine, book, catalogue, blank form, manuscript or musical score;

• (h) an invoice or other document relating to

  • (i) an item in paragraph (g),

  • (ii) a specimen for medical or scientific analysis, or

  • (iii) goods

  when delivered therewith by the individual delivering such item, specimen or goods;

  • (i) an invoice or other document relating to the supply of goods or services that is delivered by

  • (i) the supplier to the recipient at the supplier’s normal business address,

  • (ii) the recipient at

    • (A) a financial institution indicated by the supplier, or

    • (B) the supplier’s normal business address, or

  • (iii) the individual who performed the services;

• (j) an invoice or other document prepared for delivery to an addressee from information obtained at the location of such addressee at the time of its delivery;

• (k) a bill of exchange, promissory note, draft, settlement voucher, money order, Receiver General warrant or any other payment order or instruction for the payment of money, or any similar or related document, in transit in or between

  • (i) one or more institutions or any branch or office thereof that accept deposits transferable by order to a third party,

  • (ii) the Canadian Payments Association or any branch or office thereof, or

  • (iii) any of the places referred to in subparagraphs (i) and (ii)

  for the purpose of processing, exchange, clearing or settlement;

  • (l) an order or instruction given to any institution referred to in subparagraph (k)(i) for the payment of money, arising out of any transaction in which a payment, debit, credit, charge or account access card is used;

• (m) an instrument, certificate or other document evidencing or relating to an interest in a security or commodity, while in transit in or between any

  • (i) securities or commodities exchange, clearing house, or member thereof, or any branch or office thereof,

  • (ii) body regulating trading in securities or commodities, or member or registrant thereof, or any branch or office thereof,

  • (iii) bank or other financial institution or any branch or office thereof, or

  • (iv) any of the places referred to in subparagraph (i), (ii) or (iii). (lettre)

3 For the purposes of these Regulations, a transmission by electronic or optical means begins with the receipt of a message or information at the point of origin of the transmission and ceases with the display or printing or both at the point of destination.

4 This Regulation shall come into force on September 1, 1983.