Local letters were letters posted at an office for delivery in the same city, town or place. This post deals with local letter rates in the Province of Canada prior to Confederation, and in the Dominion of Canada from 1868 to 1968.
Province of Canada
April 6, 1851 - June 30, 1859
The colony of the Province of Canada was given control of its postal system on April 6, 1851. The local letter rate was set at 1/2 d. per letter.
Toronto local letter (Toronto C.W. postmark 1853 - 1859)
1/2 d. local letter rate unpaid
July 1, 1859 - March 31, 1868
In 1859, the currency in the Province of Canada was decimalized. The 1/2d.. local rate was now 1 cent.
Quebec local letter, March 3, 1860
Unpaid 1 cent local letter rate
Dominion of Canada
On July 1, 1867, the colonies of the United Province of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia formed the Dominion of Canada. Postal services continued pursuant to colonial legislation existing prior to Confederation until April 1, 1868 when the Dominion of Canada's An Act for the Regulation of the Postal Service, (SC31 Vic. [1867], c.10) came into effect.
April 1, 1868 - September 31, 1875
The local letter rate for the Dominion of Canada was 1 cent per letter, the same rate that had been in effect in the Province of Canada.
(cover not shown)
October 1, 1875 - May 7, 1889
The local letter rate was now based on weight : 1 cent for each 1/2 ounce.
Toronto local letter, July 17, 1876
1 cent per half ounce rate
May 8, 1889 - August 7, 1908
Two local letter rates were introduced on May 8, 1899 :
a) Places without free letter delivery : 1 cent for each ounce (changed from 1 cent for each half ounce)
St. John local letter, may 6, 1898
1 cent local letter rate because there was no free letter carrier delivery
b) Places with free letter delivery : 2 cents for each ounce (a new rate category)
(See Letter Carrier Delivery Service for more information.)
London local letter, May 30, 1895
2 cents local letter rate because London had free letter carrier delivery
Toronto local letter, September 14, 1902
2 cents local letter rate because Toronto had free letter carrier delivery
August 8, 1908 - April 14, 1915
The 2 cent local letter rate for places with free letter carrier service was abolished on August 8, 1908. The local letter rate at all places in Canada was one cent for each ounce.
Free Letter Carrier Delivery City
Montreal local letter, December 29, 1908
Montreal local letter, December 29, 1908
1 cent local letter rate
Hamilton local letter, April 17, 1912
1 cent local letter rate
War Tax Period : 1915 -1951
In order to increase revenues to aid in the war effort, the Canadian Parliament passed the Special War Revenue Act which came into effect on April 15, 1915. Among its many provisions was the imposition of a 1 cent tax on each letter and post card mailed in Canada for delivery in Canada, the United States, Great Britain and British possessions and wherever the 2 cent letter rate applied. The 1 cent tax was added to the first weight letter steps only.
The local rate letter remained at 1 cent per ounce but with a 1 cent tax to be prepaid on the first ounce. Although the 1 cent War Tax was temporarily removed on forward letters from 1926 to 1931, the tax was not removed on local letters. In 1943, the War Tax was increased to 2 cents on the first weight step which remained in effect until 1951 when the War Tax was incorporated into the postal rate.
April 15, 1915 - March 31, 1943
2 cents was to be prepaid on a one ounce local letter : 1 cent local letter rate + 1 cent War Tax
The two ounce rate was 3 cents : 2 cents local letter rate for two ounces + 1 cent War Tax
The War Tax could be paid with war tax stamps or with regular postage stamps.
Hamilton local letter, October 24, 1917
2 cents (includes 1 cent War Tax)
Waterloo local letter, October 24, 1917
2 cents (includes 1 cent War Tax)
The
1 cent War Tax on forward letters was removed on July 1, 1926. From
1926 to 1931, the 1st weight local and forward rates were the same : 2
cents
Toronto local letter, February 6, 1930
2 cents (includes 1 cent War Tax)
Toronto local letter, October 20, 1930
2 cents (includes 1 cent War Tax)
Winnipeg local letter, December 24, 1931
2 cents (includes 1 cent War Tax)
Toronto local letter, December 23, 1933
2 cents (includes 1 cent War Tax)
Toronto local letter, March 11, 1936
2 cents (includes 1 cent War Tax)
Montreal local letter, August 13, 1941
2 cents (includes 1 cent War Tax)
Montreal local letter, August 20, 1942
2 cents (includes 1 cent War Tax)
April 1, 1943 - June 30, 1951
An additional 1 cent War Tax was added to the 1st weight letter step.
Hamilton local letter, January 21, 1944
3 cents ( includes 2 cents war tax)
North Bay local letter, February 22, 1950
3 cents ( includes 2 cents war tax)
War Tax Incorporated Into Local Letter Rate : From July 1, 1951
According to Smith and Wawrukiewicz (Canada Domestic and International Postal Rates and Fees 1870 -1999) "on July 1, 1951, the war tax was incorporated into the basic postage rates. leaving the effective postage costs unchanged." By this time, the Canadian Postal Guides had long since made any reference to the war tax.
Toronto local letter, March 22, 1954
3 cents local letter rate
April 1, 1954 - October 31, 1968
The local letter rate was increased to 4 cents for the 1st ounce and 2 cents for each additional ounce.
Peterborough local letter, April 1, 1954
First day of 4 cents local letter rate
The Public Utilities Commission, Norwich, local letter, August 9, 1955
4 cents special order stationery paying the local letter rate
Penticton Unemployment Insurance Commission local letter, June 3, 1963
"G" overprint 4 cent cameo stamp paying the local letter rate
Montreal local letter, April 18, 1967
4 cents local letter rate
Last Day of Local Letter Rate : October 31, 1968
Canada Post Office abolished the local letter rate. Effective November 1, 1968, the domestic letter rate. local or forward, was 6 cents for the first ounce.
Scarborough (Toronto) local letter rate, October 31, 1968
Last day of local letter rate
