Mailing of Inert or Replica Munitions Banned in Canada

Ottawa, Canada  Canada Post (equivalent to the U.S. Mail in States) announced that it has amended their Non-Mailable Matter Regulations to prohibit the mailing of inert or replica munitions into Canada, out of Canada, or within Canada. The new regulations became effective October 4, 2006.

In recent years several inert or replica grenades and artillery shells were found in the mail stream which resulted in numerous evacuations of postal facilities. These evacuations cause stress for employees and have a significant impact on mail processing and delivery standards. Postal authorities were also concerned that workers may be become complacent around munitions and therefore may not react appropriately should a real munition that poses an explosives safety threat be found in the mail system.