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In the event of a national postal disruption, Canada Life is prepared to help lessen the impact and continue to serve our customers. What you need to know

The Great-West Life Assurance Company, London Life Insurance Company and The Canada Life Assurance Company have become one company – The Canada Life Assurance Company. Discover the new Canada Life

The Great-West Life Assurance Company, London Life Insurance Company and The Canada Life Assurance Company have become one company – The Canada Life Assurance Company. Discover the new Canada Life

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Freedom 55 Financial is a division of The Canada Life Assurance Company and the information you requested can be found here.

Canada Post and CUPW continue to negotiate for new collective agreements. However, another labour disruption could occur as early as May 22, 2025 if new agreements have not been reached. If a disruption happens, mail delivery may be impacted.

How you can help in the event of a labour disruption:

  • Submit requests through Advisor Workspace wherever possible
  • Encourage clients to register for My Canada LifeTM
  • Encourage clients to register for electronic funds transfer (EFT) wherever possible
  • Encourage clients to pay online using their financial institution’s website 

Non-urgent outgoing mail

All non-urgent correspondence that doesn’t include a cheque will be delayed until postal service resumes unless you make a special request. However, you’ll still receive copies of all Canada Life correspondence that is normally sent by courier service.

Exception: Mutual fund business. See the Quadrus Investment Services Ltd. section.

Urgent outgoing mail

We understand everyone’s personal situation is unique. We’ll consider exceptions in certain circumstances. To request an exception, please contact us.

We’ll handle urgent outgoing mail as follows:

Item Process

Wealth Operations and Quadrus

Send by courier

  • Client redemption cheques over $500 and client income/annuity cheques over $250.

       Note: Cheques less than the above amounts will be held until mail service resumes.

  • Most couriered mail will require a signature when received. This is to protect privacy and ensure the correct person receives it. 
  • Any urgent one-off correspondence such as legal requests. 
In-force Client Services

Disbursements:·        

  • We can issue disbursements by EFT as long as requirements are met.
  • Otherwise, if $25,000+, the cheque will be sent to the client by courier.  Most couriered mail will require a signature when received. This is to protect privacy and ensure the correct person receives it. 

Note: Cheques less than $25,000 will be held until mail service resumes.

Claims

Life:

  • We can issue claims cheques by EFT as long as requirements are met.
  • If you can deliver cheque to the beneficiary, the cheque will be sent to you by courier. Most  couriered mail will require a signature when received. This is to protect privacy and ensure the correct person receives it. 
  • Cheques will be sent to the beneficiary by courier. Most couriered mail will require a signature when received. This is to protect privacy and ensure the correct person receives it. 

Living benefits: 

  • We’ll issue disability and critical illness payments by EFT.
  • If a payment must be made by  cheques it will be sent by courier, as usual. Most couriered mail will require a signature when received. This is to protect member privacy and ensure the correct person receives it.

Wealth: 

  • We can issue claims cheques by EFT as long as requirements are met.
  • Cheques will be sent to you by courier. Most couriered mail will require a signature when received. This is to protect member privacy and ensure the correct person receives it.
New Business
  • Policy contracts will continue to be available digitally in your new business dashboard.
  • Paper policy contracts will be couriered as normal to those advisors who currently subscribe to courier service. Paper contracts will be held for mailing for those advisors who don’t currently subscribe to courier service. Most couriered mail will require a signature when received. This is to protect privacy and ensure the correct person receives it. 
  • Cheques, physician letters, legal, privacy or client complaint response letters will be sent by courier service. Most couriered mail will require a signature when received. This is to protect privacy and ensure the correct person receives it.
  • For other options, please contact your advisor. 

Most outgoing mail that doesn’t contain a payment will be considered non-urgent. We’ll mail it after the postal disruption ends. This includes client statements, confirmations and premium notices. Don’t forget you can access this information through Advisor Workspace.

Encourage your clients to use EFT where possible. Clients can set this up by calling 1-888-252-1847. Reference the above chart for thresholds. Otherwise, we’ll mail cheques after the labour disruption ends.

For wealth business, there’s no change in how you process business. Please continue to send in your business, signed application and supporting documentation using Advisor Workspace, email or interoffice courier as you do today.

For life insurance and wealth management claims: beneficiaries will need to either provide an email address to receive claimant forms or get the appropriate forms from you. Other insurance business won’t be affected. 

For new business: if you currently use Canada Post to send paper applications to us, you’ll need to consider using a courier service instead during the labour disruption. Please use SimpleProtect™ or submit digital applications using links in Workspace when possible. For paper applications, please send them by courier, as usual.

For In-Force Client Service: there’s no change in how you process business. Please continue to send in your business, signed application and supporting documentation using Advisor Workspace, email or interoffice courier as you do today.

Note: We recommend caution when using email for personal information, as we cannot guarantee the security of email systems outside of our organization.

Yes, if a cheque is urgently needed, please contact 1-888-252-1847 or send your request by email to the appropriate area.

Most couriered mail will require a signature when received. This is to protect privacy and ensure the correct person receives it. 

Many insurance policies include a grace period before a policy is discontinued. If your clients are concerned about their coverage, please direct them to make an online payment through their financial institution or contact the Client Service Centre at 1-888-252-1847.

We'll stop using the postal service a few days before the possible labour disruption date to avoid this situation. There may be a few items still in the mail and if your client was expecting an urgent item, please contact the Client Service Centre at 1-888-252-1847. However, please note, it can take up to ten days for a cheque to be cancelled and another issued.

We’ll continue to assess the situation during the disruption and make changes accordingly. We’ll update you as we know more information.

We’ll post updates on canadalife.com as they become available. You can also contact the Client Service Centre at 1-888-252-1847. For new business insurance applications, advisors should reach out directly to their New Business coordinator for support.

While we expect many clients will contact you directly, they can also get up-to date information on canadalife.com or by contacting the Client Service Centre at 1-888-252-1847.

Clients can also register for My Canada LifeTM for 24/7 access to info about their individual investments, savings and insurance. (My Canada Life is not currently available for business or corporate-owned policies. If clients don’t live in Canada they can get help to register at 1-416-597-6981 (collect calls accepted) to get started.)

Learn more about the latest features and product details, and how you can invite your clients to register.

Urgent communications

Send urgent communications to head office via email at:

Life insurance claims

Wealth Claims

  • Refer to your Process Navigator for the appropriate email address or contact the Client Service Centre at 1-888-252-1847

Living Benefits Client Service

Life Insurance Client Service

Insurance New Business

  • Contact your New Business Associate/ New Business Coordinator.

 

Mutual fund business through Quadrus Investment Services Ltd. 

Non-urgent outgoing mail

Confirms will be held until after the postal disruption. 

NOTE - Contact the Fund Company directly for any mailings being sent for client-name accounts or nominee non-registered plans. 

Remember you can print quarterly statements on Investment
Centre and deliver to clients if urgent.

Urgent outgoing mail

Clients are required to receive Fund Fact and disclosure documents at the time of the sale – so the postal disruption won’t have an effect on client’s receiving their copy of required disclosure documentation when investing in mutual funds.

Electronic funds transfer

Continue to set up client EFT. You can request a report of your clients who have selected “cheque” as their payout  option for nominee automatic withdrawals (AWDs) using this form:  Request form - clients with cheque based redemptions (office.com)

Courier services

Continue to follow the normal process for your mutual fund business – a guaranteed overnight courier that uses tracking (for example, FedEx).

Urgently needed items

Contact your advisor services representative.

For more information

You should be first point of contact for your clients. However, during a postal disruption, both you and your clients may contact an Advisor services representative at 1-888-532-3322 with questions about mutual fund transactions.

No, follow the same paper flow process you use today, using courier.

It normally comes by mail.  

Expect a delay in receiving your signed paperwork from the Quadrus branch while the labour disruption continues. Make sure to keep a copy for your records in case you need it and the paperwork hasn’t been returned to you. Contact your Quadrus branch manager directly if you require mutual fund paperwork for your client file urgently. 

For urgent communications to Quadrus, either: 

  • Email your Advisor Services Representative directly. 
  • Contact 1-888-532-3322. 
Canada Life and design, My Canada Life and SimpleProtect are trademarks of The Canada Life Assurance Company. Quadrus, Quadrus and design, and Quadrus Investment Services Ltd. and design, are trademarks of Quadrus Investment Services Ltd.