six-digit system

Canada Post assigns each postal franchise a multi-digit accounting number, which is changed whenever the ownership or status of the outlet changes. The first six digits of the number also appear on the outlet’s datestamp—and thus, sometimes, on mailed envelopes. Most mail goes to large processing centres, where it is machine-sorted and does not pick up hand-stamped cancellations. Enough envelopes are hand-cancelled, however (ie, ones that are missed by the sorting machines, registered and express covers, items from small rural offices, covers that are stamped at the request of the customer, etc), that the new six-digit datestamps can be studied and catalogued. To do this it’s helpful, obviously, to be able to look through large numbers of envelopes.

Six-digit

Several different six-digit numbering sequences have appeared since April 1973, when the first one was introduced. The sequences are fairly complex, so I won’t attempt to describe them here. Postal franchises start up, change hands and shut down frequently and some are very short-lived. As a result many six-digit datestamps see limited use and are quite rare. The most recent numbering sequence, which started at 100001 in 2002, had reached 105200 by  2017. The latest BC outlets—those numbered from 103000 onwards—are listed below (from Canada Post website entries), along with the earliest reported date (ERD) of their postmarks. Any new reports or additions to the list would be welcomed and could be sent to me by email (see contact page here).

103031 Simoom Sound V0P 1S0 ERD: 02/JY/08
103049 Moyie V0B 2A0 ERD: 05/MY/08
103083 Vancouver Arbutus V6J 4R0 ERD: 19/JU/08
103084 Richmond East V6V 1B0 ERD: 25/JY/08
103096 Westbank London V4T 3E0 ERD: 14/SP/08
103101 Lantzville V0R 2H0 ERD: 21/MY/08
103106 Denman Island V0R 1T0 ERD: 20/JU/08
103110 Vernon North V1T 4Y0 ERD: 15/AU/08
103111 Vancouver Ritz V6A 3A0 ERD: 01/AU/09
103112 Vancouver Howe Street V6Z 1B0 ERD: 06/AU/08
103136 Good Hope Lake V0C 2Z0 ERD: 06/FE/10
103173 Denny Island V0T 1B0 ERD: 28/SP/08
103184 Burnaby Kingsway V5H 4T0 ERD: 29/OC/08
103189 Prince George Parkwood V2L 3X3 ERD: 05/NO/08
103216 Alkali Lake V0L 1B0 ERD: 21/OC/08
103217 Takla Landing V0J 2T0 Unreported
103218 Gang Ranch V0K 1N0 ERD: 10/FE/10
103219 Hartley Bay V0V 1A0 ERD: 10/OC/08
103232 Abbotsford Trethewey V2T 2X0 ERD: 09/OC/08
103233 Aldergrove Village Mall V4W 2Z0 ERD: 06/OC/08
103242 Richmond Bridgeport V6X 3R0 ERD: 22/AP/09
103265 Hornby Island V0R 1Z0 ERD: 15/OC/08
103271 Quesnel V2J 2C8 ERD: 01/OC/09
103286 Vancouver West Georgia V6Z 1E0 ERD: 02/DE/08
103288 Victoria Cook Street V8V 3X0 ERD: 06/OC/08
103294 Royston V0R 2V0 Unreported
103308 Windermere V0B 2L0 ERD: 12/NO/08
103332 Bowser V0R 1G0 ERD: 18/NO/08
103334 Duncan Beverly Corners V9L 2P0 ERD: 06/NO/08
103358 North Vancouver Pemberton V7P 1T0 Did not open
103367 Langley Willowbrook V3A 7E0 ERD: 02/FE/09
103375 Klemtu V0T 1L0 ERD: 01/FE/10
103395 Surrey Panorama V3S 9A5 ERD: 10/JU/09
103406 Vancouver Delamont V6Y 1Y0 ERD: 28/MY/09
103407 Topley V0J 3Y0 Unreported
103415 Duncan Village V9L 3P0 ERD: 01/SP/09
103418 Richmond East V6V 1B0 Unreported
103428 Coombs V0R 1M0 ERD: 23/AP/09
103429 Goodlow V0C 1S0 ERD: 04/MY/09
103433 Squamish Valleycliffe V8B 0C2 Unreported
103434 Iskut V0J 1K0 ERD: 06/OC/09
103451 Sechelt Trail Bay V0N 3A0 ERD: 01/JU/09
103453 Coquitlam Sunwood Square V3B 6S0 ERD: 26/JY/09
103457 Vancouver Centre Point V5T 3G0 ERD: 30/MR/09
103460 Burnaby Cameron Road V3J 0A0 ERD: 22/AU/09
103468 Telegraph Creek V0J 2W0 ERD: 20/JY/09
103471 Vancouver City Square V5Z 3X0 Did not open
103483 Vancouver King Edward Mall V5Z 2E0 ERD: 30/JU/09
103496 North Vancouver Pemberton V7P 1T0 ERD: 31/DE/09
103529 Kamloops Valleyview V2C 4J0 ERD: 01/SP/09
103530 Vancouver East Hastings V5K 1Z0 ERD: 16/AU/09
103537 Mara V0E 2K0 ERD: 29/JA/10
103555 Victoria Westside Village V9A 7N0 ERD: 13/NO/09
103559 Britannia Beach V0N 1J0 ERD: 20/NO/09
103575 Campbell River Ocean Grove V9H 1G0 ERD: 05/MY/10
103587 Creston V0B 1G5 Unreported
103589 Vancouver Champlain Mall V5S 3T0 ERD: 05/OC/09
103591 Langley Valley Centre V3A 4E0 ERD: 08/OC/09
103592 North Vancouver Lynnmour V7J 2C0 ERD: 10/MR/10
103596 Burton V0G 1E0 ERD: 03/NO/09
103599 Kamloops Northills V2B 3J0 Did not open
103608 Canoe V0E 1K0 ERD: 26/AU/09
103627 Richmond Bridgeport V6X 3R0 Did not open
103636 Squamish Valleycliffe V8B 0C2 Unreported
103637 Vancouver Coal Harbour V6E 4S0 ERD: 06/AP/10
103647 Haisla V0T 2B0 ERD: 05/JY/13
103669 New Aiyansh V0J 1A0 ERD: 11/NO/10
103670 Penticton Ogopogo V2A 5B0 ERD: 01/OC/10
103716 Refuge Cove V0P 1P0 ERD: 13/JY/15
103727 Burnaby University V5A 4Y0 ERD: 31/MR/10
103728 Vancouver Fraser V5W 3A0 ERD: 28/JY/10
103735 Topley V0J 2Y0 ERD: 04/MR/10
103743 Lone Butte V0K 1X0 Did not open
130746 Vancouver King Edward Mall V5Z 2E0 ERD: 03/AP/10
103762 Kelowna Mission Park V1W 3S0 ERD: 16/AP/10
103773 Richmond Bridgeport V6X 3T0 ERD: 05/JU/10
103785 Grand Forks West End V0H 1H2 Did not open
103805 Burnaby Brentwood Mall V5C 2A0 ERD: 03/JU/10
103826 Vancouver Main Street South V5X 3L0 ERD: 30/JY/10
103834 Burnaby University V5A 4Y0 ERD: 28/JU/10
103841 Denman Island V0R 1T0 ERD: 07/JY/10
103844 West Kelowna V4T 2G0 ERD: 09/JU/10
103859 Vancouver Howe Street V6Z 1B0 ERD: 10/AU/10
103860 Kamloops Northills V2B 3J0 ERD: 19/AU/10
103873 Victoria Saanich V8X 1J0 ERD: 05/AU/10
103876 Vancouver City Square V5Z 3X0 ERD: 07/SP/10
103887 Parson V0A 1L0 ERD: 23/SP/10
103900 Goodlow V0C 1S0 ERD: 22/AU/10
103908 Kamloops Cityview V2E 2J0 ERD: 28/FE/11
103909 Whistler Creekside V0N 0A0 ERD: 05/JY/11
103912 North Vancouver Lynnmour V7J 2C0 ERD: 24/FE/11
103932 Burnaby Lougheed Mall V3J 1N0 ERD: 04/DE/10
103935 Vancouver Yaletown V6Z 2Y0 ERD: 24/NO/11
103952 Sooke Centre V9Z 0A0 ERD: 24/JA/11
103962 Gillies Bay V0N 1W0 ERD: 15/FE/11
103994 Langley Westpark V1M 2K0 ERD: 15/MR/11
103995 Delta New Orleans V4C 6P0 ERD: 27/AP/11
104001 Richmond Garden City V6Y 3Y0 ERD: 11/JA/12
104009 Vancouver Hillcrest V5V 3P0 ERD: 24/MY/11
104015 Victoria Fairfield V8S 1G0 ERD: 04/MR/11
104018 New Westminster Columbia Square V3M 6H5 ERD: 09/MY/11
104026 Gibsons Sunnycrest V0N 1V0 ERD: 28/AP/11
104028 Vancouver Kingsway V5R 5K0 ERD: 03/AP/12
104033 Victoria Millstream V9B 3R0 ERD: 06/MY/11
104036 Abbotsford Sumas Mountain no code ERD: 22/SP/11
104047 Vancouver Southlands V6N 3E0 Did not open
104058 Victoria Cordova Bay V8Y 2K0 ERD: 21/JY/11
104062 New Westminster Queensborough V3M 5B0 ERD: 28/JY/11
104063 Vancouver Fairview V5Z 1E0 ERD: 05/DE/11
104067 Burnaby Metrotown V5H 2C0 ERD: 18/AU/11
104078 Crofton V0R 1R0 ERD: 09/DE/10
104083 Canim Lake V0K 1J0 ERD: 05/OC/11
104086 Cowichan Bay V0R 1N0 ERD: 18/MR/11
104094 Yarrow V2R 5E0 ERD: 11/MY/11
104098 Lake Country V4V 1B0 ERD: 17/AU/11
104102 Vancouver Fraser V5W 3A0 ERD: 27/OC/11
104104 Kamloops Lansdowne V2C 1Y0 ERD: 12/JA/12
104120 Richmond Ironwood V7A 1N0 ERD: 11/JA/12
104127 Vancouver Hillcrest V5V 3P0 ERD: 19/OC/11
104135 Vancouver Robson V6G 1C7 ERD: 05/DE/11
104150 Wells V0K 2R0 ERD: 28/NO/12
104151 Duncan Beverly Corners V9L 6X0 ERD: 03/FE/12
104158 Campbell River Ocean Grove V9H 1M7 ERD: 11/JA/12
104197 Galiano V0N 1P0 ERD: 04/FE/12
104203 Kamloops Northills V2B 3J0 ERD: 22/MY/12
104218 Vancouver Langara V6P 1R0 ERD: 26/AP/12
104226 North Vancouver Edgemont V7R 2N0 Did not open
104228 Penticton Cherry Lane V2A 6W6 ERD: 28/JY/12
104229 Fort Ware V0J 3B0 Unreported
104243 Burnaby Willingdon Heights V5C 2H0 ERD: 13/AP/12
104247 North Vancouver Edgemont V7R 2N0 Did not open
104251 Simoom Sound V0P 1S0 ERD: 02/NO/17
104252 Kamloops Brocklehurst V2B 2L0 ERD: 14/JU/12
104292 Abbotsford V2S 1K1 Unreported
104298 Courtenay South V9N 2L0 ERD: 16/OC/12
104305 Abbotsford High Street V2T 4M0 ERD: 02/DE/14
104306 Abbotsford Sumas Mtn V2S 2C7 ERD: 31/DE/12
104313 Sheridan Lake V0K 0A0 ERD: 11/AU/12
104320 Penticton Marketplace V2A 4V0 ERD: 21/SP/13
104331 150 Mile House V0K 2G0 ERD: 02/AU/12
104334 Moyie V0B 2A0 ERD: 27/OC/12
104339 Kelowna Willow Park V1X 6A0 ERD: 29/AU/12
104340 Kelowna Glen Park V1V 1Y0 ERD: 16/AU/12
104351 North Vancouver Edgemont V7R 2N0 ERD: 20/AU/12
104358 Vancouver Musqueam V6N 3E0 ERD: 08/JA/13
104359 North Vancouver Capilano V7P 1S0 ERD: 08/JA/13
104360 Campbell River Tyee V9W 5T0 ERD: 02/NO/12
104380 Vancouver Yaletown V7Z 2X7 ERD: 02/AP/13
104388 New Westminster Sixth St V3M 2C0 ERD: 19/FE/13
104389 Vancouver Kingsway/Knight V5V 3E0 ERD: 18/JU/13
104390 Vancouver Stadium V6B 6A1 ERD: 02/AP/13
104400 West Vancouver Caulfeild V7W 3C0 ERD: 20/NO/14
104422 Winfield South V4V 2L0 ERD: 18/DE/13
104429 Greenville V0J 1X0 ERD: 12/FE/13
104435 Chilliwack Luckakuck V2R 1A0 ERD: 22/AP/13
104441 100 Mile House V0K 2E0 ERD: 26/MR/13
104445 Abbotsford Clearbrook V2T 5N0 Unreported
104453 Vancouver City Square V5Z 3X0 ERD: 18/JU/13
104455 Burnaby Brentwood Mall V5C 2A0 ERD: 23/AU/13
104468 Vancouver Arbutus V6J 4R0 ERD: 06/MY/13
104470 North Vancouver Central Lonsdale V7M 2J0 ERD: 12/MY/13
104471 Vancouver Hillcrest V5V 3P0 ERD: 24/MY/13
104488 Delta New Orleans V4C 6R0 ERD: 28/JU/13
104505 Coquitlam Blue Mountain V3K 0A0 ERD: 23/DE/13
104522 Prince Rupert V8J 1L0 ERD: 15/SP/13
104541 Ladysmith Town V9G 0A0 ERD: 06/JA/14
104543 Naramata V0H 1N0 ERD: 18/JY/13
104557 Vancouver City Park V6G 2L0 ERD: 22/FE/14
104559 Campbell River Dogwood V9W 2X0 ERD: 06/JA/14
104561 Vancouver Olympic Village V5Y 0E4 ERD: 20/MY/15
104562 Vancouver West Pender V6C 1T0 ERD: 21/FE/14
104564 Wells V0K 2R0 ERD: 24/SP/13
104565 Vancouver (The “W”) V6B 0J0 ERD: 27/NO/13
104589 Lake Errock/Harrison Bay V0M 1N0 ERD: 30/DE/13
104592 Langley Pioneer Plaza V3A 4P0 ERD: 14/JA/14
104593 Surrey Hillcrest Village V3S 7Y0 ERD: 01/DE/13
104597 Vancouver Davie V6G 1V9 ERD: 06/MY/16
104598 Osoyoos Desert V0H 2V0 ERD: 03/MR/14
104619 Fort St John Downtown V1J 3Z0 ERD: 25/AP/14
104622 Princeton Copper Mountain V0X 1W0 ERD: 14/AU/14
104641 Smithers Alpine Village V0J 3W0 ERD: 31/JA/15
104650 Victoria Cook Street V8V 3X0 ERD: 31/MR/14
104651 Vancouver City Square V5Z 3X0 ERD: 05/MY/14
104661 Golden Kicking Horse V0A 0A0 ERD: 11/JU/14
104662 Revelstoke Railway V0E 2S0 ERD: 20/JU/14
104666 Gillies Bay V0N 1W0 ERD: 04/SP/14
104667 Kitimat City Centre V8C 2T0 ERD: 12/MY/15
104694 Creston (Creston Valley) V0B 3G0 ERD: 21/OC/14
104713 Chetwynd Little Prairie V0C 0A0 ERD: 09/SP/14
104715 New Westminster Royal City V3L 1C0 ERD: 22/AU/14
104723 Grand Forks Two Rivers V0H 1V0 ERD: 14/AP/15
104733 North Vancouver Central Lonsdale V7M 2J0 ERD: 02/SP/14
104743 Wynndel V0B 2N0 ERD: 09/SP/14
104748 North Vancouver Pemberton Plaza V7P 1T0 ERD: 07/AU/14
104754 Vancouver Connaught V6K 2E3 Unreported
104756 150 Mile House V0K 2G0 ERD: 23/AU/14
104767 Fort Langley V1M 2A0 Unreported
104768 Abbotsford Clearbrook V2T 5N0 ERD: 02/JY/15
104772 Vancouver Main Street V5X 3L0 ERD: 02/SP/14
104776 Vancouver University V6T 1K0 ERD: 01/DE/14
104783 Qualicum Beach Qualicum Centre V9K 2T0 ERD: 25/MY/15
104794 New Westminster Columbia Square V3M 6H0 ERD: 28/AU/14
104800 Parksville V9P 1X7 Did not open
104804 Sorrento (Black Mountain) V0E 2W0 ERD: 27/FE/15
104832 Surrey Central City (Surrey Place) V3T 2V0 ERD: 02/DE/14
104834 Vancouver Granville Island V6H 3Y0 ERD: 16/NO/14
104870 Chemainus Askew Creek V0R 1K1 ERD: 12/MY/15
104871 Vancouver Hillcrest V5V 3P0 ERD: 07/AP/15
104897 East Kelowna V1W 4A0 ERD: 07/AP/15
104907 Quilchena V0E 2R0 ERD: 13/MY/15
104931 Trail Bay (Sechelt) V0N 3A0 ERD: 10/FE/15
104948 Cassidy V0R 1H0 ERD: 10/MR/15
104952 White Rock Hillcrest V4B 3Z0 ERD: 09/AP/15
104953 Surrey Ocean Park V4A 3V0 ERD: 02/JU/15
104956 Abbotsford (Mt Lehman) V4X 2M0 Unreported
104972 Clearwater V0E 3Z0 ERD: 19/SP/15
104976 Richmond Garden City V6Y 3Y0 ERD: 13/AP/15
104991 Seton Portage V0N 3B0 ERD: 10/AU/15
105005 Victoria Colwood V9B 1V0 ERD: 08/SP/15
105011 Abbotsford Sumas Way V2S 8H0 ERD: 17/AU/15
105018 Ainsworth Hot Springs V0G 1A0 ERD: 15/OC/15
105032 Golden Kicking Horse V0A 0A0 ERD: 15/OC/15
105033 Revelstoke RPO V0E 3S0 ERD: 07/JA/16
105034 Campbell River Ocean Grove V9H 1M0 ERD: 01/OC/15
105039 Victoria University Heights V8N 3E0 Did not open
105048 Armstrong RPO V0E 1B0 ERD: 09/OC/15
105049 Enderby RPO V0E 1V0 ERD: 05/OC/15
105055 Vancouver Connaught V6K 2E0 ERD: 30/DE/15
105060 Langley V3A 4B0 Did not open
105065 Maple Ridge Valley Fair V2X 3V0 ERD: 30/JU/16
105095 Ymir V0G 2K0 ERD: 07/DE/16
105107 Burnaby Crest Centre V3N 2S0 ERD: 11/MR/16
105110 Vancouver Marpole V6P 5A0 ERD: 16/FE/17
105141 Nimpo Lake V0L 1R0 ERD: 03/MR/17
105142 Genelle V0G 1G0 ERD: 29/MR/16
105159 Squirrel Cove V0P 1T0 ERD: 07/MY/16
105167 Surrey Gateway V3Z 1A0 ERD: 30/DE/16
105172 West Vancouver Horseshoe Bay V7W 2B0 ERD: 16/JU/16
105174 Richmond Brighouse V6X 3Y0 ERD: 27/FE/17
105179 Abbotsford Seven Oaks V2S 5A0 ERD: 23/AU/16
105199 Likely V0L 1N0 ERD: 14/OC/16
105235 Galiano Island V0N 1P0 ERD: 02/MR/17
105243 Big Lake Ranch V0L 1G0 ERD: 02/MR/17
105246 Victoria Reynolds V8X 1J0 ERD: 02/MR/17
105247 Langley Willoughby V2Y 0L0 ERD: 18/SP/17
105261 Port Alberni 10th Avenue V9Y 4W0 ERD: 27/SP/17
105268 Burnaby Deer Lake V5E 2T0 ERD: 18/NO/17
105272 Victoria University Heights V8N 3E0 ERD: 22/AP/17
105278 Vancouver Champlain Square V5S 3T0 ERD: 18/NO/17
105304 Trail Bay (Sechelt) V0N 3A0 ERD: 24/AU/17
105329 North Vancouver Central Lonsdale V7M 2K0 ERD: 02/OC/18
105335 Prince George Blackburn V2N 2H0 Unreported
105336 North Vancouver Metropolitan V7M 1E0 ERD: 02/OC/18
105345 Vancouver Kingsway/Knight V5V 3E0 ERD: 18/NO/17
105351 Coquitlam V3B 5R0 Unreported
105356 Port Moody Rocky Point V3H 2E0 ERD: 12/OC/18
105357 New Westminster Station V3M 1B0 ERD: 05/OC/18
105358 Dease Lake V0C 1L0 ERD: 07/NO/17
105364 Langley V8A 1N0 ERD: 15/OC/18
105371 Lions Bay V0N 2E0 ERD: 04/OC/18
105375 Vancouver City Square V5Z 3X0 ERD: 26/JA/18
105379 New Westminster Queensboro V3M 5B0 ERD: 27/OC/18
105383 Kelowna Capri Centre V1Y 3H0 ERD: 04/OC/18
105384 Fort St John V1J 6T0 Unreported
105387 Surrey Sullivan Square V3S 0X0 Unreported
105400 Quilchena V0E 2R0 Unreported
105401 North Vancouver Capilano V7P 1S0 ERD: 02/OC/18
105405 Kelowna V1V 3E0 Unreported
105416 Duncan Crazy 8’s V9L 2P0 ERD: 05/OC/18
105419 Victoria Langford V9B 2Y0 ERD: 05/OC/18
105420 Surrey V3R 1N0 Unreported
105440 150 Mile House V0K 2G0 ERD: 18/OC/18
105441 Victoria Esquimalt V9A 3P0 ERD: 16/OC/18
105442 Victoria Helmcken V8Z 3G0 ERD: 30/OC/18
105461 Richmond Lansdowne V6X 2X0 ERD: 04/OC/18
105463 Richmond Bridgeport V6X 3R0 Unreported
105953 Kaleden V0H 1K0 ERD: 05/MR/18
106070 Mount Lehman V4X 1V0 ERD: 02/MR/18