Modern-day post-office numbering systems have become a recent fascination. 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. It’s helpful, obviously, to be able to look through large numbers of envelopes while attempting to study these markings, and I’ve been fortunate the past several years to have access to excellent, abundant sources of commercial mail.

Several different six-digit numbering sequences have appeared since April 1973, when the first one was introduced. The sequences are fairly complex, and I won’t attempt to describe them here at present. 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. Indeed, it is difficult even to keep track of the postal outlets themselves, let alone the different datestamps. The most recent numbering sequence, which started at 100001 in 2002, had reached 103000 by early 2008. The latest BC outlets—those numbered from 103000 onwards—are listed below (from Canada Post records), along with the earliest reported date (ERD) of their postmarks. Any new reports or additions to the list would be greatly 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	ERD: 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	ERD: 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	ERD: unreported
103415	Duncan Village	V9L 3P0	ERD: 01/SP/09
103418	Richmond East	V6V 1B0	ERD: unreported
103428	Coombs	V0R 1M0	ERD: 23/AP/09
103429	Goodlow	V0C 1S0	ERD: 04/MY/09
103433	Squamish Valleycliffe	V8B 0C2	ERD: 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	ERD: 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	ERD: unreported
103637	Vancouver Coal Harbour	V6E 4S0	ERD: 06/AP/10
103647	Haisla	V0T 2B0	ERD: unreported
103669	New Aiyansh	V0J 1A0	ERD: 11/NO/10
103670	Penticton Ogopogo	V2A 5B0	ERD: 01/OC/10
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 Station	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	V3M 6H5	ERD: 09/MY/11
104026	Gibsons Sunnycrest	V0N 1V0	ERD: 28/AP/11
104028	Vancouver Kingsway	V5R 5K0	ERD: unreported
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
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	Unreported
104158	Campbell River Ocean Grove	V9H 1M7	ERD: 25/JA/12
104197	Galiano	V0N 1P0	Unreported
104203	Kamloops Northills	V2B 3J0	Unreported