Bill C-15 threatens Library Book Rate and free mailing of materials for people who are blind
December 7, 2025
Late last week, the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS) and the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) drew the Canadian library community’s attention to provisions in Bill C-15 (the Budget Implementation Act) which, if passed by Parliament, would repeal the sections of the Canada Post Corporation Act that provide for:
- free mailing of letters, books, tapes, records and other similar material for the use of the blind; and
- reduced postage for library materials (aka the Library Book Rate).
Why is the library book rate important to all Canadians? It ensures equitable access for all Canadians to documents located in libraries across the country. It supports the intellectual needs of remote northern and rural communities. It is the principle underpinning the concept that collections of all libraries are a national asset accessible to all Canadians, and as such, supports education and lifelong learning as well as helps to maintain Canada’s global competitiveness and productivity.
As highlighted by NNELS and CELA, the proposed repeal was included in Bill C-15 without the government mentioning their intent to do so in the Budget delivered by on November 4, 2025, nor were impacted organizations advised, or consulted with, in advance of its introduction.
NNELS and CELA together are coordinating an information call to discuss these changes to be held on Monday, December 8 at 12 noon Eastern Time/9 am Pacific Time.
More info from NNELS and CELA are below, including:
- Message sent on Friday, December 5, 2025
- One-pager on Amendments to the Canada Post Corporation Act in Bill C-15 (the Budget Implementation Bill)
- Draft letter to be sent to the Minister responsible for Canada Post, the Hon. Joël Lightbound
What you can do (extract from one pager):
- As Parliament continues its study of Bill C-15 at Second Reading, it is incumbent upon organizations and impacted by this change to raise their objections to the Minister responsible for Canada Post, the Hon. Joël Lightbound, and to seek an opportunity to appear before the House and Senate Committees that will be charged with reviewing the legislation.
- It will also be essential to raise the issue with Members of Parliament, Senators, and the media to ensure awareness and an understanding of what the ramifications of the repeal are to a vulnerable group of citizens.
- If opposition to the repeal is not voiced, Parliament will assume that there are no concerns with the proposed changes.
- Time is of the essence, as the House of Commons is seeking to complete its Second Reading debate of Bill C-15 and refer the legislation to Committee before the House rises for the winter break on Friday, December 12, 2025.
- The Senate has begun a pre-study of the legislation and the Senate Committee on Transport and Communications has been charged with reviewing sections of Bill C-15 impacting the Canada Post Corporation Act. To date, it is has not heard from any witnesses affected by the proposed repeal of Section 19 (1) (g)(i).
- We would expect the government to seek to have Bill C-15 pass all stages of review in the House of Commons and the Senate by early February 2026.
- This leaves little time for Parliament to consider amendments to the legislation, including the reversal of the proposed repeal of Section 19 (1) (g)(i) of the Canada Post Corporation Act from Bill C-15.
Key parliamentary contacts:
Hon. Joël Lightbound, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement
joel.lightbound@parl.gc.ca
Rt. Hon. Mark Carney, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada
pm@pm.gc.ca
Hon. François-Philippe Champagne, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Finance and National Revenue
minister-ministre@fin.gc.ca
Hon. Patty Hajdu, M.P.
Minister of Jobs and Families
Patty.hajdu@parl.gc.ca
Hon. Jenna Sudds, P.C., M.P.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement
Jenna.sudds@parl.gc.ca
Leslie Church, M.P.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Jobs and Families (Persons with Disabilities)
Leslie.church@parl.gc.ca
Hon. Karina Gould, P.C., M.P.
Chair, Standing Committee on Finance
Karina.gould@parl.gc.ca
Kelly McCauley, P.C., M.P.
Chair, Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates
Kelly.McCauley@parl.gc.ca
Kelly Block, M.P.
Conservative Shadow Minister for Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement
Kelly.block@parl.gc.ca
Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, députée
Vice-Chair, Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates
MH.Gaudreau@parl.gc.ca
Also attached to this post is a copy of a Library Book Rate Advocacy Toolkit created by from the Canadian Library Associationin 2010.
Message from NNELS and CELA
December 5, 2025
Hello friends,
We are reaching out widely because this is an important issue for people who are blind and for the organizations that support people who are blind. We hope to mobilize as much support as quickly as possible. Bill C-15 (Budget Implementation Act) contains a clause to repeal the free Literature for the Blind service in the Canada Post Corporations Act. Obviously, this will have a significant impact on the blind community in Canada. For more information on the proposed changes, please see the attached one-pager.
NNELS and CELA together are coordinating an information call to discuss these changes to be held on Monday December 8 at 12 noon Eastern Time/9 am Pacific Time. Zoom invite information is included below. Everyone is encouraged and welcome to attend. We regret the short lead time on this, but we discovered this only yesterday, and time is of the essence.
We are also preparing a letter to relevant elected officials, and a draft version is attached and also available at this link: C-15 – Canada Post Act – Lightbound – Letter_Final.docx. We will be sending out this letter to elected officials (list of names included in the letter) after 3pm Eastern Time/12 noon Pacific Time, Tuesday December 9.
If you are in a position to put your name to this letter on behalf of your organization, please do so by that time. The more support the better. To our knowledge, there has been no public opposition to this to date. If your organization is aware and has done, or will be doing, your own advocacy on this, please let us know so we can coordinate our responses. Please spread this message widely to any in your network, both to attend the zoom session on Monday and/or to add their support to the letter by Tuesday.
Regards,
Kevin Millsip and Laurie Davidson, NNELS (BC Libraries Co-op) and CELA
Zoom details below:
Monday December 8, 9am Pacific/12 noon Eastern
Zoom Meeting ID: 899 3325 7353
One-Pager: Amendments to the Canada Post Corporation Act in Bill C-15 (the Budget Implementation Bill)
- The Federal government introduced Bill C-15 (the Budget Implementation Act) on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. Bill C-15 is currently being debated in the House of Commons at Second Reading.
- Bill C-15 includes amendments to the Canada Post Corporation Act, which would, when passed, repeal Section 19 (1) (g) of the Act.
- Section 19 (1) (g)(i) provides for the ‘transmission by post, free of postage, of letters, books, tapes, records and other similar material for the use of the blind.’
- The proposed repeal of Section 19 (1) (g)(i) was included in Bill C-15 without the government mentioning their intent to do so in the Budget delivered by the Federal Minister of Finance on November 4, 2025; nor were impacted organizations advised, or consulted with, in advance of its introduction.
- The impacts on both people who are blind and organizations that provide critical services to these individuals is enormous.
- As Parliament continues its study of Bill C-15 at Second Reading, it is incumbent upon organizations and impacted by this change to raise their objections to the Minister responsible for Canada Post, the Hon. Joël Lightbound, and to seek an opportunity to appear before the House and Senate Committees that will be charged with reviewing the legislation.
- It will also be essential to raise the issue with Members of Parliament, Senators, and the media to ensure awareness and an understanding of what the ramifications of the repeal are to a vulnerable group of citizens.
- If opposition to the repeal is not voiced, Parliament will assume that there are no concerns with the proposed changes.
- Time is of the essence, as the House of Commons is seeking to complete its Second Reading debate of Bill C-15 and refer the legislation to Committee before the House rises for the winter break on Friday, December 12, 2025.
- The Senate has begun a pre-study of the legislation and the Senate Committee on Transport and Communications has been charged with reviewing sections of Bill C-15 impacting the Canada Post Corporation Act. To date, it is has not heard from any witnesses affected by the proposed repeal of Section 19 (1) (g)(i).
- We would expect the government to seek to have Bill C-15 pass all stages of review in the House of Commons and the Senate by early February 2026.
- This leaves little time for Parliament to consider amendments to the legislation, including the reversal of the proposed repeal of Section 19 (1) (g)(i) of the Canada Post Corporation Act from Bill C-15.
(Via National Network for Equitable Library Service, Centre for Equitable Library Access, Canadian Library Association)
2 replies on “Bill C-15 threatens Library Book Rate and free mailing of materials for people who are blind”
Book rate was introduced to support Canadian literacy because the government of the day thought that a literate population was important. Recognizing that many Canadians to not have easy access to a physical library, book rate allows libraries to connect Canadians in remote areas to all library resources. Reading a book in paper is a much richer experience than reading one online and we know that readers retain 30% more information reading a physical book than when they read online.
Many rural Canadians do not have the option of getting access to online materials because of cost, poor or non-existent internet connectivity, and technology. Book Rate is critical for libraries to maintain connection with our far-flung population and provide access to the knowledge and cultures of the world. Library budgets are stretched as thinly as possible to give good service to those who come into the doors, if book rate were to disappear we could not just pay for regular parcel post to deliver materials. The difference between this rate and regular parcel post in massively different. Materials mailed would have to be severely restricted if they could be sent at all.
I absolutely understand the importance of looking for efficiencies in how we use government funding, however, I urge you not to vote to remove book rate. This money is very well spent as libraries use it to support literacy and skills development across this country — which strengthens communities and creates more employment opportunities for individuals. Canada will be poorer in many ways if this program is cut.
It is essential that free mailing continues for the visually disabled. My mother and aunt were blind in later years and relied on this service. My own vision is compromised and I support CNIB in their work.