Zip Code Canada Question??
- Thread starter TFG5
- Start date
Try this. You can find postal codes for Canada, USA, and UK. Wow!
http://canadaonline.about.com/library/bl/blpcodes.htm
http://canadaonline.about.com/library/bl/blpcodes.htm
thanks
that doesnt really anser the question for me, i dont need to find a zip code, i need to know if i sort canadian zip codes that they correspond to some intelligent pattern from one direction to the other. I dont know canada well so am not sure.
that doesnt really anser the question for me, i dont need to find a zip code, i need to know if i sort canadian zip codes that they correspond to some intelligent pattern from one direction to the other. I dont know canada well so am not sure.
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It is one of the biggest secrets in Canada as to our forumla of postal codes. Only the top of the government knows the truth on this one.
From an article I found on postal codes worldwide...
CANADA: Canadian postal codes do indeed invariably consist of two setsof three characters separated by a space, and the sequence is invariably ANA NAN [a mnemonic worth remembering!], where A=alphabetical and N=numerical. The first character indicates geographical location, moving east to west (eg Nova Scotia postal codes begin with B; Manitoba with R, British Columbia with V). The two largest cities in Canada, Quebec and Toronto, have their own prefixes (H for Quebec, M for Toronto).
There doesn't seem to be a useful way of remembering Canadian postal codes. Writes one respondent:
When the system began there were merry ads telling us to invent our own mnemonics, and some people did, with sequences that made that possible. But what can I do with mine, which are M4V 1H1 (home) and M5S 1J7 (office)? One tends to learn them rhythmically, like nonsense rhymes, and nobody I know can remember more than a few. The one advantage of this system is that because no one can really remember a lot of them, one is constantly CHECKING, and this leads to improved
accuracy.
Logic worthy of a Little ***** joke.
Some Canadian respondents suggest that their postal codes aren't that bad, though all agree they have no logic beyond the first letter and that they are hell on wheels to remember. Says another [American,admittedly] respondent:
Somewhere there has got to be a book delving into the intellectual background of the UK-Canadian system; it must have some bizarre rationale in an offbeat theory of info organizing. If you ever find the name & picture of the man who created it, publish these so we can all mock & dishonor him. My Canadian friends, to a person, say that no one in Canada bothers with the postal codes; they all hate them and ignore them.
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byform/mailing-lists/exlibris/1996/05/msg00254.html
(noticing the little stars above I am wondering why the word m.o.r.o.n is a censored word? LOL)
CANADA: Canadian postal codes do indeed invariably consist of two setsof three characters separated by a space, and the sequence is invariably ANA NAN [a mnemonic worth remembering!], where A=alphabetical and N=numerical. The first character indicates geographical location, moving east to west (eg Nova Scotia postal codes begin with B; Manitoba with R, British Columbia with V). The two largest cities in Canada, Quebec and Toronto, have their own prefixes (H for Quebec, M for Toronto).
There doesn't seem to be a useful way of remembering Canadian postal codes. Writes one respondent:
When the system began there were merry ads telling us to invent our own mnemonics, and some people did, with sequences that made that possible. But what can I do with mine, which are M4V 1H1 (home) and M5S 1J7 (office)? One tends to learn them rhythmically, like nonsense rhymes, and nobody I know can remember more than a few. The one advantage of this system is that because no one can really remember a lot of them, one is constantly CHECKING, and this leads to improved
accuracy.
Logic worthy of a Little ***** joke.
Some Canadian respondents suggest that their postal codes aren't that bad, though all agree they have no logic beyond the first letter and that they are hell on wheels to remember. Says another [American,admittedly] respondent:
Somewhere there has got to be a book delving into the intellectual background of the UK-Canadian system; it must have some bizarre rationale in an offbeat theory of info organizing. If you ever find the name & picture of the man who created it, publish these so we can all mock & dishonor him. My Canadian friends, to a person, say that no one in Canada bothers with the postal codes; they all hate them and ignore them.
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byform/mailing-lists/exlibris/1996/05/msg00254.html
(noticing the little stars above I am wondering why the word m.o.r.o.n is a censored word? LOL)
And this explanation at canada post in regard to sortation and geographical reference......
http://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/preparation/mpp2-05-e.asp
http://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/preparation/mpp2-05-e.asp
Decent explanation of the FSA and LDU....
What is an FSA?
Canadian Postal Codes are made up of 6 digits. For example, the postal code for the Akanda office location is L3T 7P6. The sequence is always Alphabetical character/Number/Alpha (full space) Number/Alpha/Number. Each code represents a specific geographic location, ranging from one side of a city block to a specific company which receives large volumes of mail. It is this precision that makes Canada's postal code so valuable in targeting mailings.
Each character of the postal code has its own significance. The first character (always a letter) normally designates a province or territory. For instance, the letter V refers to British Columbia, while the letter X refers to the Northwest Territories. For Ontario and Quebec, Canada's most highly populated provinces, the first character refers to a major area within the province. For example, the letter M refers to Metropolitan Toronto, while the letter K refers to eastern Ontario.
The second character is always a number and denotes whether the mail is to go to an urban or rural location. Rural addresses contain a 0 in the second position, while numbers from one to nine refer to urban destinations.
The third character of the code, always a letter, further defines the destination. In an urban code, the third character will identify a postal station or city post office. In a rural code this character identifies a set of post offices in a geographic area.
These first three characters of the postal code are known as the Forward Sortation Area (FSA). Depending on how targeted your mailing is, you may have to sort it according to the FSA, or you may have to sort according to the entire postal code, including the last three characters - known as the Local Delivery Unit (LDU).
The last three characters of the code help to guide your mail to a specific location. In an urban area, the LDU refers to a block face (i.e. one side of a city block), a large business, an office building, or another destination. For a rural destination, the LDU refers to the community to which the mail is to be delivered.
The letters W and Z are not used as the first letters of postal codes; D, F, I, O, Q, and U are never used in Canadian postal codes. If one of these letters appears in your records, it is inaccurate and should be corrected.
Important!
Canada Post has created the postal geography system and the FSA areas for the efficient delivery of mail in Canada. It is important to note that in some cases FSA's do not accurately capture the subtle dynamics of census/population geography.
What is an FSA?
Canadian Postal Codes are made up of 6 digits. For example, the postal code for the Akanda office location is L3T 7P6. The sequence is always Alphabetical character/Number/Alpha (full space) Number/Alpha/Number. Each code represents a specific geographic location, ranging from one side of a city block to a specific company which receives large volumes of mail. It is this precision that makes Canada's postal code so valuable in targeting mailings.
Each character of the postal code has its own significance. The first character (always a letter) normally designates a province or territory. For instance, the letter V refers to British Columbia, while the letter X refers to the Northwest Territories. For Ontario and Quebec, Canada's most highly populated provinces, the first character refers to a major area within the province. For example, the letter M refers to Metropolitan Toronto, while the letter K refers to eastern Ontario.
The second character is always a number and denotes whether the mail is to go to an urban or rural location. Rural addresses contain a 0 in the second position, while numbers from one to nine refer to urban destinations.
The third character of the code, always a letter, further defines the destination. In an urban code, the third character will identify a postal station or city post office. In a rural code this character identifies a set of post offices in a geographic area.
These first three characters of the postal code are known as the Forward Sortation Area (FSA). Depending on how targeted your mailing is, you may have to sort it according to the FSA, or you may have to sort according to the entire postal code, including the last three characters - known as the Local Delivery Unit (LDU).
The last three characters of the code help to guide your mail to a specific location. In an urban area, the LDU refers to a block face (i.e. one side of a city block), a large business, an office building, or another destination. For a rural destination, the LDU refers to the community to which the mail is to be delivered.
The letters W and Z are not used as the first letters of postal codes; D, F, I, O, Q, and U are never used in Canadian postal codes. If one of these letters appears in your records, it is inaccurate and should be corrected.
Important!
Canada Post has created the postal geography system and the FSA areas for the efficient delivery of mail in Canada. It is important to note that in some cases FSA's do not accurately capture the subtle dynamics of census/population geography.
Interesting stuff, Sandra.
[rant]
TFG5: The reason you can't find Canadian Zip Codes is that they don't exist. They're POSTAL CODES! We also don't have a President, we have an assho... er... Prime Minister. Canada is not the same as the US. Sheesh.
[/rant]
My favourite postal code is Santa Claus'. H0H 0H0. I'm glad the Federal Gov't was thinking when they designed the system...
[rant]
TFG5: The reason you can't find Canadian Zip Codes is that they don't exist. They're POSTAL CODES! We also don't have a President, we have an assho... er... Prime Minister. Canada is not the same as the US. Sheesh.
[/rant]
My favourite postal code is Santa Claus'. H0H 0H0. I'm glad the Federal Gov't was thinking when they designed the system...
Postal codes
FYI: I deal with cross Canada postal codes every day at work. The pattern for postal codes, at least the first 3 characters is this: Eastern Canada postal codes start with A or B, Quebec is H. Ontario 519 area codes have postal codes starting with N. 905 area codes have postal codes starting with L. 416 area code's postal code starts with M. 613 area code's postal code starts with K. 705 area code's starts with P. Manitoba postal codes start with R, Saskatchewan with S, Alberta with T, BC with V. So the pattern seems to be Alphabetic from A in Eastern Canada to V in the West.
Bobzilla
FYI: I deal with cross Canada postal codes every day at work. The pattern for postal codes, at least the first 3 characters is this: Eastern Canada postal codes start with A or B, Quebec is H. Ontario 519 area codes have postal codes starting with N. 905 area codes have postal codes starting with L. 416 area code's postal code starts with M. 613 area code's postal code starts with K. 705 area code's starts with P. Manitoba postal codes start with R, Saskatchewan with S, Alberta with T, BC with V. So the pattern seems to be Alphabetic from A in Eastern Canada to V in the West.
Bobzilla
Re: From an article I found on postal codes worldwide...
I thought Montreal was larger than Quebec?
Sasha Jones said:
I thought Montreal was larger than Quebec?
Postal Codes
I had dinner last year with a friend who works for Canada Post in Vancouver - her job was to sort mail, and she was the national winner of a Postal Code competition that they have every year.
As you read the next part, remember that she's from Vancouver...
I told her my home address in Edmonton - and after a few seconds of thought she correctly gave me my postal code. I told her the address where I grew up in Winnipeg... and she correctly gave me the postal code for that one too. Then I gave her my sister's address in Calgary (I had to look it up in my palm pilot), and after some thought she gave it to me correctly, except that the last digit was off by one (which means she missed by about 8 houses).
Now there's a person who definitely needs to get a life.
I had dinner last year with a friend who works for Canada Post in Vancouver - her job was to sort mail, and she was the national winner of a Postal Code competition that they have every year.
As you read the next part, remember that she's from Vancouver...
I told her my home address in Edmonton - and after a few seconds of thought she correctly gave me my postal code. I told her the address where I grew up in Winnipeg... and she correctly gave me the postal code for that one too. Then I gave her my sister's address in Calgary (I had to look it up in my palm pilot), and after some thought she gave it to me correctly, except that the last digit was off by one (which means she missed by about 8 houses).
Now there's a person who definitely needs to get a life.
