A Woman WearsSunglasses in the Shape of Canadian Flags During Canada Day Celebrations in Ottawa
A woman wears sunglasses in the shape of Canadian flags during Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa July 1, 2014. Canadians are celebrating their country's 147th birthday. Reuters/Chris Wattie

Canada Post may be able to make home delivery exemptions to the disabled, but only upon receipt of a doctor's note.

The agency announced in December 2013 that home delivery to the one-third of Canadian households will be phased out over the next five years in a bid to curb rising operational expenses in the midst of a dropping demand for mail delivery.

"It's not going to be a one size fits all. It won't be a cookie-cutter approach," Jon Hamilton, Canada Post spokesman, said. "We recognize everyone's situation is unique and we need to tailor our solutions to individual circumstances."

Hamilton said the agency has sent out questionnaires to people who have indicated having difficulty in getting to a community mailbox. Among the questions asked were details such as ability to get to a mailbox or if their mail could be retrieved by another.

"For some people, they can get to the box, but they may have an issue opening the box or clearing the mail out of the box," he said. "For some, the issue is getting to the community mailbox."

"But in some cases, we may need to visit clearing the box for an individual on a weekly basis, and delivering that mail to the door," he said.

"Clearly, we're not going to be asking for a doctor's note, if we're going to provide somebody with a key aid or an extra key," he said. "As we try to find the right solution for each individual, in some cases we may ask for a form from the doctor."

Canada Post in 2013 delivered 1.2 billion fewer letters compared from 2006.

The transition from door-to-door delivery to community mailboxes later this year involves 100,000 addresses. The first 11 communities include parts of Oakville, Ont., Winnipeg, Calgary, Halifax and smaller towns in Quebec.