Canada Post workers in Edmonton were walking picket lines Friday after the start of a nationwide strike. With mailboxes expected to remain empty and Canada Post's red and blue postal vans sitting idle, Edmontonians who rely on the postal service are being told to brace for delays.

A new government report is pointing the finger at postal workers, calling thousands of cases of stolen mail an inside job.

OTTAWA—Canada’s unionized postal workers walked off the job, halting handling of almost all mail and parcels and threatening lengthy delivery delays heading into the busy holiday season. The strike by tens of thousands of Canadian Union of Postal Workers members began early Friday after a year of contentious bargaining failed to yield a collective contract agreement for mail carriers.

Canada Post says shutting down facilities will affect its national network, with processing and delivery of mail possibly needing time to return to normal once the strike is over.

Approximately 55,000 Canada Post workers commenced a nationwide strike after a year of unsuccessful negotiations.

Workers at Canada's national postal service have officially walked off the job across the country, including in Manitoba, where the provincial government says it's working to find ways to help essential mail get delivered.

Workers at Canada Post went on strike Friday in a move that is expected to create delays and other disruptions to mail and parcel delivery — just as the Crown corporation prepares for what's typically its busiest period.