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A new Postal Code system was implemented in Manitoba on October 25th 1971 after being successfully tested in Ottawa on April 1st 1971.  
 
The first phase in the program was to equip every Canadian Business and household with a zip-type code by 1974.  
 
The coding program was estimated to cost from $60 to $70 million for computerized equipment across the country over the first five years.  
 
In February 1970, Communications Minister Eric Kierans announced that after the system was working fully, it could reduce the number of times a piece of mail is handled from about 21 to three or four.  
 
Every Business, and household in Canada was given a six character Code which reveals to post office computers such information as province, city, street, and even the actual street block or building.  
 
The first letter in every Code will indicate a province, (R for Manitoba). The second and third characters of the Code, when combined will serve to divide the province into areas like a city or a group of rural towns, and villages.  
 
The last three characters in rural areas are a specific Code that designates a town or village. In fact, each rural post office has its own Code, this being as detailed, as the Code needs to be.  
 
The Rollout was marked by a large informational advertising campaign costing around $545,000.  
 
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_postal_code