Distance Education (DE) came into existence more than 150 years ago, as an effort to replace live, face-to-face instruction. Ever since then DE has evolved and taken several distinctive forms that reflect the characteristics of technologies that have emerged at different periods of time. Distance educators have always been adept at selecting appropriate technology for imparting instruction and promoting teacher-learner interaction over distances. Even emergence of DE in Canada coincides with the rise of the mail service in 1889, whereas in India it was introduced in the 1960s to meet the demand for higher education. However the movement gathered strength in both Canada and India at the same time, in the 1970s and 1980s. Currently all major DE institutions in both countries are engaged in providing flexible and accessible learning opportunities to their learners.The present paper discusses the existing practices and major issues confronting DE in these countries.