Door to door mail delivery will be a thing of the past come 2016, and MP Charlie Angus is not happy about it. He says Canada Post made a profit of $194 million last year, and there is no justification for the cuts.
“They’ve made profits year, after year, after year. And yet, this is their ideology that Canadians don’t deserve first class mail service. We don’t believe that,” says Angus.
He also says there are accessibility issues.
“The issues of the snow, the rain, the ice, senior citizens getting out to there,” says Angus. “Now this isn’t to say we shouldn’t overhaul Canada Post, the markets are definitely changing. We can do mail delivery better, we can do it smarter, we can do it in a way that is more affordable.”
However, Timmins Mayor Steve Black posted this statement on Facebook:
“As many residents have heard through media or press releases Timmins will be undergoing the transition to community mailboxes in 2016. This decision was made by Canada Post and not the municipal government.
Just to clarify, many are protesting this change on behalf of seniors or those with mobility issues. This is commendable but it should be noted as per my discussions with Canada Post officials earlier this week that anyone who has mobility issues can still apply in the new program to have their mail delivered at home once per week.
It is a service change and reduction but I just wanted to ensure everyone is aware of that part of the program as the discussion heats up.”
Over 10, 000 addresses with the codes P4N, P4P, and P4R will be affected. Packages will start coming in with information, including a mail in survey. It will also give ways for those affected can give their opinions and preferences about the new delivery method.
In a press release, Canada Post says “so far 260,000 Canadians have shared their insights through this survey, which proved very helpful in choosing safe, suitable locations.”