New Westminster city council wants the federal government to stamp out its plan to end door-to-door postal service across the country.
Coun. Bill Harper believes the elimination of door-to-door service and the creation of community mailboxes will result in downloading on to municipal governments
“This is unprecedented,” he said. “Nowhere in major industrialized countries in the world have they done this.”
Council approved Harper’s motion to ask the federal government to direct Canada Post to maintain the current system of residential door-to-door postal delivery in Canada. The city will also forward the resolution to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Lower Mainland Local Government Association and other local governments in Canada.
“I think we need to mount a campaign right across the country where municipal governments say this is not acceptable,” he said.
The motion’s preamble states that local governments have a direct financial interest in the security and stability of Canada’s postal system to ensure reliable communications with taxpayers and to get timely payment of taxes and other fees. It also states that the proposed change would entail the downloading of responsibilities, costs and liabilities to local government, such as requirements for municipal land and rights of way, infrastructure, such as paving and lighting, and policing related to vandalism, graffiti and mail theft.
Harper pointed out that the city owns the streets and boulevards where these boxes would be located.
”These kinds of boxes have to be well lit, have to have pavement around them, have to be serviced,” he said.
Harper also expressed concern about the impact the elimination of door-to-door service would have on seniors, some who aren’t computer savvy and unable to do things like online bill payments. He’d like to see Canada Post withdraw its proposal and do proper consultation across Canada.
Some council members also expressed concern that Canada Post’s services are being reduced, which will lead to the growth of private door-to-door service.
Coun. Jamie McEvoy said mail delivery has become a profitable sector because of the increase in online shopping. He expressed concern about the trend of “deliberately weakening” a proud corporation for a political agenda.
McEvoy said the federal government’s actions will create room for private companies to flourish, while Canada Post is left to become “frail and wither” because of the changes.
McEvoy expressed concern about a policy that would require elderly and frail people to go out in the winter months and put their health and safety at risk, just to retrieve their mail from a community mail box
“There are people who need that door-to-door delivery service,” he said.
Coun. Chuck Puchmayr said there’s a lot of way to make Canada Post more affordable and profitable.
Coun. Betty McIntosh voiced concerns about some of the contents of the motion, noting it states that Canada Post has been a “consistently profitable” Crown corporation, but that’s contrary to Canada Post statements that it’s lost millions of dollar. Council refused to change the wording of the motion, so McIntosh voted against it because of concerns some of it may be inaccurate.
Canada Post recently announced plans to convert door-to-door delivering at five million addresses across the country to community mailbox delivery over the next five years.
“The conversion of delivery at the door to community mailbox delivery will have no impact on the two-thirds of Canadian households that already receive their mail and parcels through community mailboxes, grouped or lobby mailboxes or rural mailboxes,” stated a press release from Canada Post. “Community mailboxes offer individually locked mail and small packet compartments, as well as locked compartments, for securely receiving parcels. The initial neighbourhoods slated for conversion in the second half of 2014 will be announced in the coming weeks once plans are finalized.”
Canada Post has developed a series of principles it will use to ensure the transition is handled responsibly.
The press release states this includes being sensitive to the needs of seniors and disabled Canadians by developing alternative approaches for people with significant mobility challenges and working with community leaders and municipal planning officials to choose safe and appropriate sites.
