The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) hasn鈥檛 given up on its quest to have door-to-door mail delivery restored in Estevan.
Kerri Arnott-Thirsk from the CUPW addressed Estevan city council at the May 29 council meeting. She and other union members were looking to draw council鈥檚 attention to the review of Canada Post conducted by the standing committee on government operations and estimates.
Arnott-Thirsk said they have received support from members of the public who want to see door-to-door delivery reinstated.
She noted that Estevan was converted to the community mailbox system on Aug. 17, 2015. Since that time, there have been concerns from residents regarding the location of those mailboxes. Some mailboxes were on people鈥檚 properties, and others were in unsafe locations.
Those mailboxes also have a negative impact on seniors and those with mobility issues, and Arnott-Thirsk said the mailboxes resulted in three job losses in Estevan.
After the Liberals were victorious in the 2015 federal election, they imposed a moratorium on the community mailbox conversion process, but they did not restore door-to-door delivery for communities that received the mailboxes in the summer and fall of 2015.
鈥淎fter months of public consultation, with testimony from seniors groups, community organizations and the public and testimony from the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, the standing committee identified the impact to these groups, with regards to the loss of door-to-door delivery, was profound,鈥� said Arnott-Thirsk.
The loss of the delivery has made it difficult for seniors and people with disabilities to access their mail. And she noted people have been injured due to slips and falls while walking to the mailboxes.
Arnott-Thirsk noted polling companies such as Angus Reid have found a majority of Canadians want to see a return to door-to-door delivery.
She also told council that several communities have sent resolutions to the standing committee on government operations and estimates, asking for door-to-door delivery to be restored, and she hopes the local council will do the same.
