KIM BURTON SCHRAM LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER
While the two opposing groups look to find financial solutions, Canadians are again faced with possible mail delays if there is a strike and a future with the potential of dwindling services. Township of North Glengarry Deputy Mayor Carma Williams appeared on CTV National News expressing concern for Canada Post’s plans to shutter rural post offices and end door-to-door delivery.
Deputy Mayor Williams said there are seniors living in rural areas dependent on door-to-door delivery, who can’t easily access a more distant post office and some without direct deposit for government cheques. While expanded CMBs would be helpful, those with mobility challenges will continue to struggle getting their mail if door-to-door delivery is halted. According to Deputy Mayor Williams, rural constituents fall victim to dwindling services on an on-going basis. The sad reality is that rural communities will become less populated because people won’t move to an area that lacks services.
Community mailboxes (CMB) began in 1985 with the plan to end door-to-door mail delivery, and in 2014 a five-year plan was initiated to transition to community mailboxes. This plan would have saved Canada Post over $400 million a year because retiring staff would not be replaced and fewer new employees would be hired to meet the revised postal services.
However, in 2018 the planned conversion was suspended and although there remained some CMBs, especially in new housing developments, no new community mailboxes were installed. According to the Canadian Postal Service Charter, quality postal services to all areas of Canada, including rural areas, are an integral part of Canada Post’s commitment. Under a rural moratorium established in 1994, rural post offices were protected from closure, ensuring small towns would continue to have post offices in villages.
Fast forward to 2025 and Commissioner William Kaplan’s report suggests lifting the moratorium on rural post offices by closing them, ending door-to-door delivery and expanding CMBs. The report by Commissioner Kaplan also suggests maintaining delivery to businesses. Despite an overall increase in the volume of parcels being delivered, Canada Post is rapidly losing its market share. Service to rural areas is more costly with fewer letters and parcels delivered to fewer residences, further apart. Rural, remote and Indigenous communities’ postal services have been subsidized by more profitable urban & suburban areas where homes and businesses are close together and it’s easier to deliver to more addresses.
Canada Post is a crown corporation funded by the revenue it generates through the sale of products and services. In 2019, Canada Post delivered 62 per cent of packages, but by 2023, this amount had decreased to 29 per cent, with private sector companies taking over the business of delivering parcels. Changes necessary for Canada Post to be able to compete in delivery services, such a offering weekend delivery services, are outlined in the report by Commissioner William Kaplan. However, rural post offices and residential services look to become the sacrificial lambs to help Canada Post deal with its financial challenges while its union clings to unrealistic expectations without changes in its demands.
