Canada Post 'superbox' complaints land in councillor's inbox
The switch to community mailboxes in some Edmonton neighbourhoods has created a mountain of mail for one city councillor.
Coun. Michael Walters, Ward 10, has had dozens of emails, letters, phone calls opposed to the eventual end of all door-to-door delivery and the beginning of community or super mailboxes.
"It's taken up a little more time in our office then I'd like," he said.
"How they've made the decisions about where the mailboxes are going to go and how they've communicated those decisions to people in neighbourhoods I represent has been less than satisfactory," he said.
Canada Post announced it was phasing out door to door delivery in December 2013 saying urban home delivery will be phased out over the next five years. When they made the announcement, two-thirds of Canadians were already receiving their mail from community mailboxes.
Many newer neighbourhoods in the city, such as parts of Terwilligar, have only ever had community mailboxes.
“It’s very convenient and it’s easy for us to access the mailbox,” said Elena Bodoarca, who has lived near a super mailbox since 2008.
The selection of where to place the boxes is made with community input, said Annick Losier, a spokesperson with Canada Post.
"We know not everyone will be happy but certainly we will look at every suggestion made," he said, adding that decisions on where to put the boxes comes from online surveys and consultation with municipalities.
Losier said anyone who lives immediately adjacent to a proposed mailbox site will be asked for their opinion.
Last year Canada Post changed the location of more than 700 super mailbox sites because of feedback from Canadians.