Canada Post violating Liberal election promise, Edmonton woman says

The installation of a community mailbox in her older neighbourhood violates a Liberal election promise to reinstate door-to-door delivery, an Edmonton woman says.

Canada Post began moving from door-to-door service to community mailboxes in 2015 in an effort to save money. 

The Liberals campaigned on a promise to reverse the trend and in December a House of Commons committee recommended Canada Post maintain a freeze on the installation of community mailboxes.

• MPs recommend Canada Post bring back door-to-door mail delivery
• Canadians open to ending door-to-door delivery, government-commissioned poll finds
• Has the prime minister kept his promise on home mail delivery?

But Dawne Colwell, who has lived in West Jasper Place for 25 years, claims Canada Post is not following through.

In all her time living in the neighbourhood, she's never seen a community mailbox, until last week.

"Sunday, I walked over and had a look and saw that it was community mailbox."

She called somebody from the community league whom she expected could tell her what was happening.

But news of the box also came as a surprise to civics director Irene Blain.

"The first I heard about it was when I received an email from Dawne," said Blain. "I went down there as soon as possible — we drove down — and sure enough it's the community Canada Post mailbox."

According to Blain, there was no public announcement prior to the installation of the community box.

"I find it very deceptive for this to be just plopped in the neighbourhood," Blain said.

"I really don't know if the Liberals know that this is happening. We really need to get to the bottom of it."

The community box in West Jasper Place is installed outside an infill development and Blain believes Canada Post may have used a loophole in its policy.

"It states something about all areas with new developments shall be served by community mailboxes," said Blain.

"Well they're looking at any new development and that's a way of it coming into a mature neighbourhood; as long as it's adjacent to a brand new development that's under construction." 

No loophole

But in an email to the CBC, Canada Post spokesperson Darcia Kmet said there is no loophole.

"It has been Canada Post's practice and process since community mailboxes were introduced more than 30 years ago to provide new housing developments with community mailboxes for their mode of mail delivery," she said.

"This includes most infill developments where multiple addresses replace one previous address. The new community mailbox near the corner of 155st Street NW and 97th Avenue NW will serve the new four addresses for the homes being built."

Blain calls the response ridiculous.

"If in fact these mailboxes are going to be for the new builds and all the other houses that are currently receiving door-to-door delivery will continue to have door-to-door delivery, what kind of sense does that make?"

Colwell says there are good reasons to keep the mailboxes out of their community.

"There's a lot of litter and there can be vandalism and people can slip on the ice. It's not something I really want in my neighbourhood."