Suspending Canada Post community mailbox program a 'positive step,' union says

Canada Post workers breathed a sigh of relief Monday after the Crown corporation announced it is suspending a nationwide conversion from door-to-door delivery to community mailboxes.

During the lead up to the federal election on Oct. 19, the Liberals promised to halt the phasing out of the home delivery.

In a news release issued late Monday, Canada Post spokeswoman Anick Losier said the corporation will work "collaboratively" with the government of Canada to determine the best path forward given the challenges in the postal system.

• Canada Post halts controversial community mailbox program 

Union praises 'step forward'

Glenn Bennett, president for the Winnipeg chapter of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), said he was encouraged to hear the news.

"It's obviously a positive step forward," said Bennett. "Canada Post is obviously reacting to a majority Liberal government and the Liberal government's stance was to stop the CMB conversion for now."

Only four neighbourhoods in the Winnipeg area have been converted to community mailboxes thus far, including one that was recently completed in St. Vital. Bennett said he hopes the suspension is a sign of things to come.

"People have come out and said that they want their home delivery still," he said. "It affects a lot of people, a lot of seniors and people with disabilities."

Conversions planned for November and December and into the new year have been put on hold. There are currently roughly 460,000 addresses across the country involved in the changeover.

North End councillor cheers suspension 

When news of Canada Post's decision to suspend the expansion of community mailboxes reached Ross Eadie, city councillor for Winnipeg's Mynarski Ward, he cheered out loud, he said.

In the year since Canada Post installed community mailboxes in his ward, Eadie has heard from a range of disgruntled residents, he said.

"There's issues of snow all around the mailboxes … in winter there's cars taking up parking spaces … complaints of blowing litter," he said.

"I know a number of seniors, when the winter is on, they're not going to get their mail."

In newer suburban communities, the mailboxes might work because the areas are designed with the larger boxes in mind, but Eadie said older neighbourhoods aren't set up to have anything but door-to-door mail delivery.

"Personally I would like to just have [the installation of community mailboxes] totally reversed," he said.