Canada Post scrambles to deliver mail after storms

Even the hardiest, most determined of mail carriers can run into trouble when a month's worth of snow falls in a few days.

Halifax resident Angus Lethbridge said he went a week without getting mail after the latest snowstorms to hit the Maritimes.

"We actually saw the mailman crawling up on his hands and knees to get to the mailbox," Lethbridge said. "He looked at me and said, 'I can't put mail in those.'"

Lethbridge said he phoned Canada Post to complain, calling the lack of snow clearing "disgusting."

Obstacles after a storm

Tim Blizzard, director of operations for Canada Post in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, said mail carriers do their best to resume delivery as soon as conditions improve.

The expectation is that all community mailboxes will be cleared within 24 hours.

"Snow clearance around the boxes can be challenging at times," Blizzard said. "You can clear a box, then the city plows come by and fill the snow back in. So then you have to call the contractors and get them to come back out and clear the snow."

"It's been a fairly serious year so far for the entire province of New Brunswick," Blizzard told Information Morning Moncton.

"I compare this to 1998, when we had the big ice storm. Everybody has suffered somewhat in New Brunswick, especially the Acadian Peninsula."

Sorting by flashlight

Blizzard says Canada Post employees worked to ensure everyone received essential mail during the ice storm, even when the power was out for a more than a week.

"We had to make arrangements at the time to make sure all the social assistance cheques and everybody with any income or business cheques ... got delivered. We had to ensure that people had their essentials and necessities."

Blizzard said postmasters went through the mail by flashlight and called in rural drivers to make deliveries door-to-door.

Mail service is back to normal on the Acadian Peninsula, but back-to-back snowstorms last week made it difficult for letter carriers in the southern half of the province.

Door-to-door service suspended

In Fredericton, residents on Crocket Street, including Steve Truswell, have been told to pick up their mail at a local pharmacy.

"I can completely understand why Canada Post made that decision, at least in our neighbourhood," Truswell said. "Even without the snow there are a couple of blind spots there, and crossing the road is a bit of a safety issue."

He said Canada Post gave residents a heads-up before the latest snowstorm.

When those roads become narrow, and we're trying to share that space with vehicles, it does become a safety issue.- Tim Blizzard, Canada Post

"They weren't going to be doing home delivery due to the safety issues with the snow — a fairly busy street, and no sidewalk — it made sense to me."

Blizzard said Canada Post has to consider the safety of its employees.

"When those roads become narrow, and we're trying to share that space with vehicles, it does become a safety issue."

He said as soon as conditions improve, door-to-door service will resume.

Anyone having trouble accessing mail is urged to phone 1-844-454-3009 to resolve the issue.