Ryan Cleary joins fight for postal outlet in Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove
Federal MP Ryan Cleary is backing Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove in its fight for better postal services.
Canada Post shut down the postal outlet in Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove last year and replaced it with 29 mega-sized mailboxes.
In order to pick up a package or buy a stamp, residents have to travel six kilometres to the postal outlet in the Goulds.
Some residents say this is a big inconvenience, especially for an aging population.
"It's not good, especially for the older crowd," said Rosie Doyle, whose mother lives in the community. She's concerned about how her mother, 67, will be able to send and collect mail once the winter comes.
Canada Post offered to reinstate an outlet in the town, but only for 20 hours a week with wages at around $20 per hour.
Although people came forward with an interest in running the outlet, Cleary said the financial compensation did not make it worthwhile.
"If you only have a post office that's open for two or three hours a day and not on the weekend at all, it's not working for the people, it's not working for the businesses," said Cleary, MP for St. John's South-Mount Pearl.
"Canada Post cannot expect an operator to reopen a postal outlet in a community unless the fair remuneration is there."
In June, the town's mayor told CBC that after unsuccessful discussions with the crown corporation, a political campaign might be their last option.
Cleary said he's fighting Canada Post's reduction of postal services in rural communities and wants to spread awareness of what's happening.
"That's doing through the back door what Canada Post couldn't do through the front door, which is reduce postal services throughout Canada," he said.
"There's a move from Canada Post to shut down rural service, to definitely reduce it, and that's not what the people want."