'Continued rudeness' prompts Cambridge Bay postal workers to walk off job

The sign that greeted visitors to the post office in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, on Monday was short and to the point.

"Due to continued rudeness by some people, I quit," it read. "Have fun trying to get your parcels."

The note was signed "Bo," for Bo Wallenius, one of the remote northern community's two postal workers. He told CBC he and his coworker resigned this week after facing allegations of theft and other harassment from residents.

"I've been accused of stealing people's mail, withholding people's mail — both of those are literally federal offences, I could face 10 years for those," he said.

"I was accused of being a racist because somebody wanted a parcel and the parcel wasn't in. I was called a f---ing qablunaq because I apparently took their job," he said.

"Being cursed because I'm the white guy who's working away … how is that my fault?"

The resignations leave the post office without permanent staff during the busiest weeks of the Christmas season.

CBC requested more information from Canada Post on when services may resume, but received no response.

Cambridge Bay Mayor Pamela Gross told CBC Tuesday she was expecting Canada Post to announce a temporary replacement who would be able to resume some limited services.

A full-time replacement will likely not be hired until the new year.

"We're hopeful that ... we'll have full services resume as soon as possible," she said.

Pandemic ups pressure on postal workers

Wallenius has worked at the Cambridge Bay location for 11 years. He and his coworker, who has been the office's only other full-time employee for most of that time, made the decision to leave the job together.

He said even though rudeness toward postal workers is an "ongoing" issue, the pandemic "hasn't helped."

"People are stressed out," he said. Meanwhile, on his side of the counter, mail volumes are spiking like never before.

"We were going back to Christmas loads," he said — an average of 300 to 500 packages a day.

Wallenius said he understands why mail delays caused by the pandemic are an emotional issue for residents.

"You have people, for example elders, who are depending on their cheques coming in," he said.

"When you have a plane going mechanical or bad weather that's forcing that plane not to be able to land, people are anxious because, of course, [they have] no money."

Delays can also ruin special occasions, like birthdays and Halloween.

"It's kind of hard to have Halloween a week after it's supposed to be," he said.

But while "most of the people in town are fabulous," he said, "unfortunately, all it takes is a few bad eggs to bring the situation to a point where it's like, 'I don't need this.'"

Canada Post promises improvements to northern services

The drama at the Cambridge Bay office comes amid a push by Canada Post to improve its relationship with northern communities.

A new "northern strategy" will see the company meet with community leaders across the North to develop an improved approach to service, including bringing more Indigenous staff on board.

Wallenius said he supports what he's seen of the strategy. 

I will never go back.- Bo Wallenius, former postal worker

"Obviously, trying to make sure more Indigenous personnel are hired … that makes sense," he said. "One of my deepest regrets was not being able to speak to our elders in their tongue…. That's something that always bugged me."

He also said higher wages would help attract more local staff to work on a casual basis. Right now, the entry wage of $17.30/hour is not much more than someone would make at a grocery store, where there's no need for a security clearance.

But for Wallenius, no amount of improvements could make him want to rejoin the company.

"I will never go back," he said.

Residents need to undergo a "quantum shift" in the way they think about the mail, he said.

"We're never able to control what goes on the airplanes that come up here," he said. "We have zero control over the weather, we have zero control over the mechanicals. 

"I'm not God, I don't have that ability."

Gross, the mayor, agreed that the incident "shows that we need to make some changes in the community."

"We have to be mindful that these situations sometimes can't be helped," she said.

"I'm hopeful this will make us more mindful … and that people will think twice about what they might say to people," she said. "Being kind to one another is our foundation of who we are, as Inuit."

As for Wallenius, his wish is simple:

"I hope they treat the next person better."