Residents concerned about sporadic mail delivery in rural Richmond County

Some people in rural parts of Nova Scotia's Richmond County are getting frustrated with sporadic mail delivery.

Canada Post says a driver retired weeks ago and finding a replacement has been a challenge. But residents are concerned the problem might signal the further erosion of rural services.

Judy Morrison, who lives on a gravel road in Grand River Falls, about a 25-minute drive from the nearest post office in Lower L'Ardoise, said she's always had daily mail delivery, but not for the last month or so.

"It's not good at all," she said. "I'm 54 years since I started [living] here and this is the first time we've had a mess."

Morrison said for most people, driving to the post office every day to check for mail is inconvenient and the provincial roads are not well maintained.

"I hope this gets resolved very soon, because it's very frustrating and a lot of us here are seniors and just, we need some concrete answers as to what's going to happen," she said.

The Grand River area used to have a school, two stores, two churches and a post office, Morrison said, but some families moved moved there recently.

"All we have left is postal service and one church, so it seems like we're losing more than what we're gaining."

Deputy warden Brent Sampson, who represents the district for Richmond County, said residents have been calling him to complain about the postal service, and some are worried that mail delivery is being reduced on purpose.

"People get very concerned sometimes, in a rural area especially, that if the service gets cut back, all of a sudden it won't be reinstated," he said.

Sampson said the affected rural route runs northeast to Grand River Falls and east to the Saint Esprit area, up to a 30-minute drive from the post office in Lower L'Ardoise.

A driver from another route has been covering the area temporarily and Canada Post has indicated a permanent replacement is on the way, he said.

The mail "has been arriving a little later than people expect, but given the situation, the fact that it is still being delivered was a great plus," Sampson said.

"One of the bigger problems was people having to go pick up the mail from the post office. If they didn't have a P.O. box, you had to be there during business hours."

Morrison said Canada Post should have done a better job of communicating what's happening with residents. As for word that a permanent replacement driver was being hired, she is reserving judgment.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Morrison said. "We thought we had somebody as of the 10th of July and apparently that's no longer, so it's just kind of a day-by-day thing."

In an email, a Canada Post spokesperson said the search for a new driver has been difficult, but a new employee has been hired and will start in a little over a week.

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