Neighbours raise stink after skunk halts mail delivery
Residents of Bell Street South denied delivery for more than a week
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night can keep Canada Post carriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds — but on one Ottawa street, a skunk sure has.
Amy Kagerer runs a business from her home on Bell Street South and said she realized last week she wasn't getting her mail.
She said when she called Canada Post to find out what was going on, she was stunned to find out what the problem was.
"Our mail service [was] indefinitely suspended because there is a roving skunk in the neighbourhood," she said.
The suspension, which was reversed on Thursday when all her backlogged mail was delivered, was puzzling.
"They continue to deliver mail in sometimes really harrowing conditions, but a skunk shut them down for over a week."
Communication breakdown
Kagerer said her bigger concern was the lack of communication
She said even after talking to Canada Post, she wasn't told she would have the option of picking her mail up at a post office.
"We were still sort of in the dark, so I heard it third-hand from my neighbour," she said.
"I think communication would have been great."
She said Canada Post also initially told her the skunk would have to be captured and carted away before service would resume.
Then when she contacted the city, she said they were understandably not willing to send anyone out to capture it.
"They are not prepared to perform a 24/7 stakeout to catch a roving skunk."
Safety concern
Canada Post declined an interview on the issues, but in a statement confirmed that skunks caused a safety concern and residents should have been better informed.
"Mail delivery suspension can occur when there is a safety concern for our delivery agents," it said.
"Delivery resumed today, however in investigating, our customer notification process was not followed. We apologize to our customers."
Kagerer said she understands skunks are unpleasant and she sees them in the neighbourhood occasionally, but she has always simply backed away.
"There is ample room for escape should a skunk appear on my doorstep."
With files from Denise Fung