PEI

Charlottetown resident claims community mailbox victory

A Charlottetown resident is claiming victory after seeing the community mailboxes he protested against removed.

'I did a little dance of joy'

Canada Post says the mailbox was removed because it was never put into use. (CBC)

A Charlottetown resident is claiming victory after seeing the Canada Post community mailboxes he protested against removed. 

"I did a little dance of joy," said William White.

White told CBC News he watched a work crew remove the mailboxes, which he had fought against being installed on his side lawn on Gerald Street, on Friday morning.

White didn't ask the crew why the mailboxes were being removed, but he suspects it's because of safety concerns. 

"I believe the boxes were too close to a very busy street, and my argument about the whole thing was somebody's going to be killed trying to get into these mailboxes, because the traffic is very heavy on Gerald Street." 

Never put into use

In a written response, Canada Post confirmed the mailbox has been removed.

"The community mailbox located at the corner of Upper Prince and Gerald Street was never put into use, and so we removed it," the statement read.

Canada Post didn't say why the mailbox wasn't put into use.

Charlottetown resident William White says he did a little victory dance watching a work crew remove the community mailboxes on his side lawn. (Laura Chapin/CBC )

'I was right'

In the fall, after Canada Post prepped the site, White blocked the area with a trailer where the community mailboxes were meant to go. 

"I did everything in my power to convince them it was a bad idea, and it turned out I was right." 

White said he has continued getting mail delivered to his house because the community box was never put into operation.

"This box was never put in service. It sat there all winter empty."

In the fall, William White blocked the site with a trailer where the community mailboxes were to be installed. He eventually lost the battle, until today. (Krystalle Ramlakhan/CBC )

'It's a victory'

White isn't against community mailboxes as a whole, he says it just depends where they're placed. 

"I don't think they're a particularly good idea in the city. In the suburbs, where you can pull off and get to the boxes, I don't they're necessarily a bad idea," said White. 

"But for me, it's a victory, and I'll take it." 

Fresh sod has been put down where the Canada Post community mailboxes used to be on Gerald Street in Charlottetown. (Laura Chapin/CBC )