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Global News
24-05-2025
- Business
- Global News
End Canada Post door-to-door delivery? Many residents have concerns
Judy Frank says no longer getting mail at her door would make life harder. The 78-year-old Regina woman is unable to walk more than a few steps and says she would need someone to pick up her mail if Canada Post stops door-to-door service. 'It's very dangerous,' Frank said in a recent interview, pointing to the uneven and cracked sidewalk outside her home. Her daughter, Kyara Moon, said Frank once broke a wrist after falling down. Moon lives with her mother and also has some mobility issues. She said door-to-door delivery helps people maintain their independence. 'We're trying to keep seniors in their houses,' Moon said. 'I guess we're going to have to help people who aren't able to get their mail, if this is the way it goes.' Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen Kyara Moon, 59, and her mother Judy Frank, 78, stand outside their home next to their mailbox in Regina on Friday, May 23, 2025. Moon says they're concerned about a report's recommendation for Canada Post to end of door-to-door mail delivery for residential addresses. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeremy Simes. JS Concerns over Canada Post ending door-to-door mail delivery come after a recent Industrial Inquiry Commission report recommended phasing out the service and replacing it with community mailboxes. The report says declining mail volume has made door delivery financially unsustainable. About 25 per cent of Canadian addresses, or roughly four million homes in older neighbourhoods, continue to receive mail at their doors. Canada Post estimates it would save about $350 million per year by converting all addresses to community boxes, while providing select door delivery to those with disabilities. Regina resident Joan Lang supports door delivery. Without it, she said some postal workers would likely lose their jobs. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy But she said she could get used to going to a mailbox. Ways of life have changed before. Story continues below advertisement 'We used to get milk delivered to our home, but now we're used to going to the store,' she said. Calgary resident Frankie Thornhill said Canada Post could do door delivery once a week, not every day. Many seniors require the service, she said. 'I ripped my hamstring off my pelvis three years ago, just from (slipping on) some ice that looked like a puddle,' said the 72-year-old. 'You get these older people and they got to walk two blocks to the box. That is not good.' 0:50 Canada Post should stop daily delivery for individuals, commission finds Canada Post has been in a dispute with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers over a new collective bargaining deal. The Crown corporation received strike notice Monday from the union and, late Thursday, just before a strike deadline, the union called for a stop to overtime work. Story continues below advertisement The union has said it disagrees with most of the report's recommendations and takes issue with 'some of the information on which it was based.' Canada Post began phasing out door-to-door delivery in 2014, which resulted in about 830,000 households being converted to community boxes. The move was unpopular in many neighbourhoods, where residents complained about losing accessibility and convenience. Some also took issue with damage and litter around the boxes. The federal Liberal government under former prime minister Justin Trudeau imposed a moratorium in 2015, preventing Canada Post from doing additional conversions. Melissa Graham, executive director of the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities in Winnipeg, said replacing door-to-door mail with community boxes created barriers. '(Boxes) used to ice up. They used to be in areas that were difficult to get to, if you had a mobility disability,' Graham said. 'They often didn't have braille, so you could not find your mailbox easily.' 4:34 CFIB on small businesses bracing for another Canada Post strike The report says Canada Post has a program to accommodate those with accessibility needs and that the program should be reviewed and enhanced if required. Story continues below advertisement It also recommends lifting a 1994 moratorium that prevents Canada Post from closing rural post offices. The report doesn't provide a list of post offices that should close, but it points out some in suburban communities that were classified as rural no longer are. For example, post offices in the Ontario municipalities of Milton and Richmond Hill no longer fit the rural criteria, even though they were classified as such in 1994. The post office in the Ottawa suburb of Stittsville was also classified as rural before it was amalgamated by the capital city. Glen Gower, a city councillor for Stittsville, said the community was rural 25 years ago but has changed. It now has a second Canada Post outlet, he added. Gower said replacing the original post office with affordable housing makes sense for what the community needs, if one post office could handle all its mail. 'It is sitting on a huge piece of Crown land. But I do want to make sure postal services are maintained,' he said. 'I think (the original post office) is of less significance than it would have been 25 years ago.' The report says ending the moratoriums on rural post offices and community boxes could cause massive public opposition. Story continues below advertisement 'Even with public consultation, it is more likely than not that local communities will strenuously object, as will the union,' it says.
Toronto Star
24-05-2025
- Health
- Toronto Star
‘Not good': Concerns revived over recommendation to end door-to-door mail delivery
Judy Frank says no longer getting mail at her door would make life harder. The 78-year-old Regina woman is unable to walk more than a few steps and says she would need someone to pick up her mail if Canada Post stops door-to-door service. 'It's very dangerous,' Frank said in a recent interview, pointing to the uneven and cracked sidewalk outside her home. Her daughter, Kyara Moon, said Frank once broke a wrist after falling down. Moon lives with her mother and also has some mobility issues. She said door-to-door delivery helps people maintain their independence. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'We're trying to keep seniors in their houses,' Moon said. 'I guess we're going to have to help people who aren't able to get their mail, if this is the way it goes.' Concerns over Canada Post ending door-to-door mail delivery come after a recent Industrial Inquiry Commission report recommended phasing out the service and replacing it with community mailboxes. The report says declining mail volume has made door delivery financially unsustainable. About 25 per cent of Canadian addresses, or roughly four million homes in older neighbourhoods, continue to receive mail at their doors. Canada Post estimates it would save about $350 million per year by converting all addresses to community boxes, while providing select door delivery to those with disabilities. Regina resident Joan Lang supports door delivery. Without it, she said some postal workers would likely lose their jobs. But she said she could get used to going to a mailbox. Ways of life have changed before. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'We used to get milk delivered to our home, but now we're used to going to the store,' she said. Calgary resident Frankie Thornhill said Canada Post could do door delivery once a week, not every day. Many seniors require the service, she said. 'I ripped my hamstring off my pelvis three years ago, just from (slipping on) some ice that looked like a puddle,' said the 72-year-old. 'You get these older people and they got to walk two blocks to the box. That is not good.' Canada Post has been in a dispute with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers over a new collective bargaining deal. The Crown corporation received strike notice Monday from the union and, late Thursday, just before a strike deadline, the union called for a stop to overtime work. The union has said it disagrees with most of the report's recommendations and takes issue with 'some of the information on which it was based.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Canada Post began phasing out door-to-door delivery in 2014, which resulted in about 830,000 households being converted to community boxes. The move was unpopular in many neighbourhoods, where residents complained about losing accessibility and convenience. Some also took issue with damage and litter around the boxes. The federal Liberal government under former prime minister Justin Trudeau imposed a moratorium in 2015, preventing Canada Post from doing additional conversions. Melissa Graham, executive director of the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities in Winnipeg, said replacing door-to-door mail with community boxes created barriers. '(Boxes) used to ice up. They used to be in areas that were difficult to get to, if you had a mobility disability,' Graham said. 'They often didn't have braille, so you could not find your mailbox easily.' The report says Canada Post has a program to accommodate those with accessibility needs and that the program should be reviewed and enhanced if required. It also recommends lifting a 1994 moratorium that prevents Canada Post from closing rural post offices. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The report doesn't provide a list of post offices that should close, but it points out some in suburban communities that were classified as rural no longer are. For example, post offices in the Ontario municipalities of Milton and Richmond Hill no longer fit the rural criteria, even though they were classified as such in 1994. The post office in the Ottawa suburb of Stittsville was also classified as rural before it was amalgamated by the capital city. Glen Gower, a city councillor for Stittsville, said the community was rural 25 years ago but has changed. It now has a second Canada Post outlet, he added. Gower said replacing the original post office with affordable housing makes sense for what the community needs, if one post office could handle all its mail. 'It is sitting on a huge piece of Crown land. But I do want to make sure postal services are maintained,' he said. 'I think (the original post office) is of less significance than it would have been 25 years ago.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The report says ending the moratoriums on rural post offices and community boxes could cause massive public opposition. 'Even with public consultation, it is more likely than not that local communities will strenuously object, as will the union,' it says. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
24-05-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Not good': Concerns revived over recommendation to end door-to-door mail delivery
Judy Frank says no longer getting mail at her door would make life harder. The 78-year-old Regina woman is unable to walk more than a few steps and says she would need someone to pick up her mail if Canada Post stops door-to-door service. 'It's very dangerous,' Frank said in a recent interview, pointing to the uneven and cracked sidewalk outside her home. Her daughter, Kyara Moon, said Frank once broke a wrist after falling down. Moon lives with her mother and also has some mobility issues. She said door-to-door delivery helps people maintain their independence. 'We're trying to keep seniors in their houses,' Moon said. 'I guess we're going to have to help people who aren't able to get their mail, if this is the way it goes.' Concerns over Canada Post ending door-to-door mail delivery come after a recent Industrial Inquiry Commission report recommended phasing out the service and replacing it with community mailboxes. The report says declining mail volume has made door delivery financially unsustainable. About 25 per cent of Canadian addresses, or roughly four million homes in older neighbourhoods, continue to receive mail at their doors. Canada Post estimates it would save about $350 million per year by converting all addresses to community boxes, while providing select door delivery to those with disabilities. Regina resident Joan Lang supports door delivery. Without it, she said some postal workers would likely lose their jobs. But she said she could get used to going to a mailbox. Ways of life have changed before. 'We used to get milk delivered to our home, but now we're used to going to the store,' she said. Calgary resident Frankie Thornhill said Canada Post could do door delivery once a week, not every day. Many seniors require the service, she said. 'I ripped my hamstring off my pelvis three years ago, just from (slipping on) some ice that looked like a puddle,' said the 72-year-old. 'You get these older people and they got to walk two blocks to the box. That is not good.' Canada Post has been in a dispute with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers over a new collective bargaining deal. The Crown corporation received strike notice Monday from the union and, late Thursday, just before a strike deadline, the union called for a stop to overtime work. The union has said it disagrees with most of the report's recommendations and takes issue with 'some of the information on which it was based.' Canada Post began phasing out door-to-door delivery in 2014, which resulted in about 830,000 households being converted to community boxes. The move was unpopular in many neighbourhoods, where residents complained about losing accessibility and convenience. Some also took issue with damage and litter around the boxes. The federal Liberal government under former prime minister Justin Trudeau imposed a moratorium in 2015, preventing Canada Post from doing additional conversions. Melissa Graham, executive director of the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities in Winnipeg, said replacing door-to-door mail with community boxes created barriers. '(Boxes) used to ice up. They used to be in areas that were difficult to get to, if you had a mobility disability,' Graham said. 'They often didn't have braille, so you could not find your mailbox easily.' The report says Canada Post has a program to accommodate those with accessibility needs and that the program should be reviewed and enhanced if required. It also recommends lifting a 1994 moratorium that prevents Canada Post from closing rural post offices. The report doesn't provide a list of post offices that should close, but it points out some in suburban communities that were classified as rural no longer are. For example, post offices in the Ontario municipalities of Milton and Richmond Hill no longer fit the rural criteria, even though they were classified as such in 1994. The post office in the Ottawa suburb of Stittsville was also classified as rural before it was amalgamated by the capital city. Glen Gower, a city councillor for Stittsville, said the community was rural 25 years ago but has changed. It now has a second Canada Post outlet, he added. Gower said replacing the original post office with affordable housing makes sense for what the community needs, if one post office could handle all its mail. 'It is sitting on a huge piece of Crown land. But I do want to make sure postal services are maintained,' he said. 'I think (the original post office) is of less significance than it would have been 25 years ago.' The report says ending the moratoriums on rural post offices and community boxes could cause massive public opposition. 'Even with public consultation, it is more likely than not that local communities will strenuously object, as will the union,' it says. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
24-05-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Not good': Concerns revived over recommendation to end door-to-door mail delivery
Judy Frank says no longer getting mail at her door would make life harder. The 78-year-old Regina woman is unable to walk more than a few steps and says she would need someone to pick up her mail if Canada Post stops door-to-door service. 'It's very dangerous,' Frank said in a recent interview, pointing to the uneven and cracked sidewalk outside her home. Her daughter, Kyara Moon, said Frank once broke a wrist after falling down. Moon lives with her mother and also has some mobility issues. She said door-to-door delivery helps people maintain their independence. 'We're trying to keep seniors in their houses,' Moon said. 'I guess we're going to have to help people who aren't able to get their mail, if this is the way it goes.' Concerns over Canada Post ending door-to-door mail delivery come after a recent Industrial Inquiry Commission report recommended phasing out the service and replacing it with community mailboxes. The report says declining mail volume has made door delivery financially unsustainable. About 25 per cent of Canadian addresses, or roughly four million homes in older neighbourhoods, continue to receive mail at their doors. Canada Post estimates it would save about $350 million per year by converting all addresses to community boxes, while providing select door delivery to those with disabilities. Regina resident Joan Lang supports door delivery. Without it, she said some postal workers would likely lose their jobs. But she said she could get used to going to a mailbox. Ways of life have changed before. 'We used to get milk delivered to our home, but now we're used to going to the store,' she said. Calgary resident Frankie Thornhill said Canada Post could do door delivery once a week, not every day. Many seniors require the service, she said. 'I ripped my hamstring off my pelvis three years ago, just from (slipping on) some ice that looked like a puddle,' said the 72-year-old. 'You get these older people and they got to walk two blocks to the box. That is not good.' Canada Post has been in a dispute with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers over a new collective bargaining deal. The Crown corporation received strike notice Monday from the union and, late Thursday, just before a strike deadline, the union called for a stop to overtime work. The union has said it disagrees with most of the report's recommendations and takes issue with 'some of the information on which it was based.' Canada Post began phasing out door-to-door delivery in 2014, which resulted in about 830,000 households being converted to community boxes. The move was unpopular in many neighbourhoods, where residents complained about losing accessibility and convenience. Some also took issue with damage and litter around the boxes. The federal Liberal government under former prime minister Justin Trudeau imposed a moratorium in 2015, preventing Canada Post from doing additional conversions. Melissa Graham, executive director of the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities in Winnipeg, said replacing door-to-door mail with community boxes created barriers. '(Boxes) used to ice up. They used to be in areas that were difficult to get to, if you had a mobility disability,' Graham said. 'They often didn't have braille, so you could not find your mailbox easily.' The report says Canada Post has a program to accommodate those with accessibility needs and that the program should be reviewed and enhanced if required. It also recommends lifting a 1994 moratorium that prevents Canada Post from closing rural post offices. The report doesn't provide a list of post offices that should close, but it points out some in suburban communities that were classified as rural no longer are. For example, post offices in the Ontario municipalities of Milton and Richmond Hill no longer fit the rural criteria, even though they were classified as such in 1994. The post office in the Ottawa suburb of Stittsville was also classified as rural before it was amalgamated by the capital city. Glen Gower, a city councillor for Stittsville, said the community was rural 25 years ago but has changed. It now has a second Canada Post outlet, he added. Gower said replacing the original post office with affordable housing makes sense for what the community needs, if one post office could handle all its mail. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'It is sitting on a huge piece of Crown land. But I do want to make sure postal services are maintained,' he said. 'I think (the original post office) is of less significance than it would have been 25 years ago.' The report says ending the moratoriums on rural post offices and community boxes could cause massive public opposition. 'Even with public consultation, it is more likely than not that local communities will strenuously object, as will the union,' it says. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2025.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What is the Canada Post strike all about? Here's what to know about the corporation and its union
Canada Post has been notified of a possible strike on Friday after negotiations between the corporation and its workers have proven to be unsuccessful. On Wednesday, the union said it would be reviewing proposals from the corporation. However, the two sides have not been able to agree on basic terms thus far. According to a recently released report, they have 'diametrically opposed world views and assessments of the challenges to be faced and the solutions to them.' The report, called the Industrial Inquiry Commission (IIC), is the result of a series of hearings held between Canada Post and its union, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). In its latest proposals, Canada Post is offering a 13 per cent total wage increase for current employees, as well as 'better income replacement for leave under the short-term disability program, and six added personal days locked into the collective agreements.' The union said its decision to strike was made as the collective agreements for its bargaining units are set to expire on May 23 at midnight. These agreements were extended by the government in December 2024, after the union's last strike, which lasted 32 days. It came to an end after intervention from then minister of labour Steven MacKinnon, who requested that the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) order Canada Post employees back to work if it believed that an agreement wouldn't be reached by the end of the year. Union workers were ordered to get back on the job on Dec. 17, 2024. Although it put an end to striking, the issues remained unresolved. What followed were ongoing negotiations, which have continued until the eve of the expiration of the latest collective agreements. Here's what to know. The union has maintained that it wants 'fair wages, safe working conditions, the right to retire with dignity, and the expansion of services at the public post office.' Canada Post employees who are part of CUPW are also fighting back against 'drastic cuts,' such as closing post offices, ending door-to-door delivery, expanding Community Mailboxes, outsourcing to franchises, and even privatization. The union launched a campaign called Hands Off My Post Office to raise awareness about these issues. 'Competing with U.S. e-commerce giants shouldn't mean lower standards. Workers deserve fair treatment, and Canadians deserve reliable, to-the-door service,' the union said. Canada Post has suffered major financial losses, which seem to be playing a role in its demands. It has said that it wants to reach collective agreements that protect workers and enhance wages and benefits 'while reflecting the Corporations' current realities.' 'Since 2018, the Corporation has recorded more than $3 billion in losses before tax, and it will post another significant loss for 2024,' said Canada Post in a news release on Monday. 'In early 2025, the Government of Canada announced repayable funding of up to $1.034 billion for Canada Post to prevent insolvency.' A part-time weekend workforce and workweek efficiencies are an immediate priority for Canada Post, the IIC report stated. Commissioner William Kaplan called the union's proposals to grow its businesses 'unrealistic,' as are its plans to duplicate services provided by other companies, such as 'introducing postal banking, seniors check-ins, establishing artisanal markets at postal stations, and transforming postal stations into community social hubs.' 'In my view,' wrote Kaplan, 'given the financial crisis, Canada Post must focus on saving its core business, not on providing new services.' The report summarized the main sticking points between the union and Canada Post as the corporations financial situation, its need to diversify or alter its delivery models in response to current business demands, Canada Post's viability as it is currently configured, the union's negotiated commitments to job security and full-time employment and the need to protect the health and safety of employees. Weekend work is a major sticking point that both parties cannot seem to agree upon. The new offers from Canada Post, which are now under review, maintain the need for part-time work, which increases 'the company's delivery flexibility, especially on weekends, while ensuring that letter carriers are not required to work weekend shifts.' However, the union insists that 'preference should be given to full-time work,' it said in its weekend full-time concept and costing report in March. Canada Post also wants to end door-to-door delivery service, which is the first recommendation made in the IIC report, because it is a financial burden. The union says that the service is worth preserving because it meets the 'needs of the Canadian people, particularly the elderly and disabled, while community mailboxes presented accessibility and other challenges.' As part of its latest proposals, Canada Post said it wants to implement dynamic routing, which it says is an industry standard that involves planning and optimizing delivery routes daily and 'creating more consistent, predictable service for customers.' The report stated that the union agreed it could be cost-saving. But after a failed pilot project in 2017, Canada Post said the company and union could 'not agree on many of its core components.' What happened last time Canada Post workers went on a strike? Canada Post strike: What happens to the parcels already accepted? 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