City council is calling on Canada Post to halt the installation of community mailboxes for Campbell River addresses that still have door-to-door delivery.
At last Monday’s council meeting, Coun. Larry Samson put forward a motion that council write to Canada Post insisting on the temporary suspension of all community mailbox installations.
“It just drives me crazy how they can bring in these policies across the nation and then all of a sudden things change and they’re halfway done doing our community and they don’t know what they’re doing,” Samson said. “I think until such time as the newly elected federal government undertakes its comprehensive review, I’d like to see all future community mailboxes stop.”
Canada Post announced on Oct. 26 that it is “temporarily suspending future deployment of the program to convert door-to-door mail delivery to community mailboxes.”
However, the corporation said those communities – including Campbell River – that already made the switch will continue to use community mailboxes.
But, not all homes in Campbell River have been converted.
Monica Judd, president of the Campbell River Local of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, said about 1,000 addresses still don’t have a community mailbox and are not expected to have one until around Christmas.
Samson said he wants installation of those boxes suspended until the newly elected Liberal government conducts a review of Canada Post, a process that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised during his election campaign.
Coun. Charlie Cornfield said he agreed with Samson’s motion because while some community mailbox locations have worked really well, others have been a different story.
“I think more work needs to be done,” Cornfield said. “One I looked at on Vallejo Drive is right on the outside corner, there’s a 30-foot bank right behind it. There’s only 12 houses on the whole darn street yet they’ve got 40 some-odd mailboxes there so the entire neighbourhood comes to this one tiny area.
“I think they need that direction from the federal government and let’s see what happens. So I support Councillor Samson’s motion.”
The rest of council, with the exception of Coun. Ron Kerr, did as well and approved writing Samson’s suggested letter to Canada Post.
The corporation is installing roughly 270 mailboxes around Campbell River, putting an end to home delivery to 8,543 local households. Community mailboxes went into effect for most homes on Sept. 21.