Could door-to-door mail service be restored to St. Albert residents under the Liberal government?
The newly elected federal Liberals did promise to save door-to-door mail delivery as part of the campaign platform during the election. There had been mixed reaction and some backlash to the plan to switch the national postal service away from home delivery.
While St. Albert’s first phase of the community mailboxes became operational in the city in late summer 2015, Canada Post put further transitions across the country on hold as of Oct. 26, 2015, pending a promised government review. The Liberals won the election on Oct. 19.
Anick Losier, a spokesperson for Canada Post, said in an email that St. Albert was not completely converted. About 10,000 city addresses representing the T8N area code that dominates the city were swapped to the new community mailbox system this summer, Losier said. Fewer than 2,000 addresses were not changed over.
“We look forward to participating in the review when it is underway,” Losier wrote.
The review was outlined in Public Services and Procurement Minister Judy Foote’s mandate letter from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Foote’s ministerial duties include Canada post.
The letter doesn’t make any promises about restoring door-to-door delivery. Instead, it requests Foote undertake a review of Canada Post “to make sure it provides the high-quality service that Canadians expect at a reasonable price.”
Several questions posed by MPs about home delivery in the House of Commons received responses referring to the planned review.
So will customers in St. Albert who’ve lost home delivery get it back? What about those who weren’t transitioned to the new community mailboxes? What will mail delivery under the Liberal government look like?
Pending that review, answers to these kinds of questions don’t appear to be forthcoming.
Annie Trépanier, communications director for Foote, said in an email Canadians voted to stop the dismantling of door-to-door delivery.
“There is a moratorium on the creation of community mailboxes and we are committed to a comprehensive review of Canada Post. This review will engage Canadians from coast to coast to coast,” TrĂ©panier stated.
Like the mandate letter, TrĂ©panier stated, “The review will ensure that Canada Post provides the high-quality service that Canadians expect at a reasonable price.”
More information on the review will be available soon, Trépanier said.
