The deadline for a decision has come and gone with the federal Liberal government now saying it will announce its decision on mail delivery before the end of the year.
“One of the concerns that I expressed publicly, and I can repeat to you, is that during the election campaign we unequivocally stated on page 34 of the platform that we will save home mail delivery,’’ Casey said on Tuesday.
“But the question of home mail delivery was one that was studied by the (parliamentary) committee. I also believe when you make an unequivocal commitment during a campaign and people vote for you based on that, you should keep your word.’’
Hayley Magermans, media relations with Canada Post, said everything is on hold until a decision is made.
“No conversions from door-to-door community mailbox delivery have taken place since October 2015 given that the government of Canada is currently conducting a review of Canada Post,’’ Magermans said in an email to The Guardian. “The results of the review are expected by the end of the year.’’
Casey himself testified before the committee. In total, the committee has more than 40 recommendations to consider that look at all aspects of the Crown corporation, including home delivery.
One of the recommendations is that any community mailboxes that were installed after Aug. 2, 2015, should be decommissioned and people who lost home mail delivery after that date should have it reinstated.
“It is my hope that cabinet will accept that recommendation,’’ Casey said.
William White of Charlottetown, who successfully fought the location of a community mailbox on his property, said he hopes some sort of compromise is reached.
White lives at the corner of Gerald and Upper Prince streets. The box was initially set up on Gerald Street.
“From the beginning, it’s not that I was so dead against the community boxes, but I was against them being put in places where there was no realistic way to get to them,’’ White said. “If you put them on (Gerald) street, people are going to get hurt and it’s not going to work.’’
In White’s opinion, community boxes don’t belong anywhere in the city south of Allen Street.
“If you’re in a subdivision (or) in the country where there is a place to pull off and get your mail, then fine.’’
There has been much written about the fact that the increase in parcel mail isn’t offsetting the decrease in letter mail. However, Casey said there’s something bigger at play here.
“Should the postal service be looked upon as something that must break even or should it be looked upon as a public service? In my view, that’s where we need to be. I would argue that it is part of the fabric of our country.’’
