It’s going to happen in 2016.
Kitimat will join Terrace in a shift to a community mailbox system for collecting mail rather than the door-to-door service enjoyed now.
Canada Post revealed this week that Kitimat, along with Terrace, would be part of 3,229 homes that will lose the door-to-door service, part of the mailing service’s multi-year plan to phase in community mailboxes country-wide.
It’s unclear precisely when the change will take place.
Figuring out where community mailboxes will be placed will be determined through consultation processes with the town and affected residents, says John Caines with Canada Post’s media relations.
“This is part of a five-year initiative to convert one-third of Canadian addresses who still have delivery at the door to community mailboxes in an effort to secure postal service for the future,” said Caines in a statement. “Since the program began in 2014, one million addresses have been or are in the various stages of the conversion process.
“Within the next couple of days, each affected resident will receive the first of many communications from Canada Post. The first one is an information package with a mail-in survey. The package will tell them how they can express their priorities and preferences about their new delivery method. This is a process we have used since the beginning of the process. So far 260,000 Canadians have shared their insights through this survey, which proved very helpful in choosing safe, suitable locations.”
A dedicated phone number will be available for people concerned about their ability to access their mailbox.
Canada Post said no regular full-time or part-time employees will lose their jobs due to this change, as they will reduce the workforce through attrition.
“With mail volumes continuing to decline, the changes we are making are necessary to secure postal service for all Canadians. We are proceeding in communities across the country as we have for years – in a thoughtful, consultative manner and in accordance with the laws that govern how postal service is provided in Canada.”
A day earlier to the announcement for Kitimat Canada Post also announced Terrace would be phased in to community mailboxes in 2016 also.
