Dear Editor:
Regarding your inquiring reporter's question "Should Canada keep home mail delivery?" Your readers should note that the Canada Post Corporation Act requires that Canada Post charge postage rates that are fair and reasonable and are sufficient to cover its costs. In other words, Canada Post is empowered to balance postage prices against costs. The act requires Canada Post to deliver to every address in Canada. Canada Post is required to communicate with affected customers in advance of any change to delivery methods, to explain decisions and explore options that address customer concerns. All the above requirements are confirmed in the Canadian Postal Service Charter.
Rather than operate more efficiently (or increase postage rates to match costs), Canada Post has now decided unilaterally to interpret the "delivery" requirement as being met by delivery to community mail boxes, i.e. eliminating delivery to our homes. Many customers are rightly concerned about this. Canada Post proposes unilaterally to reduce its terms of service, without exploring options to address customers' concerns, and is therefore in direct contravention of the Canada Post Corporation Act and its own charter. All concerned North Shore residents should address this issue with their MLA , or directly to the ombudsman at Canada Post. If enough residents complain, then this "decision" will be reversed.
Geoff Cooper
North Vancouver
