Watch the video above: Some GTA residents criticize delayed Canada Post service. Mark McAllister reports.
TORONTO – Canada Post says service in some areas of Canada has been hampered by extreme weather.
But that’s not stopping some residents from criticizing the corporation for what they call subpar service.
“We pay, whatever it is we pay now, to get a letter delivered,” Ken Godevenos said. “When I put that letter in the box and it promises one or two day delivery, I expect it in two days, not in five, not in six.”
Godevenos lives in Willowdale, and claims he hasn’t received mail since December 27. He went on vacation on the 27th and came back the following Friday.
“There were no pieces of mail for anybody in the house,” she said. “There’s been no mail since then, I have checked with the neighbour and she has had no mail and she’s expecting bills, we’re expecting bills.”
Read More: Majority of Canadians oppose Canada Post service changes: survey
Godevenos was one of many people on his street who did not receive any mail over the holidays.
Robert Appel, a Thornhill resident, was another. He was expecting a notarized, legal document from a Quebec judge but didn’t receive it.
“But I needed this one particular document and it turned out my notary had chosen to use regular Canada post because they really trust Canada post,” he said. “And that was an issue so that was very frustrating.”
The problem? Canada Post couldn’t find people to cover shifts left by vacationing carriers.
“Our holiday season weather has been top of news and top of mind for everybody across the country and especially in Toronto for the ice storm,” spokesperson for Canada Post Anick Losier said. “And it’s created some extra challenges for us at Canada Post.”
VIDEO: Canada Post spokesperson Anick Losier discusses how the delivery issues are being addressed
Canada Post has a list of employees whom it calls to fill in shifts left vacant by vacation or unforeseen circumstances.
But as an ice storm left hundreds of thousands of people across southern Ontario without power just a few days before, the corporation wasn’t able to find replacement employees. They were dealing with their own issues being without power or without daycare.
Read More: Could underground power lines have kept the power on during the ice storm?
And inclement weather across Canada compounded the problem here in the GTA, Losier said.
“A plane that can’t take off on time means that that time has some plane may have some mail, and may have some parcels as well, and it creates a delay on other parts of our network and this has been going on since December 1,” she said.
But Godevenos is skeptical.
“This is Canada. We are cold, we’re known for our cold. It’s not new, this is not the first year it’s been cold,” he said. “Years ago, the mail went through on pony express and it went through on dog sled and the weather was a lot colder, so I don’t buy that.”
For the Willowdale resident, he thinks it’s a matter of customer service: if you promise expedited mail delivery, deliver it.
“I don’t mind unfortunate circumstances; I understand the world is changing. I understand things aren’t going to be the way we want them to be, there are a lot of reasons for that,” he said. “But at the same time, let’s get a handle on it and let’s try to be more consistent in what we do provide. You can’t provide a haphazard service.”
– With files from Mark McAllister
Comments