Watch the video above: Stamping out Canada Post door-to-door delivery could have negative impacts.
SASKATOON – Canada Post’s plan to phase out door-to-door mail delivery could negatively affect accessibility, sustainability and safety in local communities.
According to The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), simply plunking down community mailboxes could cause many problems.
“There would have to be a fair amount of money spent planning and designing some kind of modification to the streets,” explained Allan Teramura, RAIC regional director.
“There’s no information provided to date that shows how this will be done in a way that’s acceptable to everyone.”
The institute says seniors and people with disabilities could be among the hardest hit if the transition doesn’t involve proper planning.
“People with any kind of mobility issues will have to have mailboxes that are fully accessible, particularly in the winter, because it means someone has to manually clear the snow away from these things,” explained Teramura.
Maurice Levesque wasn’t happy when he heard Canada Post plan.
“My sons live in different parts of the country, so I write a lot and I feel like they’re persecuting letter writers,” he explained.
He also feels that community mailboxes don’t fit in with Canada’s sustainability goals.
“I used to live by one of those community mailboxes, everybody drives to them, nobody walks to them,” said Levesque.
In a news release, Canada Post said its financial losses, if left unchecked, would “jeopardize its financial self-sufficiency and become a significant burden on taxpayers and customers.”
The Crown Corporation plans to announce the first communities that will switch to community mailboxes in the second half of 2014.
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