Emily Walstrom is waiting for closure.
On Oct. 23, her 65-year-old father, Dennis Walstrom, died from lung disease in Surrey, B.C.
Emily chose to get her father cremated and have his ashes shipped by Canada Post to her home in Île Perrot, Que., which is just outside Montreal.
However, with more than 55,000 Canada Post workers off the job, Emily doesn’t know where her dad’s ashes are.
“I just can’t comprehend how this can happen. … They’re somewhere between Richmond and here,” she told Global News.
“We’re not talking about toys I order for my niece and nephew… it’s my father.”
Emily said her father’s remains were shipped out on Nov. 12. At the time, she was told through her tracking number that she would receive the shipment on Nov. 20.
However, when the strike took place a few days later — she checked again, only to find a notification saying, “delivery may be delayed.” She added that she has not received any new notifications since then.
'How did they allow this to happen?'
More than 55,000 postal workers across the country walked off the job on Nov. 15, citing concerns over wages, contract work, job security, benefits and working conditions.
The Canada Union of Postal Workers told Global News in a statement they empathize with customers who have been negatively impacted by the work stoppage and are “working very hard to resolve this conflict as quickly as possible.”
However, when Global News reached out to Canada Post about the matter, they warned that “the national strike will continue to impact service to Canadians well after the strike activity ends.”
Walstrom is now calling on Canada Post and its postal union to treat human remains more responsibly.
“They took responsibility to make sure that my father’s ashes will go from point A to point B,” she said.
“It’s awful that this can be allowed to happen.”