HALIFAX – A Nova Scotia woman who fell and broke her leg checking her mail says she’s worried that as Canadians are forced to use community mailboxes, more people could face similar injuries or worse.
Dawn Matthews, of Mineville, N.S., says she fell six years ago and that the area around her community mailbox was not properly maintained.
“If it could happen to a 36-year-old mom of a two-year-old, it could absolutely happen to a senior, someone with balance issues or anybody else,” she said.
Canadians in rural areas have been using the “superboxes” to collect their mail for years, and soon people across the country will have to do the same as Canada Post struggles to reinvent itself in the face of declining revenues.
The Crown corporation announced major changes last month to the way it will do business — the cost of stamps will rise significantly and thousands of jobs will be cut as home-delivered mail becomes a thing of the past.
Braving the weather to get your mail however, is also raising some concerns.
Gerry McDonald, the president of the Mineville Community Association says the superbox system works well in general. His group built a shelter over their mailboxes to protect residents from the elements.
“Out here it works really well. I grew up in small-town Newfoundland and we had the same thing there, and it was fine,” he said. “It didn’t hinder us in any way, shape or form.”
Matthews says it’s difficult when conditions are bad because she can’t wait until the weather improves.
“If the surfaces are not clear, you still have to get your mail,” she said. “You have no choice. I had bills coming in…I used to get my paycheck in the mail.”
Leigh Delorme, who has been getting her mail from a community mailbox for the past 18 years, says she has never had concerns about doing it.
“It’s always been clear,” she said. “It’s a little icy sometimes, but you know that and you just take your time getting out.”
Matthews says she’s received no compensation since her fall, and is heading to court later this year to try to reach a settlement.
She says the corporation passes the blame onto the company it contacts to keep the areas around the boxes clear, and that company in turn blames its subcontractors.
“Canada Post is not willing to mediate at all. They claim they are not responsible,” she said.
A representative from Canada Post said the company could not comment regarding ongoing litigation.
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