WATCH ABOVE: Claire-Marie Gagnon used her own body to try and stop Canada Post from installing a community mailbox near her home in Pierrefonds-Roxboro. Global’s Kelly Greig reports.
PIERREFONDS-ROXBORO – Call it a sit-in protest.
Claire-Marie Gagnon used her own body to try and stop Canada Post from installing a community mailbox at the corner of Graham and Ferncrest streets in Pierrefonds-Roxboro.
She said even though she was in the way, work wasn’t immediately halted.
“They went on so I said ‘could you stop?’ and they didn’t. So, I sat in,” said Gagnon.
“They put cement around me, around my leg, it was incredible.”
That’s when workers called the police.
Gagnon said she was not inspired by Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre‘s destruction of a mailbox stand.
She did leave the site though, saying she couldn’t afford to be charged with public mischief.
“I don’t have the same lawyers as Coderre to pay for that,” said Gagnon.
“I will have to pay myself and defend myself in court so I won’t take the chance.”
Coderre addressed the issue at Monday’s city council meeting.
He said his public display was a political move, and does not want to encourage people to destroy the boxes.
Gagnon’s neighbour Heather McLaughlin said Canada Post has been giving residents the run around for weeks.
She said she’s not surprised there’s such a strong reaction, adding the intersection is a busy one, the box is too close to the stop sign, it’s not very accessible and could be dangerous for children.
“There’s no sidewalk, there’s no lights and most people who pick up their mail, it’ll be on their way home at 5 p.m.,” McLaughlin told Global News.
“In the winter, it’s dark so they won’t be able to see. This is a blind corner when they turn around in the dark with snow banks and traffic. It’s going to be a problem.”
Over 23,000 residents are losing door-to-door delivery this week in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Pointe-Claire, Kirkland and Dorval.
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