The city of Kingston will not be mailing out any type of social assistance cheques during the month of November. This is part of the city’s contingency plan to deal with the Canada Post mail strike.
Cities across Canada have seen one- to two-day stoppages in mail delivery due to the Canada Post rotating strike, which began on Monday. Although the strike hasn’t rotated through Kingston yet, it’s likely the area will see a pause in mail delivery in the coming weeks. Because of this, the city has set up pick-up sites for the 300 Ontario Works clients who would usually get cheques delivered to their doors.
For Kingston, South Frontenac and Island residents, cheques will be available for pick-up at 362 Montreal St. on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
For those living in North or Central Frontenac County, cheques can be picked up at the Rural Frontenac Community Services office at 1020 Elizabeth St. in Sharbot Lake on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
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The city of Kingston is urging people to familiarize themselves with the contingency plan, hoping that those who depend on their Ontario Works payments will know the money is not coming in the mail next month.
WATCH: Will Canada Post rotating strikes have an impact?
The city has provided information for Ontario Works clients on the website and put advertisements on the radio and in the newspaper to let people know their cheques won’t be delivered for the month of November.
Laura Rabbie, the city’s manager of social services, said that case managers have also been contacting their clients directly to notify them of the change.
It is unclear when the strike will end, or when it will come to Kingston, since the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) usually announced strikes in cities on short notice.
Strike locations so far
- On Monday, Victoria, B.C., Edmonton, Alta., Windsor, Ont., and Halifax, N.S., had Canada Post staff walk-off the job for 24 hours.
- On Tuesday and Wednesday, almost 9,000 postal workers were on strike in the Greater Toronto Area.
- Strikes began in Kelowna, B.C., and in Calgary Alta., on Wednesday.
- On Thursday, the strike continued in Calgary and began in Red Deer, Alta., and Sherbrooke, Que.
- On Friday, Saint John, N.B., Sudbury, Ont., Niagara Falls, Ont., and Vancouver, B.C., had postal workers on strike.
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