When it came to the demise of door-to-door mail delivery in Flin Flon, four of the five Ws have long been known.
Late last week, Canada Post filled in the remaining W – when? – by announcing that door-to-door service will end in 2016, two years before
the latest possible date.
Thanks to attrition, Canada Post has promised no layoffs, and one can only hope that pledge is maintained.
Moreover, the corporation still requires employees in Flin Flon to handle sorting and delivery to the community mailboxes from which residents will retrieve their mail.
Several residents have expressed concerns over how the move will impact individuals with mobility limitations. Can they manage to walk a block or two to retrieve their mail? Should they have to?
To its credit, Canada Post has said such individuals can continue to have their mail delivered to the door, provided they provide a doctor’s note to verify their physical restrictions.
This should assuage concerns over our disabled and elderly receiving the short end of the stick in this move.
What’s most worrisome is the loss of several well-paying government positions in our
community.
That may not sound like a lot, but every position counts, particularly in an environment where government jobs tend to go to The Pas or Thompson rather than Flin Flon.
The next step in this process is for Canada Post, in conjunction with residents and civic officials, to decide where to locate the aforementioned community mailboxes.
All eyes will be on the corporation to ensure this process is transparent and fair, taking into account the needs of individual neighbourhoods.
