The Council of Canadians London chapter has been actively campaigning to maintain door to door mail delivery.
Rabble.ca reports, “Ever since Canada Post Corporation announced its plans to eliminate door to door mail delivery to five million households over the next five years, postal customers and letter carriers have been campaigning hard to stop the implementation of community mailboxes (CMBs). …In London, Canada Post estimates that it will convert 85,000 addresses to CMBs despite strong resistance from community members and CUPW local 566 members. The Londoners For Door to Door campaign has been ramping up its activity with weekly door-to-door canvassing, bus ads and plans for town hall meetings in the postal codes directly affected by the Canada Post pilot project in London.”
The article highlights, “Since the start of campaigning, all manner of community members, activists and organizations have come on board. Every Saturday activists and postal workers gather at the CUPW local 566 office to get ready to canvas. The Council of Canadians London Chapter and the London District Labour Council have come on board in a meaningful way.”
Among the other actions being taken, “campaigners have been lobbying London City Council to set up a public consultation process that would look something like one that recently made recommendations to Montreal City Council in a 44-page report published earlier this year. Montreal unanimously voted in favour of the recommendations of its public commission.” One of the key recommendations in that report was, “that the city consider all possible remedies to stop the implementation of community mail boxes.” Unfortunately, London city council has not taken a progressive position on this issue so far.
The campaign has also been tabling at the London Public Library and visiting legion halls.
The article concludes, “People are resisting cuts to door to door delivery, and London For Door To Door campaigners are confident that it is entirely possible that door to door mail delivery can be saved, especially during an election year.”
Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow has commented, “This is yet another case of a Harper-driven impoverishment of an essential service. It will negatively affect seniors, people with disabilities and other Canadians who rely on the mail.”
Further reading
London chapter supports ‘Door to Door’ postal delivery campaign (January 2015 blog)
