Fredericton joins calls to maintain mail delivery

The city of Fredericton is calling on the Canadian government to direct Canada Post to maintain door-to-door delivery.  From Victoria, BC to Saint John’s, NL, cities and towns across Canada are calling for similar demands in response to Canada Post’s five point plan.  The elimination of all door-to-door residential mail delivery in Canada, substantial postal rate increases and other service cuts are part of the plan that Canada Post announced in December 2013.

The following resolution was passed at the Fredericton City Council meeting on Monday, March 24, 2014.

WHEREAS local governments in Canada have a direct financial interest in the security and stability of Canada’s postal system, to ensure reliable communications with ratepayers and certainty in the timely payment of taxes and other fees;

AND WHEREAS Canada Post, a consistently profitable Crown Corporation, has announced its intention to eliminate residential door-to-door mail delivery in Canada, calling into question the stability of Canada’s postal system, the certainty of communications and payments, and the reliability of business transactions;

AND WHEREAS this proposed change would entail the downloading of responsibilities, costs and liabilities to local government, including requirements for municipal land and right-of-ways, infrastructure such as paving and lighting, and policing related to vandalism, graffiti and mail theft;

AND WHEREAS this fundamental change to Canada’s communications system is unprecedented in the G7 countries and has announced in the absence of any meaningful consultation with local governments, Canada Post customers or postal workers;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council of the City of Fredericton request that the Federal Government direct Canada Post to maintain the current system of residential door-to-door postal delivery in Canada.