The days of door-to-door delivery are over for 7,900 homes in Kanata.
Canada Post starting its five-year plan to phase out the service across the country and transition to new community mailboxes.
Nearly 500 are being installed in Kanata, each serving 16 addresses and have two compartments for parcels.
Canada Post says it’s a necessary move as it adapts to its changing business model.
“We have to make adjustments to our overall business that was largely geared toward a lot of mail and a few parcels because our future is about more parcels and less mail,” says Jon Hamilton, Canada Post spokesperson.
There are about five million addresses in Canada that still receive door-to-door delivery.
Kanata resident Shirley Mander installed a mail slot in their garage door about 10 years ago. She says nothing can beat the convenience of getting mail right at your door.
“It becomes part of your daily routine...Just to walk in your house and pick up your mail. It's instant, it's right there,” says Mander.
While some residents call the new “superboxes” an eyesore, some say it will create a traffic nightmare metres from their home.
“The traffic that’s going to be coming on this side of the street that doesn’t need to, this is a quiet crescent with 60 homes on it. Now we’re going to have all 60 cars coming around this corner,” says Ned Pirie who lives adjacent to the new boxes.
Pirie says another resident across the street planted hedges to obstruct the view of the boxes from his front window.
The Postal Workers Union says it is taking the changes to court, stating only the government can make these kinds of changes to service.
“We’re focused on ensuring there is a postal service in the future, the union can spend their time worrying about the past,” says Hamilton.
With a report from CTV’s John Hua
Read Article: Canada Post cuts door-to-door delivery in Calgary, Ottawa, Winnipeg
