To: The Honourable Lisa Raitt – Minister of Transport

From: Alex Atamanenko – Member of Parliament

Subject: Canada Post

I am writing to express my grave concerns about the changes to service that Canada Post is in the process of implementing in several communities in my riding of BC Southern Interior. These changes threaten jobs, limit access to the post office for my constituents and reduce Canada Post staff morale.

Canada Post is representing the need for these changes to the public with a rationale that perpetuates mistruths about their purpose and necessity. Here are several examples from my riding:

·       In the town of Osoyoos (population 5,000) Canada Post has opened a franchise postal outlet in a Pharmasave drugstore directly across the street from the main post office.

·       In the town of Rossland (population 3,500) Canada Post is proposing to open a new “high traffic dealership outlet” in order to “improve service for customers in the market to be served.” At the same time, Canada Post is proposing to downsize the corporate retail outlet in Rossland, a move described by management as a “new smaller retail model.”

This “model” will eliminate 1.5 retail positions and place all retail products behind the clerk in a customer service window wicket.

·       Canada Post has eliminated Saturday service in many of the smaller and rural post offices in my riding, including Balfour, Christina Lake, Crescent Valley, Slocan Park and South Slocan.

·       Canada Post has reduced the hours of service in the Trail and Castlegar post offices by opening at 9 am rather than 8:30.

Canada Post is pitching the necessity for these changes across Canada as good business practice in the face of declining profits, the loss of letter post revenue and more competition for parcel services. It defies logic that the best way to complete in the marketplace is to reduce hours of business, withdraw services from communities and go into direct competition with oneself.