Canada Post says it’s working to de-ice frozen community mailboxes
Posted January 13, 2016 1:55 pm.
Last Updated January 13, 2016 7:26 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Canada Post says it’s working to de-ice locks on community mailboxes after complaints that they’re frozen in many parts of the country.
Bruce and Claudette Leroux wrote CityNews to say their community mailbox in Whitby has been inaccessible for the past three days, despite contacting Canada Post for help after day one.
“Apparently they have 24 hours to send someone out to de-ice the locks and lubricate them,” the couple wrote. “Not off to a good start.”
Residents in Thornhill have also contacted CityNews to complain.
The problem seems to stretch across the country.
On Twitter, Peter Poirier from Prince Edward Island tweeted Canada Post customer service, complaining that he’s been frozen out six times.
“I don’t mind them (community mailboxes) but they have to work,” he wrote.
The issue has also made headlines in Ottawa and Quebec, where frustrated residents have tried a variety of homemade de-icing techniques.
Canada Post pinned the blame on Mother Nature.
“The unseasonably warm rainy weather immediately followed by a flash freeze and harsh winter conditions has impacted some locks…and that includes community mailboxes,” the Crown corporation said in an email statement.
“We ask that affected residents contact us via our customer service (1-866-607-6301 or online at CanadaPost.ca) to report their issue so we can prioritize accordingly. Our teams are out there working on de-icing the locks in both new and older models. We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work to resolve this as quickly as possible.”
Canada Post’s push to phase out door-to-door delivery in favour of community mailboxes was met with an equally icy reception.
The program was suspended a week after the Liberals, who campaigned on returning door-to-door delivery, stormed their way to a majority government in the federal election.
The suspension preserved mail delivery for nearly half a million households, but those that had already converted to community mailboxes were stuck with them.
