Government directs Canada Post to restore rural delivery
By Bill Rea

Oak Ridges — Markham MP Lui Temelkovski was ready to take bows last week, after the government directed Canada Post to come up with a plan to restore rural mail delivery.

But York — Simcoe MP Peter Van Loan was not ready to start clapping, at least for his opposition colleague.

Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Lawrence Cannon announced last Wednesday that the government had directed the crown corporation to develop and implement an operational plan to restore and maintain mail delivery to rural roadside mailboxes within the next 18 months.

“I expect that Canada Post will do its utmost to restore and maintain mail delivery to rural roadside mailboxes while taking into consideration the health and safety of their employees and respecting all applicable laws,” Cannon, who’s portfolio includes responsibility for the Crown corporation, said as he made the announcement.

Curtailing rural deliveries became a major issue for many people living in King, especially those in RRs of Newmarket, such as in the Ansnorveldt and Kettleby areas. Certain residents abruptly had their private delivery cut off earlier this year, with mail being left in

group mail boxes. This change was the result of a decision by Human Resources Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) that found safety concerns for employees delivering rural mail from the Newmarket postal station. There have been similar situations reported in other parts of the country.

Temelkovski responded in October, by putting forth a private member’s motion, calling on Cannon to use his power to direct Canada Post to maintain the traditional delivery practices in rural areas, while protecting public safety for rural residents who have to collect their mail some distance from their homes.

That motion received unanimous support in the House of Commons when it came up for a vote.

“That was pretty good,” was his reaction to Cannon’s announcement. “It was nice to hear that the minister heard the voice of the unanimous motion.”

“We just have to monitor now and make sure that Canada Post does what Canadians want,” he added.

“That is what we have been fighting for all along,” he pointed out. “It will almost be one year since the first rural routes were closed in my riding, the first in Canada. I am sorry it has taken the government this long to act. Something should have been done sooner.”

He added he has been hearing complaints of frustration and inconvenience from people all over the riding.

“It has not been an easy year for the elderly, the disabled and those that do not drive, and now we find out they need to wait up to another 18 months,” Temelkovski commented. “There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s a long tunnel.”

Van Loan said the directive actually came from cabinet (of which he’s a member), as opposed to Cannon.

“I was very pleased to be signing that directive,” he remarked

Van Loan said it calls upon Canada Post to come up with a plan for restoring service to the level it was at in December 2005.

“We’re hoping that we’ll see cooperation on that front,” he remarked, also pointing out they want to see something in 18 months. “Hopefully, stuff will happen a lot sooner than that.”

Van Loan also said this directive was not in response to Temelkovski’s

motion. “It was in fact Lui’s Liberal government that created this problem,” he commented.

He has maintained it was the Liberals who made all the rural carriers Canada Post employees, thus putting them into the Canadian Union of Postal Employees. He added that as independent contractors, there had never been complaints of safety issues.

As far as the union is concerned, Van Loan said the Crown corporation has been asked to use “all appropriate measures they can” to bring this about. He added the government wants the service provided, and if the union is not prepared to do it, then Canada post will be obligated to find another way. Rural delivery, he said, exists for the customers, and not the union.

But Temelkovski maintained his motion was “most definitely” behind the directive. He said after Cannon had completed his announcement in the House, Temelkovski gave him a thumbs-up sign across the floor. The minister responded with one of his own, “which is nice and refreshing,” he remarked.