Allow me to introduce you to the new Canada Post.
Post that
So, you would have had to be living under a pile of Christmas cards this week, not to have heard at least a little snippet of the changes Canada Post announced on Wednesday, December 11, 2013.
For me to weigh in on this topic is a bit expected perhaps, but nevertheless, given that I BLOG about snail mail there is a certain sense of irony that is not lost on me.
These changes are also ironic in that the very thing that would provide Canada Post with a viable future, that being more pieces of mail being sent, is being discouraged by making it more difficult for people to mail or receive a letter.
Snail in the mail
Quick summary on changes:
– price hike to individual stamps from current 63 cents to 85 cents (if purchased in bulk), otherwise $1.00 per individual stamp effect March 31, 2014
– over the next 5 years home delivery in urban centers will be phased out (moving to community mailboxes)
– privatize more postal stations
– cut up to 8000 jobs as workers retire
No disputing the fact that there are very compelling reasons for Canada Post to take a new strategic direction. I think we are all aware that snail mail traffic is down in part because of its ‘snail’ like nature. For more detailed information you may find this article in the Globe and Mail interesting and this piece by Global News.
Grip your pen
Here in Canada, this has been the talk about town this week. Just this morning, Thursday, December 12, 2013, our Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s radio show ‘The Current’, devoted significant air time to this topic. I just wrote the host, Anna Maria Tremonti, a letter to share my thoughts.
What are my thoughts you might ask? I think that snail mail still has a grip on the hearts of many Canadians given the amount of dialogue swirling due to these announcements. The hefty increase to the price of stamps is harsh and extreme. Not impressed.
Also, there HAS to be a better solution for the elderly to receive their mail. Seriously lacking empathy on that one Canada Post. I do however, think there is room for a blending of the two worlds of communications —online and paper. I don’t have an answer, but I do know that I will keep on writing letters, even if I have to search under the couch cushions for 85 cents!
What do you think about these changes? Good, bad, indifferent? Will you be affected by the changes?
Really you think it is a problem to phase out home delivery because of the seniors? there are only about 5 million (out of 30) who still have home delivery the rest of us do not have home delivery. The group mail boxes are usually less than a block away. I am not sure I see the issue here. Yes I am young and I can walk but if I can shovel my neighbours driveway (seniors or not) I am pretty sure I can pickup my neighbours mail if they need me to. This is Canada people, people will help each other.
However the price of stamps I find is more of an issue. I have just spent 70 dollars mailing out my christmas cards and it would be a LOT cheaper to use the internet. So my mailing bill for next year might increase by about 30%.
That is just my 2 cents on the issue.
Hi Kristell, Thanks for weighing in on this topic. Admittedly, not being a senior myself, I don’t know how easy it would be for some seniors to get out to get the mail if they didn’t have someone as kind as yourself offering to get it for them. Currently I already have a community box and it doesn’t seem inconvenient to go there to pick up my mail. I too was thinking about how much mailing my Christmas cards would cost next year. It is a huge increase, and I bet many will turn to email option. Understandably. I may mail out fewer cards. I love your 2 cents – at least you kept the price point the same – and didn’t go to 85 cents! 🙂