“From anywhere …to anyone” is the official motto of Canada Post.
But it doesn’t necessarily apply if you live in Tulameen or Coalmont B.C.
Residents of the two rural communities report they have not received mail in nearly two weeks.
Diane Sterne, who operates the Mozey-On-Inn in Coalmont with her husband Bob, said she was told by a Canada Post employee that trips to the super-boxes in the two villages have been halted because the driver who sorts and delivers that mail is off work.
“I complained to Canada Post last week and they gave me a ticket number,” she said. “The Princeton post office told me they were hoping someone would come out on Saturday and Sunday [January 4 and 5] to sort through the mail and deliver it. I checked my box this morning and nothing. I went later in the afternoon to check and saw a notice saying we won’t be getting mail this week either. This is unbelievable.”
Sterne said she is waiting to receive legals documents, papers from a funeral home, and supplies for her business.
A Canada Post media representative responded to The Spotlight’s request for an interview via email.
Hayley Magermans wrote she “can confirm that some residents in the areas of Tulameen and Coalmont may be experiencing delivery delays as a result of recent unexpected staffing challenges specific to this area.”
Affected residents can expect to receive their backlogged deliveries on January 11, she said.
“We are working hard to resolve this issue and resume normal delivery as soon as possible, and we apologize to our customers for the inconvenience, ” the email said.
Another Coalmont resident told The Spotlight she spoke with a customer service representative Monday who informed her that going forward mail will only be delivered once a week on Saturdays until a replacement driver is found.
“They have no estimated time of returning to normal services. I asked why we weren’t notified [and] he said Canada Post is more reactive than proactive in situations like this,” she said.
Sterne has filed a complaint with Canada Post’s ombudsman.
According to Canada Post’s website the delivery standard for regular mail sent in Canada is two business days for local mail, three business days within the province and four days for national mail.
The site also states “these time frames are not guaranteed, as weather and mail volume can affect delivery.”
Combined Tulameen and Coalmont have approximately 350 permanent residents.
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publisher@similkameenspotlight.com.
andrea.demeer@similkameenspotlight.com
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