Is Aylmer’s main post office on the chopping block?

One local businessperson is worried that Aylmer’s post office in the Grande-Rivière (IGA) mall on Aylmer Road will close. Becky Leigh argues that if more people don’t use this post office, Aylmer will lose it.

“Being a small business owner, I rely on the professional service that the Canada Post office in the Grande-Rivière centre offers. My parcels are delivered with no problems. I use my business owner card (providing a small discount); the staff recognize it right away, put it through, and offer me the best delivery options for the best price,” she told the Bulletin.

The Grande-Rivière post office is not a busy location and is fairly isolated. Apart from the IGA, the stores in that mall generate little foot traffic. Since the IGA supermarket has its own entrance, shoppers avoid entering the mall.

Phil Legault, spokesperson for Canada Post, assured the Bulletin that the crown corporation has no plans to close the post office at 203 Aylmer Road.

“We encourage our customers to use all our post offices, as well as our online services, in ways that are most convenient to their needs. We do not typically advertise our post office services, but will do so on occasion if a post office moves,” he indicated.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has accused Canada Post of gradually phasing out public post offices in favour of franchised (private) ones.

“We're certainly concerned - there is a pattern nation-wide of franchises opening up near corporate post offices, and then the original post office closes or downsizes. This is privatization. Even more concerning, a recent report from Parliament's Standing Committee on Operations, that reviewed Canada Post last year, recommends more franchises to cut costs, even though they initially said the review wouldn't consider or recommend privatization,” said Mike Palecek, National CUPW President. “People who rely on postal services tell us that the service they get at the franchised offices is not the same. And Canadians have rejected postal privatization time and again.”

CUPW notes, “Over the years, the number of CUPW-staffed post offices dropped from 734 in 1987 to 589 in 1999, to today’s 493. The number of privatized postal outlets has increased accordingly, some introduced right next to public post offices, undermining the public network.” This is true in Aylmer, where the distance between both postal offices is less than 200 metres. CUPW as recommended that private postal outlets located within 1 km of a public post office be closed.

According to CUPW statistics, Canada has 6,300 post offices, “more than half of which are public post offices employing experienced, trained, long-serving and predominantly female staff. Privatized outlets make up the rest, primarily in urban areas.”

Canada Post’s Legault disagrees; he said “the employees working in our franchise postal outlets receive the same training as (in) all other post offices.”

CUPW also believes that if it weren’t for a contractual provision protecting a minimum number of post offices, Canada Post “would have closed all but a dozen or so post offices in major urban areas and moved to an essentially privatized model.”

Canada Post states that if a post office is closed, it’s because the corporation “regularly looks for ways to improve operations and remain competitive. Although the post office near you may be relocating or closing, this will help ensure our long-term sustainability.”