Last year, Canada Post announced that it would be phasing out
door-to-door delivery for many communities across Canada. In addition to the
elimination of door-to-door delivery, the price of stamps has also increased to
85 cents up from 63 cents as an effort to curd loses of $104 million dollars
last year. Canada Post has said that replacing door-to-door delivery with
community mailboxes will have the largest impact on the $1-billion Canada Post
deficit. The Transportation Minister Lisa Raitt said that Canada Post is
“modernizing its business and aligning postal services with the choices of
Canadians.”[1]
As technology improves the way we communicate, the volume of written letters continues to decline. The decline in the volume of transaction
mail over the past decade can be attributed directly to the emergence of the
internet. The web has made writing letters all but obsolete, since sending
email is not only free and simple, but one doesn’t pay for the cost of shipping
and postage. Written letters are quickly going the way of the typewriter, the
horse-drawn carriage, and the flintlock pistol. Therefore, if Canada Post is
going to remain a viable and sustainable business in the decades to come, it
needs to adapt to the march of technology.
However, many people in my community still do not recognize
the need for doing away with door-to-door delivery. Almost every second household
on my street brandishes a lawn sign lauding their support for maintaining this
service. A petition on Change.org even has over 150, 000 signatures from those
who wish to keep door-to-door delivery. Many people feel very strongly about
this issue, even though the reasons they give for why door-to-door delivery
should be maintained are not very persuasive.
The petition on change.org has the following to say,
“My grandfather, god rest his soul,
was a WW2 veteran and became a mailman. They take their work very seriously
otherwise they would not brave the weather. My current mail carrier is also
proud of the service she provides for the community. Why change something that
is working well for communities across Canada?”
There are bound to be people who have an emotional attachment
to the notion of home mail delivery, but warm sentiments alone do not generate
revenue. It would be just as absurd as somebody suggesting that Blockbuster
Video should stay in business and operate at a loss just because they have an
emotional attachment to their big blue store signs. It seems that those opposed
to ending door-to door delivery want to have their cake and eat it too. They
want Canada Post to continue the service despite the fact that they do not
contribute to demand by purchasing stamps or writing letters. If one is truly
adamant about maintaining door-to-door delivery, the most sensible way of
having their voice heard is by actually writing letters. Show Canada Post that there is in
fact a demand for mail delivery. Voting with your wallet is more effective than
displaying signs on your lawn or signing some petition that will likely just be
ignored.
[1] http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/canada-post-to-phase-out-urban-home-mail-delivery-1.2459618
