Canada Post strike impacting CBRM property tax billings

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality is urging people to visit their website to get their property tax bills amid the Canada Post strike.

The Canada Post strike is now affecting how people in Sydney, N.S., and surrounding communities find out how much they owe in property taxes.

For Bernie Larusic of Sydney, who celebrated his 90th birthday in July, the idea of going online to get a property tax bill seemed inconvenient when he’s used to getting it in the mail.

“I’m in my 90s now,” Larusic said. ”People our age aren’t really up on the communications with the internet.”

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality announced on Monday that final 2025 property tax bills have been issued, but due to the Canada Post strike, it is asking people to visit the CBRM website to check their balance.

“Generally, we do a lot of our billing for tax and water bills – which is a big part of City Hall business – through the mail," said Christina Lamey of CBRM Communications.

Lamey added that may soon be the way things are done going forward, for both tax and water bills.

“As we move forward in redeveloping our website and everything, it’s likely it will be a permanent way of checking your tax balance,” she said.

In a news release, the CBRM explained that people can also check their balance by calling 311.

They can then come into City Hall to pay their bill in person or do it through online banking.

However, Larusic said for people who have mobility issues and are not internet savvy, not having the mail option may end up costing them.

“The impact that it’s having on people who can’t pay their bills by sending it by mail – it’s something that they can’t do," he said. “And what happens then is companies say, ‘Oh, you didn’t pay it up – here’s your interest.’”

Lamey said, while online billing will likely soon be the norm, CBRM does plan to once again mail people’s balances when – or if – letter carriers are back on the job.

“Well, we would never want to see something like that happen, but this is just a stopgap measure that can help people figure out what their balance is, pay their bills, without too much delay,” Lamey said.

Larusic, meanwhile, is encouraging the seniors he represents to get an email address just in case.

“Pushing very hard to do that, so it makes it easier for our association or any organization,” he said.

The CBRM added that, despite the Canada Post strike – and the change in how people find out their balance – property tax payments are still due by Nov. 4.

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