ILDERTON, Ont. - The federal government has issued new marching orders for the post office that call for reasonable postage and that letters be delivered within Canada in less than a week.
The Service Charter outlines its expectations for Canada Post. The cabinet minister who announced the charter, junior transport minister Rob Merrifield, also says the charter makes it clear the Crown corporation is expected to maintain rural service.
The news release announcing the charter says the federal government is maintaining a moratorium on the closure of rural post offices.
The charter expects Canada Post to deliver letters within a community in two business days, within a province in three business days and between provinces in four.
The charter also promises "fair and reasonable" postage rates.
But the news release doesn't say whether the government believes the current 54 cents to send a letter in Canada and 98 cents for mail to the U.S. is reasonable.
The proposed increase this January is three cents, with two-cent increases each year for the next five years.
