Rural eastern Ontario communities express concern over potential post office closures

The federal government’s plan for Canada Post would close some rural post offices, which has some community members concerned. CTV’s Dylan Dyson reports.

Thousands of rural post offices are under threat after the federal government lifted a ban on the closure of the locations.

A moratorium on the closure of rural post offices had been in effect since 1994, but Canada Post is now being given the authority to close locations as it looks to find savings amid record losses.

The change could have implications for nearly 4000 rural post offices nationwide.

“Our post office is a hub of activity,” said North Grenville mayor Nancy Peckford.

“So, any discussion about the elimination of small-town post offices is extremely concerning to our residents.”

The federal government says many of the locations were once rural but have now grown into urban or suburban areas, yet these offices have continued to operate as rural sites.

In the Ottawa Valley, the Burnstown post office is vital to the Burnstown Publishing House, which is located directly beside the post office and ships books daily.

“We ship out every day. It could be as few as three and as many as 20 a day,” said Tim Gordon, owner of the publishing house.

“It makes it tough for me. It means I have to load up my car and drive them into Renfrew to ship, because we kind of have a next day fulfillment and this is a two second walk, as opposed to a ten-minute drive.”

Residents in Calabogie are equally worried about the potential closures, but hope they are considered rural enough to hold onto their post office.

“Depending how they define rural from how close it is to suburbia, I think we’re far enough away that it would remain open, which I think would be a good thing, because this is basically a retirement community,” said Calabogie resident Chuck Rigelhof.

It is unclear when the closures of any rural post offices may begin.

Canada Post has 45 days to provide the government with a plan to implement any changes.

Peckford hopes the crown corporation will consider communities like North Grenville before making any decisions.

“We, as a smaller community in Ontario, are appealing to Canada Post to engage in some fulsome consultation so they better understand how higher growth communities like ours have been served and continue to want to be served well by Canada Post.”

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