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Feedback gathered on community mailboxes

Residents of the West Shore will soon see door-to-door postal service change to community mailboxes.

Residents of the West Shore will soon see door-to-door postal service change to community mailboxes.

And while there are many initial concerns from residents, Canada Post has launched a highly accessible program which offers residents opportunities to have a say in where those boxes will go.

“Houses will receive the informational kit from Canada Post this week confirming they’re part of the conversion and inviting feedback,” said corporation spokesperson Anick Losier.

Canada Post’s priorities are to blend the community boxes into the region as best as possible while respecting urban design, attention to accessibility, safety, high traffic and sidewalks, Losier said.

Canada Post will also localize information on where to put the boxes within the street based on information from the communities she said.

While all of Canada will be converted away from door-to-door delivery over the next five years, she said they are beginning work on converting approximately 18,000 residential addresses with postal codes starting with V9A, V9B, and V9C in Langford, Colwood, View Royal, Esquimalt, Victoria and New Songhees 1A.

View Royal Community Association chair Barb Featherstonhaugh said there should be options for people who are shut ins or have mobility issues in getting to the new boxes, but like many people, she has seen this coming for some time.

“As a business owner, Canada Post has to break even. People are not using it (as much) because of all the other ways to communicate,” she said. “To insist we get door-to-door service is not (realistic).”

Once Canada Post has tabulated the feedback, it will send a letter to residents stating the designated place for the community box, Losier said.

“There will still be a chance for people to provide feedback at that point,” she said.

Residents entering the conversion process can plug their postal code into a search function at the top right corner of canadapost.ca, or call 1-844-544-3009.

alim@goldstreamgazette.com



Arnold Lim

About the Author: Arnold Lim

I'm an award-winning photojournalist, videographer, producer, and director.
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