Canada Post announced Friday the official timeline to end door-to-door mail delivery in Charlottetown and Stratford.
"This morning, we informed employees at the Charlottetown Station Main that homes in Charlottetown and Stratford with postal codes starting with C1A, C1B, C1C and C1E will be converting from door-to-door delivery to community mailboxes in fall 2015 as part of the Five-point Action Plan announced last December," said a statement issued by Canada Post on Friday.
"This represents 9,735 addresses (8,398 in Charlottetown and 1,337 in Stratford)," it said.
No jobs will be cut on P.E.I., just not filled after retirements in a process of attrition.
Residents will be getting an information package in the mail soon. It offers a chance to comment on where the new community boxes should be placed. The survey is also available online.
"Nothing is going to change in terms of delivery for the people of Charlottetown and Stratford until next fall but we are now starting the process so we can get feedback and build that into our planning as we go forward and try to determine the safest and most convenient locations for the boxes," said Jon Hamilton, general manger of communications for Canada Post in Ottawa.
There will be no change in the frequency or amount of commercial bulk mail, sometimes called junk mail.
There will, however, be a new way of receiving parcels from Canada Post.
Parcels needing a signature for delivery will still arrive at the door. Other parcels will be placed in a parcel locker that will be in each community mailbox. Recipients get a notice and key in their personal mailbox that opens the parcel locker at that location.
"We are disappointed," said Linda Jean Nicholson, executive director of the the P.E.I. Senior Citizens' Federation. "We understand budget cuts but many of our seniors have mobility issues.
"The mail service is something they utilize and are dependent upon, in many cases.
"For them to have to go out to a mailbox is going to be a challenge for them," said Nicholson, .
Hamilton said that anyone who thinks they might have a problem with getting mail should contact Canada Post as soon as possible.
Eventually, individualized plans will be made to accommodate everyone, he said.
"Some people can get to the box but it's an issue getting the mail out of the box," said Hamilton. "They may have dexterity issues, like bad arthritis."
There are aids, like extra-large keys that may be easier to turn, and plastic trays in mailboxes that help getting mail out.
Some people may request a family member or friend be issued a mailbox key to allow them to get the mail, or redirecting the mail to a person who will then take it during regular visits.
The final option is delivery to the door once a week, said Hamilton.
All that has to be worked out through a process that begins with getting in contact with Canada Post and getting on a list of clients requesting special services, he said.
Canada Post announced Friday the official timeline to end door-to-door mail delivery in Charlottetown and Stratford.
"This morning, we informed employees at the Charlottetown Station Main that homes in Charlottetown and Stratford with postal codes starting with C1A, C1B, C1C and C1E will be converting from door-to-door delivery to community mailboxes in fall 2015 as part of the Five-point Action Plan announced last December," said a statement issued by Canada Post on Friday.
"This represents 9,735 addresses (8,398 in Charlottetown and 1,337 in Stratford)," it said.
No jobs will be cut on P.E.I., just not filled after retirements in a process of attrition.
Residents will be getting an information package in the mail soon. It offers a chance to comment on where the new community boxes should be placed. The survey is also available online.
"Nothing is going to change in terms of delivery for the people of Charlottetown and Stratford until next fall but we are now starting the process so we can get feedback and build that into our planning as we go forward and try to determine the safest and most convenient locations for the boxes," said Jon Hamilton, general manger of communications for Canada Post in Ottawa.
There will be no change in the frequency or amount of commercial bulk mail, sometimes called junk mail.
There will, however, be a new way of receiving parcels from Canada Post.
Parcels needing a signature for delivery will still arrive at the door. Other parcels will be placed in a parcel locker that will be in each community mailbox. Recipients get a notice and key in their personal mailbox that opens the parcel locker at that location.
"We are disappointed," said Linda Jean Nicholson, executive director of the the P.E.I. Senior Citizens' Federation. "We understand budget cuts but many of our seniors have mobility issues.
"The mail service is something they utilize and are dependent upon, in many cases.
"For them to have to go out to a mailbox is going to be a challenge for them," said Nicholson, .
Hamilton said that anyone who thinks they might have a problem with getting mail should contact Canada Post as soon as possible.
Eventually, individualized plans will be made to accommodate everyone, he said.
"Some people can get to the box but it's an issue getting the mail out of the box," said Hamilton. "They may have dexterity issues, like bad arthritis."
There are aids, like extra-large keys that may be easier to turn, and plastic trays in mailboxes that help getting mail out.
Some people may request a family member or friend be issued a mailbox key to allow them to get the mail, or redirecting the mail to a person who will then take it during regular visits.
The final option is delivery to the door once a week, said Hamilton.
All that has to be worked out through a process that begins with getting in contact with Canada Post and getting on a list of clients requesting special services, he said.