Thank you.
I've been very fortunate in my career to spend a lot of time in rural Saskatchewan. I have lived in Moose Jaw and Regina, but I've also lived in places like Lumsden, Sturgis, and Ceylon, so I've experienced a great variety of mail service and have always been happy with it.
I understand the comments made about rural areas. I pick up my mail in a franchise that is part of store, and it is the only place people really congregate. We understand that.
It seems that people, wherever they receive their mail and however they receive it, are generally happy. The ones we heard who weren't happy were the ones who had the conversion, but they became much happier with the service once they had incorporated the change.
I think the hub idea is important. The depopulation of rural Canada, particularly in my area of rural Saskatchewan, has resulted in fewer businesses and schools. There is less mail to deliver. How do you keep those places viable, and how do you maintain the community aspect?
I think the hub idea offers other services to Canadians. The Internet can be very important to people in those situations. If banking could be made a part of the hub, along with other government services, I think this would help people.
We consistently heard that there are many ways to receive the mail and send it, and that people are generally happy with it. One size doesn't fit all: that would be the catch phrase for Canada Post. What works in Montreal is different from what works in Silton, Saskatchewan.