Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon, everyone.
My name is Michael Leduc. I'm the general manager of FADOQ-Région Laurentides. We cover the administrative territory of the Laurentian region, from Mille-Îles River to Ferme-Neuve and a little further.
A post office is an essential service for many members of our organization. However, as in many places in Quebec, the Laurentian region clearly contains both urban and rural areas. Many of the five points of the action plan that Canada Post wants to put forward have already been implemented in the rural part of the Laurentian region, and a start has even been made in the somewhat more urban areas.
As for daily door-to-door home mail delivery, I think the public's needs have changed in this respect. Personally, I have been living in Mont Tremblant for over 35 years. Where I lived, I had a post office box. I never had a mailbox at my home.
So perhaps I am a little biased toward letter carriers. I need to return to my childhood, when I lived in Saint-Bruno, and the letter carrier came by every day. Some arguments have been made about letter carriers and the useful social role they play, the least of which is with the Senior Aware program. It helps to recognize if someone hasn't been there for some time, which is good. A lot of people, in addition to the letter carrier, can take on this responsibility. Still, I think the service is important.
A reading of the documents shows that some interesting points have been raised. Sometimes we read a document that fuels a certain perception of the situation, then we hear other interventions and that view may change. From that perspective, the work you are doing now must be very interesting.
I think the cost of payroll and the service seems to be a major concern for Canada Post management, to the point that it might put much more time into trying to change the situation, instead of developing new directions.
Yes, it's a fact that people are sending fewer and fewer letters by mail. I no longer send Christmas or holiday cards. I use social media. Since the most recent increase in the cost of sending a letter, I've started avoiding sending them.
I think that Canada Post would do well to position itself in the digital world. A Canadian cloud might be worthwhile for Canada Post. A growing number of companies will have significant needs for data external to the office. For example, people use clouds in California or elsewhere in the world. It might be worthwhile for Canada Post to grow in that direction.
People could also benefit from Canada Post's expertise and knowledge about where Canadians live for various things. Surely there are markets that can be developed in this respect, even digitally.
I think it's important that there be some development in service for people with reduced mobility who have difficulty getting around, such as seniors, to ensure that they don't lose these services. I think Canada Post understands this vision in that respect.
Thank you.