I don't go there to have a cup of coffee.
Evidence of meeting #33 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was mail.
Evidence of meeting #33 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was mail.
2:15 p.m.
Owner, Norwest Printing and Publishing Group
I don't go there to have a cup of coffee.
2:15 p.m.
Owner, Norwest Printing and Publishing Group
We do want to continue our business with Canada Post. It's part of Canada. It's one of the fabrics of our society, and we will continue to support that. What I'm saying is that if I'm put in a position that's going to jeopardize my operations or my business, I'm not going to utilize the services.
I did lose a lot of sleep because I was watching what was happening in the media daily in terms of the proposed strike or lockout, or whatever the wording is. It did keep me up because that would affect my cash flow and because we're a new business, under two years, and we don't have the same options as businesses that have been around for five, 10, or 15 years. We rely strictly on cash flow and we cannot have that cash flow interrupted.
2:15 p.m.
Conservative
September 29th, 2016 / 2:15 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Great. Thanks for joining us.
Mary, you did great. You didn't have to worry about nerves.
Mr. Neegan, congratulations on the job creation you've done. It's wonderful. I'm going to ask you about newspaper delivery. Is that done by Canada Post?
2:15 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
It came up at a previous meeting. We had a gentleman representing the association of newspapers, including small community newspapers, who mentioned that sometimes there was a conflict with delivering community newspapers when they had a whack of Admail to deliver at the same time. Sometimes the newspapers weren't getting delivered in favour of other deliveries they were doing. Have you encountered that at all? It might have been just an anecdotal thing that they brought up.
2:15 p.m.
Owner, Norwest Printing and Publishing Group
No, I haven't. If that were the case, it would have been brought to my attention immediately, but there hasn't been a circumstance yet where that has happened. Previous to this life here with Norwest Printing, I was involved with another community newspaper, and nothing like that was ever brought to my attention there either.
2:15 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Okay.
Mr. Scribilo, you mentioned that you represent another organization—
2:15 p.m.
President, Kenora & District Chamber of Commerce
It's NOACC, the northern Ontario chamber of commerce.
2:15 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
You spoke about your experience with your business in Kenora.
Do you have anything you want to add? Did you receive any feedback from that organization as well, or does it mirror—
2:15 p.m.
President, Kenora & District Chamber of Commerce
I think it mirrors that.
I just want to answer the gentleman, Ramez, about social gatherings in the communities. In the remote north, I've lived in Big Trout Lake and throughout remote Ontario, working for my company, other than the chamber of commerce. It is a social place, the post office, because that's where everything comes in. That's where cheques come in, letters come in, mail comes in. It is a social gathering. It's no different from Kenora. They have giftware in there, so there is revenue generated out of each of the post offices.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
I can certainly see that. In my riding, where I live, half of our deliveries are at home and half at community mailboxes. If it's nice weather, you go to the community mailboxes and see people hanging out with their dogs, etc. I can certainly see that.
2:20 p.m.
President, Kenora & District Chamber of Commerce
I'll comment on the whole northwest of White River, Hornepayne, Geraldton, Manitouwadge. I've been to all the places throughout northwestern Ontario, and our feeling is that we don't want to lose it. If there are things that need to be done—revenue generation or expense-cutting—I think this type of process is awesome.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
This is very common, and we are hearing it a lot. Also, what the task force received, in very extensive polling, was that people don't want to see change in the service, but they also don't want to pay more for it and they don't want taxes to go to it. It's a very difficult balancing act, so it's great that we are getting so much feedback from everyone.
2:20 p.m.
President, Kenora & District Chamber of Commerce
On being invited here, I quickly polled a lot of our businesses in Kenora. I didn't get a lot of response, except that they don't want to see any changes.
2:20 p.m.
President, Kenora & District Chamber of Commerce
That was it. The hot topic, the billing from the different companies and corporations, was in the media. The companies and corporations said they were not going to stop charging us, so we'd better find a way of paying them. Fortunately or unfortunately, we have to deal with that.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Reality gets in the way of fun sometimes, or what we would like.
Thanks very much. I appreciate that.
We've heard a lot about the consultation from the communities we've gone to. We didn't hear enough; we want more. It's a narrative that people are trying to build on. Canada Post actually went to a lot more cities than we are going to visit. Unfortunately, we are running into.... There are three, four, five thousand communities across the entire country. There are only so many we can get to. Sandy Lake and Sioux Lookout are going to miss out, and Thunder Bay. There's only so much....
There won't be time now, but we'll ask you to send in information afterwards if you have any ideas about how Canada Post can better consult about these kinds of things. Since we can't get to everyone, we would certainly appreciate it.
Have they contacted you about any move to community mailboxes in your area, or is it all door to door?
2:20 p.m.
President, Kenora & District Chamber of Commerce
There was talk of it. There was nothing cast in stone.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
On the postal lockout dispute this summer, my business got a ton of emails. It's funny that this was also when I started hearing from people I owe money to. The only time they actually call you is when they say, “Oh, by the way....” I got a barrage about Canada Post, because I use them in my business. Did your association experience that as well, warnings about making other arrangements?
2:20 p.m.
President, Kenora & District Chamber of Commerce
Absolutely. They were warned individually through the company that I work for.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
I promised to get to you, Mary. Do you want to comment about—sorry to cut you off. My time is so short.
Mary, do you want to comment about the newspapers and Admail?
2:20 p.m.
President, Dryden Local, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, As an Individual
That should not have happened. It shouldn't be correct, because of the rates. First class mail comes first. You have Priority and Xpresspost as first class mail—
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
