Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
First of all, I will introduce our association.
Our association is dedicated to seniors rights advocacy and has been operating in Quebec for more than 35 years. We represent people from all categories. We do a lot of advocacy work on behalf of vulnerable seniors, since ours is the only association exclusively engaged in seniors rights advocacy.
The purpose of our vision of aging, which is positive, is to maintain seniors' power to act. The purpose of our demands is to provide assistance to seniors, particularly those who live in situations of poverty and isolation.
We did not appreciate the decision Canada Post made in 2013 to put an end to home mail delivery in urban areas in order to save money. That measure has had a major impact on seniors, particularly those who are vulnerable. Some seniors are unable to go and pick up their mail outdoors and are consequently very happy to have it delivered to their homes. If home mail delivery were abolished, they would be the first victims. Some less mobile seniors would have to call on others to help them. Cases of abuse could arise in certain situations.
I am going to speak briefly about Quebec. Quebec society is aging very quickly and that fact must be taken into account. Persons 65 years of age and over, who form 17.6% of the population today, will represent approximately 26% in 2031. The age pyramid is incredible. And yet life expectancy is increasing, and the number of people living alone is rising as well. That is a very important fact. Public pension plans are inadequate. Did you know that nearly half of Quebecers 65 and over receive the guaranteed income supplement?
They are really not rich. Our first observation is that local services have suffered cuts. This is incredible. Local services have been reduced, tariffed or cut. Home services are underfunded and bank windows are being closed. If home mail delivery service is abolished, that will have an enormous impact on the remote regions. What will happen? Some places will become devitalized areas.
Seniors are vulnerable to bad weather. If they have to go pick up their mail from mailboxes in cold, icy weather, they may fall. Can it then be said that this population is being provided with adequate public service? I am not sure. This also puts additional pressure on family caregivers, who are already under enough pressure as it is.
With respect to digital literacy, only 32% of seniors 65 and over use the Internet. This means that the remainder do not use it and that it is not a functioning technology in their case.
Our first recommendation is that Canada Post take into account the needs of an aging population by restoring and maintaining home delivery service. The goal is to help seniors stay at home as long as possible and thus to improve their quality of life.
We do not understand why the federal government establishes so many programs to help break down seniors' isolation. It invests several millions of dollars here and there, particularly for home support. However, mail is a home service that helps overcome isolation. It is in addition to other services. A degree of consistency in the government's measures is therefore necessary.
We are witnessing an increasingly pronounced exclusion of seniors and a loss of the social role of letter carriers. This may seem curious, but for isolated people who see no one, it is important to see their letter carrier arrive at their door. Perhaps letter carriers could even be asked to take on another social role.
We are talking about requiring proof of a medical disorder for citizens who are suffering from such a disorder to be able to continue receiving their mail at home.