Evidence of meeting #45 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 service.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Were you then told that your city would not be affected?
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
I have one last question for you, Mr. Mayor. Then I will turn to Ms. Brown.
How do you see Canada Post's services in your city in five or 10 years based on the people's needs? Will they stay the same? My understanding is that letters are still very popular here in the Northwest Territories. How do you foresee the delivery services in relation to the needs of the people?
11:20 a.m.
Mayor, City of Yellowknife
By and large, I'd have to say we're fairly satisfied with the service and service levels that Canada Post provides. As I mentioned in my opening remarks, given the growth in things like online shopping, that is going to continue to be a need, not only for Yellowknife residents but residents in all communities. I think that's a major growth opportunity for Canada Post, quite frankly. We've seen that as letter mail has declined, postal deliveries have increased. Nowhere is that more true than in northern communities.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Thank you very much.
Ms. Brown, you talked about the problems with delivery. You talked about Christmas time. Can you elaborate on the problems you were referring to?
11:20 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
Yes, absolutely. We've certainly seen some problems with timely deliveries, both here in Yellowknife and in some of the communities. Some of it is a limitation and a challenge because of our terrain and our weather, those sorts of things. I know Canada Post was experiencing some staffing issues that were leading to some of the complications here in Yellowknife. Certainly, the volume at Christmas is phenomenal. As I said, everybody has stories about going back and forth to the post office and the warehouse, and standing in line for two hours.
One thing we have here is that box renewal occurs at the same time as Christmas. To me, that seems silly: why would you not move it to February or March? Last year I had to stand in line, for example, for over an hour to renew my box, and I have to do it. I have to stand in line.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Okay.
How many communities are there in the Northwest Territories?
11:20 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
There are 33.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Okay.
There is no door-to-door delivery and no community mailboxes. So in each community, there is a post office or a place for postal transactions. How do people actually access their mail in those communities?
11:20 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
They all have post office boxes.
11:20 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
Sorry, probably not Dettah and N'Dilo here and a few places that are very close, but most of them have post offices.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Okay.
I was surprised to learn that you have an ice road, as it is called here. That's fantastic.
Does Canada Post use that road in the winter?
11:25 a.m.
Mayor, City of Yellowknife
Just as a public safety announcement, don't try to take the ice road yet.
I don't believe they travel to Dettah.
11:25 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
I don't believe they travel.
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Mr. Mayor, my last question is for you.
In your view, should the Canada Post Corporation Act be amended to include the obligation for Canada Post to consult the municipalities before it does anything on their territory?
11:25 a.m.
Mayor, City of Yellowknife
As my former city council colleague, Mr. O' Reilly mentioned, we always appreciate being consulted, as municipal governments, as the boots on the ground, and perhaps as being closest to our citizens.
I think, just in the northern context, that it's also important to remember that we have a lot of first nations governments where there is absolutely a duty to consult, and the impact from any change in service delivery is probably felt most acutely there.
11:25 a.m.
NDP
Erin Weir NDP Regina—Lewvan, SK
I'd like to get into the issue of corporate Canada Post offices versus franchises. One of the main recommendations from the government's task force is to increase the use of franchising. I think we heard quite a strong message from the previous panel that the franchises are not delivering the same quality of service as the corporate outlets.
Both of you have talked about the importance of post offices as community hubs. I wonder if you could speak to whether that goal is best achieved by a corporate outlet versus a franchise, and if you have any other thoughts on that trade-off.
11:25 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
I'm only aware of one franchise in the NWT, which is here in Yellowknife. Our next biggest community is only 3,500 people, so I can't imagine that there would be a business...although we end up with funny combinations of businesses here. You can get your driver's licence, buy some books, and pick up some crafts at the same place, or go to a travel agent who also owns a tanning booth. I can't imagine that it would work well in the community. I think people have to be really vested there.
11:25 a.m.
Mayor, City of Yellowknife
From the perspective of a community like Yellowknife, as I mentioned, the post office here and elsewhere in the Northwest Territories still serves as that community hub, and that's something that you lose when it moves to a franchise. To be perfectly honest, I am not entirely clear on why we have the corporate office and the franchise, which are about a half a block away from each other in Yellowknife. I think that, quite frankly, creates confusion among customers of Canada Post as to where they're going to get their parcels and that sort of thing. I think from that perspective we want to maintain Canada Post and the post office as that community hub.
When I look at the list of options that the committee is exploring in reducing costs for Canada Post, that's one, but it's certainly not the top one. Given what I understand of Canada Post's financial situation, I would prefer, I think, to see other options explored more fully.
11:25 a.m.
NDP
Erin Weir NDP Regina—Lewvan, SK
Not to put you on the spot too much, but at least as far as Yellowknife is concerned, would you see a fairly strong case for folding that franchise back into the corporate office?
