Thank you very much.
I want to say that I would rather think we were long-time friends. Nothing “old” for ladies, thank you, and please put that on the record.
Good afternoon. I am Debra Button, mayor of the City of Weyburn and president of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association.
I am here today on behalf of SUMA, representing 444 urban government members. These cities, towns, villages, northern municipalities, and resort villages are home to more than 77% of Saskatchewan's population.
First, thank you to the committee for the chance to provide comments on the future of Canada Post.
The discussion paper makes it clear that the corporation is at a critical stage. The decisions before the Government of Canada and Canada Post are about ensuring the long-term sustainability of mail service.
My colleagues in urban governments are plenty familiar with the challenges of delivering services to the residents of this province. We are responsible for a massive amount of infrastructure, from roads and bridges to water pipes and waste water systems, and for services from waste and recycling to recreation programming, all while working with limited revenue sources and being unable to run a deficit on our operational budget, so we certainly feel your pain.
Canada Post provides vital services to our local governments, residents, and businesses in every corner of Saskatchewan. SUMA members rely on Canada Post to deliver water samples to the provincial lab for testing; for delivery of property tax assessments, utility bills, and notices of bylaw contravention to residents; and to send and receive parcels and bring bill payments to our offices.
The task force report makes note of the nostalgia attached to the local post office for many Canadians. The post office is a local pillar that reflects the community's vibrancy. It's a place to keep in touch, whether running into your friends and neighbours in the office or sending a letter to those across the country or abroad.
However, the Internet and email make it relatively cheap and easy to get information and connect with friends and family. We carry these tools in our pockets. That doesn't mean Canada Post is irrelevant. There is still space for the services Canada Post has traditionally provided. It does mean, however, there are difficult decisions ahead. I'm certainly not an expert at operating a mail service, but I can offer you the perspective of Saskatchewan urban governments through SUMA.
Overall, SUMA is open to Canada Post changing operational practices to save corporate money, but we need you to maintain a high-quality mail service for our members and their residents. We believe this can be a win-win situation. As I said, local governments are familiar with managing assets such as buildings and the costs associated with maintaining these facilities. Canada Post and the government need to decide if the rural moratorium makes sense in the current business environment.
Urban municipalities want good postal service in our communities. How you deliver that service is the least of our concerns. Explore the option of shuttering assets and replacing with franchise locations. By and large, our residents are not as concerned if a post office is in its own building or if it sits in a corner of the local co-op, Northern store, pharmacy, or even the town office. They just want the Canada Post service they rely on.
This model is already in place in larger urban centres and appears to provide an excellent service to their residents. If mail volume is going down, including the ad mail that is making up the bulk of it right now, do we need to maintain daily delivery to households and community mailboxes? An alternate delivery schedule has potential savings of $75 million every year, and SUMA supports a pilot program to test this approach.
However, not every efficiency will work. Community mailboxes may be beneficial to Canada Post, but they won't work in every neighbourhood. In new developments, community mailboxes are built into the design, but the concept may not transfer into older areas. Canada Post needs to respect and work with local governments to determine the right place to locate community mailboxes in well-established neighbourhoods. We need to consider planning standards, private interests, public safety, parking, snow removal, and accessibility when choosing the sites for these community mailboxes.
Local governments know how to find alternate revenue sources, I assure you. We've been able to offset costs by selling advertising on transit buses, signage on hockey rink boards, and naming rights to community centres. Canada Post could take the same approach by advertising on fleet vehicles or store locations. Obviously Canada Post needs to be tasteful and protect the corporate brand, but Mosaic Stadium here in Regina and Crescent Point Place in Weyburn are just two examples of how you can make the most of what you already own.
As I said at the top, I'm here representing more than 77% of Saskatchewan's population. When people come to Saskatchewan, by and large they are choosing to live in urban centres—cities, towns, and villages.
Our communities provide access to high-speed Internet and wireless networks, but there is still a home for traditional mail and parcel services there. Urban Saskatchewan is where people post their mail and pick up parcels, and SUMA looks forward to engaging with Canada Post and the federal government as you make high-quality mail services efficient and effective. We are willing to work with and support you, because our communities have a vested interest in a sustainable postal system for Canada.
Thank you for the chance to speak with all of you today.