Government Operations Committee on Oct. 21st, 2016

Evidence of meeting #49 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 community.

On the agenda

Canada Post

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Jim Bear Chief and Council, Brokenhead Ojibway Nation

Debbie Chief Director of Health, Medical Clinic/Pharmacy, As an Individual

Ashleigh Shultz-Bear Manager, Entertainment Center, As an Individual

Jackie Pommer Director of Operations, Brokenhead Ojibway Nation

Angela Petrash Development Corporation, Brokenhead Ojibway Nation

Sandra Nault Housing Clerk, As an Individual

2 p.m.

Chief and Council, Brokenhead Ojibway Nation

Chief Jim Bear

I guess it's a two-way street. We in the community should also be reaching out to the postal services. I'm not saying it's entirely the postal services' fault in terms of communication. I'm really glad to see this panel going around the country. Even just the little recommendations that we are giving will go a long way to improving the services for our people.

2 p.m.

NDP

Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Thank you.

2 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

We have Mr. Whalen.

2 p.m.

Liberal

Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

It's interesting that, when we come to different rural and remote communities, or ones that aren't even that far but have a different population, people see the role of Canada Post differently. When we heard from various union groups, they talked about using the rural post office as a community hub of some type. Could the community post office that exists here be used for anything other than what it was used for? Was it even suitable for that purpose?

2 p.m.

Director of Health, Medical Clinic/Pharmacy, As an Individual

Debbie Chief

This structure is very small. It's probably not much bigger than this inner circle of the table.

2 p.m.

A voice

If that.

2 p.m.

Director of Health, Medical Clinic/Pharmacy, As an Individual

Debbie Chief

Yes, if that.

2 p.m.

Liberal

Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL

It's like a shed.

2 p.m.

Director of Health, Medical Clinic/Pharmacy, As an Individual

Debbie Chief

Yes, basically.

2 p.m.

Liberal

Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL

Yes, it's similar to the ones in rural Newfoundland, I think. I look forward to seeing it after this meeting. It's probably about a 25-foot by 10-foot building, or a 30-foot by 15-foot building, or even smaller than that. You wouldn't expect to be able to offer banking services or whatnot from a structure like that.

2 p.m.

Chief and Council, Brokenhead Ojibway Nation

Chief Jim Bear

Not at the current one.

2 p.m.

Liberal

Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL

Not even a café?

2 p.m.

Chief and Council, Brokenhead Ojibway Nation

Chief Jim Bear

You have to go outside to change your mind.

2 p.m.

Voices

Oh, oh!

2 p.m.

Liberal

Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL

Okay.

From your perspective, this notion that Canada Post could lease some space in an existing building for the employee who's working and managing.... Is there a Canada Post counter in the pharmacy or is it just the location of the mailboxes?

2 p.m.

Director of Health, Medical Clinic/Pharmacy, As an Individual

Debbie Chief

No, there's a counter.

2 p.m.

Liberal

Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL

There's a counter, but there's also a counter down the street in the post office. If you thought they could be consolidated and maybe have more services for a longer period of time, would that be a benefit to the community? If you just completely closed your post office and only offered services from the pharmacy, would that be an option?

Sorry, they can't hear your nods.

2 p.m.

Director of Health, Medical Clinic/Pharmacy, As an Individual

Debbie Chief

Yes, that would work.

2 p.m.

Liberal

Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL

Are there unionized Canada Post employees who operate in both locations, or is it unionized in one and not unionized in another? On the employment logistics, I know you work in medical, health, but you don't know who works the Canada Post counter at the pharmacy.

2 p.m.

Director of Health, Medical Clinic/Pharmacy, As an Individual

Debbie Chief

It's still over at the building. If they were to move, it wouldn't be in the pharmacy; it would be in the grocery store.

2 p.m.

Liberal

Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL

Okay. Sorry.

2 p.m.

Director of Health, Medical Clinic/Pharmacy, As an Individual

Debbie Chief

An assigned place.

2 p.m.

Liberal

Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL

Oh, so it's not operating there yet.

2 p.m.

Director of Health, Medical Clinic/Pharmacy, As an Individual

Debbie Chief

No.

2 p.m.

Liberal

Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL

Oh, okay. I'm sorry. I misunderstood. I thought that, from the previous conversation. The move is just proposed. It's not happened yet, but it is the preference of the community that you have a hub: it's the grocery store, where a pharmacy and the medical services are. You would like Canada Post services to be moved to your existing community hub, not to create a competing one.