Evidence of meeting #5 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was communities.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Interim Chief Operating Officer, Canada Post Corporation
We have a team that conducts annual evaluations to assess accessibility and mechanical, structural and other aspects. It then provides us with a list of deficiencies.
Every year, we set aside $45 million to correct deficiencies, including those related to accessibility.
I'm truly sorry about Cabano. We'll be conducting follow-up there. You can count on me.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
In the report the committee released in 2016, members discussed the idea of actively engaging municipalities in decisions that have an impact on territorial management. They also suggested introducing a universal and fair fee schedule based on the size and weight of parcels.
Do you currently include municipalities in the decision-making process? I'm not just talking about consultations, but really including them in decision-making that affects their area. You can simply answer with a yes or a no.
Interim Chief Operating Officer, Canada Post Corporation
Generally speaking, yes, we increasingly consult the communities on the installation of community mailboxes and problems associated with services in the community, access to buildings, new services and new requests.
Membertou and High Prairie are very specific examples where we've created community centres specifically for the communities and are consulting the communities in order to do so.
I'm going to consult my colleague Mr. Pitre on the issue of prices.
Bloc
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
From what I can see, the fee schedule isn't always universal or fair. What's worse, an additional fuel charge is made for parcels delivered in certain regions. When I asked why the additional charge was being applied, the employee told me it was in order to deliver the parcel.
Really, the purpose of Canada Post is to deliver parcels. I bet employees don't travel by horse or dogsled when they make local deliveries in the same town. They always use fuel.
Isn't the additional fuel charge a covert way to avoid creating a universal and fair fee schedule for remote regions?
Interim Chief Operating Officer, Canada Post Corporation
Allow me to ask my colleague Mr. Pitre to answer your question.
Mr. Pitre, would you please answer?
Serge Pitre Vice-President, Business Development, Canada Post Corporation
Yes. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to answer this question.
The fuel surcharge does not apply specifically for delivery to any particular regions. Because the price of fuel fluctuates a great deal from month to month and from one quarter to the next, a price index is established to harmonize fuel price fluctuations.
Everyone uses this tool in the market. Deliveries represent a significant cost across Canada. As I mentioned, this tool is used in the entire industry, and not only Canada Post, to manage these fluctuations.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen
Thank you very much, Ms. Fortin. We appreciate that. If you have anything further you can add to that, it will be appreciated.
Ms. Vignola, I let you have a bit extra there. You snuck one by me on this one.
We'll go now to Mr. Johns.
I'm going to be more ruthless with you, Mr. Johns. You have six minutes.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Thanks. I appreciate it.
I really can't thank you enough, Madam Fortin and Mr. Pitre, for being here to testify today.
Just a few days ago we learned that the PCO had done internal polling that was extremely concerning to postal workers, to Canadians who rely on mail delivery and of course to the NDP. Some of the questions related to ending home delivery, replacing workers with machines and closing rural post offices. These are deeply concerning.
It is my understanding that neither Canada Post nor the postal workers unions were involved in this polling.
I'm wondering what your reaction is when you see the government asking questions like these, and how it could impact your operations.
Interim Chief Operating Officer, Canada Post Corporation
You are quite correct. We did not participate in the polling, and we were not aware of the polling.
We continue to be focused on our long-standing mandate of providing high quality service to all Canadians while remaining financially self-sustainable.
We are responding to the changing needs of Canadians for that very reason. This is why we are investing heavily in our network, across the network, from the smallest office to the largest one in Toronto, to enable us to adapt to those needs and to have the capacity to deliver the best service possible.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
I totally appreciate that.
Can you agree that the survey questions were incorrect?
Interim Chief Operating Officer, Canada Post Corporation
I'm the operator in the room. My job and my focus are on day-to-day operations and to provide the best service possible.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
How about this? They were misleading. They told Canadians that it was going to cost taxpayers money, and that is not true.
Canada Post is stand-alone. Can you confirm that? It's a stand-alone corporation. It's not reliant on revenue from the federal coffers.
Interim Chief Operating Officer, Canada Post Corporation
Canada Post is stand-alone. We are required to be financially self-sustainable, yes.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Right. Could you provide an update to committee members about initiatives or studies that Canada Post is currently undertaking related to the automation of Canada Post services, either in postal facilities or in client-facing roles?
Interim Chief Operating Officer, Canada Post Corporation
I am not aware. As I've said, I'm responsible for operations and the day-to-day delivery of service.
What I can tell you is that we have significant investment plans, which include building new buildings, expanding existing buildings and putting in automation to give us the capacity to sort and deliver the additional parcel volumes that are coming through our entire network. That is what we have plans for.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Amazon is a big competitor for you. Can you talk about how unfair it is that they don't pay taxes in Canada like other corporations?
Interim Chief Operating Officer, Canada Post Corporation
As I said, I'm the operator in the room, so if you have questions on service, operations and safety—
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Okay, no problem. Let's talk about that.
Safety is a really important one. You touched on that earlier. Federal accessibility legislation is now in place, and employment for persons with disabilities has been identified as a key priority, recognizing the explicit interface between disability, poverty and employment. What, then, are Canada Post's key strategies in accommodating employees who acquire a mental or physical health impairment and are unable to carry on with their current duties, or people who are suffering from long COVID symptoms and are unable to carry out their duties?
I'm sure that many people have been impacted by COVID as well as mental health injuries.
Interim Chief Operating Officer, Canada Post Corporation
We are committed at Canada Post to playing a leading role on key issues facing the country and being a positive force for change. We want to do better on those things. Part of that is our social mandate. We are investing $5 million to advance equity, diversity and inclusion. We have a 40-step action plan.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
I appreciate that. I'm really worried about workers who have been injured in the workplace and ensuring that we're accommodating those workers, especially given COVID and the spike in workplace injuries.
Madam Fortin, can you provide this committee with an update on the community hub pilot projects that are taking place in Membertou and High Prairie? Specifically, I'd like to hear what feedback you've received from the community and whether these hub projects are working well. If Canada Post has identified any other communities this program could be expanded into, what criteria would Canada Post be looking at for expanding the project beyond these two communities?
Interim Chief Operating Officer, Canada Post Corporation
We have two community hubs, one in High Prairie, Alberta, which started up in November, and another that is being developed right now in Membertou, Nova Scotia. It will start some time this year. We are planning two additional hubs in locations to be determined.
These are new models that we are piloting to improve community access in rural Canada and to help local small and medium-sized businesses connect with their customers. You talk about criteria, but really they're not cookie cutters because we are taking extra care to consult with the community and to ask them what their needs are. We also work with the unions in the program to determine how we can best serve our local customers.
Examples of services that have been brought forward and that will be implemented are MyMoney Loans—which, as you may know, is a new financial service we're testing—ATMs, 24-hour parcel pickup or drop-off, small and medium-sized business services, meeting spaces that businesses in the community can rent and use—