Good afternoon, madam.
I thank my colleague for giving me a little time. I particularly thank my colleague who is a member of this committee, because we are experiencing a particular problem in my region that I would like to let you know about.
I wrote to you and did not receive any response. I spoke to the minister, who told me to speak to you. As you gave me no reply, my colleague Mr. Mario Laframboise, whom I thank very much, invited you to appear before the committee. Therefore, I requested the opportunity to ask you a question as the member of Parliament for Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
Last week, I tabled a petition with over 5,000 signatures in the House of Commons, asking that the Noranda Post Office in my riding of Abitibi-Témiscamingue be maintained. The Noranda Post Office serves an elderly population in the city of Rouyn-Noranda. When I state that the population is elderly, Madam President and Chief Executive Officer, I am talking about people whose average age is between 55 and 80 years.
The surprising answer that I was given by someone in your office is that these people have postal service within a four-kilometre range and as they would in any case be going out shopping, all they needed to do was find a way to pick up their mail at a postal counter that is 1.8 kilometres further away.
Is Canada Post not obliged to offer services, madam? I am told that it is in their business plan, that it was a business decision. I say that this is a business decision that does not take into account the population to be served. I am not talking about remailing—my colleague will address that, nor about parcel post, I'm talking about ordinary mail.
How is this possible? What has happened to this profitable post office, that made a profit of $250,000 last year? I ask the question. What was the business decision? How can you make such hard-nosed decisions that affect an aging population?