Government Operations committee  There has indeed been a breach of trust. I would remind you that the situation has deteriorated, culminating in court proceedings. To illustrate the situation somewhat, the City of Laval has more than 66,000 citizens over the age of 65. Those citizens have turned to the municipal administration in the absence of an agreement with Canada Post.

Government Operations committee  Well, that was one of our suggestions. The first thing that must be determined is whether mail delivery is an essential service for a society. If the answer is yes, then we must accept responsibility for it. Furthermore, if Canada Post makes a decision that has economic consequences for another level of government, such as the municipalities, that must obviously be part of the equation.

Government Operations committee  All right. We are prepared to cooperate, and we have done that, but first I will say that Canada Post's decisions have financial consequences for the municipalities. I am not sure that citizens will ultimately come out on the winning end. Second, we believe service should be maintained in the old neighbourhoods where seniors with reduced mobility live.

Government Operations committee  In 2016, social licence is increasingly a mandatory precondition for any change in society, the municipalities, and the various levels of government. Communication is essential. The wall-to-wall solution is no solution. Solutions must be adapted to the characteristics of the various sectors and to the needs of the public.

Government Operations committee  I think it is an essential service. There is the commercial aspect and so on. A large segment of the population does not have Internet access. For some, that is due to technical factors, whereas, for others, it is for reasons of knowledge or interest. The population is aging across the country, particularly in Laval.

Government Operations committee  The government must make decisions. It must evaluate the service's overall impact, and that may be more than what appears in a column of Canada Post figures.

Government Operations committee  There was indeed a lack of communication. I would remind you that our initial stance was one of cooperation. All the expertise of the City of Laval was made available to Canada Post. I will add that, in my view, there was a lack of vision. Canada Post's first function is to circulate information, somewhat as the purpose of a highway is to circulate vehicles.

Government Operations committee  I want to thank the committee for allowing us to express the opinion of the citizens of Laval. I am accompanied by Martin Gratton, who works in the urban development department and who negotiated with Canada Post as part of this new program. We have been faced with an unacceptable unilateral decision by Canada Post to abandon home mail delivery.