Canadian government moratorium on rural Post Office closures not being upheld

Canada Post Corporation, giving only two weeks notice, closed down the federally operated post office in McKerrow, Ontario, and sent a warning to rural Canadians throughout the country that rural post offices are once again being considered for closure. The moratorium on rural post office closures, introduced by the federal Liberal government in 1994, represented a strategic decision to preserve and promote Canada’s rural infrastructure and to ensure that rural communities across the country receive stable quality postal service. The Minister Responsible for Canada Post when the moratorium was put in place articulated the government’s commitment to rural Canada by stating that, “As long as this Government is in power, no rural post office will be closed”.

“The decision to close the McKerrow Post Office shows a complete disregard to the moratorium and a complete lack of respect for the community of McKerrow and the value of all of rural Canada as an important part of the infrastructure that binds this country”, stated Rita Robichaud, President of the Ontario Branch of the Canadian Postmasters & Assistants Association (CPAA).

Residents of McKerrow were formally informed about the closure of their post office on July 15th, only three days before the office was shut down. For many rural communities like McKerrow, the post office serves as the nucleus of the community and an important socio-economic link between rural Canada and the federal government.

McKerrow has almost 600 residents and 21 businesses. “These are not insignificant numbers. Canada Post informed me that McKerrow did not meet the criteria to come within the moratorium but they couldn’t tell me why or what the criteria is. Universal postal service is a right, yet it is becoming more evident that Canada Post and the federal government have forgotten the commitment made to rural Canada”, added Ms. Robichaud.

Since the moratorium came into force, some rural post offices deemed “exceptional circumstances” have been closed, but in such circumstances, the communities in question had become so small and Canada Post and the CPAA worked cooperatively in dealing with the closure. “McKerrow is not an ‘exceptional circumstance’. It is the largest rural post office closed since the moratorium and its closure demonstrates that no rural community, no matter how large, is immune from losing its post office”, stated Leslie Schous, CPAA National President. “We call upon the federal government to confirm its commitment to rural Canada and ensure that the moratorium on rural post office closures be upheld”, added Ms. Schous.