Tag: Canada

Canada Post will provide free delivery of letters to deployed troops in Afghanistan and elsewhere overseas

Posted by | Aug 30, 2007 | |

Canada Post announced today it will begin providing free delivery of letters from family and friends to Canadian troops deployed in Afghanistan and elsewhere overseas effective October 26, 2007 until the start of 2009. At that time, Canada Post and the Department of National Defence will jointly evaluate the program.
Canada Post also announced it will again provide free parcel service for family and friends of deployed Canadian troops for the coming 2007 holiday season. The program, which will run from October 26, 2007 to January 11, 2008, means Canada Post will deliver parcels free of charge to Canadian troops in Afghanistan and elsewhere overseas. At the end of this period, Canada Post and the Department of National Defence will jointly evaluate the program, as was the case last year with the parcel delivery program.
With capacity limitations on military aircraft carrying supplies and munitions to deployed forces, this offer is restricted to family and friends of the deployed service men and women serving overseas in war zones. That includes members of the Canadian Forces serving in Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sinai and Jerusalem. Troops serving on any of the deployed Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships are also included in the offer.
To ensure the proper customs declaration form and addressing information, the letters and parcels will need to be deposited at one of Canada Post’s more than 6,600 full service retail outlets across the country (letters and packages dropped in regular street letter boxes will not qualify). They will then be forwarded to Canadian Forces Bases in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Victoria, British Columbia and Belleville, Ontario. Once delivered to the military bases, the Department of National Defence will take charge of the letters and parcels and ensure their delivery overseas. All mail must be addressed to a specific soldier, including rank and mission information.

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Library fears mail rate hike

Posted by | Aug 16, 2007 | |

In January a World Trade Organization ruling takes effect that would block Ottawa directly subsidizing postal rates for libraries. Canada Post would likely start charging libraries the full parcel rate – 13 times what it currently charges them to send materials to in the mail.

That would be a big hit for the Vancouver Island Regional Library system, which depends on the mail to reach customers in remote communities.

Brandon-Souris MP Merv Tweed, a Conservative, introduced a private members bill in June that would require Canada Post to continue the rate for books. Bill C458 would also expand it to include CDs and DVDs.

Not surprisingly, VIRL is backing the bill.

Board members hope users – and taxpayers – sign a petition available at library branches, and online at the virl.bc.ca website. They’re also soliciting support from member municipalities.

About 50 per cent of the population use libraries – much higher than other leisure facilities like swimming pools and recreation centres. But even non-users would be affected by higher costs, which mean higher taxes.

The library system, which serves the B.C. coast from Victoria to Queen Charlotte Islands, got unanimous support from Nanaimo city council and the Regional District of Nanaimo.

George Holme, RDN representative, takes a more pragmatic approach.

The federal government created the library book rate by an act of parliament in 1939, but in 1997 the World Trade Organization ruled Canada Post must bear the full cost of the subsidy. Canada Post won’t guarantee support for the rate beyond January 2008.

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TNT launches Canadian customs clearance

Posted by | Aug 15, 2007 | |

TNT Express has launched a new customs brokerage division in Canada. The new department will offer a complete range of customs brokerage services for all inbound shipments into Canada.

“Our new division will take the guesswork out of international trade and guide our Canadian clients through the challenges of customs procedures,” said Matt McDonough, president, TNT Express, North America. “With more than 60 years of combined experience in customs maintenance, TNT’s new brokerage team will be able to help international customers with any questions on global and local regulations.”

In addition, the department will have direct electronic connection to local customs authorities and other government agencies, to speed up clearance.

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PostNet Goes to Panama

Posted by | Aug 15, 2007 | |

Since opening its first location in 1993, PostNet has been a one-stop shop for the small business owner. Fourteen years later, the Denver-based company is bringing their signature services to Panama – the first step in the brand’s expansion into Central America.

Pranas Lukauskis, CEO of Panaoutsource & Mail S.A., has acquired the master franchise for PostNet in Panama and will have a soft opening for PostNet Panama on September 20th with a grand opening tentatively scheduled for October 11th. Panaoutsource has done everything to customize their business for the Panamanian market: in addition to global shipping companies such as FedEx, DHL and UPS, Panaoutsource will also utilize the services of regional companies Copa Airlines Courier and Grupo Zoom. Once the Panama City business is running smoothly, Panaoutsource plans to open four additional locations across the country by 2010.

“Our presence in Central America begins in Panama but certainly won’t end there,” said Brian Spindel, PostNet’s co-founder and COO. “Over the next few years, we plan to expand into several other Central American countries including Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras.”

PostNet offers a worldwide network of full-service, diversified business centers to serve the increasing business services needs of small, home-based and start-up entrepreneurial business ventures. Franchised PostNet locations offer digital copy and document services, printing and finishing services, computer/Internet services and more designed to provide one-stop service to the SOHO (small office/home office) market. PostNet’s goal is to have 1,500 global franchises within three to five years. Estimates call for 50 locations to be added in 2007.

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Canadian courier Purolator buys more hybrid electric vehicles

Posted by | Aug 14, 2007 | |

Purolator Courier, Canada’s largest courier company has increased its existing order for hybrid electric delivery vans, vehicle manufacturer Azure Dynamics Corp. has announced.

The amended purchase order was placed shortly after the August 8, 2007 funding announcement by the Ontario Government. Ontario is investing CDN$15 million over four years in a pilot project to encourage businesses to convert to more environmentally-friendly technologies, such as hybrid power. The project will help make medium-duty hybrid trucks more affordable for commercial fleet operators.

Over the last two years, Purolator has placed two orders with Azure for a total of 134 HEVs, of which 49 have been delivered and are in service. Under the amended purchase order of August 14, 2007, the courier company increased the order to include an additional 20 HEVs. The remaining 105 HEVs will be supplied on a parallel hybrid-electric Ford E- 450 platform and are due for delivery in the second half of 2008.

“Since introducing Azure’s hybrid-electric vehicles (“HEV”) to our fleet of curb-side delivery vehicles in 2005, we have logged more than 333, 000 kilometres, saving almost 60,000 litres of fuel and preventing the emission of over 150 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Robert Johnson, President and CEO of Purolator.

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