The rundown: what happens in Nunavut during a postal lock-out

Some businesses and hamlet offices in Nunavut say they’re not too concerned with the possibility of a postal strike July 8 because they use mostly air freight and electronic billing. (FILE PHOTO)

You won’t be able to pick up your Amazon deliveries if they are sent after a possible Canada Post labour disruption July 8.

But you will still be able to receive government cheques coming your way.

Canada’s labour minister, Maryann Mihychuk, announced July 5 that about 50,000 Canada Post employees could walk off the job July 8, grinding snail mail to a halt.

“If work stoppage occurs it will impact the way we deliver services to Canadians. We will continue to provide people with services and benefits,” Mihychuk said in a statement.

For example, old age security cheques will “not be impacted,” the federal government’s website says.

Minister Mihychuk encouraged Canadians to visit the government’s website to find out how their services might be impacted.

For the Government of Nunavut, it appears it will be business as usual.

“The current practice of the finance department is to send cheques through airlines to be distributed locally,” Cate MacLeod, the GN’s communication director, said July 6.

And income assistance cheques are already printed and picked up locally at income assistance offices in each community, a spokesperson for the Department of Family Services said July 5.

But the territory’s power company’s statement on the possible strike included a veiled threat.

“Customers may experience delays in receiving power bills…[and] delays when sending payments… through Canada Post,” the Qulliq Energy Corp. said June 28.

“Customers are reminded that they are still responsible for paying any balances owed to QEC by the due date, even if they have not received a statement in the mail.”

Some in Iqaluit’s business community told Nunatsiaq News July 5 that a postal strike won’t make much of a difference to their business.

“All of our goods already go through cargo jet service in the North, and courier companies in the South,” Trevier Pentilla, manager of Tittaq Office Products in Iqaluit said.

“The more strikes they have the more we find ways to do business elsewhere because we still need to do business.”

But owners of smaller businesses in the Baffin region, like artisans or seamstresses, will likely see their precious cash-flow squeezed with a work stoppage, the president of the Baffin Region Chamber of Commerce said July 6.

“Many smaller businesses in Nunavut still rely on cheques to be sent to them for payment. So any disruption in mail service slows cash flow and cash flow is crucial to smaller businesses,” said Victor Tootoo.

“Any disruption of mail or essential services…has a negative effect on a lot of people in the Baffin region who are already operating in some of the harshest environments on the planet.”

At the hamlet level, things might run a bit slower, a Senior Administrative Officer told Nunatsiaq News.

“But most stuff is flown in through the airlines anyway,” said Debbie Johnson from Arctic Bay.

“It will cost us more money to send things like envelopes through the airline — that’s the biggest thing. But hopefully it won’t last too long if it does happen,” Johnson said.

Canada Post communications division did not respond to an information request by press time.

But two Canada Post employees told Nunatsiaq News that some services will still be available at the Iqaluit branch if a lock-out does take place.

Parcels that arrive before July 8 will continue to be sorted, and the counter will be staffed.

That means if you have a parcel already in Iqaluit before July 8 you will be able to pick it up even if there is a lock-out.

But any mail sent on or after July 8, including mail circulating within Iqaluit, will not be sorted or delivered.