An open letter to Canada Post

I am a resident of Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut. Like many other people here, I am frustrated by the amount of time that one has to spend waiting in line at the post office. For example, I had to line up three times this past week: the waiting period the first time was 12 minutes, the second 21 minutes, the third 27 minutes.

I don’t believe these delays to be the fault of the staff; they are friendly and do their best. What is desperately needed is another wicket terminal. I don’t know what decides the ratio of computer terminals to people in post office statistics, but this is no average 6,000-person town. It is the territorial capital and, being a government town, I would venture to suggest there’s a far higher turnover of mail and people using the post office than you would get in a southern community of comparable size.

To have a sole computer handling the daily business of a government town is hopelessly inadequate. One now dreads or puts off going to the post office because it’s always time-consuming. Many people here have jobs and little free time during office hours, and then families to get to when the day is over.

Neither do business people appreciate having to waste this sort of time on a regular basis. No one needs constant lineups at the post office. It has been suggested that Canada Post doesn’t feel it makes a lot of money out of the Iqaluit office, but believe me, there are not a lot of people here who feel they’re getting value for the money or satisfaction from this branch and, I repeat, it’s no fault of the staff.

They are probably as fed up as we are having only one wicket terminal.

Canada Post holds a monopoly on regular mail delivery here while also claiming to offer service. There are many of us who feel you’re not providing that service but that the situation would be alleviated if a second computer terminal were installed. Go on, surprise us, do it this summer and watch the current sense of frustration melt into smiles of satisfaction.

Nick Newbery
Iqaluit