Saskatoon property manager claims Canada Post not delivering on time

A Saskatoon woman says her property management business has been suffering because of mail delivery delays tied to the ongoing strike by Saskatoon Co-op workers.

Cathleen Mewis said her business mail was diverted from her regular pickup point at the Attridge Co-op store to the Canadian Tire location at Preston Crossing after the strike started last November. She told 650 CKOM she was informed this was because  Canada Post’s unionized workers wouldn’t cross another union’s picket line.

Canada Post confirmed via email to 650 CKOM that it shut down three outlets at Co-op stores due to the strike and diverted mail to two locations:  Shoppers Drug Mart at 2105 8 Street East and the Canadian Tire at Preston Crossing.

Mewis said service has suffered ever since.

“Daily delivery of our mail is a thing of the past and a 1-week or even 10 day delivery schedule has become the new norm,” she said.

“When you’re trying to run a business, that’s not good.”

Mewis said on at least two occasions the delay has resulted in rent cheques from tenants not arriving on time.

According to Mewis, staff at the Canadian Tire Canada Post outlet are unable to handle the extra load of mail.

“It’s like a bomb went off in that post office. There’s mail and packages everywhere. I don’t know how they could be organized,” she said.

“You stand in line for 20 minutes only to get to the counter for them to say ‘we have no mail for you because it didn’t get delivered.'”

Mewis said she is frustrated after raising her concerns with Canada Post on multiple occassions to no avail.

Canada Post said it is not aware of any delivery issues, noting in its email that stores are open seven days a week and mail is made available every day.

“Customers with a Canada Post mailbox were moved to the Canadian Tire store. We continue to process the mail and transfer it to each location on a daily basis,” the statement read.

Mewis said she’s worried she might miss more time-sensitive mail.

“We’re going to get some kind of notice that we’re behind on a payment of some kind because we didn’t get the invoice.”