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Norman Wells post office moves New location at Riverview Stationary and Supplies
Kassina Ryder
Northern News Services
Published Monday, July 1, 2013
LLI GOLINE/NORMAN WELLS
Canada Post moved its Norman Wells office from the downtown area to Riverview Stationary and Supplies earlier this month, said John Caines, Canada Post spokesperson.
Caines said after more than a year of trying to find a permanent postmaster, Canada Post decided to partner with a community business to deliver postal services.
"It's a franchise. A franchise post office is a post office that's set up inside a host business," Caines said. "We have these all across the country."
Caines said franchise post offices, many of which are found inside drug stores, have the same rules as regular post offices, including security checks for staff handling the mail.
"It is a Canada Post office, but it's run by the owner of the business," he said. "They are trained by Canada Post training staff, they have the same computer system. Anything that happens in a regular post office can happen in a franchise post office."
Caines said Canada Post approached different businesses in town to host the new office, but chose Riverview Stationary and Supplies.
He said Canada Post has had a tough time finding staff in some Northern regions.
"We are having some difficulty in the North with the oil boom and other things going on to be competitive as an employer," he said.
In an interview with News/North last year, regional manager John Abbott said Canada Post workers earn a flat rate no matter where they work in Canada, which can make it hard to attract employees.
"Typically, what we look for with the post offices is local candidates, people who are already in the community, somebody looking for a decent job opportunity," he said.
At the time, Abbott said as many as six residents in Norman Wells applied to work at the old post office, but some didn't have the required skills and others were unable to attend job interviews.
He said if a suitable candidate could not be found, Canada Post would look to open a franchise office instead.
Mayor Gregor Harold McGregor said the store moved on the weekend of June 7 and the post office opened a few days later.
McGregor said he has heard a few complaints from residents that the post office will now be farther away from the downtown area.
"I've heard a bit, but not a great deal," he said. "The weather is so nice right now nobody would be that concerned about it."
McGregor said more residents might be concerned about the distance during colder times of the year.
"It is going to be about half-a-kilometre farther than where the post office location is now," he said. "It could be pretty nasty some mornings in the winter."
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