Parcels pose challenge
Canada Post extending hours and fully staffing facilities prior to Christmas
Miranda Scotland
Northern News Services
Published Monday, December 9, 2013
NUNAVUT
Waiting for a package to arrive at a Nunavut post office is often a frustrating experience. It's even worse during the holiday season when you're left desperately hoping your parcel arrives in time.
Nunavummiut are being advised to make online purchases at places like amazon.ca prior to Dec. 12 for the best chance to get delivery to Nunavut on time for Christmas. - NNSL file photo |
Consequently, Canada Post is temporarily extending post office hours in some communities and ensuring its facilities are fully staffed so parcels can be delivered as quickly as possible, said company spokesperson Eugene Knapi.
"Our goal is to have clean floors in all of our facilities on Dec. 24. We want to make sure every parcel that's been sent, we get out," he said.
This past week, the post office in Iqaluit was open until 8 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Knapi said the company is reassessing and may extend hours at the facility again this month.
Canada Post is dealing with higher than normal parcel volumes this year, he added.
"We're expecting our busiest day across the country to be about the 9th of December, which is a couple weeks earlier than it has been in the past.
"We think that has to do with online shopping and a lot of people ordering things on Black Friday, cyber Monday."
Customers who are ordering online and want to make sure their parcel arrives before Christmas should look on retailers' websites for information on deadlines, he added.
For instance, amazon.ca suggests ordering by Dec. 12 if choosing standard shipping to remote areas and Dec. 17 to urban areas.
"If you're sending a card or a parcel yourself, what we say is within the community give yourself two business days, within the province or territory give yourself four days and four to five business days outside of the province or territory," said Knapi.
It helps the postal workers if the parcels are clearly addressed and if old barcodes are covered up.
Knapi also reminded customers to box items securely and to not use string because it can get caught in the machines.
