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The cheque is in the mail

Chris Hunsley
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 12/04) - Residents in Old Town and parts of downtown were angry and confused over the irregularity of mail service recently.

"I've been without mail for two weeks, near as I can tell," said Tessa Macintosh, a Latham Island resident.




Tessa Macintosh comes up empty-handed at the mail box. Macintosh and other Old Town residents say they have not received mail in over two weeks. - Chris Hunsley/NNSL photo


Finally fed up with the lack of build-up in her mailbox, Macintosh called Canada Post last week.

She described her plight, she explained, and was told that the delivery person had broken his leg and no one else knew the route. "I said, I could deliver it," she joked. To which customer service suggested she go apply, she said.

Peggy McLean, Canada Post area manager for Nunavut, who acted as spokesperson for the Yellowknife district, said there was a disruption of mail service, but the situation has been rectified. "We were delivering to that route everyday," McLean said. "Just not to the level that customers expect."

McLean did confirm that a delivery person had been off the job for two weeks, but said the person was back as of Monday.

When asked what responsibility Canada Post has to notify customers of an interruption in service, McLean could not answer. "I would have to check on our corporate policy," she said.

What time frame was considered an acceptable interruption also went unanswered.

"We are doing our best," she said. "There should be no real interruption in service."

Residents, however, have been left wondering how long they could go without mail before Canada Post notified them.

Deborah Bruser, another Old Town resident, experienced the same pattern as Macintosh.

"We haven't been getting any mail," she said, noting disappointment that a family member's birthday recently passed without parcels being delivered.

Some residents in Old Town did receive large bundles of mail last week after an interruption, but could not explain why some of their neighbours didn't. "I think it's tough for people waiting for cheques or for bills," said Judy Hollett.

"We had one letter from Ottawa take 22 days (to get here)."

Hollett lives next door to Macintosh.

As of Sunday afternoon, Macintosh said she still had not received any mail, even though McLean had promised to deliver it personally Saturday.