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BEHCHOKO/RAE-EDZO - "I've never dealt with anyone so bizarre in my life as Canada Post," says Curtis Grosco, of family-owned FC Services, which stopped offering post office service in Behchoko on March 27 after providing the service the past two years.

Grosco said the money provided by the Crown corporation -- $2,421 per month -- barely paid for the clerk that staffed the outlet.

Behchoko residents are picking up their mail at the friendship centre after FC Services relinquished its postal outlet service with Canada Post because a representative of the business said it was losing money. - Herb Mathisen/NNSL photo

"They have a mantra and it goes like this: we are partners with small businesses and that's what they keep saying over and over. But you can't operate on what they offer," he said.

For now, Behchoko residents are standing in long lines for their mail at the friendship centre.

"We have made temporary arrangements where Rae-Edzo customers can pick up their mail and packages at the friendship centre in Behchoko," said Lillian Au, a spokesperson with Canada Post.

She said customers can send mail from the friendship centre as well.

Postal workers, including some from Yellowknife sent to Behchoko help out, are now lining people outside a boardroom where the mail is kept and handing them their mail.

Au said customers will have to travel to Yellowknife for retail services, like purchasing stamps.

Cecilia Ashton, who works at the centre, said the line-ups are pretty long and estimated more than 200 people were visiting the centre every day to get their mail.

Ashton said notices were posted around town and people have been phoning the centre and asking for hours.

She said while the disrupted service hasn't caused any major problems that she knew of, she has heard some complaints.

"Some people are kind of upset about it," she said. "There is no stable place to check their mail."

Canada Post negotiates contracts with its dealers, and Au added it is in discussions with businesses and the community on where a permanent location will be set-up.

Craig Yeo, senior administrative officer of Behchoko, said Canada Post officials came into the hamlet office to ask for advice on where to locate the office. When he went down to the temporary set-up, a worker at the outlet said they were hoping to be out of the centre and in a new location in three weeks.

Grosco said the relationship got off on the wrong foot, when FC Services expressed interest in taking over the service from the Co-op, when it shut down over two years ago.

Grosco called officials in Ottawa and a director in Yellowknife five months before the outlet was slated to shut down, but he said he never received a call back until six days before shutdown.

"The director comes out here and says, If you guys can't take over this post office, the people of Rae-Edzo will have to go to Yellowknife for their mail, after ignoring us for five months," he said.

"It's too bad," he said, adding the company was making space in the building to provide a customer-friendly spot. Grosco said it will now be converted into an Internet cafe.