Price of a single stamp rises to $1
Residents and businesses say they will send less mail to offset 35 per cent increase
Cody Punter
Northern News Services
Published Friday, April 4, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A 35 per cent increase in postage fees, which came into effect on Monday, may not have achieved its desired effect.
Judy Murdock, business manager at Office Compliments, puts a stamp on a letter at the company's office Wednesday afternoon. The price of a single stamp went up to $1 and 85 cents if bought in bulk, effective March 31. - Cody Punter/NNSL photo |
Canada Post hiked the cost of postage up to $1 for a single domestic stamp and 85 cents if bought in bulk in order to recover losses which it has been incurring in recent years.
In turn, some residents and businesses are responding by cutting their dependence on the mail service.
Judy Murdock, business manager at Office Compliments, said she has been preparing for this moment ever since Canada Post announced the increase in December.
"This is a significant increase for sure, but we knew it was coming," said Murdock.
After calculating the extra 22 cents per stamp was going to cost the business approximately $2,000 a year, Murdock said the company decided to become more "paperless."
"We sent out a message to all our clients and all of those that we correspond with not too long ago just saying that if we could work our way toward electronic correspondence, the sooner the better," she said.
Norm Glowach, who owns recording company Spiritwalker Productions and plays in the band Priscilla's Revenge, said Canada Post is only speeding up a transition already taking place.
"This has been coming for years," said Glowach. "I think everybody is going electronic."
After recording Priscilla's Revenge's last album, Glowach sent out approximately 175 promotional CDs.
With the increasing reliance on the Internet to share music, Glowach said it doesn't make sense for him to even produce CDs anymore.
Glowach added that Canada Post will ultimately go out of business trying to compete with the Internet.
"In the long run, I think it's inevitable that prices will go up and Canada Post will disappear," he said.
Canada Post spokesperson Carley Smith said it is no secret that Canadians are depending less and less on the mail to communicate and do business.
Smith said Canada Post delivered 1.2 billion fewer pieces of mail in 2013 than in 2006.
"We've already seen letter mail declining, so I'm not sure that this (recent increase) will push it over the edge," she said.
She added the purpose of the increase was so that Canada Post could adapt to the needs of its customers.
The rising cost of stamps will also impact those who use the mail for personal correspondence. Murdock said she still likes to write letters to friends and family but has recently resorted to sending more e-mails.
However, that is not an option for Murdock's elderly relatives who do not use computers, never mind e-mail.
She said they have stopped sending Christmas cards because it's getting too expensive.
"I think that's something that if they didn't have to watch their pennies, they'd still enjoy," she said.
Murdock added that she has had a few minor issues with her mail being delivered in the past few years, but that overall she is pleased with the service.
However, she has had a couple of important packages lost in the mail.
"If somebody is sending me something and it's important I tell them not to use the mail," she said.
