Snow can cause havoc with newspaper delivery system
Sorry, Groundhog Day revellers: more snow is in the forecast for this week — up to 30 centimetres from late today through Thursday.
With these conditions, more pressure is also put on The Herald’s delivery system, and thus, some papers are arriving later than the usual time.
“We have always taken the safety of our carriers very seriously,” said Ryan Turner, Director of Circulation for the Southern Alberta Newspaper Group.
“If the conditions are poor, we tell our carriers to take their time so they do not fall and harm themselves. If a set of stairs are full of snow, we ask the carriers to bag and throw the paper rather than risk any injury to themselves.”
Turner says a primary rule of being a carrier is that you do not walk on lawns. However, during the winter months, carriers are told to use lawns rather than ice-covered sidewalks or driveways.
“In the last three years, we have had multiple carriers break bones while delivering to customers’ houses,” Turner said.
“One thing that does help the carriers and drivers deliver is having an outside light on for them to deliver the paper safely. Another is clearing snow and ice from any walkway or mailbox.”
If you are experiencing late papers during the next few days, or notice the paper is slower when the weather is bad, please call The Herald at 403-327-5511 or send an email to circulation@lethbridgeherald.com to find out the status of your delivery.
Please contact us also if you are interested in delivering The Herald.
“Currently, the Lethbridge Herald has lost some very good long-term carriers,” Turner said. “This puts a strain upon our delivery system since our drivers that deliver the bundles to the carriers must deliver the routes that have no carriers. This is especially true on the west and north sides of the city.”