Agreement reached to keep postal outlet open
Store owner said monthly supplement from Canada Post was not enough to cover the increased work
Vicki Harvey was turning on the computer at the Canada Post outlet in Harvey’s Grocery and Confectionary in Burnt Islands late Thursday afternoon after spending most of the day not knowing if or when the outlet would reopen.
Harvey and her husband, Jason Harvey, have had the outlet at their store since 2008, but a disagreement with Canada Post over the monthly supplement they had been receiving caused the couple to ask to end their contract with the Crown corporation.
As a result, Canada Post announced on Wednesday that due to reasons beyond its control operations at the outlet in Burnt Islands would cease as of Thursday.
In an email to Saltwire Network, Canada Post said it would work with the community to discuss their postal needs in Burnt Islands, and in the meantime all products and postal services would be available at the post office in Isle aux Morts.
Harvey said the reopening of the outlet came after Canada Post met them halfway on a request for more money, and they decided to accept it.
“For this town and for our community, we did it. For the people of this town, we did it,” she said.
In a media update Thursday, Canada Post confirmed postal services will resume at the outlet.
Earlier in the day, Harvey said closing the outlet was not something they wanted to do. The store is the only one in the town, and she said she knows how important the postal outlet is for people.
But financially the money they were receiving wasn’t enough to cover the work, especially with the increase in parcel mail over the past year, she said.
“Canada Post has exploded since COVID and we’re really, really busy,” said Harvey.
Harvey said they wanted to do some renovations, at their own cost, at the outlet to handle the increase in parcels, and contacted Canada Post to make sure that was OK. At the same time, they asked to talk about their contract.
She said the money they receive doesn’t cover the cost of having an employee to do the work that’s required. Canada Post wants the outlet open 50 hours a week, and the extra parcels are adding to the workload outside of that time, Harvey said, adding that she is often there late at night and after hours dealing with the mail.
When Canada Post said no, Harvey said, it wasn’t what they wanted to do, but they asked to discontinue the service.
She said their request wasn’t for an unreasonable amount and they were willing to negotiate.
“We just asked to offset the cost for one worker at minimum wage at the hours that they want us to work.”
Harvey said she felt the town was behind them in keeping the outlet open.
That support was evident on Thursday morning when a protest was held outside the store that blocked a Canada Post employee from Isle aux Morts from collecting the mail.
In the media update, Canada Post expressed gratitude to Gudie Hutchings, the MP for the Long Range Mountains, and Burnt Island’s Mayor Paul Strickland for support in resolving the situation.
Harvey said Strickland should be recognized for his efforts on the matter.
“Because he fought for us,” she said.
Saltwire Network was unable to reach Strickland on Thursday evening, but earlier in the day he said the town was concerned over the planned closure.
“No small community wants to lose any services.”
He said it would be a big inconvenience for people, especially seniors and those without vehicles, to have to get their mail 10 kilometres away.
So, the town was doing what it could to offer its input to keep the service, he said.
“We’re going to try to get something done here.”
He expressed optimism in there being a resolution.
“That’s a temporary thing. The service will be back in Burnt Islands.”
At the time, he said whether it would be back in the store or somewhere else was to be determined.