Drones are generating a buzz at Canada Post

Mail service mulls using flying devices for deliveries

Canada Post is considering deliveries by drone, but says using unmanned flying devices to get a letter or parcel to your doorstep is still a long way off.

“We regularly look at emerging technologies in the marketplace,” said spokesman Jon Hamilton, though no specific timelines exist. “There are no plans at this time to test or incorporate drones in our delivery operations.”

That’s unlike other jurisdictions, like the post offices in Finland and Australia, which have both been testing the use of drones for deliveries. Similarly, courier companies such as DHL have begun using these devices in rural or remote locations, for highvalue goods such as prescription medications.

Mike Palacek, national president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, says management has not approached the union about introducing drones.

“It sounds like another harebrained scheme,” he said, referring to the high cost of abandoning community mailbox installations across Canada. “I’m skeptical to say the least. There are an awful lot of hurdles they would have to get through,” before drones could be permitted.

Even though the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration set out guidelines on Monday around the use of small drones, it does not pave the way for widespread use of commercial drones by companies such as Amazon, Walmart or Google, especially in dense urban centres.

Under the FAA rules, which go into effect later this summer, the drones must be within the sight of a pilot or observer at all times, and cannot fly over people who are not involved in their operation. The drones must operate in daylight or at twilight, if there is anticollision lighting.

Meanwhile, Canada Post and its union are in the middle of negotiations as a strike or lockout deadline looms for July 2.

Two separate contracts are being negotiated — an urban one with 42,000 members and a rural-suburban one with about 8,000 members.

“Right now, we are very far apart. Canada Post is not willing to move off its demands for cut,” Palacek said, referring to changes to the pension plan and job security. “Every indication is they are going to lock us out.”

The last labour dispute was in 2011 and began with rotating strikes, followed by a national shutdown of the post office by management. Parliament legislated unionized workers back on the job, though an Ontario judge recently deemed the law to be unconstitutional.

“We are still at the table. We’re hopeful we can get a deal,” Hamilton said.

He cautioned though that if there is a large-scale labour disruption, without specifying what would be considered large scale, Canada Post would not accept mail or parcels for processing. That’s because of the integrated nature of the processing plants.

“You don’t have to have a strike affecting all our facilities to have an impact on deliveries,” Hamilton said.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has warned its members to prepare for potential disruptions, including looking at alternate delivery methods.

“The vast majority of our members still pay for services and suppliers by cheque,” said Monique Moreau, the group’s director of national affairs.