After nearly a decade of operation, the Canada Post outlet in York University’s bookstore is closing its doors. The decision coincides with the federal government instructing Canada Post to downscale their services earlier this Fall. The corporation has been hemorrhaging money, losing over $5 billion since 2018, at a present rate of around $10 million each day.
These steep financial losses stem largely from declining letter mail volumes, even as the number of households requiring delivery continues to rise. Furthermore, the government claims that Canada Post has lost a significant foothold in the market of parcel delivery. Rather than continuing to inject the company with billion-dollar bailouts, Minister Joël Lightbound has suggested significant structural changes in the scope of delivery services, many of which would involve cutting staff.
On Nov. 7, Canada Post submitted to Lightbound a comprehensive plan of how they will adapt their services, including reduced delivery frequency and consolidation of households into community mailboxes. These adaptations are of prime concern to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), who initially called for a nationwide strike on Nov. 12, 2024. Ordered to return to work by the Canadian Industrial Relations Board that December, CUPW and Canada Post have remained at the bargaining table for the past year. As of Oct. 11, CUPW has resumed striking on a rolling basis in response to the newly proposed service cutbacks.
Despite this climate, York University’s Director of Mailing Services, Sasa Nestorovic, informed Excalibur that the decision to close the bookstore’s Canada Post outlet had no relation to the ongoing labour disputes nor the government’s mandate. Rather, Nestorovic described it as the resolution of what has been a long-term doubling up of service, and assured that “the impact on students, faculty, and staff will be at the minimum.”
Mailing Services, headquartered in the basement of Curtis Lecture Halls, will be taking on most of the outlet’s roles post-closure. The service currently handles both inter-office and intra-university mailing for faculty and staff, as well as delivery to York’s student residences. Nestorovic confirmed that on top of Canada Post delivery, items like express post mailers and stamps will be available for purchase. Mailing Services also offers additional local and international couriers, including Purolator and DHL.
Excalibur spoke with Mailing Services’ Mailing Coordinator, Michael Flammia, who is looking forward to the transition. “I’m happy to be providing that kind of service for the community,” Flammia expressed, hoping this marks a return to form for Central Mail. Prior to its time in York Lanes, Canada Post’s key offerings were available as a part of Mailing Services. “Now that [the Canada Post] is closing, it’s like it’s coming back,” Flammia remarked.
Regarding Canada Post’s recent struggles, Flammia stated that over his 15-plus years at Mailing Services, he’s “seen the decline of letter mail and parcels,” but is certain that “it’s still an essential service that the university needs to keep and hang onto.”
These sentiments were echoed by Applied Mathematics PhD student Sherif Shuaib, whom Excalibur encountered while paying a farewell visit to the bookstore’s Canada Post outlet. Although Shuaib admitted that it was a rare occurrence for him to send mail, he still felt that the outlet’s existence was well-justified. He pointed out that within his ten-minute wait in standing there, at least five other students came by. “It’s important these types of services are available for students,” Shuaib insisted.
While other members of the York community will need to travel to a neighbouring outlet, students, faculty, and staff can take comfort in the continued operation of Mailing Services. For those that would like to say a final goodbye, the last day to utilize the bookstore’s Canada Post is Thursday, Nov. 13.
