Postal outlets in small towns are changing and Canada Post is having to meet changes in how people send their mail.
Laura Moench is a Ponoka resident who is concerned about these changes and spoke with councillors May 28.
The postal office downtown does not have enough staff and has to often close its doors during the lunch hour.
“There’s long lineups for customers,” said Moench. “They have nobody to answer the phone.”
But her biggest concern is for staff who have to work alone as there is a safety issue for those workers who may have to deal with certain customers. She witnessed one situation where an outpatient of the Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury was extremely agitated at having to wait a long time. Moench knew the history of this person as she works in mental health.
“The clerk at the till was shaking in her boots, I tried to go up to the person and calm him down. (I) noticed the glazed look that I had seen before and knew that I wasn’t going to be able to diffuse it,” stated Moench.
There were no issues as the clerk resolved the complaint but Moench was concerned for the clerk who was all by herself. Moench feels Ponoka’s post office is taking a hit and will soon be closed. She believes Canada Post is going to contract out to more drugstores and less foot traffic will come to the downtown area.
“So basically we’re here just to ask for your support,” said Moench.
“It’s all about cutting jobs and saving money, they can contract it out to outlets,” she added.
Mayor Larry Henkelman feels there is a concern over an employee’s safety as his store was recently a victim of theft. “That is happening in our community, I experienced it this week in my business.”
Some people might be better in a closed setting for the public’s safety, said Coun. Rick Bonnett but the cost of taking care of special needs people is being downloaded to the municipalities.
He believes the federal and provincial governments are trying to manage a changing economy by making municipalities and citizens pay for certain services. “I don’t know if we can change it.”
“You’re seeing a Canada Post reaction to the changing times,” explained Coun. Doug Gill.
The advent of the Internet and “e-bill” is just one of those changes but he does not believe Ponoka will lose its post office. “We will always have some kind of postal service.”
CAO Brad Watson confirmed Gill’s statement. He spoke with the regional representative of Canada Post and was assured the office will not close. Ponoka’s population is large enough to keep the store but they are short three staff. However there are fewer people using the postal service.
“Talking with staff at the post office, they said, ‘We have seen a distinct lower use of letters, but also a significant increase of parcels,’” added Watson.
People use email more often than letters but are ordering more parcels through online retailers. He does not feel the store will close anytime soon.