2023-08-17 00:17:28
The mayor of Blanc-Sablon, Andrew Etheridge, denounces Canada Post’s decision to entrust SkyJet with mail delivery.
Mr. Etheridge asserts that the awarding of the contract to the company at the beginning of the month diminishes the quality of service to his fellow citizens.
This winter, the mayor of Blanc-Sablon was offended to learn that Air Liaison stopped helping people with reduced mobility to board their planes.
Since Route 138 does not go to his village, only the air route allows his fellow citizens to leave the Lower North Shore for the rest of Quebec.
“If people aren’t strong in their legs, they can’t fly at all,” said Andrew Etheridge.
He was therefore concerned to see that an Air Liaison company, SkyJet, won the postal delivery contract from Canada Post to serve his village at the beginning of the month.
A concern confirmed by one of his fellow citizens, Armand Joncas, who maintains that the post was not delivered to post office boxes from August 3 to 14 in Blanc-Sablon.
Canada Post declined our interview request.
“Occasional delays have unfortunately occurred recently due to mechanical problems or crew availability issues,” wrote a spokesperson in an email sent to TVA Nouvelles.
“Three flights have been organized on Friday and Saturday, August 11 and 12, with the aim of catching up and ensuring that all the accumulated mail can be delivered on Monday August 14 in the affected communities of the Lower North Shore. […]. The carrier has made the necessary adjustments and it is now expected that scheduled flights will proceed normally,” he added.
Residents of the Lower North Shore have had to be patient for years.
“Usually it’s supposed to be around two weeks, maybe three, depending on the weather. But this year, sometimes it’s a month, maybe two months. And to send a letter from Chevery to Blanc-Sablon, it took three to four weeks. That is appalling,” lamented Andrew Etheridge.
For her part, the federal deputy for Manicouagan, Marilène Gill, intervened on numerous occasions in the file.
“The bond of trust with the state corporation, â can be difficult for the population,” she said.
Marilène Gill has been discussing with Canada Post for years to find solutions, such as shipping by boat or color codes on packages.
“There are several possibilities, we did it in consultation with the entire MRC Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent, but it is the state company, which in my opinion, is not moving,” said she added.
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