Victoria donating $2,500 to Hamilton's Canada Post appeal

At least two municipalities are donating to Hamilton's court challenge against Canada Post.

City councillors in Victoria, B.C. voted last week to donate $2,500 to the cause, which will see Hamilton fight for the ability to dictate where the corporation puts community mailboxes.

The town council of Baie-D'Urf, a Quebec municipality of 3,850 people, has also voted to send $750.

The donations stemfrom 95 letters sent out in July, when MayorFred Eisenberger asked for help with the court appeal. The appeal will cost an estimated $75,000.

Hamilton is fighting to uphold a bylaw it passed early this year that would see it dictate where Canada Post puts the mailboxes as it phases out urban door-to-door delivery. Canada Post says its federal mandate trumps municipal laws.

The issue isn't the elimination of the service, city officials say, but a municipality's ability to control its own right of ways. On those grounds, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities will seek intervenor status.

• No cities stepping up to help fund Hamilton's Canada Post appeal

The city is appealing after local Superior Court Justice Alan Whitten sided with Canada Post this year.

The decision to appeal has been far from unanimous. City council voted 10-5 to pursue the matter in July.

It wasn't unanimous at last week's Victoria council committee either. The vote was 8-1. It must be ratified by city council, but that's the same group, said Coun. Ben Isitt of Victoria. So the donation is nearly certain.

"It's a reasonable allocation to support Hamilton's legal fees," Isitt told CC Hamilton.

"Hamilton is doing some heavy lifting on behalf of all municipalities and residents in the country that are going to be affected by this."

Reaction hasn't all been supportive. Last week, the province told Hamilton that it wouldn't seek intervenor status in the case. And other cities, such as Saint John, NB, say they have enough of their own issues.

"I don't have any interest in fighting any other city's battles," Mayor Mel Norton said.

As for Victoria andBaie-D'Urf, Coun. Matthew Green from Hamilton was happy about the support.

"That's amazing," he said.

"Given where we're at right now, there needs to be a clearly defined legal opinion on jurisdiction and planning and zoning."