Thunder Bay urged to watch battle over super mailboxes

Thunder Bay should keep a close eye on the mailbox battle currently underway in his city, a Hamilton city councillor says.

The southern Ontario city is fighting Canada Post overplans to install community mailboxes and phase out door-to-door mail delivery. The dispute is over how much control the city has over where the new super mailboxes are located.

It's a case being watched around the country for its implications on other municipalities unhappy about the Crown corporation's planned changes to mail delivery.

• Cities watch as Canada Post, Hamilton square off over super mailboxes
• Canada Post community mailboxes to be set up in Thunder Bay
• Canada Post workers in Timmins vow to fight super mailboxes

Canada Post plans to convert one-third of Canadian addresses to community mailboxes by 2019.

Coun. Terry Whitehead saidthe current legislation gives Canada Post too much power. He argues cities should have final say over the location of the mailboxes.

At the moment, the Hamilton councillor said, if the legislation is interpreted literally, "it would mean that they [Canada Post] could pretty well put a super mailbox and take down every tree in the urban forest. It means they could put it in the middle of a driveway, on a right-of-way and they would have the final say."

Whitehead added that the city has not been impressed with Canada Post's follow-up on its promise to consult.

While the city respects the decision to transition to community mailboxes, he said, the city believes it should be the gatekeeper.

"We are best suited to ensure that what locations they site are in a safe, viable location," Whitehead said. "I don't think I'm going to rely on their benevolence."

Hamilton situation 'unfortunate'

Jon Hamilton, a spokesperson for Canada Post, saidthe Crown corporation is committed to consultation with municipalities and residents, but the situation in Hamilton has been unusual and "unfortunate."

"The City of Hamilton, from the get-go, has wanted to take a different path than all the other municipalities we've been working with," he said.

"They said right up front we're not going to work with you. We don't want to sit down. We don't want city staff to spend any time with you and try and help find safe and accessible sites. We're going to determine our own criteria."

The court decision is expected Wednesday.