Canada Post cancels community mailboxes, these Hamilton residents have to live with them

The federal government said Wednesday it won't convert any more neighbourhoods to community mailboxes.

But that's little consolation for opponents of the conversion on Hamilton's Mountain and Stoney Creek who have been walking – or driving – to the box down the street for the last couple of years.

Why do I have to walk down my street everyday...when others just need to open their front door? Doesn't seem right.- Mark Jeffrey on Twitter

In Rick Davidson's case, the community box was installed on his property on the centre Mountain. He said he feels lucky that he can't see it from his window.

Even still, the retiree uses a cane to walk and makes it to his mailbox only about once a week.

"When I do go to my mailbox I'm always picking up litter," Davidson, 72, said. "I feel it is a negative in terms of your property value."

'The government has done half a job'

He said people who have a box on their property and have young kids have a traffic flow problem to worry about. His neighbour, in his 90s, drives to his box to check his mail.

He's not pleased to be among the 840,000 Canadian households who lost door-to-door delivery a few years ago. Hamilton was a hot spot for resistance to the change, with city council getting on board with residents to fight it. He got charged with mischief for trying to prevent crews from installing it.

"I feel the government has done half a job," Davidson said of Wednesday's announcement. "They stopped short in correcting the situation."

Public Services Minister Carla Qualtrough announced the changes at a Canada Post plant in Mississauga, Ont., this morning, calling the corporation an "iconic Canadian institution."

Qualtrough said the government will not be "putting the toothpaste back in the tube" – reversing any conversions that have already been done.

"Neighbourhoods in the lower city of Hamilton are going to be spared going through the enormous aggravation and frustration that I and my Mountain colleagues did two or three years ago," said Coun. Tom Jackson, who represents the east Mountain in Ward 6.

"There was great resentment then, mostly amongst seniors and those with disabilities," Jackson said. "There may be resentment lingering, but quite honestly, people have resigned themselves to the fact that that's going to be in place and there's no reconversions back to door-to-door."

There was so much resentment that the city sued the Crown corporation over the conversion. The city of Hamilton lost that suit.

Jackson said he was able to work with a Canada Post manager to relocate the majority of the 100 or so boxes placed in his ward. Rather than stick them on residential properties, some were moved instead to the edge of a city park or a commercial plaza.

"I was able to make – at least happier – about 70 or 80 homeowners," he said.

Qualtrough said a national advisory panel will be struck to seek options for serving people with accessibility issues who have already been converted to community mailboxes.

"I would welcome that on behalf of my seniors, especially," Jackson said. "Especially in this freezing, frigid winter we've had already. Even if [the government is] open-minded to that I would welcome that conversation to restore some kind of door-to-door" service.

'Mail isn't as important as I once thought'

Reaction was mixed from people who've adjusted to life with the new mailboxes: