Correspondence from Mayor Wayne Wright, New Westminster Re: Canada Postal System

Re: Concerns Regarding Recent Amendments to the Canada Postal System

At a meeting February 3, 2014, New Westminster City Council passed the following resolution:

WHEREAS local governments in Canada have a direct financial interest in the security and stability of Canada's postal system, to ensure reliable communications with rate-payers and certainty in the timely payment of taxes and other fees;

AND WHEREAS Canada Post, a consistently profitable Crown Corporation, has announced its intention to eliminate residential door-to-door mail delivery in Canada, calling into question the stability of Canada's postal system, the certainty of communications and payments, and the reliability of business transactions;

AND WHEREAS this proposed change would entail the downloading of responsibilities, costs, and liabilities to local governments, including requirements for municipal land and rights-of-way, infrastructure such as paving and lighting, and policing related to vandalism, graffiti and mail theft;

AND WHEREAS this fundamental change to Canada's communications system is unprecedented in the G7 countries and has been announced in the absence of any meaningful consultation with local governments, Canada Post customers or postal workers;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City of New Westminster request that the Federal Government direct Canada Post to maintain the current system of residential door-to-door postal delivery in Canada.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Council direct staff to forward this resolution to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Lower Mainland Local Government Association, and other local governments in Canada for whom contact information is readily available, requesting favourable consideration of this resolution.

As noted above, the City of New Westminster requests that the Federal Government direct Canada Post to maintain the current system of residential door-to-door postal delivery in Canada. We look forward to your action on this matter.

Sincerely,

Wayne Wright MAYOR

Cc:

• Federation of Canadian Municipalities
• Lower Mainland Local Government Association
• Union of BC Municipalities
• Alberta Urban Municipalities Association
• Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association
• Association of Manitoba Municipalities
• Association of Yukon Communities
• Northwest Territories Association of Communities
• Nunavut Association of Municipalities
• Association of Municipalities of Ontario
• Union des munipalités du Québec
• Union of the Municipalities of New Brunswick
• Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities
• Federation of Prince Edward Island Municipalities
• Municipalities of Newfoundland and Labrador