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Canada Post holds off on community mailbox transition

Kitimat and Terrace had received word that 2016 would be when door-to-door mail was ending, until this latest development.

Canada Post is holding off further reduction of door-to-door mail service.

The organization made the announcement in the wake of the federal election. The new Liberal government had made commitments to halting the shift to a community-mailbox system. Although the new Liberal government hasn't formally taken control, the mail carrier is putting on the brakes.

"Canada Post is temporarily suspending future deployment of the program to convert door-to-door mail delivery to community mailboxes. We will work collaboratively with the Government of Canada to determine the best path forward given the ongoing challenges faced by the Canadian postal system," Canada Post said in a statement.

Kitimat, and Terrace, were given notices in the mail earlier this year that the conversion to mailboxes was to take place in 2016.

While Canada Post was working with the District of Kitimat for the local transition, Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth had said in April that the municipality had little sway in holding off the change here.

Apparently all it took was a seemingly landslide victory by the federal Liberals who strode in to a majority government on October 19.

"Efforts are now underway to place the comprehensive program on hold in an orderly fashion. This involves roughly 460,000 addresses across the country which are currently in the process to be converted to community mailboxes," Canada Post continued. "As a result, all conversions planned for November and December 2015 and those announced for 2016 will be placed on hold. Customers impacted by this decision will receive a letter within the next few weeks advising them of the status of their mail delivery service."