Delivery delays due to the backlog of parcels caused by Canada Post strikes, and the shutdown of Greyhound buses, has some people looking to couriers to ship packages during the holiday season.
Canadian Union of Postal Workers members began rotating strikes across the county on Oct. 22, before legislation sent them back to work about five weeks later. The job action created a backlog of mail for the crown corporation.
Canada Post said parcel delivery will be delayed through the peak holiday season and into January.
Pack & Post owner Angus Liu said more people have been using his services since the postal strike, and they continue to do so.
“They decided to use our courier service FedEx, or some other courier service, to make sure the important stuff is delivered on time and it’s secure. In some cases, they are really concerned about that,” Liu said.
He said a lot of small businesses use Canada Post because it’s cheaper, but the strike hurt the publicly owned corporation. And as the strike dragged on, more people looked to other delivery companies, he said.
“We’ve picked up business from (Canada Post) and we’d like to keep them.”
Former Greyhound customers are also coming to Pack & Post to ship their parcels, he said.
In a statement, Canada Post said its outbound international parcels will experience a modest delay for some packages. Inbound international parcels will be delayed several weeks right now, but delays should diminish gradually through December and into the new year.
It may be March before delivery is back to normal, said Canada Post.
The backlog of letters at Canada Post should be cleared and deliveries current before Christmas Day. Direct-marketing mail is also expected to be current before Dec. 25, but some delays may occur. Time-sensitive pieces will be delivered on a best-effort basis, said Canada Post.
Purolator said the postal strike has put some pressure on its network this season, which is the busiest time of the year for shipping.
“We are closely monitoring and managing volume growth in regional locations, especially with our small and medium-sized customers. We are also working closely with our large customers and planning accordingly to ensure we manage parcel deliveries throughout the holidays,” Purolator said in a statement.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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