Canada Post’s closure of the Argyle Street post office has angered city council, with many saying the Crown corporation lied to them.
Port Alberni station A post office will officially close on Friday, July 19.
In a letter addressed to council, delivery operations communications officer Tom Creech cited “drastically declining mail volumes and revenues” for the closure. Creech also wrote that all employees would be re-assigned to other duties as a result and there are still two other post offices in the city.
That explanation still didn’t sit well with council.
“They promised they would not leave,” said Coun. Jack McLeman, after Monday’s council meeting. “They said the old building was too old, too mouldy, had asbestos so we permitted them to move, but they promised not to leave this [Argyle Street] area.
“They promised that this side of town would be serviced by a post office; it’s dishonourable and shouldn’t have happened,” McLeman added.
Both McLeman and Coun. Cindy Solda cited a letter from Canada Post four years ago, promising to keep a post office open near city hall.
“It was just to pacify us,” Solda said, about Canada Post’s letter.
In a letter from Canada Post dated April 23, 2007, retail network director David Wilson wrote that “Canada Post will maintain a retail post office in the uptown core of Port Alberni.”
The letter also stated that if the post office is unable to have its leased space repaired, they would “lease space in another facility downtown.”
Council unanimously agreed to send a letter expressing their position on the matter.
Council had invited Canada Post to speak with them about this closure, which was announced last month, but the invitation was declined on June 10.
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