Parts of northwest Winnipeg losing Canada Post door-to-door delivery

Winnipeggers living in The Maples, West Kildonan, Garden City and Margaret Park will be among the first to say goodbye to Canada Post's door-to-door mail delivery service.

The postal service has announced 11 areas across Canada that will be the first to move from door-to-door service to community mailboxes this fall.

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In Winnipeg, the first addresses to move to community mailboxes have postal codes starting with R2P and R2V. Information packages will be mailed to people in those neighbourhoods.

The move will affect about 12,000 residential addresses and 70 businesses.

Bill Davidson, Canada Post's general manager of operations in Winnipeg, says people will be consulted about what kind of community mailbox will work best in their neighbourhoods.

"There's different types of installations … the individual type or more of a group, a larger box site," he told CBC News on Thursday.

"That's part of what we're going to be doing is getting some feedback from the citizens of the areas."

Davidson said the neighbourhoods in question, located in northwest Winnipeg, were chosen to switch over first because they are close to other areas that already have community mailboxes.

"The more dense areas we're going to leave until later," he said.

"It's more the downtown areas that are a little more challenging and more dense in that way."

Canada Post has not yet decided which neighbourhoods will be converted next, said Davidson.

Carlos Sosa, co-chair of the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities, says his group's members have concerns about losing door-to-door mail delivery.

"Hopefully Canada Post will be consulting with persons with disabilities and seniors and actually try to address some of those concerns," he said.

"I mean, the fact of the matter is getting to a mailbox will be a significant issue."

Canada Post has said it can provide extra mailbox keys to the friends of neighbours of residents with mobility issues, but Sosa said he worries some people may use that to take advantage of people with disabilities.

Seniors worry about trip to mailbox

Lorna Wallace, 83, said the change will be tough.

“It’s going to be a lot harder for me with my bad leg,” she said. But more troubling for her is, “I won’t have anyone to say good morning to.”

Wallace’s neighbour Cathey Grainger is especially worried about the trip she’ll have to make in the winter.

“I don’t think in Winnipeg they should be taking things away that are making you walk to the mail box in the winter,” said the 90-year-old woman.

But other Winnipeggers who already have the boxes installed don’t think they’re so bad.

Michaelina Brinkworth has been walking to her box with her dog Max for a few months now.

“It’s just an excuse to go outside for a little walk because it’s around the corner so I’ll take Max and stuff,” she said. “I really enjoy it.”

Brinkworth said she understands accessibility will be an issue if people have mobility issues, but she hopes others will step up to help.

“I guess that’s what nice neighbours are for,” she said.

The new boxes will be in place by the fall.